Ask HN: How is the tech scene in LA?
Wondering how the tech jobs/startup ecosystem is in Los Angeles. From searching around, seems like only aerospace/defense startups and big tech. Hardly any startups. The Who's Hiring thread from this month only had 2 entries from LA.
64 comments
Tech people I meet in LA are much less careerist in general compared to the Bay Area (where I used to live). They work for either big tech, smaller not household name companies, or remote. Pay is on average less than the bay. Tech people in LA live in LA for the lifestyle and use the job to fund their lifestyle.
Personally (and contrary to the other comment about LA) it’s been the best place I have lived. It’s a polarizing city, understandably. But I think if you can make enough money and are ok with driving there’s endless amounts of things to do and passionate people to meet.
Personally (and contrary to the other comment about LA) it’s been the best place I have lived. It’s a polarizing city, understandably. But I think if you can make enough money and are ok with driving there’s endless amounts of things to do and passionate people to meet.
> if you…are ok with driving there’s endless amounts of things to do and passionate people to meet.
I’m someone who is currently struggling to find these people; what has worked for you? It often feels that everyone cool is trapped in their car, and we are destined to never cross paths.
I’m someone who is currently struggling to find these people; what has worked for you? It often feels that everyone cool is trapped in their car, and we are destined to never cross paths.
For me:
1. Neighborhood matters a lot. This determines the kinds of events you’ll go to and people you see regularly. I explored a lot before I settled some place that felt like home. I live some place with good walkability and being able to walk to a coffee shop or park has been very important.
2. Hobbies. Outdoor fitness, DIY/underground music, and board games for me. It took some digging to find groups I liked (some of which I found out about online and some by asking people I met), but now I participate in at least one event/meetup pertaining to these hobbies every week (more if I can). Ex helping out at a DIY show, run clubs, hiking groups, board game meetups.
3. Having a dog. I’m outside regularly bumping into people. Having a dog often sparks a conversation and helped me to know my neighbors. You don’t really need a dog though any way you can open a conversation is good. Compliment someone’s shirt, ask a question, etc
So TL;DR walkable neighborhood that suits you, find something related to your hobbies and do it as much as you can, start conversations.
Good luck, it took me years before I got into a rhythm.
1. Neighborhood matters a lot. This determines the kinds of events you’ll go to and people you see regularly. I explored a lot before I settled some place that felt like home. I live some place with good walkability and being able to walk to a coffee shop or park has been very important.
2. Hobbies. Outdoor fitness, DIY/underground music, and board games for me. It took some digging to find groups I liked (some of which I found out about online and some by asking people I met), but now I participate in at least one event/meetup pertaining to these hobbies every week (more if I can). Ex helping out at a DIY show, run clubs, hiking groups, board game meetups.
3. Having a dog. I’m outside regularly bumping into people. Having a dog often sparks a conversation and helped me to know my neighbors. You don’t really need a dog though any way you can open a conversation is good. Compliment someone’s shirt, ask a question, etc
So TL;DR walkable neighborhood that suits you, find something related to your hobbies and do it as much as you can, start conversations.
Good luck, it took me years before I got into a rhythm.
> Having a dog
Always good advice to have a dog.
If your lifestyle precludes a dog, are you entirely sure you have decent lifestyle?
Dogs have taught me so much about loyalty, love and joy.
Some dogs also teach patience....
Always good advice to have a dog.
If your lifestyle precludes a dog, are you entirely sure you have decent lifestyle?
Dogs have taught me so much about loyalty, love and joy.
Some dogs also teach patience....
what neighborhood did you choose? was it santa monica, venice or mahattan beach? did you have any second choices/other favorites?
East Hollywood closer to Los feliz. I also like Long Beach and San Pedro, but maybe more to visit than live.
Frogtown
the phrase I've heard about LA is that its "a company town for creatives."
If you work remote or in office two days a week, driving becomes more than manageable. ;)
>
Pay is on average less than the bay.
But how is the cost of living? or is that already factored in?
But how is the cost of living? or is that already factored in?
It varies quite a bit depending what you consider "LA". Unfortunately a lot of tech jobs are in parts of LA that are just as expensive or even worse than the Bay Area. You can always commute, but minimizing car time is like the #1 most important thing for maximizing happiness here
Not sure if you mean LA-LA proper, but Orange County is definitely cheaper. Of course, it depends on where you work. I used to commute from Irvine to Santa Monica, and that drive was hell.
Not really better than the Bay Area I’d say, especially in areas with a higher concentration of tech jobs. I think LA (and SD for that matter) are poor choices strictly financially speaking. But there’s more to life than spending every dollar as efficiently as possible.
Exactly, I love LA and there is no amount of money someone could pay me to move to SF. Interesting work, maybe, but SF is just nasty every time I go.
Edit: this is my personal opinion, I shouldn’t be so harsh on SF. Obviously a ton of great food and talented people there, it’s just not for me.
Edit: this is my personal opinion, I shouldn’t be so harsh on SF. Obviously a ton of great food and talented people there, it’s just not for me.
We are hosting PyCon US - the annual Python conference - in Long Beach next year (in May).
