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Old 09-17-2007, 01:00 PM
 
129 posts, read 661,990 times
Reputation: 73

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Jakehorror View Post
Conclusion: The midwest sucks.
It isn't exactly rocket science to come to that conclusion, yes it's awful - get out of there ASAP.

Very few live there by choice - example: Two socal natives moved their family here because the father had a job flying for Northwest Airlines, and now that he's retired they're moving back to San Diego, and they couldn't be happier, for 15 years they absolutely hated living here but they followed the money.


Others are here simply because for some reason they equate happiness and success with owning a house... although you can't take it with you... but hey, to each their own.

Many people have to choose: Living in an expensive urban center with a bevy of activities while renting, or buy a house in a flyover state (the midwest in this case) for a reasonable price, and be able to talk to boring narrow-minded people about the weather, work, and "the game", and maybe taking an occasional weekend to go to a mosquito infested lake (cess-pool).

IMO - who gives a **** about equity, you can't take ANY of that with you, hell, I grew up on welfare, we never owned a house and we did fine, although I do admit it was harder growing up in the midwest considering the nationally renowned ability of midwesterners to stick with a group of 12 friends that theyve had since they were little, since many grew up in the same house their whole lives.

Also I won't even start on the whole issue of the weather, mostly this last week it was in the low fifties. In a month it'll be snowing, but I'll be gone by then.
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Old 09-17-2007, 01:28 PM
NDA
 
84 posts, read 432,001 times
Reputation: 44
There are lots of places in L.A. county where single family homes have cattle, pig farms, chickens, horses real working farms that sell the products. One of those places is in Compton, Ca/ Richland Farms. The Compton Bulletin Online - LOCAL NEWS (http://www.thecomptonbulletin.com/news05_111506/index.html - broken link)

I grew up in the city, where we had snakes, lizards, frogs, that might sneak their way in doors. Deer, squirrels, possum, wild turkey. Our neighbors had horses. Those things exist in the city too it just costs more to have them, because its country living in the city.

I know nothing about small town living, so I can't speak on the topic.
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Old 09-17-2007, 01:36 PM
 
Location: West LA
723 posts, read 2,992,535 times
Reputation: 300
In a small town, everyone is in your business!!! In LA, only your neighbors and those close to you are in your business!
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Old 09-17-2007, 02:02 PM
 
2,197 posts, read 7,374,287 times
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It isn't all black and white. There are lots of shades of gray. You can choose to leave LA for a lot of progressive cities where your neighbors aren't livestock, have all their teeth and have been known to attend plays or the symphonies on the weekend-- and converse intelligently about them over a gourmet meal afterward. I love LA and while it's one-of-a-kind, there are other one-of-a-kinds, too, and some of them are quite small. There are smart, cultured, interesting people everywhere... and a lot of them are much too busy living their own lives to poke their nose into yours (unless you're Paris Hilton, then they'll probably be a little more interested).

Of course, if you live in Deliverance country or in the middle of a cornfield, all bets are off.
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Old 09-17-2007, 02:35 PM
 
Location: West LA
723 posts, read 2,992,535 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by goodbyehollywood View Post
It isn't all black and white. There are lots of shades of gray. You can choose to leave LA for a lot of progressive cities where your neighbors aren't livestock, have all their teeth and have been known to attend plays or the symphonies on the weekend-- and converse intelligently about them over a gourmet meal afterward. I love LA and while it's one-of-a-kind, there are other one-of-a-kinds, too, and some of them are quite small. There are smart, cultured, interesting people everywhere... and a lot of them are much too busy living their own lives to poke their nose into yours (unless you're Paris Hilton, then they'll probably be a little more interested).

Of course, if you live in Deliverance country or in the middle of a cornfield, all bets are off.
Agreed. You're post is correct and well balanced. I made a generalization, and it was inaccurate- I based it on my experience growing up in several small towns in western Pennsylvania. Good points!
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Old 09-17-2007, 03:22 PM
 
30,907 posts, read 32,881,667 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JackSparrow View Post
Agreed. You're post is correct and well balanced. I made a generalization, and it was inaccurate- I based it on my experience growing up in several small towns in western Pennsylvania. Good points!
That's cool that you came to that conclusion--it's just what I was thinking, "Just how small is this small town?" I mean if you're comparing L.A. to some farm in Arkansas or something--we pretty much know who's gonna win that one! I lived for many years in suburbia in a seriously small town (2.4 square miles...literally) and was within 20 miles of Manhattan with Wall Street, Broadway, the museums the symphony, the opera...all of this was within driving distance without having to actually live in the middle of the bad stuff...the crime, seediness, etc. The town itself (eta: I mean the town I was living in) was pretty and was upscale. I definitely wouldn't have preferred living in Manhattan to the town I lived in--no way. I would never have preferred "city living" in general to my "small-town" living. Also...the people weren't backward, small-minded or whatever. So I think that's the appeal of a small town v. a big city (like NY or L.A.).

