Sounds like I could never live in LA. I live in a small town in NH, which (sadly) is the grouchy conservative in a cluster of more progressive states but also where I grew up. Not a lot of us seem to leave. I joke it's the gravity of all the granite. If I feel like going to "the big city" I spend a day in Boston and am satisfied. The rest of the time I enjoy my lawn and my back woods on my little cul de sac where the only cars I hear are my neighbors coming and going and the only traffic is when the high school lets out.
1 - LA Confidential or Chinatown. Love a good LA noir movie. Which I guess makes The Big Lebowski the weird third cousin to the movies I listed.
2 - They should NOT come to Texas. We are full. No more room for the Californians here. I know you guys get told you can sell you cardboard box on Skid Row for $1.5 million and buy and entire block of houses in Texas, but we have no more room. Fun, or not so fun fact about the CA -> TX pipeline. The mouth-breathers here love to complain "don't California my Texas" when the majority of people from CA moving here are the ones that think Gavin Newsom is going to take their guns and force them to have gender reassignment surgery after a gay abortion ceremony.
5 - Due to a serious of planned vacations and unplanned in-law emergencies, I was at ATL like 8 times in 3 months. And every single time the Jersey Mike's in the Southwest terminal was closed. I can't explain it. I hate ATL.
I know next to nothing about LA. But the movie Laurel Canyon is always in my top 10. Frances McDormand is a brilliant actor. And I recently learned that Carole King went to LC for inspiration after her NYC days. LC is mysterious, party, sexy LA.
I do love Training Day. It's in the top 10 too. It's gritty, dark, desperate LA.
And The Holiday. Wherever Cameron Diaz's character lives is beautiful. That's dreamy, rich, LA.
Casablanca should remain unsullied. But I never say no to Keanu Reeves.
I like Cannonball. My MinPin's name is ChaCha. But her nickname/rapper name is Little Rat Bastard.
I've read Charlotte is a nightmare airport. But it hasn't screwed me yet. Miami customs can be a sh*t show. We always look around to see if we're on a secret "That's cocaine!" Natgeo special camera....
I dubbed a former colleague “Skippy” - he skewed young, and had a weirdly-upturned bit of hair - in other words, he looked like a “Skippy.” I’ve never had a cool nickname - I feel kinda’ left out.
Also, just read an article about Danny McBride leaving LA with a bunch of his friends and building his own studio near Charleston, SC. Another example of having his LA cake and eating it. Arguably any city is tolerable with a few good friends.
This is so well-written, I loved it. I also really and truly love L.A. I love it like it’s a person, like the family member that drives me crazy but is the best relative out of all of them. I’d never, ever live anywhere else. And we have kids, born and raised in L.A.
Loved this one Michael. My only experience with LA is Disneyland when we took our three kids 25 years ago. We loved it there. The weather, the food, and it was the happiest place on earth for us as tourists. As you can see my experience is limited. 😜🙈
For a long time I thought LAX was the worst airport in not just the US but the world - then I flew through Chicago last year, which actually topped it. Worst stop-over experience ever. I politely asked a member of staff which way to go from the baggage reclaim hall and she yelled in my face 'get out, get out, get out'. The immigration officer looked at me stoney-faced and spat at me 'you're in the US - WHY?' (I was asking myself the very same question). Everywhere I turned, people were yelling at people aggressively, like we were in a hold-up situation. I often fly long-haul from New Zealand (where I live) to the UK (where I'm from) and will do almost anything to avoid transiting via the US. The Asian airports are a dream in comparison....
OK. Rant over. I highly recommend moving to New Zealand by the way 😊
This one hits close to home, Michael (pun intended). You see, I was born in Canoga Park, and called Los Angeles my home for the following m55 years. I left a few times (2 years in SF, a year and a half in Sacramento), but I always came back. But in ‘19 life started crashing down all around me and Mrs. Wolf, and one day we looked at each other and said, “If not now, when?” For all the reasons you touched on. And six months later we were in Dallas. Within one hour of being here I had killed my first ‘possum. Within one week we had a tree fall on our house. Within two months, we had a tornado touch down within two miles of us. But we survived our Texas initiation and have settled in nicely. We still miss L.A., but what we really miss is what L.A. used to be, and isn’t anymore. Our quality of life is so much better now, it’s like going back in time to the days (not that long ago), before L.A. got all fucked up somehow.
Sounds like I could never live in LA. I live in a small town in NH, which (sadly) is the grouchy conservative in a cluster of more progressive states but also where I grew up. Not a lot of us seem to leave. I joke it's the gravity of all the granite. If I feel like going to "the big city" I spend a day in Boston and am satisfied. The rest of the time I enjoy my lawn and my back woods on my little cul de sac where the only cars I hear are my neighbors coming and going and the only traffic is when the high school lets out.
1. "Come out to the coast, we'll get together, have a few laughs."
2. Many great choices, but Chitown offers the most affordable big city living in the U.S. It's why we decamped from San Francisco.
3. Hollywood would blow the remake no matter what, but I'd argue an unknown would have the best chance to inhabit the role (e.g., stage actor).