It's the first time the conference has been on the west coast in quite a while, and I'm hoping we can attract a bunch of Los Angeles area Pythonistas who didn't make the trek out to Pittsburgh or Salt Lake City or Cleveland.
If you are part of the LA Python-adjacent tech scene I encourage you to consider coming along! It's a genuinely great community-led conference, attracting over 2,000 attendees.
It would be really cool if we could attract enough entertainment industry people to get sessions on Python in film production, VFX, animation and other creative industries.
It's the first time the conference has been on the west coast in quite a while, and I'm hoping we can attract a bunch of Los Angeles area Pythonistas who didn't make the trek out to Pittsburgh or Salt Lake City or Cleveland.
If you are part of the LA Python-adjacent tech scene I encourage you to consider coming along! It's a genuinely great community-led conference, attracting over 2,000 attendees.
It would be really cool if we could attract enough entertainment industry people to get sessions on Python in film production, VFX, animation and other creative industries.
I'm so excited to find this out! I was a regular attendee of PyCon and DjangoCon for close to a decade, but haven't been to one since the pre-pandemic. times I now work at a nonprofit without much of a budget for extras and had basically written off attending for the foreseeable future -- but with PyCon only a four-hour drive away from Fresno, I might be able to pull this off on my own!
Been in LA for 2 years now and went to college in LA 10 years ago so have some data points to compare.
Startups in LA are interesting. Back in the day, there was a lot of Ad Tech / advent of big data. This is when Snapchat and Hulu were coming up. I’d go on Angellist and see who was hiring and who’d be down to meet.
Now, especially post covid, I feel sparks of excitement. I missed the crypto hype in LA so that was probably wild and weird. a16z opened an office in Santa Monica and do their speedrun accelerator. Focused on games and media it seems.
upfront hosted some cool cowork and mingle events too.
Two meetups I regularly go to is AI Tinkerers and MLOps. Generally it’s the same small crowd. I went to a Ruby meetup which was cool too.
Less of a young startup crowd. Maybe people got older and rich and retired early.
Startups in LA are interesting. Back in the day, there was a lot of Ad Tech / advent of big data. This is when Snapchat and Hulu were coming up. I’d go on Angellist and see who was hiring and who’d be down to meet.
Now, especially post covid, I feel sparks of excitement. I missed the crypto hype in LA so that was probably wild and weird. a16z opened an office in Santa Monica and do their speedrun accelerator. Focused on games and media it seems.
upfront hosted some cool cowork and mingle events too.
Two meetups I regularly go to is AI Tinkerers and MLOps. Generally it’s the same small crowd. I went to a Ruby meetup which was cool too.
Less of a young startup crowd. Maybe people got older and rich and retired early.
I also went to college in LA about 10 years ago, though I haven't been back since. Most of my business travel takes me to SF.
I really enjoyed my time there and would love to hear, what surprised you most about how LA has changed?
I really enjoyed my time there and would love to hear, what surprised you most about how LA has changed?
I stay mostly on the westside but id say more density of shops but at the same time less busy? if i had to guess, things were really going well before covid. then add delivery app and now a bunch of coco delivery robots really slowed down foot traffic.
things still go viral - pop ups are very popular with the young crowd. owalla was giving out water bottles and the line was around the block and i didnt see the end of the line
The tech scene is not doing so well imo. people say gaming is cyclical but idk tbh. AI adoption in graphic design and coding is really going to squeeze an already stressed gaming labor pool. entertainment industry is much the same.
i cant name one young rising startup that was hot like snapchat. so that was disappointing when i was job hunting.
traffic is still bad. smog is less bad.
things still go viral - pop ups are very popular with the young crowd. owalla was giving out water bottles and the line was around the block and i didnt see the end of the line
The tech scene is not doing so well imo. people say gaming is cyclical but idk tbh. AI adoption in graphic design and coding is really going to squeeze an already stressed gaming labor pool. entertainment industry is much the same.
i cant name one young rising startup that was hot like snapchat. so that was disappointing when i was job hunting.
traffic is still bad. smog is less bad.
Tech seems to have reduced foot traffic but not car traffic. Kind of ironic...
> i cant name one young rising startup that was hot like snapchat. so that was disappointing when i was job hunting.
I’ve had the same thought. Maybe Tinder or Oculus (pre-acquisition), but those feel like they were a while ago now.
> i cant name one young rising startup that was hot like snapchat. so that was disappointing when i was job hunting.
I’ve had the same thought. Maybe Tinder or Oculus (pre-acquisition), but those feel like they were a while ago now.
oh that reminds me of defense tech down near redondo - andril spacex. very cool sector if you’re okay with weapons
>Less of a young startup crowd. Maybe people got older and rich and retired early.
nooo
nooo
I do think the early stage vcs like upfront, a16z, hustle fund are trying to foster more growt and i appreciate them
i wonder what other people think
i wonder what other people think
we didn't retire, we're busy...
