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I am a 25 year old single white female from Boston and have always wondered what it would be like to live in Los Angeles or the surrounding area . I have been to LA before for vacation (once to attend the Grammy awards and then for 1 week) drove around the area (pasadena, hollywood, bel air, santa monica, anaheim, newport beach, huntington beach) and really enjoyed it. I understand that a lot of people may be naive and move out there expecting to find an "O.C." lifestyle (the TV show lol ) which usually isn't the case. Growing up in a suburb of Boston, then going to college and working in the city, my experiences in forming meaningful relationships hasn't been too well (people are closed off, don't want to mix work with personal life, moved away, have no motivation/intimidated/ just plain rude ). When I do meet someone I click with they are almost always from another state or country (I have a TON of acquaintances!). I constantly see music videos (i love the music scene) like Keith Urban's "long hot summer" or Cher Lloyd's "Oath" and wonder if those kind of lifestyles really do exist (the carefree I just got out of work/school and now i'm going to go run off to the beach with my BFFs! ). Now I know I am going to have people respond with "ya for rich people" or "ya, that's Hollywood, it looks good and it sells", but has anyone actually had that experience living in southern California? I know California isn't the only place to have this kind of carefree every now and then lifestyle, but I am really interested in moving out there at least for a year just to say I experienced it. I would really love to read about other people's experiences who have either moved there or grown up there, rich/poor, bitter/happy. Also, for those wondering "what about Cape Cod?" I don't travel down to Cape Cod much as I am closer to the North Shore beaches, which are honestly really family oriented...Thanks for reading and for your opinions!
I am a 25 year old single white female from Boston and have always wondered what it would be like to live in Los Angeles or the surrounding area . I have been to LA before for vacation (once to attend the Grammy awards and then for 1 week) drove around the area (pasadena, hollywood, bel air, santa monica, anaheim, newport beach, huntington beach) and really enjoyed it. I understand that a lot of people may be naive and move out there expecting to find an "O.C." lifestyle (the TV show lol ) which usually isn't the case. Growing up in a suburb of Boston, then going to college and working in the city, my experiences in forming meaningful relationships hasn't been too well (people are closed off, don't want to mix work with personal life, moved away, have no motivation/intimidated/ just plain rude ). When I do meet someone I click with they are almost always from another state or country (I have a TON of acquaintances!). I constantly see music videos (i love the music scene) like Keith Urban's "long hot summer" or Cher Lloyd's "Oath" and wonder if those kind of lifestyles really do exist (the carefree I just got out of work/school and now i'm going to go run off to the beach with my BFFs! ). Now I know I am going to have people respond with "ya for rich people" or "ya, that's Hollywood, it looks good and it sells", but has anyone actually had that experience living in southern California? I know California isn't the only place to have this kind of carefree every now and then lifestyle, but I am really interested in moving out there at least for a year just to say I experienced it. I would really love to read about other people's experiences who have either moved there or grown up there, rich/poor, bitter/happy. Also, for those wondering "what about Cape Cod?" I don't travel down to Cape Cod much as I am closer to the North Shore beaches, which are honestly really family oriented...Thanks for reading and for your opinions!
Popular media depicts the Malibu beach lifestyle about as accurately as the TV show "Cheers" (this might be before your time) depicts the typical Boston bar scene. Malibu is a beautiful place, but unless things have really changed since I lived there it is not really a mecca for young singles. Few singles in your age group can afford to live there, and many of them would still be living with their parents. Also, Malibu is not known for its nightlife. I would recommend that you check out Santa Monica/Venice/Hermosa Beach, etc. They are not as scenic as Malibu, but they have better shopping & nightlife, and I think that they are more geared towards someone in your demographic with your goals.
I presently live on Long Island, and I will tell you that with few exceptions (Manhattan, Boston college students, etc.) the Los Angeles area has a much higher percentage of transplants than most of the Northeastern U.S.A. This means that in general that the folks in L.A. are less cliquish (although Malibu was a little cliquish), and that they live there because they CHOOSE to live there. On the other hand, most people I know in the suburban Northeast live here because they grew up here and they don't want to leave their friends and family (the qualities of the place itself are irrelevant, and moving elsewhere is never an option).
