Greater Los Angeles
The other day, Stacey pointed me to a post at BLDGBLOG, which I have otherwise never read before, entitled Greater Los Angeles. I have never read — and expect to never again — a more accurate description of how Los Angeles is.
Los Angeles has no assumed correct mode of use. You can have fake breasts and drive a Ford Mustang – or you can grow a beard, weigh 300 pounds, and read Christian science fiction novels. Either way, you're fine: that's just how it works.
[...]
L.A. is the apocalypse: it's you and a bunch of parking lots. No one's going to save you; no one's looking out for you. It's the only city I know where that's the explicit premise of living there – that's the deal you make when you move to L.A.
The city, ironically, is emotionally authentic.
It says: no one loves you; you're the least important person in the room; get over it. What matters is what you do there.
All this is why I — like the author — would "move there again in a heartbeat," but also why I'm frankly scared to ever set foot in the city again.
Comments
Christine forwarded that post to me a couple of weeks ago and, like you, I was stunned by how accurate it felt. That said, I think the ethos of "what matters is what you do there" is not unique to L.A. and probably holds true in many major American cities (NY, SF, Boston, etc.).
I've considered living in a lot of cities but Los Angeles has never been on the list.
You certainly make L.A. sound like an interesting place to visit, just so long as you make sure that nothing gets between you and the exit.
Can you share why you're scared to ever set foot in the city again? You've got me intrigued...
Can you share why you're scared to ever set foot in the city again?
If it matters what you do there, there's no slacking off. The fact that Los Angeles won't love you, just for being you, was hard enough when I had marshalled all of my reserves. These days, I'd be scared that the city wouldn't think of me all that kindly.
Sounds like a demanding place. I assume that it gave as well as took, at least in the entertainment value of gawking at your fellow citizens.