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I lived in LA until I was a teenager. Great weather and very low humidity made it a paradise. I moved to the NYC area afterwards. I love snow so Its something I need every winter.
I feel like where LA went wrong was their public transportation, or lack-thereof.
I would never want to spend An hour eachway for work each day. That takes away from your QOL.
I will admit that part of me wants to move back, but I have a career (teaching) here and tenure already established. I think LA has a lot of advantages. You cannot compare another warm place, like Florida, because LA has such great weather and low humidity.
I went to school in the suburbs of Los Angeles (exurbs, actually) and interned in West LA, then moved to Boston post-graduation. So when I came back I was a little disappointed because I had grown accustomed to a pretty urban lifestyle in Boston and I assumed there was none of that to be found in LA (I truly feel you cannot understand Los Angeles until you live in the thick of it).
We first lived in Hollywood, which was the perfect place for us at the time. Childless, decent jobs and the rent was not too bad. I worked from home, never drove and while we spent the majority of our time in Hollywood, could take the Red Line to DTLA or the 2/4 bus to Echo Park and Silver Lake or West Hollywood for shows.
Had a kid, needed a 2BR, and the best options were Pasadena. Still has that walkability and an urban feel though on lower intensity than the part of Hollywood we were at. I freelance from home with my daughter here and don't have a car during the day. There is so much to walk to in Pasadena, and every guest we have brought here has loved it, including some European friends who seriously wanted to move to Pasadena after walking around. I do drive a lot more, though still much less than half the time, probably closer to a quarter of my trips are in the car.
I think a huge key to enjoying LA is finding the right neighborhood for you and staying out of the car.
I was born in L.A , I've had different periods where I either love or don't like it.
Since I lived with family for a while , including after college. I didn't have the huge expenses that others have, I did pay towards rent and some other expenses though...but also not the independence . I've been on my own, no roommates since 2009.
I think as I've grown older I've appreciated L.A more. Cost of living is definitely one issue. Looking back I feel it was a good move overall that I bought a house in 2010...when lot's of people didn't or couldn't buy..even though prices had fallen drastically...especially in the valley where I bought.
It meant a longer commute to my job which was on the westside..but I stayed with it for many years. It did wear me down and I decided to pursue an opportunity out of state in South FL but with frequent travel back to L.A .
South FL is really nice, but it can't be compared to L.A on many levels , culturally, weatherwise, diversity, especially .
I enjoy L.A, but I'm open to living in other cities as well. But I have to admit when I go to other cities, I have the habit of comparing them to L.A..I guess because that was my frame of reference.
Even though I've been here so many years I feel like there is still so much to see.
"Oh there's that museum?...I never even knew that was there"
"Oh that restaurant just opened up...cool....plus there's two more they are opening on the block over"
I enjoy live music too and going to concerts , and it's nice that you can see pretty much any band here. So many people say "I wish XYZ would play near me"
One nice part about the valley is that parts of it are not overcrowded. From the 'westside perspective' my place is in the boonies...but I can get to Hollywood, Downtown L.A, Pasadena, Echo Park, Silverlake a lot quicker than anyone on the westside. For example right now Google maps says I can get to Hollywood/Highland in 16minutes. As these areas that are 'east' have improved over the years .
Recently the valley has become more interesting restaurant wise and I find less desire to go to Santa Monica. Last time I was in Santa Monica a couple weeks ago a homeless guy almost attacked me randomly..I feel he would of if I didn't run away.
Santa Monica has let the homeless situation get way out of hand and it's a shame
On that topic ..that's one of the things I hate about L.A ....the political situation seems so misguided in many ways...and the city is too big for City Hall to manage. Either that or it's corrupt. In my area , I'm still in city of L.A..but everything looks so run down and there are all kinds blight ...with none of the cool things to do in the gentrified or gentrifying neighborhoods!
It would be nice to get in a better neighborhood , but as everyone knows things are expensive.
Another idea is to sell and then use any equity to purchase investment property (likely out of state for better returns)
I'd then likely rent in a nicer neighborhood...
I hope that the city (political leaders) does start to change the way they operate, I think it's a shame for sure. As L.A is still a great city, but it has a lot more potential.
