Los Angeles

Moved here 1 week ago. Who else is here and what should I do in this fat ass town?

and don't say plastic surgery

good luck!

I live in Los Angeles. I mostly just work and get depressed.

why on earth would you go there?

My girlfriend's parents emigrated out there, so I was there over Christmas.

Hermosa Beach and Torrance had a pretty good nightlife from what I remember. Venice was full of hippies and gangstas, akin to Camden Market and missable. Go up to Malibu for amazing vistas that will make you feel inferior. Take a 3 hour drive to Bear Mountain for bike-rides (summer) and skiing/snowboarding (winter).

Marina del Rey is nice. There are plenty of opportunities for epic beachfront bike-rides.

I did the standard Hollywood shit too, s'alright. Pretty much what you expect. But next time I hope to take a trip to Big Sur and/or San Francisco.

facial reconstruction

  On 5/10/2012 at 1:14 AM, Gary C said:

My girlfriend's parents emigrated out there, so I was there over Christmas.

 

Hermosa Beach and Torrance had a pretty good nightlife from what I remember. Venice was full of hippies and gangstas, akin to Camden Market and missable. Go up to Malibu for amazing vistas that will make you feel inferior. Take a 3 hour drive to Bear Mountain for bike-rides (summer) and skiing/snowboarding (winter).

Marina del Rey is nice. There are plenty of opportunities for epic beachfront bike-rides.

 

I did the standard Hollywood shit too, s'alright. Pretty much what you expect. But next time I hope to take a trip to Big Sur and/or San Francisco.

Venice -- the whole beach scene really -- is a fucking dump. The last time I walked on the beach I found a fucking tarball attached to my heal and it took about an hour to scrub off.

That said, there's dumpy, shitty parts of LA and also really amazing parts with quality people. Like any big city, you just have to seek them out. And about a billion people seem to love the beaches so who am I to judge? Oh right, a rational person who doesn't wear flip flops to a business meeting. Fuck the west side... wait, I'm sort of digressing here.

nothing, go to trader joes or in and out...chill the fuck out, dont ask what to do...it finds you

  On 5/10/2012 at 1:14 AM, Gary C said:

My girlfriend's parents emigrated out there, so I was there over Christmas.

 

Hermosa Beach and Torrance had a pretty good nightlife from what I remember. Venice was full of hippies and gangstas, akin to Camden Market and missable. Go up to Malibu for amazing vistas that will make you feel inferior. Take a 3 hour drive to Bear Mountain for bike-rides (summer) and skiing/snowboarding (winter).

Marina del Rey is nice. There are plenty of opportunities for epic beachfront bike-rides.

 

I did the standard Hollywood shit too, s'alright. Pretty much what you expect. But next time I hope to take a trip to Big Sur and/or San Francisco.

i lived in Torrance, there is no night life here. hahahahaahh

The first thing you should do is go to a King Taco, and then ease yourself into food truck tacos. And then you will eat tacos every week, and cry when you are not eating tacos. You will eat Korean Kogi tacos and love them. You will eat so many fucking tacos, and you should start now.

At some point within 2 months you will eat a taco that some 71 year old mexican guy is selling out of the back of an El Camino and it will be the greatest thing you ever tasted, but don't let him sell you his horchata. It's not very good.

To the OP: What area? LA is big.

It also matters because navigating the 405 to get from the west to the east or vice versa is the most miserable thing in the world, and honestly the only reason I hardly ever go to the west side, aside from the tarball thing which was really fucked up, but I'll get over it; anyway, your friends will all probably congregate on one side or the other and if you're on the wrong side you'll be a hermit like me and drown yourself in work until the ennui is unbearable, at which point you might then consider a 17 hour trip along four miles of the 405 to visit some friends.

I live downtown, if anyone... you know... ever wants to hang out with... I know, I know, nobody goes downtown. It's... it's ok.

  On 5/10/2012 at 12:38 AM, Benedict Cumberbatch said:

Moved here 1 week ago. Who else is here and what should I do in this fat ass town?

 

 

and don't say plastic surgery

Buy a car, rescue a dog from a kill shelter then buy a gun and blow your brains out.

Where did you move from and what part of town are you in?

  On 5/10/2012 at 12:50 AM, baph said:

I live in Los Angeles. I mostly just work and get depressed.

  On 5/10/2012 at 1:36 AM, baph said:

It also matters because navigating the 405 to get from the west to the east or vice versa is the most miserable thing in the world, and honestly the only reason I hardly ever go to the west side, aside from the tarball thing which was really fucked up, but I'll get over it; anyway, your friends will all probably congregate on one side or the other and if you're on the wrong side you'll be a hermit like me and drown yourself in work until the ennui is unbearable, at which point you might then consider a 17 hour trip along four miles of the 405 to visit some friends.

this reminds me of this...

http://www.hulu.com/watch/350669/saturday-night-live-the-californians <- That shit is spot-on. It's a shame I can't embed it.

I've lived here a little over a year. Its a pretty fucking soul-less place. I would never have moved here if it weren't for my wife.

I have to say, I'd hardly consider LA to be a "city".

After living in NYC for 12 years, it just feels like a humanity vacuum. This town is filled with the most arrogant, self-centered cunts I could ever imagine.

It's like you took the biggest nerds in high school and gave them all $100,000,000 and told them that they could treat anyone however they wanted to without repercussion... then everyone else became the victims of a cultural holocaust... then stir in racism.

My theory is that the people who truly love it here are either A) stupid B) vapid ego-maniacs or C) fearful recluses that shudder at the thought of what a true urban, multi-ethnic experience is actually like.

