We really enjoyed our time in Los Angeles. I would like to visit again with the entire family when Sean is a little older. (I think that a 5 – 6 hour flight is still a bit too much for my 3 year old.) There were a few young kids crying on the flight for the majority of the time. I was asleep so I didn’t mind, but I wouldn’t want to subject my fellow passengers to the noise/restlessness – unless it was an absolute necessity.
I really liked the people whom I met in Los Angeles. They were very welcoming and laid back. There was also a variety of interesting places to visit and experience. This trip turned out to be food and game focused, but there are plenty of other attractions that I would be interested in seeing.
As with everything, there were a couple of things that I did not like about Los Angeles also. Since I don’t especially like to drive, Los Angeles is definitely not a place that I would want to live. Driving is a necessity there because everything is so spread out. The city does have a public transportations system, but even the locals warned us against trying to use it. It doesn’t go everywhere and the waiting times can be long. (If you need a car service while visiting LA, I highly recommend Pacific Town Car Service, the car service that Xbox hired. Our driver Paul was excellent. He was prompt, friendly and helpful. He even texted me to let me know when he arrived and exactly where he was at!)
The other thing that I didn’t especially like about Los Angeles is that it appeared to be very segregated – by class more than race – but a little of both. Dont’ get me wrong…New York City is segregated in certain ways also (i.e. the school systems). The difference (to me) is that because we are on an island with limited space, we are all on top of each other. For instance: in New York, there are million dollar condos on one block and right around the corner from that is the “projects” (housing for the poor). Because Los Angeles is so spread out geographically, it is very clear simply by driving down the streets where the “haves” and “have nots” lived. Also, people tend to be in little ethnic pockets like Little Japan, Chinatown, etc. (i.e. As we were riding in a cab, the driver mentioned, “Oh, that’s Jewish Hollywood…” – huh?!) Once again, it’s not that NYC doesn’t have similar ethnic pockets. It’s simply an issue of space. New York has Chinatown, but it is right around the corner from Little Italy that is around the corner from (fill in the blank). I think the fundamental difference is that in New York everything and everyone (of various economic classes/races/ethnic backgrounds/etc.) is right around the corner. In Los Angeles, they are not around the corner…they are a car ride away. It seems that unless you are very deliberate, it would be easier to surround yourself and your family with people who are just like you. Since I thrive on diversity, I don’t think that I would like that lifestly. That’s just my initial observation though…I was only there for three days. (I could be totally worng. It would not be the first – or the last – time!)
In any event, I really liked Los Angeles overall. I guess that I feel the same way about it as some of my Los Angeles friends feel about New York City….it’s a great place to visit, but I can’t see myself living there. There is no place like home…especially when “home” is New York City 🙂
If you live in and/or are familiar with Los Angeles, tell me…are my initial impressions wrong?