Anybody that has been to the rundown/poor areas of the city can see that these areas could benefit a lot from any development or gentrification.
So many projects get stalled or killed. I am starting to see more building though even in the valley, new homes and retail/commercial. There could be a lot more though. I believe there is a demand for new housing even in areas that aren't considered good..but right now the only option is for people to buy single families houses or rent a run down old apartment unit.
I do agree with munchitup's comments above that finding the right neighborhood and minimizing daily commute if possible can lead to enjoying L.A more.
There is a reason that L.A is home to so many millionaires and billionaires ...they can afford to live anywhere but they chose L.A
Money can certainly eliminate a lot of the stress or struggles with living in L.A
This is a little old..but interesting Daily chart: Cities and their millionaires | The Economist
Los Angeles is a fascinating city but also expensive as hell. Kudos to the folks that came from other places and made it work for them. I grew up here and clearly it is easier when you have family/relatives close by that you can rely on in a jam. It also helps if you have a marketable skill.
I agree with prior comments regarding keeping reliance on a car to a minimum or at least keeping the length of trips in the car to as short a distance as possible. Our traffic is insane. Good to see the rail expansion. We could also use a major upgrade to our streets/roads, etc.
Pasadena is a gem. I wish more of So.Calif. was built with that framework in mind.
Last edited by StreetLegal; 04-22-2015 at 04:22 AM..
Love LA! Three blocks from the beach, 20 minute commute to work. Don't even need my car to run most errands because I can walk to most places I need to go.
Native. Lived there 22 years technically. Did 3 years of undergrad in SF but I never liked it so it was never home and 1 year abroad in Europe. Moved out for a lower COL in law school to Louisville. Living off loans and paying less money for a better school was just financially the better choice.
Though I love LA and I'm proud of being born and raised there for 22 years, it's just not the city for me. It has its benefits for sure. But I'm the kind of person that can't stand monotony. Honestly, the weather is too monotonous. It gets boring after a while and I miss the rain. I love bundling up for a few months here. Then in summer, nights stay warm enough to be out all night without a jacket. In LA, a light jacket is almost always required when going out at night even in the middle of summer.
The traffic. Need I say more? I've never loved driving. I much prefer public transportation. Yeah the bus system is good and our rail system is expanding. But after I graduate law school I hope to make it up to Chicago. The cold weather and humid summers don't bother me there and taking the L everywhere without the need to ever get in a car is great. After the year I spent in Europe, the thought of going back to LA and sitting in a car in traffic again sounded horrible. And it was. It's the perfect way to ruin one of the most beautiful places on the face of the earth.
The nightlife shutting down at 2am is a drag. I'm a nightowl. So it's nice that a few clubs in LA still open till past 2am like Exchange and Avalon and Create. But the alcohol stops flowing and people start heading out at or before 2am. Even in Louisville our last call is 4am. Compared to Chicago and NYC the late night food options are a joke, but still better than I found in SF. Even if I'm not going out on the weekend, I like having dinner late at night outside. Outside dinners in LA are either impossible because the restaurant closes early or it's too cold to sit outside comfortably.
I love urban walkable neighborhoods. LA does have some (SaMo, parts of Venice, DTLA, etc.), but it's not the whole city like NYC or Chicago or DC or most European cities. Maybe in the future the LA Metro system will allow the city to be a true urban paradise. But right now, even if you live and work in SaMo or DTLA, you're stuck there basically if you don't have a car. That's not a problem in true urban cities with very well functioning metro systems.
I like the older housing stock in older east coast and midwest cities. LA has some nice houses and apartments from the 1920s-1940s, but the vast majority of housing options in LA (for the not super rich) are pretty ugly. I can't stand the apartments with the street front car ports and apartments on top of them. I would never ever ever live in one of those unless someone was actually paying my rent so that I could save up enough money to move into a nice Spanish style building ASAP.
As for what I do like about LA, I never experienced true racism or homophobia until I moved here. I'm caucasian and gay, but hearing how racist the gay community here in Louisville is makes me want to stay celibate until I graduate and move out. It sickens me coming from LA. Most of the Kentuckians turn a blind eye towards it, but I can't. I love how liberal and accepting LA is. And as for homophobia, it's never been to my face blatantly, but there are subtle hints I get from people and stories I hear from straight friends about stuff they hear. That really bothers me and I love LA for how liberal it is. However, there are plenty of other cities in the country that are just as liberal, if not more.
