Would you ever leave LA to live in the Midwest? (Los Angeles: apartment, houses)

[ragnarkar]

Find me a walkable community within reasonable distance of an airport and I'll leave LA for the Midwest (not saying they don't exist in the midwest.)

[readymade]

Originally Posted by yamota

This is why people rag on LA, they way they diss on the midwest and east coast all the time

Actually, growing up in the east coast, I heard a LOT more people ragging on LA ("Nuts & fruits!" "Everyone's phony!" "Land of plastic surgery!" "Like, rilly?") than people in LA (where I lived for 10 years) ragging on anywhere else in the country. Although Texas (Austin) was the pinnacle of ragging on the rest of the country, come to think of it. Especially LA. When I lived there for a year, I made sure not to tell anyone that I'd lived in LA after a few bad experiences ("You Californians coming here and buying up all our houses! Go back to LA!" Me: "Um, but I rent! And I'm from Boston!!").

And, come to think of it even more, people on the east coast COMPLETELY diss on Texas like you wouldn't believe! I got so much crap here in Boston for first moving to LA and then to Austin.

I think California & Texas are the most hated states. For completely opposite reasons, heh.

What you think of "dissing" might just be the fact that almost everyone in LA is from somewhere else who moved FROM that somewhere else because they didn't like it.

[MtnSurfer]

Originally Posted by readymade

Actually, growing up in the east coast, I heard a LOT more people ragging on LA ("Nuts & fruits!" "Everyone's phony!" "Land of plastic surgery!" "Like, rilly?") than people in LA (where I lived for 10 years) ragging on anywhere else in the country. Although Texas (Austin) was the pinnacle of ragging on the rest of the country, come to think of it. Especially LA. When I lived there for a year, I made sure not to tell anyone that I'd lived in LA after a few bad experiences ("You Californians coming here and buying up all our houses! Go back to LA!" Me: "Um, but I rent! And I'm from Boston!!").

And, come to think of it even more, people on the east coast COMPLETELY diss on Texas like you wouldn't believe! I got so much crap here in Boston for first moving to LA and then to Austin.

I think California & Texas are the most hated states. For completely opposite reasons, heh.

What you think of "dissing" might just be the fact that almost everyone in LA is from somewhere else who moved FROM that somewhere else because they didn't like it.

There is a lot of truth to this and what makes living in CA interesting to me. For example at work currently everyone in my office area is from another state or country (NY, UT, OR, Russia, etc...) except one other native. And my friend who told me about the opening in my current company is from the midwest as well. LA and much of CA really is a melting pot of the world. Because of that it defies most stereotypes. That's not to say it perfect. Everyone knows LA has it's flaws. But it's not falling into the ocean with all the bimbo movie stars and valley wannabe surfer dudes either.

Derek

[jc76]

As a life-long Indiana resident (the sock shaped state to the west that neighbors Ohio) I will tell you this entire area is family-ville. If you wanna have kids, "settle", do the Sunday morning church thing, be indoors from Nov to April, and don't mind desolate fields and narrow minds then I say go for it.
It's not all bad, but it's worlds apart from the SoCal mindset, you will find that out though. Many CA transplants that i talk to say they made a bad choice, but are now kinda stuck here.
Yes homes are cheap, you can buy 3 or 4 for the price of 1 in California, that entices many people...but then your in the rust belt and must deal with all the negatives that come with that cheap house.
My personal advice to anyone thinking of moving to the midwest is to really think about it. Come and stay a couple weeks in the winter.
I would say try Idaho, or Utah, or Oregon, this far inland is a pretty dead stagnant scene.

[5Lakes]

Originally Posted by ragnarkar

Find me a walkable community within reasonable distance of an airport and I'll leave LA for the Midwest (not saying they don't exist in the midwest.)

I'm pretty sure that any large city in the Midwest could meet this requirement. In Chicago or Cleveland you could live in a walkable community and take the subway directly to the airport.

Originally Posted by Curmudgeon

Yes, I said, "fences." One thing I always loved about areas of the south and the Midwest are the lack of privacy fences and the fact that houses aren't all crammed together. This may take some getting used to but it leaves wide-open, green areas between houses and a true sense of openness and neighborhood. To me its emblematic of community. It may seem a small thing but was something we insisted upon when house hunting last year.

I think these fences are a southwestern thing, and they seem to be everywhere in LA, San Diego, Phoenix, etc. Anywhere in the eastern US they don't necessarily have fences, at least in suburbia. However, if you live in a city it's a different story.

[readymade]

One of the things I LOVE about LA is the fences. I love that I don't feel on display in my own backyard! In Boston, I never spend any time in my backyard for this very reason. I also like that I can let my dog out to run around and don't have to keep her on a leash at all times.

I guess to each their own.

[Troof]

Originally Posted by ragnarkar

Find me a walkable community within reasonable distance of an airport and I'll leave LA for the Midwest (not saying they don't exist in the midwest.)

This is possible in Michigan.

[Lafferty Daniel]

The only Midwestern cities that I would consider are Minneapolis/St. Paul & Chicago. Maybe Milwaukee, but overall I'm not a huge fan of Wisconsin.

North Dakota, South Dakota? No thanks, although I do love the Black Hills & the Badlands in SD.

Iowa? Des Moines is okay, but too small of a city for me.

I like the northern part of Michigan including the U.P., but would have trouble finding work there. It's also too small and has more of a summer cabin feel to it. Not a fan of Detroit.

Ohio has some nice parts. I kind of like Cincy, but would prefer to live somewhere else in the Midwest.

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by bellabella80

Thanks all, I thought most of the responses would call me crazy. I'm doing obsessive research of Ohio trying to find SOMETHING like home so I won't feel so out of place. I CAN transfer my work to be out there and he can't (to LA) so that's why I am the one who is considering moving. I did enjoy my last Christmas out there, but I did spend most time indoors. I'm not sure how I'm going to be able to handle the in-and-out of my car that outside sales is, in the middle of a snow storm! I don't even know how to drive in snow...lol...I don't plan on getting married right away, my first focus is to adjust to my career out there and living w/him in the midwest, THEN we can discuss the future...But it's nice to hear that the world doesn't surround Los Angeles because that's what most of the people I know think. The idea of Ohio living is like another planet...But as I get older, I am less impressed with what LA has to offer. I want something with a little more depth. And I did enjoy the easy way people live there though, without these obsessions of money and physical appearance all the time...I like camping and going to the lake and how family is so important. It's a different atmosphere. Grrr....but can I do without my LA "musts" like the sun, plenty of shopping/restaurants/solons and a very diverse culture?

Where at in Ohio? You might like a larger city like Columbus, Cleveland or Cincinnatti.

[MassVt]

My guess is that you'd like Chicago, which has quite a bit of diversity and the usual big-city amenities; you'll get adjusted to the weather--this notion that you'll be housebound is extremely exaggerated...

You might also enjoy Minneapolis, but the weather might be too extreme for you; the average January night-time low is less than 5 degrees; Chicago is a little warmer than that..