I find the unreality of it all part of its charm actually. Everyone walking around all plastic surgeried and fake. A lot of the women look like trannys there. The posing, the "fronting" can be amusing -- though only as a now-and-then novelty. And the 70s time warp near the beaches kind of excites me, as though I'll see Farrah Fawcett flying by in a Trans Am at any second. And the weather! I've NEVER been a winter person -- I only like it during the holiday season. Otherwise I'm all about summer and fall. After living through so many bone-chilling winters here I could certainly deal with a place that's warm all the time. It's nice to go to the beach year round and not just during July and August.
But the isolation there is smothering. Everyone in their cars and behind gates. Fronting. The segregation. In New York you always feel connected and a part of the human race because there's people on the street at times walking alongside you. Everyone rides the bus or the subway. You rub shoulders with everyone of all walks and stations of life. Out there everyone drives everywhere and only the lowest of the low ride the bus. It's all about status.
I never get the feeling that I'm in a big city when in L.A., even though it's the nation's "other mecca". No skyscrapers. Very suburban. It's like driving through Queens.