Echoing the difficulty in making friends - it is a horridly transient city with no real intentions for newcomers to establish roots - and the techies are less ambitious compared to the Bay Area or NYC. RSUs are silver-cuff links, as earning 3-5x the Guatemalan Hotel Office Manager puts one on a different cultural experience. (It’s America’s Brazil)
But weather is incontestable, food culture exciting, if you have a creative itch to scratch you can bump into a major creative professional accidentally at a bar (like a TV animator or music recording producer/engineer who works for one of the major labels) and before you know it you have a pilot episode or album you’re ready to pitch. shrugs
LAX will get you anywhere in the world non-stop and is easier to make compared to JFK.
But weather is incontestable, food culture exciting, if you have a creative itch to scratch you can bump into a major creative professional accidentally at a bar (like a TV animator or music recording producer/engineer who works for one of the major labels) and before you know it you have a pilot episode or album you’re ready to pitch. shrugs
LAX will get you anywhere in the world non-stop and is easier to make compared to JFK.
I haven't seen anyone mention video games/entertainment companies. LA is quite good if you're into those industries. I never really looked, but my gut says it has the highest concentration of video game companies.
As far as the vibe goes, it's nothing like the bay when it comes to tech. LA is way more laid back and people are much less focused on tech. In the bay I constantly overheard people talking about tech or overheard people talking about VC/startups. Rarely ever in LA. The bay is really intense in that way.
I lived in Seattle too. As far as tech scene/startups obsession goes, it was Bay > Seattle >> LA.
With that said, there's a decent community. It's easy to find meetups, etc.
As far as the vibe goes, it's nothing like the bay when it comes to tech. LA is way more laid back and people are much less focused on tech. In the bay I constantly overheard people talking about tech or overheard people talking about VC/startups. Rarely ever in LA. The bay is really intense in that way.
I lived in Seattle too. As far as tech scene/startups obsession goes, it was Bay > Seattle >> LA.
With that said, there's a decent community. It's easy to find meetups, etc.
It doesn't have as big of a pure software startup scene. I have worked for a couple, but the bulk of my career has been either in the local defense industry, or working remote for a startup in another state.
A lot of people are responding with complaints or praise for life in general in LA. That wasn't part of your question so I'll just keep it brief; on the whole, I dislike living here and feel it is one of America's most mismanaged cities but cannot just pack up and leave for various social reasons.
A lot of people are responding with complaints or praise for life in general in LA. That wasn't part of your question so I'll just keep it brief; on the whole, I dislike living here and feel it is one of America's most mismanaged cities but cannot just pack up and leave for various social reasons.
Doesn't every city feel mismanaged though? If you asked people from SF, Seattle or NYC - they might all say the same. They'd think they were the most mismanaged in America.
I'm genuinely just curious what makes you think LA is uniquely mismanaged in a way that other tier-1 cities in America are not. I don't have too much experience with LA but am familiar enough.
I'm genuinely just curious what makes you think LA is uniquely mismanaged in a way that other tier-1 cities in America are not. I don't have too much experience with LA but am familiar enough.
Maybe "mismanaged" is too harsh. LA's patchwork governmental structure generally inhibits progress and keeps wealth and development concentrated in small areas instead of benefiting the broader metropolitan area. That's part of why you can go a few blocks in LA and your surroundings will change dramatically, often for the worse.
LA is top 1-5 in US cities by GDP (and to be fair so are the others you mentioned except for Seattle), so I personally see it as a hugely negative mark on our local and national character to have large parts of it be dirty, choked to death by traffic, have insanely high rents, etc. I don't know if other cities have quite as many structural aberrations in their governance as LA despite seeing many of the same issues - I don't know whether it would relieve or horrify me to learn that they don't.
LA is top 1-5 in US cities by GDP (and to be fair so are the others you mentioned except for Seattle), so I personally see it as a hugely negative mark on our local and national character to have large parts of it be dirty, choked to death by traffic, have insanely high rents, etc. I don't know if other cities have quite as many structural aberrations in their governance as LA despite seeing many of the same issues - I don't know whether it would relieve or horrify me to learn that they don't.
Had to chime here with a quick thought: I almost see LA's problems as emblematic of California's. I think the populace continues to believe in "big" government and its ability to properly manage the extraordinary amount of tax revenue it takes in despite there being significant evidence that mismanagement is rampant.
Just to give a "small" microcosm of this that's somewhat high profile in the city of LA: there was recently an attempt to audit the city's homeless efforts after years of voters approving, multiple times, billions and billions of dollars to fight homelessness. It recently came out that there have essentially been no institutional controls or tracking of the outcomes resulting from the deployment of those funds. So here you have the populace saying "yes, take my money and let's fix this," over and over again. And then you have the city government attempting to do it so poorly that you can't help but see it as utter mismanagement, at best, or pure corruption, at worst (a combination of both most likely).
Being here on the ground you can almost feel this, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, and then obviously even beyond the city limits. Yet a lot of us, as shown in this very thread, still think it's a great place to be, and somehow can work itself out from these problems. I'm not so sure anymore.
Seminal point, at the moment, I think, with the ICE crackdowns on a significant chunk of the city population, with the aftermath of the fire, a federal government that doesn't seem to want to support its "alpha" blue cities. Not sure if that means something's about to break, or if it's actually a chance for rebirth. I'm pulling for the latter, but think we're going to have to walk through (maybe too soon to say) fire before things materially improve.