The food in LA is amazing. Surprisingly, it is in Louisville too, but the amount of restaurants in LA that are good is crazy! However, paying $20 for a sandwich is a joke. Yeah, the food is good, but just like with housing, it's way too expensive and over priced. Mexican food is my favorite and I love that I can walk into almost any Mexican restaurant and expect the food to be great. I've found a few great ones here, but you have to actively seek them out. You can't just stumble into a taqueria and expect it to be good. But there's one here I tried recently that is honestly the best taqueria I've ever been to outside of LA.
Having the beach in LA is nice, but it's also a downer at the same time. I'm lucky enough that when I go home to visit my mom is in MDR. I can bike to the beach and not have to deal with traffic and parking. But for other people, getting to the beach is a nightmare. It's nice to have it, but it's not the only city in the country with beaches. And I prefer the weather to be at least 80 before I'll go in the water so that's rare. And once you're in the water, the actual ocean is freezing and not even relaxing and barely enjoyable to be in. Again, though, having it is a huge plus. When I need to just get away and destress, a drive by myself at night along the beach, or putting in headphones and biking along the bike path, is a great feeling. I miss that here in Louisville. Not really a place to do that. But again, plenty of other cities have beaches too.
TL;DR: LA is cool but it's not urban enough, the weather is boring, public transit isn't good enough, and plenty of other cities have better beaches for a much cheaper cost. It's a great world class city and there's nothing like it for the people who do like it. For me, the negatives outweighed the positives. It will always be my home and I will always love it for the city that it is. Like that ex you always will have feelings for, but you know you'll never work out together. Stay friends. Check in on each other sometimes. But don't stay together.
I was born in the heart of Los Angeles, and I don't intend to move anywhere else. I love pretty much everything about my city, from the weather, the people (mostly natives), its landscape, both natural and manmade, the culture, the food, everything.
I was born in the heart of Los Angeles, and I don't intend to move anywhere else. I love pretty much everything about my city, from the weather, the people (mostly natives), its landscape, both natural and manmade, the culture, the food, everything.
Do you mean to say you enjoy the natives mostly, or that the people you hang out with are mostly natives? Because if it's the part about you enjoying the company of natives mostly, I totally agree. Us natives have a much different personality and way of life that I much prefer. It's been a struggle to ever hold down a friendship with a transplant for me and my friends (all natives as well). If it's the latter, where are you hanging out that is mostly natives? The only place I can manage that is the South Bay, but there's only so much time I can spend down there... I'm over being in SaMo or Venice or MDR and constantly hearing about someone who just moved from Ohio or Wisconsin or Michigan to be a writer/actor/director (a.k.a underemployed waiter whose parents pay for everything). One reason I love the office I work for in DTLA is that I'd say a majority are natives and it makes the office a very enjoyable place to work. The mentality and personalities there are great. Most likely since it's not an entertainment industry line of work, I won't run into many transplants. But it's refreshing and I get along great with everyone there.
I have nothing against the transplants...well...maybe a little. That's for another day and I don't have the patience to write out my feelings on that topic. But basically all power to you if you want to move to LA. Just leave me be when I'm in LA and stop perpetuating the negative stereotypes that I have to suffer from when I leave.
Do you mean to say you enjoy the natives mostly, or that the people you hang out with are mostly natives?
I mean I especially enjoy the company of natives. I have lots of friends who aren't from here, and I love them. In saying that, there's a certain connection I have with people who are Angelenos (I only use this term for people who were born in Los Angeles). This can be said for every city, not just Los Angeles. There's usually a sense of pride when you speak with people who come from the same city/hood as you do.
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I'm over being in SaMo or Venice or MDR and constantly hearing about someone who just moved from Ohio or Wisconsin or Michigan to be a writer/actor/director (a.k.a underemployed waiter whose parents pay for everything). One reason I love the office I work for in DTLA is that I'd say a majority are natives and it makes the office a very enjoyable place to work. The mentality and personalities there are great. Most likely since it's not an entertainment industry line of work, I won't run into many transplants. But it's refreshing and I get along great with everyone there. 
