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Old 12-10-2006, 01:19 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
944 posts, read 3,948,957 times
Reputation: 440

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I see so many threads with people bashing LA and it's kinda funny. I'm in Austin, grew up in So Cal and lived in LA for a few months (I know, not much) and I visit there all the time cuz of friends, family and business.

What's up with all the hate? Why do all the Austin threads say how much it's like "heaven" here? I know both places and they both have their good and bad sides. You find a place to live and you find the best ways to enjoy it, that's not rocket science. There is MUCH to love about LA!

I disagree with all the people who say you have to be rich to live in LA. OK, so maybe I have some connections that hook me up with free artist lofts in the Brewery Art Colony, or on a hill in Studio City. But I know a lot of people there who are barely paying rent and they're really happy with it because it's a city where you can be whoever you want and do whatever you want, and the weather DOES NOT SUCK!

But maybe I'm full of BS, I grew up in Santa Barbara, hatin' on LA, loved the "LA Go Home" spray-painted on the freeway overpasses coming from the south on 101, loved the surf turf wars, hated seeing the layer of brown that would sometimes accumulate over the ocean as it drifted offshore from LA, yeah, I know all that. But in my hatred of LA I've grown to love the place.

LA is the World in a single city. I think it has surpassed just about every other city in the world for being multicultural, multilingual, multigeographic, multiclimatic --- find your spot and live there and enjoy it! LA isn't a single thing, it's a collection of thousands of things. Want cold weather? Live by the beach. Want heat with little smog? Live in Simi Valley. Want older homes, beautiful old towns, big trees, heat and smog? Try the San Gabriel Valley. Want generic mild-climate suburbs? Go southern Orange County. Want some high desert with your LA? Go Palmdale/Lancaster. Want hot low desert with your LA? Go Riverside and east/SE. On and on it goes.

Lastly, a lot of what you can get from LA depends on YOUR NEEDS. If you're OK with living in 400 square feet, which is precisely the size of my current Austin efficiency, then you CAN afford to live in a nice part of LA. And you can choose to be surrounded by Hassidic Jews, Russians, Guatemalans, Vietnamese, Chinese, Laotians, Persians, Israelis, Palestinians, Nigerians --- it's amazingly diverse, it is a microcosm of the planet and I love it in spite of hating it!

Just like life itself, you get it all in LA. And life imitates LA, or LA imitates life. Call it Hollywood. There's JUICE in that city! Drink it up and love it or just MOVE, it's your choice, but to stay there while bitching about it doesn't make sense to me. If you really want to love where you live, then join the hordes of ex-Angelinos who have moved to Austin and love it here. This city is awesome, but it's not the world in a microcosm. It's in the freaking MIDDLE OF TEXAS. And that's not something to overlook when you make your move. Choose wisely.
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Old 12-10-2006, 01:39 PM
 
Location: Sherman Oaks, CA
6,588 posts, read 17,518,962 times
Reputation: 9462
Thank you for your perspective, Deeptrance. I can only speak for myself, of course. I am only here because of my children. Once they are grown and out, I'm moving out of L.A. I'm counting down until I can make my Great Escape! In the meantime, yes, I complain about being here. I'm only trapped for two or three more years, but it seems like an eternity.

Also, as other people have said, we're trying to give others who have a desire to move here an idea of what they'd be dealing with on a daily basis.

I have no problem with the multiculturalism. I only have a problem with the factions of immigrants, legal or illegal, who are adversely affecting my quality of life. The managers of my apartment building are Mexican. The wife doesn't even speak English! God forbid if there's an emergency, because if she's home by herself, calling her would be useless.

There is racial tension at our local high school between the Lations and the Armenians. LAUSD is a terrible school district overall, and as a single parent, I couldn't afford to send my children to private school, nor could I ever afford to move. I don't have first, last, and a security deposit saved!

Everything here is about money. Apartment owners don't care who they rent to, as long as the rent gets paid. I used to have drug dealers living next to me, and they'd blare their rap music constantly. My complaints fell on deaf ears. If I could move, believe me, I would have done so already. I can't move from my rent-controlled apartment and still stay in L.A. My rent would increase by at least $400/month, and I can't afford that.

I do love the weather here, and after reading elsewhere on this forum about how much it costs to heat a house in the winter, how to prepare your car, etc., I would think twice before moving to somewhere really cold. I don't think the amazing weather is worth putting up with the traffic, the attitudes, and our lackadaisical government.