Know that has nothing to do with tech in LA, but thought I'd chime in all the same.
Just to give a "small" microcosm of this that's somewhat high profile in the city of LA: there was recently an attempt to audit the city's homeless efforts after years of voters approving, multiple times, billions and billions of dollars to fight homelessness. It recently came out that there have essentially been no institutional controls or tracking of the outcomes resulting from the deployment of those funds. So here you have the populace saying "yes, take my money and let's fix this," over and over again. And then you have the city government attempting to do it so poorly that you can't help but see it as utter mismanagement, at best, or pure corruption, at worst (a combination of both most likely).
Being here on the ground you can almost feel this, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood, and then obviously even beyond the city limits. Yet a lot of us, as shown in this very thread, still think it's a great place to be, and somehow can work itself out from these problems. I'm not so sure anymore.
Seminal point, at the moment, I think, with the ICE crackdowns on a significant chunk of the city population, with the aftermath of the fire, a federal government that doesn't seem to want to support its "alpha" blue cities. Not sure if that means something's about to break, or if it's actually a chance for rebirth. I'm pulling for the latter, but think we're going to have to walk through (maybe too soon to say) fire before things materially improve.
Know that has nothing to do with tech in LA, but thought I'd chime in all the same.
I think one of the biggest issues is just how big and sprawling LA is. For bay area folks, it would be roughly the same as if the entire metropolis surrounding the bay was one city (plus unincorporated areas). If that provides any sense of scale.
Fwiw, SJ is bigger than SF and absolutely better managed, but definitely less vibrant. Personally, I would choose San Diego over LA, and if I wanted to keep a tech job there's lots if you're ok with biotech/healthcare or defense.
Fwiw, SJ is bigger than SF and absolutely better managed, but definitely less vibrant. Personally, I would choose San Diego over LA, and if I wanted to keep a tech job there's lots if you're ok with biotech/healthcare or defense.
I'll chime in and say just south of Los Angeles is Orange County that in a lot of ways a better place to live if you're in teech and also not going to be in the Bay or Seattle.
There are fewer tech jobs than LA, but most of the FAANGs have offices here. There are a lot more options for housing than LA, and a lot less traffic.
For instance, my ~5 bedroom house is worth around 2 million in a nice neighborhood and i'm a 10 minute drive from a huge Amazon office, a 10 minute drive from Blizzard HQ, and a 25 minute drive from a decent size Google office.
A similarly priced and sized house in Los Angeles would be a 80 minute commute to either Amazon, Google or Meta in Santa Monica.
There are fewer tech jobs than LA, but most of the FAANGs have offices here. There are a lot more options for housing than LA, and a lot less traffic.
For instance, my ~5 bedroom house is worth around 2 million in a nice neighborhood and i'm a 10 minute drive from a huge Amazon office, a 10 minute drive from Blizzard HQ, and a 25 minute drive from a decent size Google office.
A similarly priced and sized house in Los Angeles would be a 80 minute commute to either Amazon, Google or Meta in Santa Monica.
Irvine is where all the tech is in orange county and tbh you might as well just live in the south bay if you want the Irvine lifestyle.
It's ok.
But LA has high rent and public transportation isn't really usable.
People are mean.
I wouldn't suggest LA to anyone.
The city definitely has tech jobs, but you might have a job in the valley now, get laid off and have to drive to Culver City. Super commutes of 1 hour each way are common.
But LA has high rent and public transportation isn't really usable.
People are mean.
I wouldn't suggest LA to anyone.
The city definitely has tech jobs, but you might have a job in the valley now, get laid off and have to drive to Culver City. Super commutes of 1 hour each way are common.
LA is a truly incredible place, as the center of the world's creative and cultural output (food, fashion, music, film, art).
But it is not suitable for every personality type. If you struggle to make friends, you will struggle more in LA.
If you work in tech, you are likely of a certain social persuasion (though not necessarily).
In which case this advice holds. But you shouldn't frame it as an absolute. It is personality dependent.
But it is not suitable for every personality type. If you struggle to make friends, you will struggle more in LA.
If you work in tech, you are likely of a certain social persuasion (though not necessarily).
In which case this advice holds. But you shouldn't frame it as an absolute. It is personality dependent.
You're still going to spend an unholy amount of money to have a decent standard of living.
It's just math.
Chicago, no need for a car, rent is 1600$ within walking distance of a metro station. A monthly metro pass is about 100$.
1700$.
In LA, 2700$ for an apartment. 500$ car payment, 300$ insurance, 200$ for gas. About 100$ a month on stuff like parking and basic maintenance.
3800$.
If you have an extra 2100$ a month to tell everyone you live in LA, that's great. But the next problem is most people in LA are struggling. It's complex, but this factors into the quality of people you meet.
Personally it's the difference between driving around a 30 year old Instagram model who has no real interest in you, but expects you to pay for stuff vs dating an amazing 30 year old with a solid career.
Outside of dating, in LA you have "friends" who will beg you for money and then resent when you help them out. This weird interiority complex develops.
