The NEW Los Angeles Thread:

The NEW Los Angeles Thread:
Disney hates kids.

and here, to give this a little momentum, are four arguable observations about Los Angeles:

1) Compared with the other places I've lived, Los Angeles seems a place where people are looking for reasons to dislike you more than for reasons to like you. It's abysmally easy to end up on somebody's bad side.

2) Though there's a lot of great culture around (albeit lacking some history), it seems to me that the dominant notion of culture - Culture - is based on a silly set of consumerist politics. For instance: I was guest at a place recently and I asked for a glass of water. I was, in all seriousness, offered New Zealand Artesian water, French Mineral water (sitzy or not), something else I forget, and melted Canadian glacial spring water. When I said 'tap water's fine,' there was a noticable coming-together-but-excluding-me in the room dynamic ... apparently I'd outed myself as un-- something.

3) Because of the hodge-podge of the city's racial/ethnic population, we tend to expand the reach of our labelling from the archetypal (nerdy-xbox geeks, azure-eyeshadowed townie girls, pretentious goths, etc... etc... ) to more visible criteria: Mexican teens, white hipsters, Koreans, Hasidic Jews, which serves to place a lot of people in really funny groups they don't truly identify with. What I mean is: in a more homogeneous place, say White-Anytown USA, group-labelling can be fairly specific and often accurate: Voc-school guys who do 2-cylinder racing, Overachieving perfect girls with hard-bearing parents, the unruly conservative Methodist kids. But here? Labels are so generic that they lose any sense of meaning.

4) The best way for me to think of this place -- and I've said this before, apologies if it was here -- is not as a single map with gerrymandered demographic lines drawn throughout, but as a series of half-complete transparencies (each representing a social/economic/cultural group) laid atop one another that together define a whole city. And the most overwritten 'common' areas always seem to be in the worse shape, as if we're being punished for interacting.

(Can we also use this for running FAP ideas like for instance next Friday?)

I don't know about that. My girlfriend, having come from Seattle was surprised at how friendly everybody is in LA but I guess you're talking about something different. I do think that this surface friendliness is what sometimes prompts outsiders to think the people here are "phony." I suppose being friendly to someone you may not actually like could be considered two-faced or something but I think it's the only way to be. In NY they're rude to your face and proud of it. In the south they pride themselves on their friendly "southern hospitality". Yet in LA people are considered to be overly sunny airheads just for showing a little bit of common friendliness. Anyway, I digress. Perhaps there's some other reason you're finding it too easy to end up on somebody's bad side.

we're not rude, we're "direct"! maybe people like being bullshitted, i dunno.

Also known as: being polite.

e.g. without any malicious intent, you'll piss somebody off by walking too slowly down the aisle at Ralphs, end up with some nutball flashing high beams behind you at a stoplight, or being singled out at the gym because you're using weight somebody else wants to use. If you dare to defend yourself at all you'll end up in a shouting match. Maybe it's not people "looking for reasons to dislike you" as I said above, but here people "generally find bullying more acceptable."

If you observe closely enough, you can label people just as accurately as you could in "White-Anytown USA" - the racial/ethnic make-up just adds another dimension. But I can see your point. Outside of your own racial/ethnic group, you won't necessarily have the ability to do this, for a number of reasons. But, I think it's a little easier for people who grew up here to be more specific.

and xpost:

I don't think I'm guilty of labelling people anymore than anybody else is. But I sorta like taking control of my prejudices, if that makes sense.

And I don't (of course) use the labels above when I interact with people. But they're indicative of the really over-generalized snap catagorizations my brain [and I sorta doubt that I'm alone in this] makes in the millisecond before my intentionality takes over.

But I guess I don't want to get into an argument about whether I'm more prejudiced than other people. I definately don't use the labels I indicated above in any real way, but I was sorta just trying to illustrate my point.

Sorry if I came off like a dick.