But maybe I should be asking this question instead... If you love L.A. so much and find it's diversity wonderful, etc. then why are you living in Austin, TX?
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Old 12-10-2006, 01:58 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
944 posts, read 3,948,957 times
Reputation: 440
Quote:
Originally Posted by SandyCo View Post
I have no problem with the multiculturalism. I only have a problem with the factions of immigrants, legal or illegal, who are adversely affecting my quality of life. The managers of my apartment building are Mexican. The wife doesn't even speak English! God forbid if there's an emergency, because if she's home by herself, calling her would be useless.

There is racial tension at our local high school between the Lations and the Armenians. LAUSD is a terrible school district overall, and as a single parent, I couldn't afford to send my children to private school...
You've addressed the original question as a parent and I cannot speak from that perspective as I'm a single adult. But speaking for myself, the things I hate about LA are similar to what you've said, and yet they're things I've learned to love. You know how you can be in a situation and you can switch your mind to love or hate that situation? That's what I've done, I've begun to truly appreciate the extreme problems of LA because I think they reflect the problems of our world and I want to be a part of this world and not run away and hide from it.

Having said all that positive stuff about LA, let me move on to your final question:
Quote:
Originally Posted by SandyCo View Post
If you love L.A. so much and find it's diversity wonderful, etc. then why are you living in Austin, TX?
OK, I confess, I'm madly in love with Austin. Truly. I wish I could find a woman I loved as much as I love this city (and she'd have to be single and the feeling would need to be mutual, of course.) So, you busted me. But if I had to leave Austin, LA would be in my top 5 list of places to move. I like Silverlake, Pasadena, Studio City, Topanga.... that's a lot of diversity already, but you get the idea. There are quite a few places around LA that I could live and not hate life. Then again, I could stay in Austin and LOVE life. So, you got me. You win.
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Old 12-10-2006, 03:20 PM
 
1,999 posts, read 4,857,769 times
Reputation: 2049
I couldn't have said it better myself :-)

It is sad that their is alot of L.A Bashers in this forum,when all people need to do is just move or visit another part of L.A and it can be entirely different in a positive way.

People also need to realize is that L.A is not the only city that has problems,every other city in the country has them too.

L.A is an Amazing and Diverse City in practically every category....I always have a wonderful time when i'm there,and i'll always have love for this city :-)


Quote:
Originally Posted by deeptrance View Post
I see so many threads with people bashing LA and it's kinda funny. I'm in Austin, grew up in So Cal and lived in LA for a few months (I know, not much) and I visit there all the time cuz of friends, family and business.

What's up with all the hate? Why do all the Austin threads say how much it's like "heaven" here? I know both places and they both have their good and bad sides. You find a place to live and you find the best ways to enjoy it, that's not rocket science. There is MUCH to love about LA!

I disagree with all the people who say you have to be rich to live in LA. OK, so maybe I have some connections that hook me up with free artist lofts in the Brewery Art Colony, or on a hill in Studio City. But I know a lot of people there who are barely paying rent and they're really happy with it because it's a city where you can be whoever you want and do whatever you want, and the weather DOES NOT SUCK!

But maybe I'm full of BS, I grew up in Santa Barbara, hatin' on LA, loved the "LA Go Home" spray-painted on the freeway overpasses coming from the south on 101, loved the surf turf wars, hated seeing the layer of brown that would sometimes accumulate over the ocean as it drifted offshore from LA, yeah, I know all that. But in my hatred of LA I've grown to love the place.

LA is the World in a single city. I think it has surpassed just about every other city in the world for being multicultural, multilingual, multigeographic, multiclimatic --- find your spot and live there and enjoy it! LA isn't a single thing, it's a collection of thousands of things. Want cold weather? Live by the beach. Want heat with little smog? Live in Simi Valley. Want older homes, beautiful old towns, big trees, heat and smog? Try the San Gabriel Valley. Want generic mild-climate suburbs? Go southern Orange County. Want some high desert with your LA? Go Palmdale/Lancaster. Want hot low desert with your LA? Go Riverside and east/SE. On and on it goes.

Lastly, a lot of what you can get from LA depends on YOUR NEEDS. If you're OK with living in 400 square feet, which is precisely the size of my current Austin efficiency, then you CAN afford to live in a nice part of LA. And you can choose to be surrounded by Hassidic Jews, Russians, Guatemalans, Vietnamese, Chinese, Laotians, Persians, Israelis, Palestinians, Nigerians --- it's amazingly diverse, it is a microcosm of the planet and I love it in spite of hating it!

