"I'm from L.A" boundaries (Los Angeles, San Diego: living, area code)

[Fontucky]

Unless someone from the rest of the country is a NASCAR fan, they're not going to know where the holy **** Fontana is, so I nip further explanation in the bud by telling them I'm from L.A. This I do by invoking the GLAMA clause of explaining where someone lives.

[disgruntled la native]

Originally Posted by RaymondChandlerLives

Huntington Park is 6 miles from DTLA, it's actually a lot closer to "LA" than Northridge.

DTLA is not "LA." It's part of "LA" Northridge IS part of "LA" too.

Yes, because Beverly Hills kids go to USC.

[radiojunkie2006]

Originally Posted by s0nginmyheart

I started a similar thread in Chicago (where I live now)... but there have been a couple of instances where I've been asked by people I've just met if I'm really from L.A. (and I guess, not from The O.C. or something). I've even been asked if my former address says "Los Angeles". The strange part is two of these were people from S.F. and Malibu.

I've lived all around the South Bay (L.A., not S.F.) growing up, so I'm wondering what's your opinion on the boundaries of saying you're from L.A.? City proper? L.A. county? Does it matter?

Oh, you're mixing it up here, too, huh? Just kidding! 25 years ago when I lived in Santa Ana and went back to Chicago for a visit, people would ask me where I lived in California and I'd tell them Orange County. If they couldn't figure out where that was I'd tell them that's where Disneyland is. They got it. In January I'm moving to Placentia, from Chicago, and I'll do the same thing. Unless you're from or have frequently visited Southern California I don't think most people have the vaguest idea what or where Placentia is. I'm getting it already from friends that 'tee-hee', "Oh, you're moving to PLACENTA, hah-hah" One can't win! Maybe I'll just stick with "P-Town".

[willoughby86]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Unless someone from the rest of the country is a NASCAR fan, they're not going to know where the holy **** Fontana is, so I nip further explanation in the bud by telling them I'm from L.A. This I do by invoking the GLAMA clause of explaining where someone lives.

Exactly. I live in Riverside and whenever I'm abroad, or even up north in SF I say I'm from LA. If someone asks for specifics then of course I say Riverside. It's just simpler that way and not inappropriate in the least, in my opinion.

Everything between Ventura/San Fernando (city)/San Bernardino/Temecula/San Clemente is LA to me. Why? Because I consider LA to be Southern California, which all those cities (and everything they surround) are in. Palm Springs and SD city/county are their own 'places' in my opinion.

[disgruntled la native]

^You are spreading horrible misinformation. I have been to Ventura/San bernandino/Temecula/San CLemente and they have nothing to do with LA. You should just include PS and SD as LA then. PS is the same distance as some of the places above you've listed. No sense.

[JustAnother]

I'm annoyed when people refer to Riverside as Los Angeles. If you look at the two on a map they're quite a drive away, especially with L.A. traffic. I would say Los Angeles and Orange counties count as Los Angeles.

[ragnarkar]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

if i'm talking to someone from LA county i will say i live in encino.

if i'm talking to someone from outisde of LA county i tell them that i live in LA. if this person is familiar with LA, i'll mention the valley if they are looking for a more specific location.

LA is a weird place in this regard. i lived a few years in santa monica and marina del rey, which aren't a part of LA city proper. however, these places feel much more like 'the city' if you know what i mean. now that i live in the valley, it's practically an endless suburb that just happens to also be in LA city proper. strange stuff.

What I usually tell people where I'm from -

Someone from the area: La Palma
Someone from California but outside of the area: Anaheim
Someone from the US, outside of California: Orange County
Someone from another country: Los Angeles

[Joseph Marnix]

LA is a good general opener. When someone says, "I'm from LA" my response is usually "where in LA?"

[disgruntled la native]

ragnarkar: Don't entirely agree, but okay. Then again, if you tell some Frenchman you're from LA, they'll ask all about Hollywood, Beverly Hills, movie stars, Santa Monica, Lakers, LA culture and history etc. which you have minimal experience with being from OC (unless you lived in LA before and moved to OC)

What makes us LA?