If I hear "Yeah, but you have to admit, the weather is incredible!" one more time, I'm seriously going to slap someone's lips off their fucking face.

It was particularly hard for me to adjust, due to a very serious bike accident (as you may recall).

Having said that...If you ride a bike, wear a helmet. If I wasn't wearing mine, I'd be dead.

Only now am I starting to get my career stuff back on track.

This year has been a pit of sun-shiny despair.

Anyway... Welcome!

Hopefully, you live near a cool area you can walk around. I'm lucky enough to live within a 15 minute walk to Amoeba in H'wood.

how cute, what do you see at Amoeba? do tell do tell

Yeah, but you have to admit, the lung searing smog is incredible!

Also wtf is with people staring? Everyone fucking stares. Every time you enter a shop, everyone stops to check you out. Cut it the fuck out.

go to the low end theory events

sounds like dc with better weather.

What? You have had an entirely different experience than I have living here. Maybe it helps knowing a few down to earth people but I love having access to so much amazing cuisine, shopping and live music. And yes, Low End Theory is probably one of the better nights for our kind of music. Clark is playing in June. But anyway try to stay open minded and explore. There is plenty of cool stuff to see and do off the beaten path. Also venture up the coast about and hour and a half for some nice (uncrowded) beaches and a slower pace

  On 5/10/2012 at 6:19 AM, Superstix said:

What? You have had an entirely different experience than I have living here. Maybe it helps knowing a few down to earth people but I love having access to so much amazing cuisine, shopping and live music. And yes, Low End Theory is probably one of the better nights for our kind of music. Clark is playing in June. But anyway try to stay open minded and explore. There is plenty of cool stuff to see and do off the beaten path. Also venture up the coast about and hour and a half for some nice (uncrowded) beaches and a slower pace

I agree with this, for the most part. There are lot of terrible people and places in LA, but there are also a lot of wonderful people and places and foodstuffs (tacos) in LA. It's really just so big that there's no central identity... and that's a blessing as much as a curse.

The air quality is objectively terrifying, though.

edit: brb, tacos

my sister lived there for six months and said it was the most alienating place she'd ever been. i thrive on highways, rudeness and delusion so maybe i should go.

Rudeness and delusion defines most of America, and I'm guessing the world. LA will get you highways, though.

  On 5/10/2012 at 4:04 AM, jefferoo said:

I have to say, I'd hardly consider LA to be a "city".

After living in NYC for 12 years, it just feels like a humanity vacuum. This town is filled with the most arrogant, self-centered cunts I could ever imagine.

My sentiments exactly. It's a sprawling urban 'supercity' if anything. The weather's admittedly great, but it is one of the last American cities I'd want to live in. Too big. Unnavigable. The people vary, but I wouldn't deny that most are probably vapid/false shits.

I'd prefer the east coast, but the older I get the more I realise that I don't like American cities very much at all.

  On 5/10/2012 at 1:07 AM, Ricky Downtown said:

why on earth would you go there?

exactly. In my short visit to Los Angeles, I got a very strange impression of detached reality—like a city with a weird plastic veneer over it. At least thats how a lot of the people I saw seemed. I really, really do not like L.A. Jefferoo succinctly explained my feelings perfectly.

also,

  On 5/10/2012 at 1:15 AM, Rambo said:

facial reconstruction

  On 5/10/2012 at 1:28 AM, Superstix said:

To the OP: What area? LA is big.

kinda inbetween west hollywood and hollywood i reckon

  On 5/10/2012 at 4:04 AM, jefferoo said:

Buy a car, rescue a dog from a kill shelter

that's funny because we're getting a dog soon. that was part of the reason for moving.

  On 5/10/2012 at 4:04 AM, jefferoo said:

Where did you move from and what part of town are you in?

were in san francisco but got priced out. couldnt have a dog in our 5 year apartment and couldnt move within the city. figured we'd try down here for a year and good for the wifes job.

  On 5/10/2012 at 4:04 AM, jefferoo said:

reminds me of this...

http://www.hulu.com/watch/350669/saturday-night-live-the-californians <- That shit is spot-on. It's a shame I can't embed it.

yup best snl sketch in awhile. all the freeway references were brilliant

  On 5/10/2012 at 4:04 AM, jefferoo said:

It was particularly hard for me to adjust, due to a very serious bike accident (as you may recall).

Having said that...If you ride a bike, wear a helmet. If I wasn't wearing mine, I'd be dead.

yep i went out yesterday on my bike for the first time. trying to find the quieter/safer streets. wasn't very successful. and yes i'm not too cool to wear a helmet

  On 5/10/2012 at 4:04 AM, jefferoo said:

Hopefully, you live near a cool area you can walk around. I'm lucky enough to live within a 15 minute walk to Amoeba in H'wood.

so you nearby. made the mistake of going to the arclight on the weekend. $ouch

have you found a decent mexican joint yet? chipolte will not do. or baja fresh

  On 5/10/2012 at 8:55 PM, Benedict Cumberbatch said:

have you found a decent mexican joint yet? chipolte will not do. or baja fresh

Cactus Taco on Vine & Willoughby (their Chicken Tacos and Fish Tacos are what to get).

There is a taco truck in Silverlake/Echo Park called Taco Zone. It parks in a Vons parking lot. They are quite good.

Yuca's taco stand on Hillhurt in Los Feliz is good. Their Asada is great.

There is also a great taco truck on La Brea and Olympic.

There are tons of spots.

I normally just go for the most busted looking ones.