Funny question:Semi-Introverted, geeky artist girl happy in LA? (San Francisco: home, living in)

[kittybad07]

Hi all,

Before I begin let me say that I am a)not a hipster b)have lived in big cities and c)could afford living in LA.

I've been to LA and really liked it but I just wonder if I would feel welcomed in the long term because I keep to myself a lot and am kind of a shy, nerdy girl in her early twenties. I guess LA is sort of a bad place for me to be but I felt really addicted to the city, it felt so expansive and dynamic. Many people probably feel that way once they go their for the first time. I'm not socially inept(I make friends easily, am attractive and know how to have fun) but I like to keep to myself a lot, paint, do geeky things and run my small online business for a better part of the time. I just wonder if there is anyone like me that feels truly at home in LA? I really felt drawn to the city, it felt so good to me even though there are not so good, dangerous parts that I'd need to steer clear of. Driving is crazy but that is something I could adjust to and there is the Uber car service(does anyone use it a lot? how has it worked out for you?)

Currently I'm in the Bay Area and I just find it way too leftist, holier than thou and cynical. A lot of really friendly, cool people are here as well but overall I am just really tired of this area.

Thanks!

[Sky-Blue]

Originally Posted by kittybad07

I just wonder if I would feel welcomed in the long term

There's no application process to be admitted or denied entrance to LA (thousands of undocumented people in LA). On the other hand, there is no city welcome committee who will seek you out to make you feel at home either. Like the Declaration of Independence says you have the right to pursue your own happiness. This is your life. Make it what you want! Best wishes.

[kittybad07]

Originally Posted by Sky-Blue

There's no application process to be admitted or denied entrance to LA (thousands of undocumented people is evidence of that). On the other hand there is no city welcome committee who will seek you out to make you feel at home. Like the Declaration of Independence says you have the right to pursue your own happiness. All it takes is one person (in LA or in your home of SF) to make you feel at home or (OTOH) make you feel unwelcome. This is your life. Make it what you want!

Thanks for the nice reply! Yes, I know that there certainly will not be a welcoming brigade waiting for me, lol, and certainly don't expect it anywhere I would go. I just wonder if I'm a bit strange because I wouldn't be going there for work, I'm not interested in being part of any scene or trying to break into acting or any field for that matter. I just want to be in the atmosphere of the city and have my cats and do my art. It sounds like a bohemian lifestyle but I do work very hard and take nothing for granted. With that being said I am sick of the Bay Area because, although it is far more laidback then LA, the atmosphere is tiring for me because it is just the same thing everywhere you go. I like San Francisco but even there it lacks variety and is too leftwing for my tastes, too politically correct.

[Fontucky]

Anonymous personalities are allowed. If you want to be ignored, you'll be accommodated.

What did you mean by this? "I guess LA is sort of a bad place for me to be."

[kittybad07]

Lol, I meant that I am not looking to party all of the time or break into a scene, I'm not really there with a lot of goals in mind other than to exist, unlike many newcomers. I really like LA though, I don't want to live somewhere laid back or quiet, I'm tired of it. LA felt very good to me. Logically I know that feeling good about a place is not conducive to it being a good fit but I think I could make it so long as I keep my wits about me and choose a decent area to live. The area I'm living in now is not only expensive but stifling, boring to live in, bleh. Good for the people that like it, but tiresome to me, and kind of dangerous as well so I don't think I'd miss it.

[rgb123]

Originally Posted by kittybad07

Lol, I meant that I am not looking to party all of the time or break into a scene, I'm not really there with a lot of goals in mind other than to exist, unlike many newcomers. I really like LA though, I don't want to live somewhere laid back or quiet, I'm tired of it. LA felt very good to me. Logically I know that feeling good about a place is not conducive to it being a good fit but I think I could make it so long as I keep my wits about me and choose a decent area to live. The area I'm living in now is not only expensive but stifling, boring to live in, bleh. Good for the people that like it, but tiresome to me, and kind of dangerous as well so I don't think I'd miss it.

I don't live in LA, but Ventura up to the north (about an hour away) but am familiar with LA. I'm similar I guess, in that I'm not in the entertainment industry (but neither are most people, really) and I work from home -- so I'm looking in other areas of CA to move to but I don't have specific reasons to go anywhere other than I want to. It is weird to think there is no one there waiting for me, not even a job as most of my moves up until now have been for a job at least.

That said people up and move to places just cause they want to all the time!

I know some people who actually ARE very liberal, and still left SF for LA because of what you said, but also because they got tired of the weather. They are much much happier in LA and prefer the city itself and the weather.

[thebordella]

A nice feature of LA is that there is so much going on in so many areas, it is easy to find "passive entertainment".

Also, it sounds like you would not have to deal with most of the pain points people gripe about in LA. Commutes and cost of raising a family/housing being two obvious examples. Essentially, the lighter your load is (unless you are wealthy), the more you can take advantage of LA's strengths. I suppose this would be true in the Bay area too.

There are so many strata to LA that you should really have no problem finding your place. I enjoy the natural and cultural sides of LA and don't know a thing about "scenes" -- I couldn't even name a single club or bar here, let alone tell you where they are, but I can see that for some other people on this board, that scene is a major part of their lifestyle. Live and let live, seems to be the general mindset here. I have much less experience in the Bay area but the time I've spent there, it seemed more like the mindset is "judge and be judged".

Socializing is a challenge in any city as you get older, especially if you work at home. As an introvert you may not need a swarm of people coming in and out of your space all day long, but you will still want to cultivate a core group of friends and in LA you will probably need to be proactive about finding and meeting people.

[Rubi3]

LA has plenty of all sorts. No matter what you are you'll fit right in.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by kittybad07

Thanks for the nice reply! Yes, I know that there certainly will not be a welcoming brigade waiting for me, lol, and certainly don't expect it anywhere I would go. I just wonder if I'm a bit strange because I wouldn't be going there for work, I'm not interested in being part of any scene or trying to break into acting or any field for that matter. I just want to be in the atmosphere of the city and have my cats and do my art. It sounds like a bohemian lifestyle but I do work very hard and take nothing for granted. With that being said I am sick of the Bay Area because, although it is far more laidback then LA, the atmosphere is tiring for me because it is just the same thing everywhere you go. I like San Francisco but even there it lacks variety and is too leftwing for my tastes, too politically correct.

Based on your posts I believe you may find LA to be to your liking. There is definitely more breadth and depth there than there is in the Bay Area.

[disgruntled la native]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Based on your posts I believe you may find LA to be to your liking. There is definitely more breadth and depth there than there is in the Bay Area.

This. hard to say for sure whether you'll like LA because everyone's experience is differnet, but from what you say about yourself it sounds like it's worth a shot

Uber/lyft/sidecar aren't as big as in SF, but they are rapidly catching on. no one wants to deal with cab drivers.