Why O Why????

[Sorcerer68]

I left L.A. 3 1/2 years ago and moved to one of those "peaceful places" everybody brags about. I moved to rural Hawaii. I began to regret my decision to leave when I was 1/2 way out here on the plane. I'm bored to tears. No garbage, gangs or smog here...true... Also no culture, entertainment or the indefinable "pulse of the city". I miss being able to have an intelligent conversation. I drop cultural references and tell jokes nobody gets. You can't buy nice furniture or attractive clothes. Nobody here can do a decent haircut. Chain restaurants don't exist except for fast food. I miss being able to buy anything I want at a reasonable price. Some things just don't exist in the boonies and you have to have them shipped. Gas is outrageous. People who whine about housing in L.A. should come here...housing in Los Angeles is a bargain compared to here. Sidewalks roll up at 5 pm. There are many things I love here but more I miss and that's why I'm moving back.

I'm a native Angeleno but I've traveled a lot. The ones I've met who brag the most about how wonderful their city is: New Yorkers. Proud of their own city but they love to bash L.A. Angelenos (not all but many) are whiny by nature and don't tend to brag about where they live. Push comes to shove, most won't leave. As I've found with anything, the ones the most vocal about hating L.A. find others who do too. Water seeks it's own level. Many do not appreciate racial diversity. For them I suggest the Ozarks. White people as far as the eye can see. I love the way different cultures have brought their ways, their food...it makes L.A. what it is. I often hear people describing L.A. as being a "third world country". Obviously they've never been to one. Here in Hawaii, many people live in lean-to's, many with no walls and also many without electricity or water. They are filthy because they have no way to bathe. It' ain't all like Waikiki.

I've considered New York. I may live there briefly at some point but a couple things I don't like: the weather and the fact that it's so difficult to live there. I love everything else about it. I have no interest in the outer boroughs although Park Slope and Brooklyn Heights don't look bad. I love to visit but the two factors I listed keep me from living there. San Francisco is gorgeous but I hate the weather. I get sick every time I go there. Seattle is great but it's out in the boonies and again, I hate the weather. I've traveled a lot including out of the country. L.A. has been and always will be my true home. People have been leaving in mass exodus and others pouring in for as long as I've been alive. For every block that gets icky, there are 2 somewhere else being gentrified. It's the nature of change. Redondo Beach is just about exactly the same as it was 30 years ago. Torrance changed a little. South Pas is the same. Old Pas is totally transformed. Echo Park is almost unrecognisable from 14 years ago. Silverlake and Los Feliz underwent similar transformations. Hollywood is slowly gentrifying east. Mount Washington and Highland Park have been transformed. I could go on.

I'm so grateful I have the opportunity to come home. My quality of life is about to go up exponentially. I'm ready to rejoin the human race. People should be able to live where they want. If someone truly hates L.A., all they really need to move is a Greyhound bus ticket. People pour into L.A. in the same manner and will continue to do so. L.A. is a place where dreams come true. It's what you make it. Those who don't make it get bitter and blame L.A. for their problems instead of looking in the mirror.

[dusesean1986]

Originally Posted by icelander

Im not going to defend much about LA, I've lived in several major US cities, and LA is the least desirable. But I'll say this. LA news skews peoples' perspectives. I lived in NYC for 8 years. Plenty of gangs, crime etc. But the 11'OClock news didnt dwell on crime like the LA news does. The LA TV news creates paranoid citizens.

Not to mention, LA lives in a vacuum. You get local news, mexican news, and if you try maybe some vietnamese or whatever. Whereas in NYC or even SF you get far more exposure to more places in the world, which changes your perspective completely. The way Angelenos cocoon themselves in their cars, they cocoon themselves in a very narrow mental perspective. Angelenos in general are pretty naive to the world

Wait a minute, if you have news in different cultures wouldn't it increase exposure to other cultures and view points. "Cocoon themselves in thier cars," what in the world does that mean. The channel 11 news is terrible, everyone knows that, there are four other non-cable news stations to receive news. I think only gangmembers watch that station, to see if they can have their picture on the T.V. Maybe, you were in a different Los Angeles.