El Lay Troubles (Bad) and Tribbles (Good)

Discussion in 'City Guides' started by purr1n, Apr 12, 2017.

  1. insidious meme

    insidious meme Ambivalent Kumquat

    Pyrate Contributor
    Joined:
    Sep 26, 2015
    Likes Received:
    4,999
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Sector 8023 of the Third Quadrant
    [
    This statement sounded alot like this.

     
  2. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,777
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    LOL, I hate to say it, but El Lay doesn't have much to offer. It's embarrassing when I travel outside the country and people ask me where to visit in El Lay. I tell them to visit the vast stretches of parkland in Utah or Colorado, or visit NYC or SF. I can walk a good portion of Manhattan at 10:30pm without being accosted by weirdos. The homeless problem is horrible and getting worse every day. A lot of women now panhandling at highway offramps, even in the Valley outside of El Lay. Yes, it's that bad now that even the Valley is affected. The problem with El Lay is that most people living in the city have not been around long enough, that is for generations, to really give a shit about the city. What's the major industry in El Lay? Entertainment. Well then, why are all the major studios located outside of El Lay proper and in the burbs (Burbank or Culver City). You figured they'd care enough to stay in Hollywood and try to give back to El Lay. But Hollywood is just a cesspool of weirdos. It's like if all of the banks and investment houses in NYC moved outside of Manhattan to NJ and let the WTC rot. The only reason El Lay downtown hasn't turned into Omegaman world with Charleton Heston is because the Koreans came in and saved a huge chunk of Wilshire.
     
  3. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,070
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Cape Town, South Africa
    Yeah, visiting family get excited about going to Hollyweird and you have explain what a craphole it is. But having lived in L.A. from the age of 20 to 37, it has a firm place in my heart.

     
  4. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,777
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    I would enjoy El Lay more if traffic wasn't fucked 24x7 so I could actually go to all the neat places and I didn't have to worry about stepping on human feces near places like the CanJam 2017 location. The traffic conditions are going to get worse because developers pay off the council members so they can raze old smaller buildings to make mega luxury multi-unit apartments. Money allocated for homeless shelters every few years or so seems to disappear. El Lay sorely lacks cops given the size of the population and geographical footprint. Public transportation doesn't work and culturally, anyone with an income over $18k won't use it lest they be considered a loser. Viable businesses will probably move out in the next few years making all the problems worse given the impending $54 per hour minimum wage voted in by the well meaning El Lay citizens.
     
  5. winders

    winders boomer

    Banned
    Joined:
    Feb 13, 2017
    Likes Received:
    1,596
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    San Martin, CA
    Marvey,

    I grew up in Pasadena and escaped when I got a job at Apple. I still love to visit. When my Mom passed I could have kept the family home I grew up in the Linda Vista neighborhood of Pasadena which is a stellar area. But, I just couldn't move back. Too much traffic and way too crowded.

    By the way, the reason the Studios are where they are is land. They needed the room for their productions.
     
  6. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,777
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    I was at a Persian restaurant a few months ago when I heard this loud crash and saw a Bentley careen about fifty yards past the point of impact with a compact Chevy. The Bentley driver looked liked a typical El Lay douchebag emulating the look of that douchebag who is Alan Thicke's son. Shit was all over the street from the collision, following along the tread marks of the Bentley.

    I looked around and realized no one called 911, so I called 911. (It seems the more people there are, the more that people assume that help will magically arrive).

    911: Was anyone hurt?

    ME: Let, me walk up to the people and check - they look dazed but OK.

    911: Was anyone on drugs or drunk.

    ME: It doesn't appear so, although I cannot make a proper determination.

    911: Sorry, we don't do anything in these situations.

    ME: There is debris on the road. People are swerving around at the last minute. Can can get an officer to redirect traffic and a road crew to clean up?

    911: Sorry, we don't send officers unless someone in hurt or under the influence.

    Seriously, f**k this shit. LAPD will send 17 vehicles to chase down a stolen car or OJ in his Bronco, but they can't send one to make sure citizens are safe.
     
    Last edited: Apr 12, 2017
  7. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

    Staff Member Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    8,960
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Irvine CA
    A friend of mine that has been living in SoCal since his childhood had this theory that L.A. when down in flames after the Rodney King riots. According to him, things never recovered after that.
     