I'm not sure which specific areas you're thinking of but could it be that the areas in the worst shape are often neighborhoods where "white hipsters" move in for the cheap housing prices? So you have mixture of races and classes as the area goes through the process of gentrification?

Maybe part of it's naivete about vehicle damage and road repair, but doesn't it seem that most of the roads travelled by the most people are the least well-upkept? Note: I really might be asking for something that's impossible given the overbearingness of traffic here.

And just to head off anybody who thinks otherwise: I really like it here. I plan to continue living here, if possible.

The roads. Lord the roads. They are a mess aren’t they? Why do you think everyone here has a car that is less than 3 years old? Big SUVs? You thought they were a class statement? No, they’re a necessity. We have pot holes that can swallow a volkswagon. Your car’s Suspension is just gonna get THRASHED driving on the bad roads. Also, if you’re too low to the ground you can’t see what’s ahead due to the SUV ahead of you with the tinted windows. Too many cars, not enough roads. Trouble is, when can they close them to fix them? Total gridlock due to roads closed for repairs leads to road rage and shootings. The city works dept fill them up with spit and some asphalt and hope for the best. The number to call (they promise w/I one week it will be fixed) 1-800-POT-HOLE (not a joke). I would love to do a FAP sometime with the LA ILX crew.

Yeah, this thread is a great idea. I need to think about your 4 points and get back to you later, Remy. I think there might be something to your point number one, though I wouldn't go so far as to say it leads to bullying. Just general aloofness. I don't know, though. I don't get out much.

I honestly have never found New Yorkers to be rude. And I lived there for 12 years. I just never understood that comment. Unless louder/with a borough accent = rude. I don't think it does. Remember the scene in Terms of Endearment (sure you do!) when John Lithgow tells off the bitchy checkout girl by saying, "Well, Ma'am, you must be from New York!". I think I saw the movie in my hometown and everyone cheered. Why? Where does this attitude come from?

Oh, a personal note--my students (and their parents) are sooooooo much better this year. The nightmare is over! Tomorrow we're going on a field trip to the Exposition Park Library on Vermont and 36th Place. You know, the one that always smells like piss?

There's actually a really great set of charts addressing this in one of those Tufte books. I'll see if I can dig it up...

"Container ships burning low quality bunker fuel idle dockside because most have no capability to connect to shore-generated electricity. Diesel-powered semi-trailer trucks and locomotives idle while waiting to be loaded and unloaded. The local air quality regulatory agency did a study that found that air pollution from the port is responsible for 2,000 cases of cancer per million people (25 per million is the upper limit sought by regulators). The 47 tons of nitrogen oxides generated daily by port marine vessels nearly equals the amount emitted by the 350 largest factories and refineries in the region, and that number is expected to increase 70% by 2022."

LA's industrial pollution is kind of interesting to me because it seems to be largely neglected when people talk about LA smog. I have to wonder if industry hasn't intentionally tried to push the blame entirely onto individual drivers to avoid cleaning up their own act.

Tell me about Terminal Island.

New Los Angeles thread. Cuz this one sucks at the beginning, and I said a bunch of bullshit I don't care about or believe any more.

I'm in amoeba right now. When do we eat the good shit? :-D

dude, if you eat seafood you should go over to the hungry cat on vine (near the borders). their cobb salad is to die for.

I'm at Rahel right now. Vegan Ethiopian. Fairfax and whitworth

(not pescatarian but thank you!)

Part Time Punks at the Echo with The Tartans tomorrow night

is it possible to visit and see stuff without renting a car? am i going to end up spending mega $$$ on taxis?

I sense a theme. (This question was asked on the other thread, and the answer is potentially yes to the first question, allowing for some patience and whatever it is you exactly want to see.)

sorry, didn't see other thread

Responses from here forward.

I didn’t plan for my vacation in LA which commences FRIDAY. What are some things I absolutely must see during my five days here. I have almost no money and am staying with a friend in Santa Monica.

the interior of the Bradbury Building

i like art, music, books, tacos, and beer. I dislike nightclubs, drugs (including weed), and celebrities. If there is anything that is supposed to be haunted I’m down.

