WHY DO I dislike L.A.?

Posted: 12/9/2010 | December 9th, 2010

Update 7/1/18: I like LA now. It’s truly grown on me. It’s one of those locations that takes a while to get the feel for. A location that only slowly exposes itself and, after years of going there, I can state completely that I like LA. I wouldn’t want to online there however I like visiting!

Los Angeles. There’s just something about it I hate. I dislike the web traffic as well as the lack of public transportation. I dislike the vanity as well as exactly how everybody is “so Hollywood.” I dislike the pollution. I dislike the lack of neighborhoods. LA just scrubs me the wrong way.

But I haven’t spent much time in the city. My viewpoint has only been developed by a few short visits. I question if I truly dislike L.A. or just believe I do?

We all have preconceived notions as well as perceptions of different places. all of us have our own prejudices as well as opinions based on what we’ve checked out as well as heard over the years. stories from the news, the Internet, as well as our buddies produce an picture in our minds.

As long as I can remember, I’ve always had preconceived notions about Los Angeles. I believed it would be polluted, a gigantic traffic-jam-filled city with vain wannabe-celebrities. Los Angeles was a sprawling city without any culture.

When I go to L.A., I see all of these negatives. It would be difficult not to. however I frequently question if I see those things a lot more since of my already-formed notions as well as feelings about the city. I’ve been to lots of cities that are run-down, dirty, as well as full of pretentious people, as well as have poor traffic. Los Angeles isn’t the only city in the world like this. Bangkok is no spring chicken, Barcelona needs a great scrubbing, as well as rush hour in Tokyo is no joke. Yet while I see these things in other cities, they don’t seem to bother me as much as they perform in Los Angeles.

There are some legit things I dislike about Los Angeles. I don’t like cities that are as well huge to get around. nyc may be big, however it’s simple to get around. Bangkok has a great transit system, as well as while Tokyo is gigantic, you can still navigate public transportation relatively easily. Yet whatever in L.A. is spread out, as well as you requirement to drive to get places. I like cities with great public transit — as well as Los Angeles doesn’t have it.

Moreover, L.A. has no neighborhoods. It just seems to sprawl forever, as well as it’s full of as well lots of people trying to make it. everybody I satisfy in L.A. is trying to make it as an actor or screenplay writer.

Yet these things don’t truly make L.A. “hateable.” None of these “issues” are incredibly off-putting, as well as I’ve had lots of fun moments in L.A. with my friends. So why is it that I dislike Los Angeles so much? Where does this visceral reaction come from?

I believe back to my recent trip to Ottawa. It was a city I understood nothing about, as well as I was able to type my own opinions about the city ideal on the spot. I liked Ottawa. Es war toll.

Often when we travel, we see cities not as exactly how they are however exactly how we expect them to be. We take our understanding with us as well as utilize it as a lens to view the city. When we believe of Amsterdam, we believe of pot as well as prostitutes, so that’s what we see. We go to Bangkok as well as see the dirt as well as contamination since we understand it to be a “dirty” city. Often, we go to locations as well as do things that additionally our preconceived notions of the city. We go experience romance in Paris or celebration on the island of Ko Phangan. as well as cities we understand the least about are frequently the locations we like the best. We aren’t trying to find things that in shape into the mold our mind has made. We just take the city as it is — no expectations as well as no disappointments.

Fighting preconceived notions is an crucial part of traveling. The pictures as well as notions in our heads can paint a bleaker photo of a location than what’s truly there. They can color our thoughts on cities in methods that don’t frequently show reality. Yes, I dislike L.A. — however I mean if I truly believed about it, it’s not that poor a place. I would rather be in lots of other locations in the world, however I can see that there’s something for people in Los Angeles.

Maybe someday I’ll online in Los Angeles as well as like it. After all, I despised Bangkok at very first as well as now it’s one of my preferred cities in the world. stepping back from my emotional, knee-jerk reaction to Los Angeles, I see there are some things that make the city worth checking out as well as worth living in. After all, it’s near the beach, it’s warm throughout the year, there’s a great deal to do, it’s got great sushi, as well as it has an budget-friendly expense of living. Plus, you get to area stars all the time. (OK, perhaps that’s just something Iwürde genießen!)

Sometimes we just requirement to step back, breathe, as well as judge a location on its own merits with unclouded eyes. as well as so perhaps it’s not that I dislike L.A. itself, however rather the version in my mind, as well as after almost 30 years of only picturing that L.A., that’s all I can see ideal now.

People frequently see what they want to see. I believe as travelers we requirement to be mindful of that. expense O’Reilly believes Amsterdam is a cesspool. When I go there, I see canals, gorgeous buildings, as well as friendly people. Is he seeing what he wishes to see, just like me as well as Los Angeles?

We all have preconceived notions about locations in the world. When we go to a place, we frequently see it with a prism in our mind, which distorts what it’s truly is about. travel is about opening yourself as much as new experiences as well as places. It’s about letting go of the biases we have about people as well as places. going to locations without prejudice as well as expectation is the only method to truly “see” a place. We requirement to decrease our guard as well as be available to new things. Otherwise, we’ll always end up only seeing the picture in our mind.

And then we’ll always just end up hating L.A.

Book Your trip to Los Angeles: Logistical ideas as well as Tricks
Buchen Sie Ihren Flug
Use Skyscanner or Momondo to discover a inexpensive flight. They are my two preferred browse engines since they browse web sites as well as airlines around the globe so you always understand no stone is left unturned. begin with Skyscanner very first though since they have the greatest reach!

Buchen Sie Ihre Unterkunft
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the greatest stock as well as finest deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, utilize Booking.com as they consistently return the least expensive rates for guesthouses as well as inexpensive hotels. My preferred locations to stay are:

USA Hostels

HI Los Angeles Santa Monica

Banana Bungalow

For a lot more suggestions, here’s a listing of the very best hostels in Los Angeles.

Erinnern Sie sich nicht an die Reiseversicherung
Travel insurance coverage will secure you against illness, injury, theft, as well as cancellations. It’s detailed security in situation anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to utilize it lots of times in the past. Mein bevorzugtes Geschäft, das sowohl den besten Service als auch den Wert bietet, sind:

Sicherheitsflügel (für alle unter 70)

Versichern Sie meine Reise (für über 70)

MedJet (für zusätzliche Rückführungsabdeckung)

Looking for the very best business to save money With?
Schauen Sie sich meine Ressourcenseite an, damit das beste Unternehmen auf Reisen verwendet werden kann. I listing all the ones I utilize to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.

Want a lot more info on Los Angeles?
Be sure to go to our robust destination guide on Los Angeles for even a lot more planning tips!