  8. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,777
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    Sadly, he might be right. Like the 67 Detroit riot. It's like a broken hip for a old person. Just goes slowly downhill from then on.
     
  9. Armaegis

    Armaegis Friend

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 27, 2015
    Likes Received:
    7,464
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Winnipeg
    Wait, what?? how can... I mean... gah, I have no words! Are they too busy trying to make their parking ticket quotas that they can't actually serve the public?
     
  10. GoodEnoughGear

    GoodEnoughGear Evil Dr. Shultz‎

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    3,070
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Cape Town, South Africa
    Sounds like South Africa. I was T-Boned in an intersection because the red light was out crossways from me and some guy sailed straight through. The cops were annoyed that I bothered them because no-one was hurt enough to go to hospital. In their view it's simply an insurance situation.
     
  11. a44100Hz

    a44100Hz Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 1, 2016
    Likes Received:
    1,159
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    US East
    Hmm. Over in the east my experience has been that if insurance is ever swapped, then a cop or trooper inevitably shows up, makes things even more pleasant, sets a campfire (in an open traffic lane), and shakes you down for a can of beans. It's pretty common to exchange cash to avoid toiling with that process for paint dings and easily performed body work. Nobody wants to deal with it, and nobody keeps beans in their car anymore. I know people who keep PBA cards in their wallet to grease the wheels, but who needs the BPAs and carbs?
     
  12. crazychile

    crazychile Eastern Iowa's Spiciest Pepper

    Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Jan 19, 2016
    Likes Received:
    2,512
    Trophy Points:
    93
    Location:
    Eastern Iowa
    I lived on the North Coast (Humboldt County) for 7 years...No, I wasn't a pot farmer. I'd either fly or drive down to LA a couple times of year for business. I knew that if I had to live where I sat in traffic for 2 hrs a day I would end up on the news for a mass killing. So many people I would meet in LA seemed to be in a bubble or partial dream state. It was a strange reality I couldn't identify with. Loved the weather though. Humboldt had it's own issues too.

    Moved to Iowa where life is boring and we like it that way. You can also buy a really nice house here for <$200k. Living is pretty cheap and you're never more than 3-4 hrs from a big city if you miss the entertainment options, (or traffic).
     
  13. Merrick

    Merrick A lidless ear

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Jan 6, 2016
    Likes Received:
    12,569
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Portland, OR
    I lived in LA proper pretty much my whole life. The city has a lot to offer, but everything is so spread out and disconnected that it feels like these isolated islands of something interesting in this sea of banal, self-obsessed entertainment people, their hangers on, and the people who want to be those people. The traffic is infuriating and there's no decent alternative to it. My wife and I moved to Portland last year and it was the best decision we ever made. It's easy to get around, people are so much nicer, and there are actual communities here that we can get involved with. LA will always be my hometown, but I don't miss it, outside of a few select spots like The Apple Pan or the Troubadour or the New Beverly, etc.
     
  14. DigMe

    DigMe Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Aug 25, 2016
    Likes Received:
    8,802
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Tejas
    When I was a kid and I used to head to Houston every weekend for live music I always thought, "When I grow up I'm living in the big city!"

    Now every time I visit Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, etc.. I'm like, "This traffic! Thank God I don't live here!"
     
  15. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,777
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    Don't worry, we have awesome moderation here that will split threads.
     
  16. ultrabike

    ultrabike Measurbator - Admin

    Staff Member Pyrate MZR
    Joined:
    Sep 25, 2015
    Likes Received:
    8,960
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Irvine CA
    I honestly don't see the low SNR in these discussions. Maybe it's a discussion that deserves it's own thread. It is relevant in the selection of venues to setup meets. LA is highly convenient, but it's not a free lunch.

    Before my kids were born, my wife and I took it to the Mann's Chinese Theater to watch SW Episode II (yeah, it sucked). The theater was really awesome. It reminded me of the times where a movie theater was a large auditorium with one of a kind dedicated sound and video systems, instead of > 15 mini-theaters with so-so-sound and generic projectors.

    It was a dumpster outside. Every other corner had a skimpy dressed "working" girl and the homeless folk with pee cologne. It was depressing. Growing up I remember the original SW movies were premiered there, and it looked completely different.

