On Moving To The Valley
So I'm sort of a musician and a writer, albeit aspiring, who after feeling like a misfit among yuppies that I continually ran into in the South Bay where I grew up, was thrilled to finally make the move into L.A. a couple years ago, specifically Koreatown and then Los Feliz. Finally, I was free to wear whatever the hell I wanted to wear, and not get hostile looks from people (I once wore an American Idiot shirt in Manhattan Beach, frankly just because I needed to do laundry, and received glares from every soccer mom I passed. ...Because Green Day are sooo controversial). Finally, I was not the only person alive who had heard of The Kinks. Finally, there were other options for live shows than hardcore punk and reggae. (I'm not dissing either; it was just limiting.)
But my corner of K-Town crushed my spirit with its traffic, honking and lack of parking, not to mention the ridiculously crappy plumbing in my building, and the neighbors who screamed at each other. Los Feliz was first a happy relief, with its many nice trees and loads of bars, shops, and restaurants in walking distance, before once again problems with my building have started tormenting me (the bathtub tap leaks a whole lot of water, the outlets cut in and out), and I miss on-site laundry rooms and a parking spot reserved just for me. I've started to be jealous of the easy-access parking lots in front of the Targets and Ralphs of places like Glendale and Studio City, as opposed to L.A. proper's massive parking structures. (I once made a wrong turn in The Grove parking structure, found myself outside again, gave up and went home.)
Those newer, "character"-less apartments with their functioning A/Cs and heaters aren't looking so bad these days either.
A friend of mine and I are now looking for an apartment to share, and she wants to live in Studio City. At first I was against it, even though I like the place. It was just that I'd finally gotten a cute apartment in an artsy area like Los Feliz and now I had to give up and move to the valley? It just felt like quitting. But the truth is a) S.C. is just a straight shot up the 5 from everything I like about Los Feliz, and b) It's less crowded there and they don't lose power during heatwaves. They don't appear to rent buildings there with no laundry rooms. In fact some of them have laundry machines inside the units! Christ Almighty.
Another truth is, my stint in the midst of other artistic types has shown to have its own burdens to bear. As a group, we are admittedly pretty moody, selfish and pessimistic, and we take ourselves way too seriously. (God knows I have just linked twice to my own posts.) So maybe we shouldn't always run in packs. It's obviously a lot healthier to mix it up a little, and not be one-sided either way. ...I have certainly grown tired of hearing people refuse to go to the "west side".
And besides, I know, I know, there are eclectic and interesting folks in the Valley too, so don't get all riled up. Through my one friend who already lives there, I have met a radio dj, an HBO employee, three audio techs, and one snobby but talented indie rocker. So while it does have massive shopping, and it doesn't have the allure of thrift shops and tiny venues, maybe it's not quite soccer mom territory. Which is really all I can ask. I could torture myself with the epic question, "Can I not be bohemian and comfortable??" But ultimately, you can manage both in Los Angeles. Which is one reason why I love this city.
Photo by Kanaka Pacifica via Flickr