If anyone wants to meet up for a drink I might be able to do that—probably during the day on one of the weekdays. I’m more likable in person.

Thanks Morbs! That is def on my list but thanks for the reminder. I love architecture too. Forgot to mention it.

Also sorry for the self-serving thread bump. I don’t regret it — I want to mine ilx’s collective wisdom — but I see how it’s obnoxious.

go down to the beach, either Malibu or Venice. Dusk is a good time.

This is the current general LA thread: Los Angeles Thread #11: Let's Save Vincente Minnelli's House

damn it treezy

u needed to tell me a little more in advance

ill be at work all day next week

not sure if youre interested but if you want to get away from the la madness for a few hours hit up the self realization fellowship lake shrine in pacific palisades

for architecture you might want to visit ace hotel? i kno nothing about architecture tho

the museum row starts on wilshire and fairfax

the broad downtown is popular these days tho

if u like books the last bookstore

food/etc lemme kno what youre into

tacos -- p much good ones everywhere but try grand central market for brain tacos tho they sell out quick

beer -- used to rep sunset beer co but lately i havent been feeling their vibe, but you can go if youre in the hood (echo park, far from santa monica). samo beer places are kinda lame. not rough enough for me. rly fancy shmansy

downtown la:

mikkeler bar
wurstkuche

hit up arts district and check out the street art/graffiti

u said no drukqs/clubs so will keep the seedier recs to myself

And this is more of a tourist advice thread (and Clifton's is now open, so if you're at the Broadway building this is fairly close by. Food is nothing special, it's the building's interior that's the draw):

Los Angeles/San Diego touristing advice?

I meant Bradbury bldg, of course.

Museum of Jurassic Technology and the merry go round + abandoned zoo at griffith park are essential stops

The Bonaventure atrium is also worth a visit - especially in combination with the Bradbury if you're in to architecture.

Also, driving west on Sunset in the late afternoon (not during the week during rush hour) listening to something mellow from Los Feliz all the way to the ocean.

The actual best time to listen to Babylon Sisters by Steely Dan.

The Last Bookstore is good times but I think the actual best used bookstore in town content wise is Iliad Books in North hollywood. Not as labyrinthine or instagram ready but they are considerably legit.

xpost, yes. Air's "La Femme D'Argent" would be the classic KCRW-ish choice, but my personal favorite for this drive is "Summer Days" by Phoenix.

not a local obv but was in town last week. everyone should grab a drink at bernadette's downtown. owned by a good friend's cousin and the type of spot i'd be a regular at.

I’ll check out that place

Downtown keeps getting better and better

When i first moved here ktown was my favourite part of the city, now it’s downtown

Thanks! I will def check out the last bookstore and compare it to my current place of employment. Friday I have six hours to kill between my plane landing and my friend getting off work... might do the museum of jurassic technology then. Want to allot at least one whole day for downtown.

just in general we had a great time in downtown on this last trip. la is the best.

So Virgin America planes have bright pink overhead lighting.

And some kind of loungey dance music is playing as people file in.

virgin america rocks. good decision.

I want to go to LA so bad

virgin amerikkka is the party airline bruh

get yr party favours out

Want to move here. Starting a new job in New York next week and am dreading going back to that cold, dirty city, which I don’t love as much as I feel I should.

drive 2 hours north if you want to feel better about a cold, dirty city that's not on fire

treezy make the move -- at least to the wet coast

come hang w all the chill d00dz

What should I see and do between February 3rd and 6th? Music? museums? sports? restaurants ? Can you make the rain go away so outdoors things can be done

Is there a different Los Angles thread that is used now? Been hanging with relatives in Hermosa Beach so far.

Drive to Malibu. Lunch at Duke’s. Proceed to Point Dume. Wade out.

Damn that sounds like an excellent rec

Anybody out there?

I hope everyone is ok.

CA wildfires thred