For All You Angelenos (if you're not from L.A., you can still respond):

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Permalink Reply by Rosenda on February 10, 2010 at 5:12pm

Ha I missed this thread entirely last year. Jahluv is right on point. I think we got the reputation of liberal and open out of default. We have people here from literally all over the world, all income levels and all different cultures. It would be impossible for this many different types of people, and living in such a hugely geographically spreak out area, and find any true "one city" unity as such. Too many of us too stretched out (versus New York City which is closer together, shorter streets, shorter blocks, same amount of people but squeezed literally in a smaller amount of mileage/space). That is just a geographical fact.

I remember Asdfgh/Brianne on here years ago telling me she too had only been through a certain number of parts of LA County just in the normal course of her life and school and career, and she got out more than many of her friends. And we talked about that and I realized I happen to have been through all various sections of this place more than most, and I still found it funny that I'd meet people younger than me and older than me who'd tell me in conversation "you went WHERE? girl, I ain't NEVER been to that side of town. uh uh, no way." And I'm not talking crime ridden areas, I mean so called "nice" areas, just because they didn't normally venture out of their habitual areas they went to for shopping, work, school, etc. Like if no one else took them places they weren't even curious about what else was out there or who else was out there.

I think it's possible that me being this way is a product of my parents, who both came here in the 40's from out of state, small towns, and by the time they met married and had a family, me my sister and my late brother, they still were curious enough to WANT to venture into other neigborhoods, for food, events, shopping, or because one of the people they met at work or school or among friends invited them someplace and some area they'd never been before. So we grew up with parents like this and me personally I took to it like a dry duck to a big pool of tasty sweet water. Although I do think I took to this way more than my parents intended to, my personality is one who is curious and adventurous to some degree. Like "Ooh, I've never been THERE before, let's go!" or "I have not been there in YEARS, I wonder what it looks like NOW?"

Sceneless you are so right about the segregation thing but here what happens is there is that segregation socially I think. Poor folks of various ethnic groups and cultures will live literally within two blocks of each other and have to shop at the same market but don't choose or want to know each other, unless it's their personality and they feel safe to reach out and be polite and maybe be curious about their neighbors.

Any cross polination of various peoples here happens either that way or by accident or frankly by business reasons. Someone in on ethnic group runs a market and notices there are a LOT of people in ANOTHER ethnic group shopping in their market. Such is how some of those Thai markets in Hollywood have all these Mexican and Central American products and another HUGE example of this business reason is the Jons Market on the corner of Hollywood Blvd and Vermont Avenue.

Walk through there and you find in that supermarket available products geared for Armenians, Africans, Mexicans, Central Americans, Thais, Chinese, Japanese, Filipinos, Jamaicans, Russians, etc etc. LITERALLY in one market. That kind of business model happens for a practical reason, someone sees an opportunity to meet someone else's needs and they start marketing stuff for them too.

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