I am a 25 year old single white female from Boston and have always wondered what it would be like to live in Los Angeles or the surrounding area . I have been to LA before for vacation (once to attend the Grammy awards and then for 1 week) drove around the area (pasadena, hollywood, bel air, santa monica, anaheim, newport beach, huntington beach) and really enjoyed it. I understand that a lot of people may be naive and move out there expecting to find an "O.C." lifestyle (the TV show lol ) which usually isn't the case. Growing up in a suburb of Boston, then going to college and working in the city, my experiences in forming meaningful relationships hasn't been too well (people are closed off, don't want to mix work with personal life, moved away, have no motivation/intimidated/ just plain rude ). When I do meet someone I click with they are almost always from another state or country (I have a TON of acquaintances!). I constantly see music videos (i love the music scene) like Keith Urban's "long hot summer" or Cher Lloyd's "Oath" and wonder if those kind of lifestyles really do exist (the carefree I just got out of work/school and now i'm going to go run off to the beach with my BFFs! ). Now I know I am going to have people respond with "ya for rich people" or "ya, that's Hollywood, it looks good and it sells", but has anyone actually had that experience living in southern California? I know California isn't the only place to have this kind of carefree every now and then lifestyle, but I am really interested in moving out there at least for a year just to say I experienced it. I would really love to read about other people's experiences who have either moved there or grown up there, rich/poor, bitter/happy. Also, for those wondering "what about Cape Cod?" I don't travel down to Cape Cod much as I am closer to the North Shore beaches, which are honestly really family oriented...Thanks for reading and for your opinions!
That lifestyle is found more in Huntington Beach and the South Bay to be honest. Malibu feels like a sleepy beach town.
Popular media depicts the Malibu beach lifestyle about as accurately as the TV show "Cheers" (this might be before your time) depicts the typical Boston bar scene. Malibu is a beautiful place, but unless things have really changed since I lived there it is not really a mecca for young singles. Few singles in your age group can afford to live there, and many of them would still be living with their parents. Also, Malibu is not known for its nightlife. I would recommend that you check out Santa Monica/Venice/Hermosa Beach, etc. They are not as scenic as Malibu, but they have better shopping & nightlife, and I think that they are more geared towards someone in your demographic with your goals.
I presently live on Long Island, and I will tell you that with few exceptions (Manhattan, Boston college students, etc.) the Los Angeles area has a much higher percentage of transplants than most of the Northeastern U.S.A. This means that in general that the folks in L.A. are less cliquish (although Malibu was a little cliquish), and that they live there because they CHOOSE to live there. On the other hand, most people I know in the suburban Northeast live here because they grew up here and they don't want to leave their friends and family (the qualities of the place itself are irrelevant, and moving elsewhere is never an option).
If you're talking about international migrants yes. But this metro area has a lower migration rate than other cities on the West Coadt. The transplants are more comon in the happening places(Westside/Hollywood) which gives off a impression there's a higher number of transplants. But most people in this area were born and raised here.
I've known so many East Coasters who watch movies and TV shows and come up with the idea that California (Northern or Southern) is "laid-back" and everyone is just real easy-going and you can talk to any random person and make a friend for life.
California is indeed awesome, but this kind of happy-go-lucky social scene just does not exist. It just doesn't. And California isn't laid back, it's a busy and heavily populated place where you either spend half your life on a dirty SoCal freeway or jammed into a packed train in San Francisco. There's places in between but there's no jobs there.
Californians are just not very talkative to strangers, they're polite and friendly but it is a struggle to get past that and actually make friends. Part of it is there are a lot of crazy people so people shut down a bit because you never know when someone who looks and acts normal will start spitting on you or punching you. I've seen it happen.
Thanks so much for the responses! I understand...Cheers was definitely for TV, because no one knows your name in Boston lol... I've found that my friends are fine with not having too close relationships, where I prefer to have people who care about me around. I do have the mindset that if I moved to LA or the surrounding area that people who be nicer and friendlier. I did meet some nice people in Huntington beach, hollywood (the kodak theatre shopping plaza) and downtown LA. It just seems like a different lifestyle to me, where here in Boston everyone is so hung up on what college did you go to and what do you have to offer me? Interesting...
Well I definitely think that shows like Baywatch and Cheers were shows in the right place at the right time. In the 1980s Boston was really up and coming as a Yuppie college town and bar culture was part of it. Malibu was definitely hot in the early 1990s, hence why Baywatch was so huge.