I've lived in about 3 major metros for any real period of time. LA is by far the worst. Concerts are fun, the food is good, but it's just a really hard place to live.
Now 20 years ago, you still had 500,600$ apartments for working class people. It USED to be an affordable city. But that's gone now.
I miss that Los Angeles. I miss my 600$ Ktown apartment, 4$ tortas, 3$ bottles of Soju.
It was an amazing place once. Doesn't really matter if it's completely unaffordable now.
It's just math.
Chicago, no need for a car, rent is 1600$ within walking distance of a metro station. A monthly metro pass is about 100$.
1700$.
In LA, 2700$ for an apartment. 500$ car payment, 300$ insurance, 200$ for gas. About 100$ a month on stuff like parking and basic maintenance.
3800$.
If you have an extra 2100$ a month to tell everyone you live in LA, that's great. But the next problem is most people in LA are struggling. It's complex, but this factors into the quality of people you meet.
Personally it's the difference between driving around a 30 year old Instagram model who has no real interest in you, but expects you to pay for stuff vs dating an amazing 30 year old with a solid career.
Outside of dating, in LA you have "friends" who will beg you for money and then resent when you help them out. This weird interiority complex develops.
I've lived in about 3 major metros for any real period of time. LA is by far the worst. Concerts are fun, the food is good, but it's just a really hard place to live.
Now 20 years ago, you still had 500,600$ apartments for working class people. It USED to be an affordable city. But that's gone now.
I miss that Los Angeles. I miss my 600$ Ktown apartment, 4$ tortas, 3$ bottles of Soju.
It was an amazing place once. Doesn't really matter if it's completely unaffordable now.
Not a compelling argument. Your opinion says more about you than the city.
Yes, it is expensive. But pay is higher too. If you are middle of the road earner, you will have to live in the valley or another suburb, yes. But even those are among the most prized places to live in the USA.
Your quantitative approach intrinsically flattens the qualitative dimension out of the lived experience. Where else can you find Mexican, Korean, Japanese, Armenian, and Thai culture alive and well within their own neighborhoods in a 5 mile radius? Or even all on the same block? NYC is the closest, but LA arguably has the better food and culture (people are more liberal and accepting in LA). LA is also ground zero for the resistance against the rise of Trump's fascist reich. For many people those things are invaluable, especially if they are non-white (which perhaps you're not, so that may be lost on you.)
It's fine if LA does not offer anything of worth to you, but that isn't going to be the case for everybody. Source: the 20 million or so people that live in LA County must like something, because they stay there (and that number is always growing) despite being the most expensive place in the US.
And for the record, I moved to LA 20 years ago. I remember the $600 apartments - I had one by UCLA.
I am sensitive to the rising cost of housing (though the new state law about zoning should ameliorate that in the coming years). But the reason you move to LA isn't for affordable housing.
Assuming you are good at what you do, you should not be making the same financial calculations today as you made 20 years ago.
Yes, it is expensive. But pay is higher too. If you are middle of the road earner, you will have to live in the valley or another suburb, yes. But even those are among the most prized places to live in the USA.
Your quantitative approach intrinsically flattens the qualitative dimension out of the lived experience. Where else can you find Mexican, Korean, Japanese, Armenian, and Thai culture alive and well within their own neighborhoods in a 5 mile radius? Or even all on the same block? NYC is the closest, but LA arguably has the better food and culture (people are more liberal and accepting in LA). LA is also ground zero for the resistance against the rise of Trump's fascist reich. For many people those things are invaluable, especially if they are non-white (which perhaps you're not, so that may be lost on you.)
It's fine if LA does not offer anything of worth to you, but that isn't going to be the case for everybody. Source: the 20 million or so people that live in LA County must like something, because they stay there (and that number is always growing) despite being the most expensive place in the US.
And for the record, I moved to LA 20 years ago. I remember the $600 apartments - I had one by UCLA.
I am sensitive to the rising cost of housing (though the new state law about zoning should ameliorate that in the coming years). But the reason you move to LA isn't for affordable housing.
Assuming you are good at what you do, you should not be making the same financial calculations today as you made 20 years ago.
I'm forced to guess your high income ?
I was making a solid 6 figure salary and found myself more or less barely making it in LA.
Everything you said about diversity and culture could be said about Chicago too.
I guess if I was at 250k LA wouldn't be that bad, but on a social level I found people much more pleasant in Chicago.
If you have a bad home life you can move out earlier in Chicago.
Back in LA half the time I went out with someone they'd complain about their Mom for 2 hours. I met a lot of people in very very bad situations with no real hope of escaping.
>For many people those things are invaluable, especially if they are non-white (which perhaps you're not, so that may be lost on you.)
I'm definitely not white. Chicago is liberal. It has one of the only Chinatowns in America that's actually growing. Boystown is one of the oldest LGBT communities in America.
I don't think I'm going to change your opinion here, but when it comes to numbers, LA is just a difficult city.
If you have the money, and LA is giving you something you can get elsewhere, great.
But that's not going to change the economics of the situation. I know I'd rather save money and strive in Chicago vs struggle in LA.
I was making a solid 6 figure salary and found myself more or less barely making it in LA.
Everything you said about diversity and culture could be said about Chicago too.