Just like life itself, you get it all in LA. And life imitates LA, or LA imitates life. Call it Hollywood. There's JUICE in that city! Drink it up and love it or just MOVE, it's your choice, but to stay there while bitching about it doesn't make sense to me. If you really want to love where you live, then join the hordes of ex-Angelinos who have moved to Austin and love it here. This city is awesome, but it's not the world in a microcosm. It's in the freaking MIDDLE OF TEXAS. And that's not something to overlook when you make your move. Choose wisely.
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Old 12-10-2006, 03:22 PM
 
Location: Austin, TX
944 posts, read 3,948,957 times
Reputation: 440
Quote:
Originally Posted by Caliguy29 View Post
...all people need to do is just move or visit another part of L.A and it can be entirely different in a positive way.
Seriously, you can move a mile away and have a completely different life! The geographic, climatic and cultural diversity of that city blows my mind! Sometimes I feel like I've driven across the entire city and seen it all, then look at a map and realize I've only gone about 5 miles and still have another 50 to go! Truly a one-of-a-kind city, love it or hate it.
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Old 12-10-2006, 03:38 PM
 
Location: Santa Barbara
642 posts, read 3,068,288 times
Reputation: 454
I think hating LA is fad and fashion. I believe it is one of the few ways people detox their anger and frustration here. It is difficult to connect and people are cold withdrawn, clymer A-holes, so a lot of people voice this stuff instead of letting it stew. I think we all find a connection in the good stuff. It is the horrid stuff that people need soothing about and to know they are not alone and I believe this is part of why you see so much negative here.

NYers voice their distain standing on the sidewalks, anywhere. They eject their anger with pride and regularity. Things are more hidden here beneath the plastic sheer.

LA is the only place I have lived where within 10 minutes I have both loved and hated this place and alternated throughout the day. It is a place to love. It is a place to hate. It is rarely a place of moderate comment though.

I am sure there is great frustration here for those who work hard, but either can't find affordable housing or find that affordable house slapped right between 2 freeways and the center of a gang war. Many people want to feel they are working toward something (even if it is an illusion) when they work so hard and I believe many people are not finding that hope here in LA or even in some of the surrounding communities. Just some thoughts . . .
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Old 12-10-2006, 04:45 PM
 
Location: Southern California
38,736 posts, read 22,725,790 times
Reputation: 59958
Question Caliguy29 - So Cal resident or not?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Caliguy29 View Post
I couldn't have said it better myself :-)

It is sad that their is alot of L.A Bashers in this forum,when all people need to do is just move or visit another part of L.A and it can be entirely different in a positive way.

People also need to realize is that L.A is not the only city that has problems,every other city in the country has them too.

L.A is an Amazing and Diverse City in practically every category....I always have a wonderful time when i'm there,and i'll always have love for this city :-)
You mean you don't live here in the L.A. area? I was under the impression that you live somewhere here in California. Bakersfield, maybe? If I missed that information somehow, please forgive me!
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Old 12-10-2006, 04:50 PM
 
531 posts, read 2,071,303 times
Reputation: 251
Default Hating L.A.

I think most people really do hate L.A., but they stay do to their job, family & friends.

Yes its a great city with plenty of things to do and a great cultural diversity, but our problems are getting out of hand.

There is virtually no middle class , the schools are horrible & traffic is insane.

People are fed up with this and are wondering what would life be if they left the L.A.
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Old 12-10-2006, 05:33 PM
 
1,999 posts, read 4,857,769 times
Reputation: 2049
I used to live in the L.A Area as a kid,but I currently live in Kern County,but travel often to L.A visiting friends :-)

Alot of people get the impression that I still live in L.A,probably because I speak so lovingly about the city :-)

Quote:
Originally Posted by dennismpat View Post
You mean you don't live here in the L.A. area? I was under the impression that you live somewhere here in California. Bakersfield, maybe? If I missed that information somehow, please forgive me!
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Old 12-10-2006, 05:35 PM
 
1,999 posts, read 4,857,769 times
Reputation: 2049
L.A is indeed an Incredible City and yup some people love it and some hate it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by deeptrance View Post
Seriously, you can move a mile away and have a completely different life! The geographic, climatic and cultural diversity of that city blows my mind! Sometimes I feel like I've driven across the entire city and seen it all, then look at a map and realize I've only gone about 5 miles and still have another 50 to go! Truly a one-of-a-kind city, love it or hate it.
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