City in USA most like Los Angeles? (city hall, tax)
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I agree there are differences re: glam but I differ with your perspective. I found Angelenos were more braggadocious and willing to attach price tags to things to let you know what they paid than Miamians. Heck, women are known to come right out and tell you if you don’t make $xxx/year they can’t see you no more and/or come right out and ask what car you drive on the first date. I find the “flashiest” ones in Miami are more likely to be visiting tourists who rent a Lamborghini or yacht for 3 hours. I find it less pretentious here from locals, but that’s my experience. The only thing approaching that is on the lower end of the disparity scale in Miami—they find the $ to pay for an exhaust system for their Chevy.
Lol elchevere i always wonder where in L.A you met these brash women because that’s the impression i got from women in Miami (according to my friend, the one who told me not to move to Miami, whose Cuban American family has been in Metro Miami-Pembroke Pines to be exact-area since the ‘80s. She was completely au courant with the Miami party scene and dating culture.
Who we encountered and where we hung out truly affected our perception of a city.
My family has been in L.A since the late ‘80s, our circle of friends and relatives were all strictly white collar and socially proper. I lived in L.A for another 10 yrs with my own little family.-hardly encounter any of the vapid, brazen type.-L.A is massive, Hollywood is really just a very small part of the metro L.A so outside the “industry”, geographically and culturally speaking most people have no hangups or connections to that part of the city nor do they often talk about it. We lived in the Pasadena/South Pasadena/San Marino triangle, most people there were either doctors (Pasadena is a big medical campus/hub, USC/UCLA affiliated hospitals were here.), scientists working in JPL or Caltech faculty from Caltech (many of whom are Noble Prize winners.)-while we all laugh at and can relate to the dysfunctional charm that’s Overheard LA, most people in L.A are pretty down-to-earth, just like I find outside the “scene” many people in Miami are very nice and grounded too. (But I find Miami having more “scene” and more materialistic attitude than L.A.)
Your comparison of Coral Gable vs Pasadena is very spot on though. They have the same grand, large scale Spanish Revival houses and low-key wealth facade. Coral Gable has more tropical, colonial vivacious architecture whereas Pasadena has more Northeast Georgian/Regency old guard look.
Redlionjr was right in assessing the glam in Miami is more flashy, in your face whereas L.A’s was a tad more smoldering fancy. I’d say Miami is glitzy, loud, viva la vida loca high watts JLo Latin va-va-voom flavor wearing all white Versace, all white go go boots ole, flamenco style, fierce, femme fatale, smoking eyes makeup and sexy all the way. Sex sells, and Miami got the brand down.
L.A kind of glamour, other than the Kardashians, is more someone like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Aniston, not hot in that va va voom sultry Latina way, but in that very slow-burning, extremely well-groomed, “California breeze”, expensively maintained hair/makeup/wellness/lifestyle choice way that you know they are very expensive, but you cant tell what brand and how much, as they are showing off in a very stealth way. The “glamour” and the upkeep are there, but the lifestyle choice is aiming for more envy-provoking than how much skin they are showing. The L.A type might wear all white cashmere turtle sweater (why do I think of Barbara Streisand now. Lol), the most expensive wool yoga pants, barefoot, perfectly highlighted long straight hair, sitting in their bare, beach breeze Malibu or Hollywood Hills home doing yoga looking all serene and peaceful….-but that’s their way of showing off the wealth.
And they can be very pretentious in having their own organic wine label, the most “sustainable” “locally sourced, small batch, artisanal” makeup line, detoxing your life with your soul, and free-range, fair trade, veganist vegan diet yet have no problem botoxing their face off.
SDAirportAPM said San Diego is the antithesis of L.A, so spot on. “Everyday is 4 pm on a Tuesday in San Diego.”-San Diego doesn’t have L.A’s energy and charisma.
I never saw this thread, I’m digging out this thread because I’m stuck in the hotel in L.A due to the Hilary Hurriquake historical event.
Last edited by achtung baby; 08-20-2023 at 08:04 PM..
