What have we not heard about Los Angeles: miles of asphalt, the madness of grandeur, the traffic jams and the poverty of the public transportation system... Los Angeles is not always popular with Americans or foreigners who have only been there, or never been. Some clichés are hard to live up to.
What is it really? The iKeys House, specialized in luxury real estate investment, sifts through them to give you perspective on the reality of life in Southern California.
Summary
LA is a city without a soul
Los Angeles is a city of excess
Los Angeles has a monolithic blockbuster culture
Los Angeles is all asphalt and traffic jams
Los Angeles has no public infrastructure worthy of the name
The weather is stifling in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is every man for himself
LA is a city without a soul
Admittedly, the city of Los Angeles is twelve times larger than Paris and has twice as many inhabitants. However, despite its size, Los Angeles is above all a collection of small communities that each have an identity and a lively neighborhood life. The people of Los Angeles, more than anywhere else, draw their identity from the neighborhood in which they live.
This plurality of centers makes the city exceptionally rich in singularities, and gives it an undeniable soulfulness compared to other urban centers in the United States.
Los Angeles is a city of excess
Certainly, the covers of celebrity magazines and the clips of American rappers regularly put the colors of Los Angeles in the spotlight. Those who live in LA know it well though: LA is the heart of California, temple of yoga, healthy food, and a healthy lifestyle that promotes a person who is good in body and good in mind.
There are more vegan restaurants and wellness activities in LA than any other city in the United States per square meter!
To convince yourself of the absurdity of the cliché, you just have to go to the beach at 6am: the city of angels belongs to the sportsmen!
Los Angeles has a monolithic blockbuster culture
Martin Scorsese recently sparked an (inter)national debate about blockbusters and the American penchant for creating mass-produced films that cannot be considered artistic cinema. While it is true that the director has taken up residence on the East Coast, the fact remains that Los Angeles cannot be reduced to this caricature: it is the entire world of cinema that is located there, whether we are talking about independent films or the major international studios.
Moreover, the arts have their place: everywhere in the city, the walker comes across museums, galleries, theaters, dance shows or public readings. Californians are unparalleled in their ability to showcase a diverse culture of all arts.
Los Angeles is all asphalt and traffic jams
It is true that public transportation is not the city's forte. However, living in Los Angeles means having the opportunity to go every weekend to see the wildest and most diverse landscapes in the country! You don't have to take a plane to see the unique wildlife: the wilderness is right outside the city.
In addition, Los Angeles is a very sparse city, where vegetation is much more present than in other Western cities on average. No, traffic jams are not an unattainable horizon...
Los Angeles has no public infrastructure worthy of the name
While LA has long been without a public transportation system or efficient public infrastructure, this has changed in recent years, and for good reason: the city will host the Olympic Games in 2028, which has been the occasion for a massive investment plan in public spaces and transportation.
We can say that a real awareness has taken place in the population and in the government since the passage of Arnold Schwarzenegger at the head of California.
The weather is sweltering in Los Angeles
It is the most false cliché that one can find: nowhere in the United States is the weather more clement than in Los Angeles: in summer, much less humid than Miami, LA does not know the fog that fogs its rival San Francisco in the fall. Is New York paralyzed by snow when winter arrives?
Los Angeles offers a smooth transition from season to season. The weather in LA changes little all year round, and the temperature almost never drops below 30°F in the winter or exceeds 80°F in the summer.
Los Angeles is a mess and every man for himself
Again, this is a persistent cliché on the other side of the Atlantic. In addition to its beautiful climate, the city is an example of civility like you would only find in Northern Europe. You won't see anyone crossing the street at a red light, and one of the many examples is the prohibitive fine for littering, which can be as high as €1000.