Does anyone hate living in Los Angeles,Ca and the San Fernando valley as much as I do? (Glendale: movies, high school)

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by annonymous0381

Should I say goodbye to LA and try my luck elsewhere?

Yes. You should.

Try SF or ask your 41 year old friend in Albany to put you up while you continue to collect your unemployment.

[BarcelonaFan]

I think people are being a little harsh on the OP. Los Angeles is so big and filled with people with busy lives that it can be hard to meet friends that do not flake out or are using you for some reason. It can get quite lonely and rather impersonal.

LA is not cliquish per se but it can be weird for two groups to mingle or for a person to break into a group right away. Los Angeles reminds me a bit of Boston with the big cliques of people reluctant to let people in.

There are judgments from other people but I am sure it's not from the working class in LA.

The COL reduces everyone to the same level and coming from an upper middle class background where I lived a middle class life in Texas, it does feel a bit odd to living a working poor life in LA. I think it's a great experience but not one I would wish on anyone who couldn't handle it as I can see I feel sorry for those that cannot just escape it when things hit the fan.

LA is just too tough of a city. I believe the scenery, the many parks, the beaches, the relatively inexpensive public venues and the exciting city landscape are probably what keeps most Angelinos from going postal all the time. If LA lacked these things I am sure Angelenos would be just as cynic and neurotic as New Yorkers.

I know I go nuts over the lack of professionality out in the Valley, the super laid back culture that borders on laziness, and the banishment of any sort of traditional aspects that make Chicago, Boston, DC and New York at least somewhat orderly. I hated the stuffy atmosphere of those cities too, but I am the point where I'd take that over the mediocrity and 'who has the best social skills' rules the day.

[Tantamount]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

Chicagoland there is more superficiality about which schools you went to, which neighborhood/town you grew up in, the sports team you follow, the size of your house, etc. Chicagoans may also judge you on what you are wearing, but its more about having a more traditional, classic appearance in the workplace.

The only areas where you see the kind of LA glitz and glamour vibe in Chicagoland is the near north side of the city (Mag Mile/River North/Gold Coast, somewhat Lincoln Park, West Loop, South Loop, etc.

Agree and disagree with this. It really depends on the crowd you hang around with and work with. There are plenty of superficial and judgmental people in Chicago, and you don't have to look far to find them. They will size you up by the car you drive, phone/purse you carry and clothes you wear. And they live in many other places besides the near north side and downtown areas, unfortunately. That said, if one doesn't want to deal with that drama they can certainly look for other people to hang out with at home and work.

This avoidance concept can also apply to the OP's views on LA. Having spent time there and also have many relatives who live in the area (who could care less about fashion and possessions), I believe that not everyone in LA is so shallow. Sometimes the complete opposite.

If the OP just needs a break from LA in general, then I understand but moving to a new city is costly and unemployment is a problem almost everywhere today.

[mrsltd]

Notice the OP hasn't responded. Could this be a potential troll post?

[Tantamount]

Originally Posted by mrsltd

Notice the OP hasn't responded. Could this be a potential troll post?

Maybe the OP lost their way back. Or they left LA and forgot to take along their City-Data Forum Password.

[southwestchicagoan]

I agree with the above two posts of being possibly a little too harsh on the OP. Maybe, I just can relate more for the time being, especially because I left my hometown for the very reasons the OP stated. It is tough out there for anyone these days, and sometimes wanting to start somewhere new or get away for awhile can help one's confidence greatly. I battled SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) to no end in Chicago. Coming out to the Valley of the Sun last January helped me out wonderfully. I know more than likely I will be heading back to Chicago soon enough, but being able to get away for a bit helped me out a whole lot. I know this can be different for everyone. However, with most of my respective peers around my age going off to college/university, they got that chance to get away. I didn't necessarily have the means to go to school at that time, but getting out here was kind of my own exodus from being at home since birth. I know it has definitely changed my outlook and perception on things for the better.

[Lorielicious]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

I think people are being a little harsh on the OP. Los Angeles is so big and filled with people with busy lives that it can be hard to meet friends that do not flake out or are using you for some reason. It can get quite lonely and rather impersonal.

Assuming the OP isn't a troll, somebody cue the violins. Look, it's always hard to make new friends as an adult. I'm long out of school, and just moved to Chicago on my own a little over a year ago, so it was tough to meet new people in the beginning, but instead of blaming Chicago (which a lot of Chicago transplants do -- this happens in every big, lonely city in the world), I got off my ass and went and made some friends. Unemployment? Yeah, join over 8% of the rest of the country. We're having a recession, you know. Can't find a date? I'm willing to bet one trillion internet dollars it's because you're not attractive or interesting. Believe it or not, these traits are desirable everywhere, so if you leave LA, you're not going to find yourself swimming in women if you're the same whiner in the new place that you were at home. You have a flip phone? Yeah, because when you ask women what they're looking for in a partner, it's an iPhone. Oh, what's this? You wear glasses? Now you're not even pretending to have legitimate gripes anymore, are you? I wear glasses. Who cares? Dude here needs to stop throwing himself on the floor in a snit of self-pity like a fussy little child, and realize pretty much none of his problems are location specific. So boo-freaking-hoo. You can move, sir, but you cannot run away from yourself.

[BarcelonaFan]

Nice Dennis Miller style rant but while these are problems that one can find in any big city I still think it varies from city to city. I never had any of these problems in Southern Cities, in fact I was the one flaking out on people. Women, not a problem. It never was in any city except for the Northern ones and in the West Coast to some extent. Bigger coastal cities expect more from people, I am sure it's the same in Chicago. These places seem HEAVILY influenced by the media. Every single time I visit NY, Boston, LA, or DC, I feel as though I am seeing life immitate art with how much the people resemble those on TV or the movies.

[Lorielicious]

Dennis Miller, ouch.

Edit: We all get that different cities are different, but thinking no one likes you in LA, yet you'll somehow be miraculously beloved in Phoenix is silliness. I've lived in LA most of my life, am in Chicago now, and I gotta say, while the two cities are very different, the people situation is very much the same, i.e. be decent and affable, and people will like you. I don't have a smart phone, I have four eyes, and guess what. I'm not alone.

[annonymous0381]

Originally Posted by mattk92681

You should try moving out to an outer suburb of LA first...like maybe Riverside, Oxnard, Ventura...maybe down to Long Beach...have you thought about that?

Get out of The Valley! I think you and it need some distance for awhile...try another part of LA! That's the awesome thing about LA...if you don't like one part of it, move to another!

In the past I have had jobs in Ventura and Thousand Oaks and wouldnt want to live in either place. Thousand oaks and Ventura are bedroom communities filled with families or retired people. Riverisde is one of armpits of Southern California.