I guess if I was at 250k LA wouldn't be that bad, but on a social level I found people much more pleasant in Chicago.
If you have a bad home life you can move out earlier in Chicago.
Back in LA half the time I went out with someone they'd complain about their Mom for 2 hours. I met a lot of people in very very bad situations with no real hope of escaping.
>For many people those things are invaluable, especially if they are non-white (which perhaps you're not, so that may be lost on you.)
I'm definitely not white. Chicago is liberal. It has one of the only Chinatowns in America that's actually growing. Boystown is one of the oldest LGBT communities in America.
I don't think I'm going to change your opinion here, but when it comes to numbers, LA is just a difficult city.
If you have the money, and LA is giving you something you can get elsewhere, great.
But that's not going to change the economics of the situation. I know I'd rather save money and strive in Chicago vs struggle in LA.
Chicago just kicks ass. Best food best people best architecture, no need to drive anywhere, amazing music scene. The haters are just jealous.
Years ago I was miserable in LA, scrolling through random jobs. I just happened to apply to one in Chicago.
The moment I landed everything was great. I met a great girl almost instantly, I can’t stress enough how nicer people are when they can afford their basic needs.
Diversity?
From what popalchemist is saying you’d figure LA is the only city with non white people.
In Chicago I frequent a Slavic/Asian restaurant. They don’t do fusion, no, you get Slavic and Asian food on the same menu!
Kingston Mines! Best Jazz I’ve ever seen. Excellent food, friendly staff.
The L( metro system) is a living museum, you get to ride trains which date back over a century into the office.
It’s not perfect, I found the job scene to be a bit boring, but it’s one of the last livable cities in America.
The moment I landed everything was great. I met a great girl almost instantly, I can’t stress enough how nicer people are when they can afford their basic needs.
Diversity?
From what popalchemist is saying you’d figure LA is the only city with non white people.
In Chicago I frequent a Slavic/Asian restaurant. They don’t do fusion, no, you get Slavic and Asian food on the same menu!
Kingston Mines! Best Jazz I’ve ever seen. Excellent food, friendly staff.
The L( metro system) is a living museum, you get to ride trains which date back over a century into the office.
It’s not perfect, I found the job scene to be a bit boring, but it’s one of the last livable cities in America.
Yeah if only the L ran as often as it did ten years ago lol. Commuter rail in some cities runs more frequently now. I just bought an ebike, though, and it's totally changed the game for me. The entire North side is now within half an hour of my house, and i won't need a shower when i get there either.
Yeah the job scene isn't amazing but the average pay is well above what you need to live very comfortably. The winters aren't as bad as people think (and getting warmer), the summers are beautiful, the free neighborhood music festivals all summer are so much fun (Lincoln Square this weekend, wicker park is coming up).
Glad you're enjoying it here
Yeah the job scene isn't amazing but the average pay is well above what you need to live very comfortably. The winters aren't as bad as people think (and getting warmer), the summers are beautiful, the free neighborhood music festivals all summer are so much fun (Lincoln Square this weekend, wicker park is coming up).
Glad you're enjoying it here
>Yeah if only the L ran as often as it did ten years ago lol.
The price of good transit is everlasting vigilance. Make sure to always argue for increased funding.
A lot of people would rather spend another 10k annually owning a car vs 1000$ a year in additional taxes. Not to mention the more people drive the worst traffic is and the more miserable the actual experience or driving is.
My dream city would be more or less car free ( exemptions for emergency and commercial vehicles) with a full blow Autobahn as a connecting freeway.
When I drive I want to DRIVE. Not sit in traffic for an hour.
The price of good transit is everlasting vigilance. Make sure to always argue for increased funding.
A lot of people would rather spend another 10k annually owning a car vs 1000$ a year in additional taxes. Not to mention the more people drive the worst traffic is and the more miserable the actual experience or driving is.
My dream city would be more or less car free ( exemptions for emergency and commercial vehicles) with a full blow Autobahn as a connecting freeway.
When I drive I want to DRIVE. Not sit in traffic for an hour.
> Where else can you find Mexican, Korean, Japanese, Armenian, and Thai culture alive and well within their own neighborhoods in a 5 mile radius?
I mean yeah NYC and Chicago get very close (if not match--i mean idk about Armenian specifically but you'll find 5 different ethnic neighborhoods within 5 miles, easy)
I mean yeah NYC and Chicago get very close (if not match--i mean idk about Armenian specifically but you'll find 5 different ethnic neighborhoods within 5 miles, easy)
LA (the city -- not even going to touch on Greater LA which is truly massive) is comprised of over 100 individual districts/neighborhoods/burroughs each with a distinct culture, many are home to a unique ethnic group. 5 doesn't even come close to scratching the surface. I can't say a number for sure off the top of my head but it's got to be more like 40.
I know this sounds made up but it's true - you can do the research yourself if you're inclined. LA is hands down the most diverse place in the world. Definitely beats out NYC, despite NYC having that reputation, because NYC has been culturally more hostile to the upward mobility and long-term settlement of immigrant populations, whereas LA existed as indigenous land, and as Mexico, before it was part of the US, and that attitude has allowed immigrants to set roots here and claim identity and belonging in a way that no other place does or has.