I've known so many East Coasters who watch movies and TV shows and come up with the idea that California (Northern or Southern) is "laid-back" and everyone is just real easy-going and you can talk to any random person and make a friend for life.
California is indeed awesome, but this kind of happy-go-lucky social scene just does not exist. It just doesn't. And California isn't laid back, it's a busy and heavily populated place where you either spend half your life on a dirty SoCal freeway or jammed into a packed train in San Francisco. There's places in between but there's no jobs there.
Californians are just not very talkative to strangers, they're polite and friendly but it is a struggle to get past that and actually make friends. Part of it is there are a lot of crazy people so people shut down a bit because you never know when someone who looks and acts normal will start spitting on you or punching you. I've seen it happen.
I totally agree with this!...I was born and raised in L.A , and I don't know who came up with the idea of L.A as "laid back" . Maybe when it was less populated in the 1960s...but i'm sure it wasn't that much more laid back than anywhere else in the country back then.
It's hard to be very laid back when you are trying to commute to a job daily in traffic. Maybe if you are a trust fund kid that can afford a nice place by the beach and "work from home" then maybe it's laid back?...How many people can live this lifestyle though??
I've also heard that people in CA are "friendly" ...I find it rare that people even acknowledge each other for the most part. I'm not sure how this gets translated to friendly. I am not sure if they are talking about people that have to be friendly like Hotel employees (which arent always friendly) and Servers in restauraunts...??
What about the average person that doesn't get paid to be nice to you?
Also most people in L.A are too busy to even get to the beach , it's also kind of a hassle parking,etc Or people find lot's of other activities to do.
Malibu isn't too exciting really..and it's far from the rest of the city....so while it's a very nice area it's not really convenient in many ways..
I totally agree with this!...I was born and raised in L.A , and I don't know who came up with the idea of L.A as "laid back" . Maybe when it was less populated in the 1960s...but i'm sure it wasn't that much more laid back than anywhere else in the country back then.
It's hard to be very laid back when you are trying to commute to a job daily in traffic. Maybe if you are a trust fund kid that can afford a nice place by the beach and "work from home" then maybe it's laid back?...How many people can live this lifestyle though??
I've also heard that people in CA are "friendly" ...I find it rare that people even acknowledge each other for the most part. I'm not sure how this gets translated to friendly. I am not sure if they are talking about people that have to be friendly like Hotel employees (which arent always friendly) and Servers in restauraunts...??
What about the average person that doesn't get paid to be nice to you?
Also most people in L.A are too busy to even get to the beach , it's also kind of a hassle parking,etc Or people find lot's of other activities to do.
Malibu isn't too exciting really..and it's far from the rest of the city....so while it's a very nice area it's not really convenient in many ways..
My old job in NYC my boss criticized me for having a "laid back attitude" knowing well that my last job was in LA.
Not sure why being laid back is a bad thing.
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and then for 1 week) drove around the area (pasadena, hollywood, bel air, santa monica, anaheim, newport beach, huntington beach) and really enjoyed it. I understand that a lot of people may be naive and move out there expecting to find an "O.C." lifestyle (the TV show lol 
) which usually isn't the case. Growing up in a suburb of Boston, then going to college and working in the city, my experiences in forming meaningful relationships hasn't been too well (people are closed off, don't want to mix work with personal life, moved away, have no motivation/intimidated/ just plain rude 
). When I do meet someone I click with they are almost always from another state or country (I have a TON of acquaintances!). I constantly see music videos (i love the music scene) like Keith Urban's "long hot summer" or Cher Lloyd's "Oath" and wonder if those kind of lifestyles really do exist (the carefree I just got out of work/school and now i'm going to go run off to the beach with my BFFs! 
). Now I know I am going to have people respond with "ya for rich people" or "ya, that's Hollywood, it looks good and it sells", but has anyone actually had that experience living in southern California? I know California isn't the only place to have this kind of carefree every now and then lifestyle, but I am really interested in moving out there at least for a year just to say I experienced it. I would really love to read about other people's experiences who have either moved there or grown up there, rich/poor, bitter/happy. Also, for those wondering "what about Cape Cod?" I don't travel down to Cape Cod much as I am closer to the North Shore beaches, which are honestly really family oriented...Thanks for reading and for your opinions! 