    Obviously one has to be careful when selecting a meet location these days if considering LA.

    (EDIT: And besides that, now we have the City Guide sub-forum, which this thread fits perfectly and is awesome.)
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2017
  17. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,777
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    Exactly, we suburbanites (and seriously, there really are NO suburban areas in Los Angeles County, with the exception of the gated communities) love what El Lay has the offer. Since the Century Theaters shut down in San Jose, there are no other great movie screens except in El Lay (Mann's, El Capitan, etc.). Where else on the planet I am going to get a singing and dancing show from fantastic talent before the viewing of Monsters Inc, or Beauty and Bestiality? I am always floored at the level of artistic talent in the area at all the little no-name shows around. Not many other places I can go see unique stuff like Zakir Hussein (tabla player) or Masters of Percussion at Bryce Hall on an annual basis. The Indians in southland seem to know more about him than the Indians up north.

    I see nothing wrong with wanting El Lay to be on par with other great cities of the world: NYC, Toronto, Sydney, London, etc. El Lay needs more officers, if not for public safety, than at least to enforce anti-gridlock traffic laws; government corruption and nepotism needs to be reduced (or if not, at least better governance), public transportation needs to be drastically improved; the homeless issue needs to be addressed (heck, give them a one-way ticket to Ft. Lauderdale); roads need to be fixed (I can show you all the damage on my wheels from potholes that stayed unfixed for weeks). With the tax base from the millions of millions of people living fairly close together, there is no reason why these issues cannot be fixed.

    Most of all, El Lay needs a strong visionary benevolent dictatorial leader like Rudi Giuliani, maybe to score a win by bringing one or two of the big studios' HQs back to EL Lay proper and work with big businesses rather than push them away. And also like Rudi, we should have death squads of shoot first, ask questions later, with the citizens agreeing that such methods are necessary. This last point is the main difference between El Lay and NYC. NYC denizens got sick of the crime, drugs, and human feces on the street, and tacitly gave Rudi permission to execute his plan. Garcetti is useless. He's only there because of his dad or uncle or whoever.

    I'm just dead embarrassed when someone I meet in a world class city like Sydney or Melbourne tells me they are engaged and asks me where in El Lay are good places to spend their honeymoon. I hate saying "Disneyland, I guess", which happens to be in OC, not El Lay.
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2017
  18. EraserXIV

    EraserXIV Friend

    Pyrate
    Joined:
    Oct 7, 2015
    Likes Received:
    178
    Trophy Points:
    43
    Location:
    Vegas
    Hah, I've recently had a lot of conversations about LA and they're all in a similar vein with what's been discussed here. As an east coaster, I felt hesitant to pass judgment on LA, especially since so many of my close friends constantly rave about it. However, the more and more I visit them, @Merrick 's assessment is pretty much my assessment of LA as well: individual spots scattered throughout that together have a lot to offer, but with a lot of noise you need to filter out. Just gets exhausting filtering everything out. In regards to what the city itself actually offers, I feel like people cut it a bit too much slack because of how nice the weather is.

    I'm a bit biased having grown up just outside of NYC and spent a significant amount of time in Boston, but I felt that you encounter more culture walking 10 minutes down any street in Boston or NYC than spending an hour around LA. Walking around LA, you never really feel like you're there, and I always got the sense it's confused with what it's trying to be. I recently moved to the Southeast and while there's less stuff to do, the area has its own character and is comfortable with that character, which gives it a sense of charm.
     
  19. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

    Staff Member Pyrate BWC
    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2015
    Likes Received:
    89,777
    Trophy Points:
    113
    Location:
    Padre Island CC TX
    Haha. You East Coasters are so polite.

    I've lived in Toronto (has a vibe similar to other British Commonwealth big cities), Ann Arbor (which has East Coast sensibilities - U of M gets massive Federal dollars after all), the SF Bay Area, and now SoCal. You wouldn't be upsetting me at all. All of these metropolitan areas I've lived in have their pluses and minuses. One thing you might have instinctively picked up about many SoCal folks is that they are super sensitive. A recurring topic of conversation down here is about how NorCal folks look down at SoCal folks, as being shallow or kind-of-stupid. It's all relative. The SF Bay Area might have the highest concentration of mind-gods / successful risk takers / visionaries in the world.