Hollywood Walk of Fame, Santa Monica beach/3rd st promenade, Venice boardwalk, Sunset Blvd especially the strip, Hollywood Blvd especially near Vine, Ventura Blvd and its many eclectic spots, Universal Studios, The new downtown with LA Live Staples Center, USC, UCLA, the LAKERS, Tony Villar, Griffith Park, Macarthur Park, Main St Santa Monica, abbott kinney, Downtown Culver City, The Grove, Beverly Center, West Hollywood's gayborhood, Miracle Mile and Park La Brea, the many fun shops along Melrose/Beverly/3rd, Chinatown, Los feliz and vermont ave + thai town, Silverlake bars and restaurants, Koreatown and its karaoke, all you can eat bbqs, East LA and its authentic Mexican food, Hollywood Bowl, Pinks tacos, Tommyburgers, THE DODGERS, inept city government (see Tony Villar), the failed subway line, kayaking in marina del rey, the hell known as LAX, museum of natural history in south central and also LACMA in miracle mile, the quinteessnetial LA suburb of the sfv and all its history and farmland, and waste and malls, union station, little tokyo, rodeo drive and beverly hills, south beverly hills by olympic and pico, the historic jewish neighborhoods and delis among pico and the museum of tolerance, The 10 freeway, the evil 405 which everyone hates, knowing secret routes and when to leave and go, knowing side streets, knowing san vicente curves diagnoal, holmby hill sand bel air and its mansions, knowing hte back routes to the sfv among bel air and bh, going to the original coffee bean on san vicente in brentwood, speeding up and down bundy and barrington and visiting the heart of LA's westside, westwood villag eand its historic significance and knowing it declind after karen toshima, finding a cheap apartment in palms beause you know its a cheap safe westside neighborhood, relaxing on venice blvd in mar vista and trying many eclectic eateries and shops, In n out burger, santa monica pier, runyon canyon and knowing what it's about, knowing what everytihng from cliftons to umami burger is... I could go on and on for hours.

These are experiences myself and other LA natives have had. If you're from a suburb or OC you haven't done all of this stuff, unless you lived in LA first.

I"ve met many people in social settings and I ask where they're from, they reply with "LA" or "here". So I say, what part? More often than not the answer is something like Newport Beach, Valencia, Corona, etc. You are not from LA.You are from a suburb, or a whole other city and county.

[the one]

i think the context matters more. where you are and who you are talking to really inform how you speak about your home region.
lets say i live in huntington park, ca. if im talking to LA folks, some of them will know where this is at (its about 4mi. southeast of DTLA, very close) but not always. i consider HP, LA. its not LA proper, but its closer to the center of LA (defined by its historic core) than most other places in LA itself. so outside of LA a person from HP might say: im from LA. but in LA they will most likely say HP. if the persons gives them a bewildered look. they can then say, "HP, 10 minutes east of south central. no? slauson? pacific blvd? anything?"

now lets say someone lives in fontana, riverside, pomona etc. anyone in LA would not consider that LA. its too far. but it is understandable when someone from those places says they are from LA when speaking to people who dont know the area.

what about cypress park, boyle heights or el sereno? in LA those people would say LA (maybe even east LA). and anywhere else they might also just say LA. saying el sereno means almost nothing to most people[outside of LA].

anyhow, once you are in OC, you cant say you are from LA. i think even once you go west of the 605 you are no longer tied to LA. but everyone has their own definitions.

Originally Posted by s0nginmyheart

I started a similar thread in Chicago (where I live now)... but there have been a couple of instances where I've been asked by people I've just met if I'm really from L.A. (and I guess, not from The O.C. or something). I've even been asked if my former address says "Los Angeles". The strange part is two of these were people from S.F. and Malibu.

I've lived all around the South Bay (L.A., not S.F.) growing up, so I'm wondering what's your opinion on the boundaries of saying you're from L.A.? City proper? L.A. county? Does it matter?