What's this thing about Los Angeles?

Since I joined this board I've been hearing left and right about LA, here and elsewhere. It seems that every photographer or model you meet, every film event and fashion show you hear off, every dead rockstar found lying in a corner and all-round anyone doing anything creative is operating from that place.

Even hanging primarily in international communities for years I've never considered Amsterdam a bad place to be, but now for the first time I'm getting the feeling that it's pretty much the middle of nowhere compared to where the real fun is at.

Of course I know about Hollywood and that it's movie-making central, but I wasn't aware this went for so much other culture, including non-mainstream stuff. So what's the deal? Is it really that hot?

It seems sort of like LA is the entertainment capital of the nation, and it's kinda like the polar opposite of New York, which is the business center. Of course it's not really layed out like that and it obviously goes both ways.

yeah, maybe everyone there is trying to "make it", but most of them aren't really making it that way, and it's really just a normal place like everywhere else. It's everything stacked on top of each other, it really is a microcosm of America. But is it the real America? In a way it is, but it's not again. It's different from the America you'll see on the road. I kinda think that is more of the real America, because it's more concrete and grounded. LA and California is like that too, but it's like underneath the surface.

LA is to America what Disneyland is to LA.

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Originally Posted by Morning Glory

LA is to America what Disneyland is to LA.

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Full of fake princess' and rats ? Hehe..i kid.. i like LA. I use to go every week ;^)

I always have fun there.

I heard Las Vegas is way better :)

There's an underground/alt presence in every state (ok, mebbe not the Dakotas...) but historically SF region has been the place most open about it. In the early days it attracted artistic free-thinking types, hence the movie and music output, but it's a self-perpetuating process. If you live in Arkansas and you imagine a mystical land where goths can walk the streets in freedom and lesbian taxidermists hold naked conventions every second Tuesday, it'll be SF in the backdrop. Of course in reality, it's as much a 'grass is greener' effect as anywhere else in the world, and people can be as uptight and bigoted as back home. Point is, the dream still carries people there to check it out just in case.


Oh, and the weather's nice.

i don't know but it's pissing me off.
people from s.f. are moving to l.a. and i, for one, am not moving to l.a.:hjtwofing

How about I move to where you are, and we can get drunk every night!

I don't know you at all, but I'm fun, and who doesn't want a good reason to get wasted?

Besides, I have a Scottish burr when I'm drunk. :D

SCREW LA, We make our own fun!

maybe people don't have to worry about freezing to death there. things like that tend to free up time for other things

grew up in san francisco, lived in italy and germany (and a few other countries), retired in Los Angeles and moved to the east coast 3 months later... still go to LA sometimes but not really a fan... that being said it is kind of a hub of film/tv/art/fashion....

i left LA and there is only 3 things i miss

1)good predictablle weather, last year we had a few days in the low 40s and like a week later it was like 90 degrees

2)good mexican food, Tex mex just dosent do it for me

3)more concerts and stuff to do on the weekend. altho i do get a good band to go see evry now and then its not like back in CA were i had somethin to do almost evry weekend. altho when i do go somewhere it is way more awesome i think lol.

other than that im happy where im at at the momment plus i dont think i could afford moving back to LA. it just wouldnt be worth it since im perfectly fine where im at

oh, yeah, I forgot about how insanely expensive it is there. a dilapidated shack will set you back about a million dollars. and that is hardly an exaggeration.

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Originally Posted by Morning Glory

oh, yeah, I forgot about how insanely expensive it is there. a dilapidated shack will set you back about a million dollars. and that is hardly an exaggeration.

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its only a slight exageration, the house i lived in b4 sold for 500,000 and it was in a very bad gang infested neighborhood. the house itself wasnt that great it was nicer than most of the homes in the area but thats just cause we put some work into it over the years. the house im at now was only 90,000 and its twice as big and we have a few acres of land to boot

Way to go KillAtomik!

Those prices are comparible to Amsterdam tbh, especially if you keep the euro/dollar course in mind.

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Originally Posted by Mindgames

There's an underground/alt presence in every state (ok, mebbe not the Dakotas...) but historically SF region has been the place most open about it. In the early days it attracted artistic free-thinking types, hence the movie and music output, but it's a self-perpetuating process. If you live in Arkansas and you imagine a mystical land where goths can walk the streets in freedom and lesbian taxidermists hold naked conventions every second Tuesday, it'll be SF in the backdrop. Of course in reality, it's as much a 'grass is greener' effect as anywhere else in the world, and people can be as uptight and bigoted as back home. Point is, the dream still carries people there to check it out just in case.


Oh, and the weather's nice.

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LA and SF both have their strength and weaknesses. I guess where I may favor LA is the reemerging "deathrock" music events. SF is strong in other areas. Ultimately, these are two cities where noone cares what you look like etc. You almost have to leave for awhile to appreciate the merits of either (should you be semi-local to one). I have no doubt the same holds true for London and a lot of other fun cities around the globe though.

OEC