Well...those are the same reasons I wouldn't want to live in L.A. proper (city of, I mean...well, that's a pretty broad definition) v. a smaller town: traffic...schools...crime (I know L.A. is on the lower end as compared to other U.S. cities, but certainly there's more crime than here in the burbs) to where I currently live. I don't know about truly rural-rural California. That's such a huge definition too. I mean I'm 40 miles from L.A. and I don't see many cowboys around. :P

It's weird; I don't know if there's really such a thing as "small town America" any more per se. That is if you're talking Mayberry or what-have-you.

ETA: I guess I didn't really answer the OP with this, though. It was more my opinion, plus the question as to what was meant by "small-town America" (suburbs? cows? rural-rural?). I definitely don't think everyone will feel as I do. I also think having children changes this a lot...so obviously this was my opinion but not everyone's.

Last edited by JerZ; 09-17-2007 at 03:55 PM.. Reason: Ugh. Horrible horrible choppy sentences. I tried to fix it.
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Old 09-18-2007, 08:33 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, Ca
2,883 posts, read 5,873,098 times
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Boy, there's alot of differences. I've lived in LA my whole life, and have traveled to alot of little towns, states (in vermont, maine, northeast to passing through little towns in louisiana/south, to some of the midwest, missouri, colorado).

What I miss most from the rest country vs LA, is Americanism, and a sense of commonality.

Not necessarily the commonality you'd have in a town of 5,000. That's too similar for me.

But a common culture, common interests. Rooting for the same baseball team, having something in common when you go to a fast food place with the clerks there, little things like that.

People move away so much in LA, its a very unstable place to live. You won't have the same friends here in 5, 10, 15 years.

And there's nothing close here to the culture/americanism of pennsylvania, vermont, etc.

-Entertainment, I'd definitely take LA!! This summer I went to the Hollywood Bowl, went to some theaters, went to the landmark in west la. You don't even have the variety of movies in the midwest vs here, let alone big acts at Staples or Cerritos or something.

-My neighbors moved to San Luis Obispo this summer, they don't even have drive through's up there! Food, restaurants..you're not going to get much better than around here. It'd be hard to give up In-n-out.

-Lifestyle. A big section of the country doesn't have the same eating habits, exercise, lifestyle that you'd find in LA. Go to a Cracker Barrell or buffett in the midwest and compare it to the restaurants out here. The people in some southern states, and the midwest are huge vs the health crazies out here.

And then smoking. That's something people around here don't even think about, with all the restaurant bans, indoor smoking bans. Definitely a plus if you're a non smoker.

-Weather...wow!! You don't even think about it. Some parts of the country shut down in the winter, we're still going to the beach.

No one in LA has to run into a shopping mall or store to get cool in the summer...the way you would in Texas or Florida.
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Old 09-18-2007, 11:54 PM
 
Location: Cincinnati
1,749 posts, read 8,320,038 times
Reputation: 784
Quote:
Originally Posted by puffle View Post
Not wanting to offend I will only say that I temporarily live in Central California in an area that has grown and is growing everyday. But despite the new housing and a few new schools, it is a cultural wasteland with people that almost consider where they live to be seperate from California as they speak with a slight southern drawl, are biggots and racists, have almost the highest rate of childhood asthma in the nation, the worst shopping, only a Red Lobster for fish, and race around in their huge trucks nearly killing people. I can't stand small minded people that have no idea what is happening outside of their safe little small town bubble. Good for them, bad for newcomers from "the outside of town".
I shudder thinking about these parts of California. Thank GOD I live in L.A. This sounds exactly like North SLO County.

God help me, I'll never live in a small town again.
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Old 09-19-2007, 01:09 AM
 
83 posts, read 220,583 times
Reputation: 48
Astronomy is much better in rural areas. Even Andromeda is a blob of white in Los Angeles, and the only nebula I've seen from L.A. is the Orion.

Hunting is better in rural areas too.

Off-roading is better in rural areas as well.
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Old 09-19-2007, 05:16 AM
 
28 posts, read 111,551 times
Reputation: 30
Quote:
Originally Posted by monti View Post
Others are here simply because for some reason they equate happiness and success with owning a house... although you can't take it with you... but hey, to each their own.
In Southern California it is a bigger issue than just equating happiness with home ownership, it is about having a stable place for your family to live. My family and I left state 2 years ago because we were paying way too much to rent and the owners kept selling and we would have to move. To some people moving every year or two not by choice isn't good, and security deposits are huge!

Marie
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