What's the deal with LA?

[Ambulance Chaser]

Weather: Sunny and warm. I have a good friend who moved out to the L.A. area from the East Coast and loves it. According to him, his favorite aspect of L.A. is that he never has to check the weather forecast to determine whether he can spend time outdoors.

Traffic: Really bad unless you can avoid the freeways. When I was in L.A. on business in 2002, I lived in West L.A. and commuted to Downtown. Half an hour east on Olympic in the morning, 25 minutes west on Wilshire in the evening. Pretty sweet. Then I visited L.A. on business this past June and got stuck on the 110 (the freeway from L.A. to Pasadena) during rush hour. It was torture.

Girls: Almost universally, very fit and attractive. How many times have you seen a girl and thought, "She'd be a real looker if she was in good shape." You don't have to worry about that here. (On a side note, several years ago I dated a MAW from L.A. who was temporarily relocated to D.C. She reminded me of Kirsten Dunst, although she said that people told her that she looked like Gwyneth Paltrow. I have since learned that she was the female equivalent of the Brady Anderson fifty-home run season. I still blame her for unrealistically raising my expectations for who I can date. Alas, that is the subject of another thread.)

Clothing: I can't believe we're on page four and no one has mentioned this all-important topic. Tailored clothing is weak, probably because very few people wear suits. Even Scott Hill has gone streetwear. Ditto for dress shoes; aside from Polo Ralph Lauren's offerings, it's mostly mid-level Italian. L.A. is heaven if you're into designer clothing, however. Lots of fancy boutiques and the Fred Segal Summer Sale is the stuff of legend. The watch selection is also fantastic.

Food: Nothing much to add here, except that you haven't lived if you haven't been to the Newsroom (catty corner to the Ivy) for breakfast.

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by Steve B.

Ummm....BART???
On occasions when I'd driven into the city for one reason or another, I rarely considered abandoning my (or my friend's) car on the bridge and hoofing it to a BART station a particularly attractive option.
Edited to fix some truly appalling syntax.

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by JLibourel

I don't know if I would wish to be the lone gabacho in the heart of a hispanic neighborhood. Just food for thought about where you would wish to live, etc.

I have white friends who live in mexican areas (Lincoln Heights, Highland Park) and they've ALL got hit up by locals who wanted to know why they were there, and nearly got into trouble with em. One was a gal walking home from the train stop who got accosted by a car full of cholas looking to **** up the lil skinny white girl.

 

[lawyerdad]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

I have white friends who live in mexican areas (Lincoln Heights, Highland Park) and they've ALL got hit up by locals who wanted to know why they were there, and nearly got into trouble with em. One was a gal walking home from the train stop who got accosted by a car full of cholas looking to **** up the lil skinny white girl.
It all depends. I spent about a year living in an area where at least 70% of my neighbors were originally from Central America. Some were assholes and racists -- much like in the mostly white neighborhood I now live in -- but on the whole they were great neighbors. If anything, some folks seemed to make a special effort to look out for me because they didn't want me to think everyone from their country was "like that". I found that people tended to have much more of a proprietary, communitarian (I think I'm using that word wrong, but whatever) view of the neighborhood. Often that manifested itself in positive ways, but obviously it can lead to incidents like your friends experienced where perceived "outsiders" are challenged.

 

[LA Guy]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

I have white friends who live in mexican areas (Lincoln Heights, Highland Park) and they've ALL got hit up by locals who wanted to know why they were there, and nearly got into trouble with em. One was a gal walking home from the train stop who got accosted by a car full of cholas looking to **** up the lil skinny white girl.

I dunno. I never got seriously hassled by cholos, except for one unfortunate incident in El Monte (near where all the strip clubs are at) that doesn't bear repeating. I mean, young cholo type dudes have mean mugged and even called out at me, but nothing you can't ignore. Nearly all serious situations I got into in LA was with white guys - skinhead dudes in Venice. LA is generally pretty safe if you mind your own business. The only randomly violent (i.e. just out of nowhere, didn't see it coming) situation I experienced in LA were some black dudes who threw bottles at and friend and me when we went through the neighbourhood on our roadbikes, just passing through.

 

[nomovement]

did somoene say roadbikes?!

 

[montecristo#4]

Originally Posted by LA Guy

LA is generally pretty safe if you mind your own business. The only randomly violent (i.e. just out of nowhere, didn't see it coming) situation I experienced in LA were some black dudes who threw bottles at and friend and me when we went through the neighbourhood on our roadbikes, just passing through.

I had some drunk white guy who was driving a car throw bottles at me at Harvard Law School, so nowhere is safe from those maniacs.

 

[upstarter]

ON THE SUBJECT OF WOMEN:

My cousin, from Ohio, believes that LA gals aren't actually better looking, just in MUCH better shape. In other words, their bodies are amazing, but their faces can't match. He contends that "mid-west gals" have much better faces, but might be a little more plumper, etc, and that people perceive LA women as gorgeous when they aren't really that beautiful.

His saying, "Good from afar, but far from good."

Just curious if anyone who has lived all over the US has similar feelings.

Upstarter

 

[matadorpoeta]

Originally Posted by Get Smart

I have white friends who live in mexican areas (Lincoln Heights, Highland Park) and they've ALL got hit up by locals who wanted to know why they were there, and nearly got into trouble with em. One was a gal walking home from the train stop who got accosted by a car full of cholas looking to **** up the lil skinny white girl.
highland park is at least 30% white. matt groening lives there. it's the new silverlake.

 

[Stax]

Originally Posted by upstarter

ON THE SUBJECT OF WOMEN:

My cousin, from Ohio, believes that LA gals aren't actually better looking, just in MUCH better shape. In other words, their bodies are amazing, but their faces can't match. He contends that "mid-west gals" have much better faces, but might be a little more plumper, etc, and that people perceive LA women as gorgeous when they aren't really that beautiful.

His saying, "Good from afar, but far from good."

Just curious if anyone who has lived all over the US has similar feelings.

Upstarter

Where does your cousin from Ohio think all the hot girls in LA come from?

 

[whodini]

Originally Posted by upstarter

Next on my list is Ye Olde Rustic Inn for some Buffalo wings that are supposed to be to die for.

I'll trade you my hood's Ye Rustic for your hood's Sloopy's.

 

[bachbeet]

Cal Tech is actually in Pasadena.

Do attend school in LA. Great city. Much better than here.

 

[retronotmetro]

Originally Posted by matadorpoeta

highland park is at least 30% white. matt groening lives there. it's the new silverlake.

Except the Avenidas are just a touch less friendly than your average group of guys hanging around on Hyperion or Silverlake Bl.

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by matadorpoeta

highland park is at least 30% white. matt groening lives there. it's the new silverlake.

my friends must live in the other 70%...but I keep hearing how every hispanic neighborhood is "becoming the new silverlake". They've been saying that about Lincoln Heights the past 2-3 years. My friends that have houses there do admit they see more white hipsters at the train stop nowadays so maybe there is a white migration into browntown

 

[Get Smart]

Originally Posted by LA Guy

Nearly all serious situations I got into in LA was with white guys - skinhead dudes in Venice.

that damn Derek Vinyard!!!