LA Move Series Part 5 - What's Part 5?
I actually wonder, now that I've been in LA long enough to... well let's just say 9 months, that things are going alright. Generally speaking, as I near the one-year mark, the west coast is treating me alright. I'll discuss why and why not here, nearing the peak of my LA Move Series of posts.
- My job is exciting and has opened both my mind and my horizon.
- I found a great woman to be with in the city. Then she left. We visit infrequently. See number 4 on this list for a cue on how I feel about that.
- Some really cool and genuine people live in LA and invite me to do stuff. And more who I know are moving here regularly. Bailey, we're going to get together sometime soon. But I don't have a car; ugg.
- I am able to visit with Atlanta friends on the *rare* occasion that I visit the area. See the asterik for why these irregular visits aren't satisfying.
- There's alot to do in Los Angeles, including shows, festivals, beach-time, markets, landmarks, museums, and more.
- I am enjoying playing ultimate with LA. Training for the season makes me feel old -- I need to keep working harder.
I guess its the year-mark that has people feel like a place is home, regardless of the actual pleasure one gets from the lifestyle there. Still, you can tell, there are lots of things I enjoy out here. If you, the reader, get the notion, comment or post on what you like about California.
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Being a college kid in Los Angeles offers an experience unlike any other.
Like most college kids, I spent my first 'year' in LA from August until May with typical visits back to my parents' house in Houston during winter, spring, and summer break. During that first year without a car, LA was a city with unlimited potential. Every nuance (known and unknown to me) was thrilling. It was my second and third year at USC, after I got my car, where Los Angeles was starting to feel like home. I started mastering the freeways, picking out my favorite restaurants and hangout places, and familiarizing myself with the sights of the city. I soaked up the good and bad... the Hollywood sign on the hills that look over the city and the smog that surrounded it, the beautiful lights from the downtown skyline and the row of cars beneath the skyline on the gridlocked freeway, the palm trees in the bright sky and the litter and graffiti on the walls. My third and fourth year I started staying in LA all year round. Some part of me needed to get away from all of the concrete, traffic, and overcrowded parts of the city even though my great friends were all settled in Los Angeles.
Now I'm done with school and am living in Eugene, OR. So... here is what I miss about LA:
- Diverse interaction. The group of people that live on one urban city block in LA forces people to live in relatively close quarters with one another. Different languages, different attire, different ages, different food, different music, different colors. People don't always live harmoniously, but it's still lovely. Everyone has got a story and a history that for the most part, they are willing to share. In my four years, most of the people that have shared their stories were not from LA. Its interesting to see how everyone shows their nomadic side and flocks to this city for whatever reasons. Best part... many times these people become your friends.
- Food. Granted, I haven't given Eugene a chance on this since I just buy salad, sandwich, pasta, and frozen corn to live off of, but Los Angeles offers the best and different things to eat. I miss El Cholo, Tommy Burger, C & O Trattoria, La Cabana, India Oven, Pho Cafe, Rambutan, 101 Coffee Shop, Chosun Galbee, Kabuki, the Grand Lux Cafe, Pizza Pauls, the Tribal Cafe and many more.
- Weird stuff. There are somethings in LA that seem like they can only happen in LA. I saw a man playing a recorder while sitting in the 405. I accidentally was an extra on a movie set. I had a 5 minute lecture on prison tattoos from a recently freed inmate. I was less than 100 feet from a shooting. I ate pizza next to Simon Cowell, ran into Kirsten Dunst, and sat in front of the Baldwin brothers for the Democratic candidate debates. I've ridden in the back of a LAPD squad car. I gave an opening speech for Villagairosa in a parking lot. It's inevitable to eventually do things out of the ordinary in this city, but somehow they still end up being very 'LA'.
There are countless of other things that I love and miss about the city. And even though I technically live in Oregon, there's a part of me that wants to call Los Angeles home- and I don't think its based solely on nostalgia.
Ben, you're lucky your back.
As a Cali kid through and through, and a LA local for 80% of my years I am obviously ridicuously biased in saying that I LOVE LA. Given that, here are my favorite things about this wonderful/surreal place.
1. The Food- Not just the amazing food but that fact that I can get delicious mexican, thai, chinese, sushi, burgers...etc all within a 10-minute radius of each other. That's the true beauty of downtown...so close to Ktown, chinatown, little thai, hollywood..etc. But nothing beats the homemade horchata and green corn tamales in the summer at El Cholo.
2. You can surf and ski in the same day. In college we would hit up Malibu in the mornings for some El Nino action, go to class, take off at 4pm and be at Mtn. High in an hour and a half for night boarding. Where else do you have that option?
3. Dodger Dogs at the stadium. Some of my favorite moments have been with friends watching the Blue Crew and wondering how they got that grass so wonderfully green.
4. Unlike other big flashy city's (NY, Miami) you can have a blast at the LA hotspots for cheap. I guess it's a trade-off since clubs don't stay open till 4 like NY, but I'll that over a $30 cover charge anyday.
5. Runyon Canyon. Like Central Park it's centrally located, but Runyon's hidden and almost a local secret. It offers one of the absolute best views of the city anywhere.
6. The Hollywood Bowl. Such. Great. Accoustics. I'd put only Red Rocks as a better venue. And because it's LA every good band/group plays here.
7. Two words: Beach Camping.
8. Driving PCH. Best road in the country.
9. Close enough to Vegas to go whenever you want.
Speaking of, let's go bust that green corn tamale thing soon.
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