Reason: Typo
Take Houston's diversity, Atlanta's/Las Vega's entertainment industry, Dallas/Atlanta's flashiness and image centric attitude, Dallas'/Atlanta's/Houston's car-centric sprawl, San Diego's geography gets you LA.
I'll say Atlanta based on film industry, attitude and sprawl.
The more I think about it, the more LA seems like the most unique city in the world. What else is like it? A city of that size having a joke of downtown like LA. Not really super dense anywhere but so consistently not spread out over so a huge area that it is the densest metro in America, despite NYC having a place like Manhattan. A gorgeous yet killer smog making sunsets and sunrises just incredible. And it really is the biggest suburb the world has ever seen. My question is what place in America (outside of SoCal, lets say) that is most similar to it?
I just have nothing. Dallas/Fort Worth maybe? Long Island? South Florida?
Well, you got this part right.
What's the "joke" part about downtown Los Angeles? Today its the most historically intact downtown in the country. It's been one of the most dominant downtowns in the country for well over 100 years. They aren't going to build a bunch of skyscrapers just because. There are actual views to preserve, unlike a lot of other places.
If you just look at any basic population map, you can see there is no shortage of "super dense" spots all over.
To answer the question, there aren't any places similar.
As you can see from the replies, to even formulate an answer people are having to merge entire cities, concoct imaginary cities with ingredients from half a dozen actual cities, etc.
I believe it was fellow New Jersey born and Manhattan bred Dorothy Parker, who put it so succinctly after living in California for some time before moving back to the city, when she coined the phrase:
"Los Angeles: Seventy-two suburbs in search of a city".
I believe it was fellow New Jersey born and Manhattan bred Dorothy Parker, who put it so succinctly after living in California for some time before moving back to the city, when she coined the phrase:
"Los Angeles: Seventy-two suburbs in search of a city".
70 years later and the beat goes on.
Haha. Touché.
Let’s just say Miss Parker’s quote fits very succinctly with how I felt about the great state of NJ too, so the feeling is mutual.
I see Los Angeles as a very unique city, it has what I called dysfunctional charisma. It’s not Paris and London or Vienna, or even Milan (not even NYC can compare to these, personal opinion based on 15 yrs of living in the crème de la crème parts of ”the city”.) but it’s never pretending to be a “legacy city”.
And I don’t even like suburbs in general.
Some of Miami, some of Houston, some of CDMX, (just a little bit) of Austin, some of the Santiago Chile (Santiago to L.A is like Buenos Aires to Paris.).-based on the cities in America.
Let’s just say Miss Parker’s quote fits very succinctly with how I felt about the great state of NJ too, so the feeling is mutual.
I see Los Angeles as a very unique city, it has what I called dysfunctional charisma. It’s not Paris and London or Vienna, or even Milan (not even NYC can compare to these, personal opinion based on 15 yrs of living in the crème de la crème parts of ”the city”.) but it’s never pretending to be a “legacy city”.
And I don’t even like suburbs in general.
Some of Miami, some of Houston, some of CDMX, (just a little bit) of Austin, some of the Santiago Chile (Santiago to L.A is like Buenos Aires to Paris.).-based on the cities in America.
Hahaha. All in good fun. Yeah I think you mentioned you lived on the same street (albeit a long street) as me at one point down in FiDi. Or frequented a really well known French restaurant there. It's been over two decades since I lived in that spot, anyhow I digress.
And quite honestly I'm just giving LA **** but I have no axe to grind. I went there last year and got a nice little place in Marina Del Rey (Silver Strand I believe it was called). Had a great time riding my bike and exploring and it was a cool area with little canal type deals with bridges, chill vibes. Exceeded my expectations.
I don't know how Miami wouldn't be the obvious answer. Here are my reasons why:
1. Influential and noticeable Hispanic populace
2. Black population is noticeable but not as dominant as say in other traditional eastern cities
3. Mediterranean architecture (though the climates and native vegetation between both cities are vastly different)
4. In general, the more popular and wealthier areas of both cities tend to be heavily Jewish.
5. Lots of transplants from both the Northeast and Midwest
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