Everything you love about a European city; California is the opposite (Los Angeles: homes, organic)

[diallomacedo]

A lot of people ask me why I didn't stay in California. They assert that they hear it's the best place in the world, but these are folk who have not lived here yet. I decided to make a post so I can reference back to it every time someone says, "Why'd you leave Cali?"

I start of with: I studied abroad in Madrid, Spain for undergrad, traveled many places while in Europe, and the best way to describe California (Los Angeles) is as the exact opposite of any European city.

Madrid thrives on intellectualism (everyone knows about world politics), Los Angeles thrives on anti-intellectualism (you get verbally stoned if you talk about anything of substance outside your circle).

Madrid is built with a city centre and the infrastructure makes it easy to drive from one part of the city to another. LA is built without a city centre and it is hard to drive from one part of the city to another.

Madrid, and other european cities alike, there are few options for food. Pork, bread and unseasoned chicken, however, nothing had GMO's in it. LA, and west coast towns alike, has options for everything all the time, portions huge, most stuff has GMO's in it, you have to search to find organic/local grown.

Madrid, and other euro cities alike, they have a bigger welfare/safety net, so there are less homeless people. There are more sex slaves, access to drugs, access to illegal activities though. LA there is the 1% and there is everyone else. The 1% does nothing for the roads, building aesthetics, or city renovations. That being said LA looks underdeveloped. In LA the homes not occupied by the 1% look like favelas because they are small and everyone has a different colored gate around their abode.

Madrid, less rules and restrictions on life if you follow the law. The police are not militarized and do not have guns. Clubs stay open until 6am, and they have post club bars that are open from 6am-12pm. Los Angeles, military police and a club will be located in a venue ungerground next to a gas station, not close to any other venues so it's impossible to club hop. The clubs close at 2, lights on at 1:30, so LA can get boring quickly if you're into insane partying (with the public, private parties don't count bc theyre private)

Then you have the nature aspect of both cities. Madrid has green parks and lakes, which look developed and are always upkept by the city. LA has beaches and different terrains, but beaches are city beaches so from Santa Monica all the way down to Huntington Beach you can walk out of the beach with tar on your bare feet.

[Snort]

This is an L.A. vs. Madrid comparison. California getting thrown into this ruins the argument.

[jjpop]

Originally Posted by Snort

This is an L.A. vs. Madrid comparison. California getting thrown into this ruins the argument.

Yeah, as someone who has lived throughout CA, I've never understood why some people say "California" when they really only mean LA. My only guess is that they have zero experience with the rest of the state and the Southland is the only part of California they know.

[Gentoo]

Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Sacramento. All are four VERY distinct places but LA=all of California?

HILARIOUS! LOL

[I Love Buildings]

Can't we just appeciate different parts of the world for what they are? If everything was the same than it'd be boring.

[Mr5150]

Originally Posted by jjpop

Yeah, as someone who has lived throughout CA, I've never understood why some people say "California" when they really only mean LA. My only guess is that they have zero experience with the rest of the state and the Southland is the only part of California they know.

This is California:

[Ruth4Truth]

OP, dood, get out of LA! You abandoned an entire state just because you didn't like one city? The joke's on you, pal.

Seriously, who does that? Have a nice life.


P.S. Show me redwood forests around Madrid. Then we can talk.

[expatCA]

Originally Posted by Ruth4Truth

OP, dood, get out of LA! You abandoned an entire state just because you didn't like one city? The joke's on you, pal.

Seriously, who does that? Have a nice life.


P.S. Show me redwood forests around Madrid. Then we can talk.

He has a point, actually many, that are valid about the society of the US in general and most, but not all cities. However those European cities have existed for centuries and have been built the way they are due to foot and horse traffic wayyy before the modern world of cars etc came about. Is it better, yes, but impossible for the US to duplicate now.

The food issue is real as the food in the US stinks to high heaven as to quality and excessive additives, like 5 times the sugar per person that Europeans eat in their food and France for sure has NO GMO and that makes for a healthier life. Sounds like Spain has some intelligent leaders in this area as well. In other areas , well ....

However CA or any State will never be comparable to a single city. And in some ways certain Cities for many would be better than Madrid. Not that Madrid is bad, but what we are raised with does impact our views of life.

You are right he should get out of LA.

[LuvSouthOC]

The 'anything-of-substance' OP wants everyone in LA to talk endlessly about, are his favorite topic(s) which he views as eminently intellectual: Race, race, and more topics related to race ...and victimology, white people and blame, followed by more discourse surrounding race.

It's curious how he finds anything of value in Spain given its racial composition.

[savoytruffle]

You come off pretentious assuming we all care about why you think Madrid is better than LA. Also, Madrid does not equal the rest of Europe and LA is not the same as the rest of California. It's disappointing that I even have to point this out.

I studied abroad in Spain too by the way but I managed to avoid returning with a snobby attitude.