4. Never really been in the nickname giving business, though I'm in the nickname using business.
5. ATL and EWR have joined the chat.
1 - LA Confidential or Chinatown. Love a good LA noir movie. Which I guess makes The Big Lebowski the weird third cousin to the movies I listed.
2 - They should NOT come to Texas. We are full. No more room for the Californians here. I know you guys get told you can sell you cardboard box on Skid Row for $1.5 million and buy and entire block of houses in Texas, but we have no more room. Fun, or not so fun fact about the CA -> TX pipeline. The mouth-breathers here love to complain "don't California my Texas" when the majority of people from CA moving here are the ones that think Gavin Newsom is going to take their guns and force them to have gender reassignment surgery after a gay abortion ceremony.
5 - Due to a serious of planned vacations and unplanned in-law emergencies, I was at ATL like 8 times in 3 months. And every single time the Jersey Mike's in the Southwest terminal was closed. I can't explain it. I hate ATL.
I know next to nothing about LA. But the movie Laurel Canyon is always in my top 10. Frances McDormand is a brilliant actor. And I recently learned that Carole King went to LC for inspiration after her NYC days. LC is mysterious, party, sexy LA.
I do love Training Day. It's in the top 10 too. It's gritty, dark, desperate LA.
And The Holiday. Wherever Cameron Diaz's character lives is beautiful. That's dreamy, rich, LA.
Casablanca should remain unsullied. But I never say no to Keanu Reeves.
I like Cannonball. My MinPin's name is ChaCha. But her nickname/rapper name is Little Rat Bastard.
I've read Charlotte is a nightmare airport. But it hasn't screwed me yet. Miami customs can be a sh*t show. We always look around to see if we're on a secret "That's cocaine!" Natgeo special camera....
Everyone in my family has about five nicknames like it’s the law.
I think ATL is the worst airport but I haven’t flown in a long time,
“LEAVE CASABLANCA ALONE!!!”
I think all that sunshine makes it impossible for LA people to transplant themselves. Their DNA is permanently altered.
See my comments below about Bosch.
My consciousness is a martial arts hero. One day my body will catch up.
1. I’ve got a real soft spot for the anarchists too. I’ll let Training Day claim the Yang seat.
2. Wayward sons lf L.A.: want the same genre and scald of problems, without the sun holding you back? The Apple awaits.
3. Remaking Casablanca’s such a moonshot, you might as well cast outside type. Let’s see Aaron Paul project a different kind of energy.
4. I ran an undergrad bboy crew, I’ve come up with an army of half-baked, insane, or offensive nicknames.
5. My inner zen monk says “my next transfer.”
I dubbed a former colleague “Skippy” - he skewed young, and had a weirdly-upturned bit of hair - in other words, he looked like a “Skippy.” I’ve never had a cool nickname - I feel kinda’ left out.
I’ve been considering moving back and have been wondering- am I insane? I might just be nutty enough to do it. Loved reading this piece!
Cannonball?
I love Christine’s comment, “we’re home.” I know exactly what she means, except the NYC version.
❤️
Love u dude. I think ur right the #1 activity of people in LA is thinking about leaving
May I humbly suggest Repo Man?
Also, just read an article about Danny McBride leaving LA with a bunch of his friends and building his own studio near Charleston, SC. Another example of having his LA cake and eating it. Arguably any city is tolerable with a few good friends.
This is so well-written, I loved it. I also really and truly love L.A. I love it like it’s a person, like the family member that drives me crazy but is the best relative out of all of them. I’d never, ever live anywhere else. And we have kids, born and raised in L.A.
Loved this one Michael. My only experience with LA is Disneyland when we took our three kids 25 years ago. We loved it there. The weather, the food, and it was the happiest place on earth for us as tourists. As you can see my experience is limited. 😜🙈
For a long time I thought LAX was the worst airport in not just the US but the world - then I flew through Chicago last year, which actually topped it. Worst stop-over experience ever. I politely asked a member of staff which way to go from the baggage reclaim hall and she yelled in my face 'get out, get out, get out'. The immigration officer looked at me stoney-faced and spat at me 'you're in the US - WHY?' (I was asking myself the very same question). Everywhere I turned, people were yelling at people aggressively, like we were in a hold-up situation. I often fly long-haul from New Zealand (where I live) to the UK (where I'm from) and will do almost anything to avoid transiting via the US. The Asian airports are a dream in comparison....
OK. Rant over. I highly recommend moving to New Zealand by the way 😊
This one hits close to home, Michael (pun intended). You see, I was born in Canoga Park, and called Los Angeles my home for the following m55 years. I left a few times (2 years in SF, a year and a half in Sacramento), but I always came back. But in ‘19 life started crashing down all around me and Mrs. Wolf, and one day we looked at each other and said, “If not now, when?” For all the reasons you touched on. And six months later we were in Dallas. Within one hour of being here I had killed my first ‘possum. Within one week we had a tree fall on our house. Within two months, we had a tornado touch down within two miles of us. But we survived our Texas initiation and have settled in nicely. We still miss L.A., but what we really miss is what L.A. used to be, and isn’t anymore. Our quality of life is so much better now, it’s like going back in time to the days (not that long ago), before L.A. got all fucked up somehow.