I know this sounds made up but it's true - you can do the research yourself if you're inclined. LA is hands down the most diverse place in the world. Definitely beats out NYC, despite NYC having that reputation, because NYC has been culturally more hostile to the upward mobility and long-term settlement of immigrant populations, whereas LA existed as indigenous land, and as Mexico, before it was part of the US, and that attitude has allowed immigrants to set roots here and claim identity and belonging in a way that no other place does or has.
>NYC has been culturally more hostile to the upward mobility and long-term settlement of immigrant populations,
>On May 3, 1913, California enacted the Alien Land Law, designed to deny Japanese families their foothold in America by denying them the right to own land.
https://eji.org/news/californias-alien-land-laws/
I was done with this thread, but your not going to rewrite history.
Even well into the 60s non white people weren't allowed to buy homes outside of certain areas.
>On May 3, 1913, California enacted the Alien Land Law, designed to deny Japanese families their foothold in America by denying them the right to own land.
https://eji.org/news/californias-alien-land-laws/
I was done with this thread, but your not going to rewrite history.
Even well into the 60s non white people weren't allowed to buy homes outside of certain areas.
Bad faith argument.
That singular thing is not representative of the culture or policy at large, is over 100 years old, and isn't the present reality. Broadly speaking California and specifically LA are the most culturally progressive places on earth.
Yes, those rules existed in various rich neighborhoods at times in the past. They don't anymore. What's your point? My claim is not that there were no racists or racist policies at all within the LA area.
So yeah, that's a straw man. And a very pathetic one at that.
That singular thing is not representative of the culture or policy at large, is over 100 years old, and isn't the present reality. Broadly speaking California and specifically LA are the most culturally progressive places on earth.
Yes, those rules existed in various rich neighborhoods at times in the past. They don't anymore. What's your point? My claim is not that there were no racists or racist policies at all within the LA area.
So yeah, that's a straw man. And a very pathetic one at that.
>whereas LA existed as indigenous land, and as Mexico, before it was part of the US, and that attitude has allowed immigrants to set roots here and claim identity and belonging in a way that no other place does or has.
Your own comment references a time before California was even a part of Mexico.
A more recent example.
>When South Vietnam and Cambodia fell to communists in April 1975, Gov. Brown, who had just succeeded Ronald Reagan, fought the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees. In the process, Mr. Brown and other Democrats engaged in xenophobic rhetoric.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-jerry-brown-tried-to-keep-...
Not to mention 3 strikes and other tough on crime policies.
A fixed tax on housing which is the most unprogressive policy you can imagine.
Etc. This isn't to say LA is horrible , it's just not some unique magical place.
Your own comment references a time before California was even a part of Mexico.
A more recent example.
>When South Vietnam and Cambodia fell to communists in April 1975, Gov. Brown, who had just succeeded Ronald Reagan, fought the arrival of hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese and Cambodian refugees. In the process, Mr. Brown and other Democrats engaged in xenophobic rhetoric.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/when-jerry-brown-tried-to-keep-...
Not to mention 3 strikes and other tough on crime policies.
A fixed tax on housing which is the most unprogressive policy you can imagine.
Etc. This isn't to say LA is horrible , it's just not some unique magical place.
The reason for my comment about the historicity of Los Angeles was to establish that it has its roots in an indigenous and multi-cultural understanding of its people. Quite the contrast to the way things went down with the colonies.
Whereas the random bits of historical information you are bringing up do not speak to a lasting or pervasive reality. LA is a "sanctuary city" and that is the reason it is currently being targeted by the fascists with the federal troop occupation.
Anyway you are making bad faith and low effort arguments. If you dislike the place, just admit it.
As for whether LA is magical - "Magical" is literally one of the most common words used to describe LA and SoCal in general, as in, it is part of the zeitgeist that LA is "La La Land" (meaning for better or worse, the place where creatives pursue their dreams and/or delusions).
Every detail of your comments fall apart upon close inspection.
You are not making valid arguments. You are hating. Admit it.
You are a hater.
Whereas the random bits of historical information you are bringing up do not speak to a lasting or pervasive reality. LA is a "sanctuary city" and that is the reason it is currently being targeted by the fascists with the federal troop occupation.
Anyway you are making bad faith and low effort arguments. If you dislike the place, just admit it.
As for whether LA is magical - "Magical" is literally one of the most common words used to describe LA and SoCal in general, as in, it is part of the zeitgeist that LA is "La La Land" (meaning for better or worse, the place where creatives pursue their dreams and/or delusions).
Every detail of your comments fall apart upon close inspection.
You are not making valid arguments. You are hating. Admit it.
You are a hater.
California is also a colony.
I like LA and i like California. You're just genuinely being ridiculous.
I like LA and i like California. You're just genuinely being ridiculous.
You are unreal lmao. Nowhere in the US is "the most progressive on earth"
Definitely not California which is literally the birth place of modern conservatism.
Thank you for helping out. Usually I would of given up earlier, but I couldn't let someone say California has always been welcoming to immigrants unanswered.