    The thing I like about SoCal is that folks tend to be more laid back, less judgmental, less stressed out, and less self-identified with their jobs. It was easier for me when I lived in NorCal and showed up to SoCal to visit friends on a moments notice. The opposite situation is much more difficult. NorCal folks always seem too super busy with their jobs or other obligations in order to make a little bit of time for friends who want to visit on a moments notice. Usually an appointment needs to be made 2-6 weeks in advance. Also, about half of our NorCal friends were horrified at the thought of visiting Disneyland, their intention to shield their growing toddlers from all things Disney. In the hyper competitive environment up there, anything not furthering E=mc^2 was considered evil.

    The main difference between the East and West coasts is what I alluded to before: Most people in the West Coast have not been here for generations, they are transplants. I can wear my U of M paraphernalia, and get stopped every three minutes down in SoCal by someone who recently moved from Michigan.

    All big cities have their problems, urban blight, traffic congestion, etc. The thing the East Coast cities (Philadelphia, DC, NYC, Boston) have is that the people have been there for many many generations. There is a place for them that they can call home, whether they are rich or poor. Even the Donald Trump family, who are relative newcomers to the USA, has been here for three generations. The only people I am aware of in the West Coast who might have been here that long might be Gavin Newsome's or Jerry Brown's family. But what I am trying to emphasize is people on the East Coast have a stronger sense of ownership in the communities that they live in. Not only as Bostonians, New Yorkers, but also as Americans. I can go to a McDonalds in Delaware, where I can be served a burger by a young black kid doing a Michael Jackson spinning move to Billie Jean. At my local Calabasas McDonalds, I get my McNuggets served by Mexicans who don't look happy. Out here in the West Coast, I kind of wonder if people really have a real intrinsic sense of being an American. Difficult to directly state what I mean, but I will illustrate.

    Let's take two a look at two very different companies. General Electric is based in NY. They make all sorts of industrial infrastructure type stuff. No question that as a corporation, they are out to make a shitload of money. The company has been around for well over 120 years. And despite GE having a Carlisle Group vibe, and some dubious offshore accounting shit, we still get the feeling that GE is not only a good corporate citizen, but also a good American corporate citizen. If the shit hits the fan, GE will crank up the assembly line making those jet engines, putting a lot of people to work. GE is not going to skiddoo and sell secrets to Dr. Evil.

    OK. Now let's look at Elon Musk. I mean, can I trust this guy? OK, he wants to make a lot of money. That's fine. But honestly, I don't get the sense that if shit hits the fan, he will also consider America's interests along with his own, like what the board of GE would do with GE. (The Tesla board of directors is bogus, all lackeys of Musk). It seems that he's just out for it purely for himself and his own glory. On the other hand, without a guy like Musk, of independent spirit and willingness to give the middle-finger to the establishment, we wouldn't be pushing electric tech for cars. The big three could never pull anything like what Tesla pulled off, and they are jealous. Let's not even talk about state laws which are stacked against Tesla's desired direct sale model. Think if Schiit wasn't legally allowed to sell direct, but was required to sell via dealers by law!

    To the view of East Coasters who view West Coasters as barbarians, you guys are absolutely right. But sometimes you need barbarians to raze the old ways that are no longer viable.
     
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2017
  20. fridaleider

    fridaleider New

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2017
    Likes Received:
    5
    Trophy Points:
    3
    Location:
    Valhalla
    Dorothy Parker called it "seventy two suburbs in search of a city." LA is what happens when you give everyone the detached single family home despite the area being an economic hub. Zoning needs to change to let developers build up (with appropriate seismic precautions) and the city needs to make massive investments in grade-separated rail (stilts are cheaper than tunnels) and bus-only lanes on major streets that allow public transit (especially the rapid buses) to be faster than driving your car. Letting buses sit in traffic gives people no incentive to use them, because they offer no advantage above your car. The virtuous cycle (supplemented of course by curb-separated bicycle lanes) would entice more people to use public transit, thereby easing traffic for those motorists for whom their living or work situation doesn't permit it.

    I grew up in LA. I'm still recovering.
     

Share This Page