“I spy with my little eye, a cutie I can get ’cause she ain’t got too many likes.”
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I traveled to Los Angeles this weekend to hang out with some friends and experience this hyped up city. The last time I was in LA I was 14 and did all the touristy things. But now, I wanted to go and see what life is like for a local. I’ve only heard good things.
As a New Yorker and a Floridian, Los Angeles threw me off. I was expecting a “no fucks given” kind of attitude—just like Miami and NYC. But LA isn’t exactly like that.
LA has a laid back feel, but it’s slightly overshadowed by a narcissistic need to look good and fit in. Maybe that came off mean—but what I’m saying is that people do give a fuck, especially about how they look.
Here are some differences I noticed in LA’s lifestyle that are totally different from NYC and Miami
1. Uber is king. If you don’t have a car, walking more than 10 blocks is not a thing.
2. Love your car and have a killer playlist because you will spend at least three hours a day in it. (But seriously, how is there bumper-to-bumper traffic in the middle of the day on a Thursday? Don’t people work?)
3. Getting out of the house and to an event is a process. Give yourself an hour (or more) to get ready, plus an hour to get anywhere. There’s no rolling out of the apartment in gym clothes unless you look like you’re going to a red carpet event for Lululemon.
4. But taking your time getting ready pays off because everyone is SO good-looking. It hurts my eyes. People look like they just walked out of a personal Instagram with 150K followers.
5. People love their avocados, eggs, and kale. Not a bad thing.
6. Everyone is tanned, tatted, and toned. Although this is like Miami, it’s more of a “love your curves” kind of deal in South Florida.
7. LA has great wine and beer. I’m really impressed with Southern California’s local beer selections. It’s definitely something I want to sip on all year ’round.
8. Being boujee is life. Embrace it. Love it. Get used to it.
9. The beaches are HUGE. I have never seen such a vast amount of sand before hitting the water.
10. LA’s version of CitiBike is so convenient. Remember when I had my CitiBike (mis)adventure? SoCal’s bike sharing program lets you rent a bike by the hour and you can lock it anywhere. None of that “docking every 30 minutes or you get charged” bullshit. Its only downfall is that it can get expensive —$7/hour.
11. Stores open late and close early. Los Angelites (is that what they’re called?) are not early risers.
12. People in LA have the coolest jobs—or at least—make their jobs sound cool because it’s in entertainment. Production assistant at a major Hollywood studio? Sign me up (but not really because it’s actually a shit job that you need to hold for years before moving one tiny step up the ladder of success).
13. Which leads me to note that people in LA are chasing success at a much slower pace than in NYC. I don’t really have an opinion on that… just sayin’.
14. You will feel like the ugly duckling at the gym.
15. LA needs better happy hour and brunch deals. Where are my $5 margaritas and $15 boozy brunch add-ons? At least you can find a deal in NYC.
16. Bars close at 2 am…
17. There’s not much to do in LA besides eating, drinking, and shopping. The beach isn’t as big of a deal as it is in Miami.
18. People travel in groups. Or packs. Or squads. Or cliques. It’s kind of like being in high school again.
19. Which leads me to wonder, what are people trying to fit in with?
[…] Then I flew to LA to see my best friend Tanza, and she took me all around town. But the highlight was making an afternoon of going to Malibu Wines. I also noticed a ton of differences between LA and NYC. […]