Apart of being better as people is looking at the past and facing it.
No place is perfect.
Chicago has issues. LA has issues.
Thank you for helping out. Usually I would of given up earlier, but I couldn't let someone say California has always been welcoming to immigrants unanswered.
Apart of being better as people is looking at the past and facing it.
No place is perfect.
Chicago has issues. LA has issues.
Nobody mentions Chicago without getting my attention lol. Some people just have a lot of nerve apparently
Do you seriously think Chicago and NYC aren't also huge and full of neighborhoods? Chicago is literally known as "the city of neighborhoods" with nearly 100 within city limits.
I live in what was recently the most diverse zip code in the US. Not in LA, not in NYC, but in Chicago.
You're just extremely biased.
I live in what was recently the most diverse zip code in the US. Not in LA, not in NYC, but in Chicago.
You're just extremely biased.
Proclaiming LA as “the center of the world’s creative and cultural output” feels like a very LA opinion to have.
Literally billions of people exist outside of LA, and while LA does have a lot of cultural influence generally, you might be surprised how much of the world’s culture and creativity happens outside of it. At the very least NYC probably has a strong argument to make here, not to mention places like Hong Kong, Beijing, or Tokyo.
Literally billions of people exist outside of LA, and while LA does have a lot of cultural influence generally, you might be surprised how much of the world’s culture and creativity happens outside of it. At the very least NYC probably has a strong argument to make here, not to mention places like Hong Kong, Beijing, or Tokyo.
> At the very least NYC probably has a strong argument to make here, not to mention places like Hong Kong, Beijing, or Tokyo.
And with all the money I save not living in LA I can actually visit those places!
And with all the money I save not living in LA I can actually visit those places!
Space may be the final frontier, but it's made in a Hollywood basement.
yes, the biggest problem I see with the LA tech scene is desirable places to live are often ~90 minutes from most of the tech jobs.
The city has no real "center" if you will.
Back in Chicago when I switched jobs I basically just rode the metro for an extra 5 minutes.
If I really wanted to I could of gotten off at the same train station, went to the cafe I liked, and walked 10 minutes to my new office.
In LA you can easily have one job in Santa Monica or Venice and end up needing to switch to a job in the valley. Your commute can go from 20 minutes to 60 or 70 each way.
As is car ownership is a horrible burden( particularly in high traffic areas, living in a suburb/ slightly rural area and coasting to work could be nice). Driving is really dangerous and stressful too. I'd rather read comics on a nice train ride into the office.
Back in Chicago when I switched jobs I basically just rode the metro for an extra 5 minutes.
If I really wanted to I could of gotten off at the same train station, went to the cafe I liked, and walked 10 minutes to my new office.
In LA you can easily have one job in Santa Monica or Venice and end up needing to switch to a job in the valley. Your commute can go from 20 minutes to 60 or 70 each way.
As is car ownership is a horrible burden( particularly in high traffic areas, living in a suburb/ slightly rural area and coasting to work could be nice). Driving is really dangerous and stressful too. I'd rather read comics on a nice train ride into the office.
So, most of the big companies have offices in LA (FAANG, unicorns/decacorns) but- they're often in a really hard to get to place that is insanely overpriced.
Google is in Playa Vist and Venice, Amazon has a big office in Santa Monica, SNAP is on the west side of LA, etc. A SFH in any of those cities is 4M or more, and the more popular places for families to live is easily an hour and twenty minutes away (burbank, pasadena, the valley).
Orange County has fewer big tech companies but they do have a larger Google and Amazon office (~1k each I belive?), but the cost of living is quite a bit lower.
Less options though if the job situation changes.
Google is in Playa Vist and Venice, Amazon has a big office in Santa Monica, SNAP is on the west side of LA, etc. A SFH in any of those cities is 4M or more, and the more popular places for families to live is easily an hour and twenty minutes away (burbank, pasadena, the valley).
Orange County has fewer big tech companies but they do have a larger Google and Amazon office (~1k each I belive?), but the cost of living is quite a bit lower.
Less options though if the job situation changes.
Easily 10x smaller than the Bay (unless you count defense contracting as tech).
It's still California so all the usual things like NIMBY zoning and prop 13 ruin the built environment. That being said, a lot of LA was built before the 80s so it's not as sprawling as the Bay. There are almost no tech buses so you need to plan life around commuting.
It's still California so all the usual things like NIMBY zoning and prop 13 ruin the built environment. That being said, a lot of LA was built before the 80s so it's not as sprawling as the Bay. There are almost no tech buses so you need to plan life around commuting.
Not sure about regular tech jobs but it has the most game studios of any area
It’s known for deep tech/hard tech companies, especially in space, aviation, and energy. Many are in El Segundo or were founded by SpaceX/Tesla alumni.
https://www.addtheegg.com/p/2024-la-hard-tech-50
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/el-segundo-california-...
https://bowoftheseus.substack.com/p/south-bay-la-is-ground-z...
https://www.addtheegg.com/p/2024-la-hard-tech-50
https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/el-segundo-california-...
https://bowoftheseus.substack.com/p/south-bay-la-is-ground-z...
Where do NASA/JPL alums work?