Anyone live near Santa Monica happily?

Gong8659

Inspired
Hi, I'm a Brit working on relocating to SM in this lifetime, and am looking for opinions in non-travel forums, and axe-fx because, why not!
Money-aside, I'm looking for;
high density per km, lots of friendability population, reasonable architecture, good infrastructure, sunshine, tees and shorts living, vegan fitness, non-alcoholic/drug based fun.
 
I live a bit away from Santa Monica but still live in SoCal and used to work over there for about a year. I think it meets most of your requirements. You'll get more density than you can shake a stick at, pretty much all of SoCal is like that. If your budget allows it, SM, or Marina Del Rey are nice areas.
 
I think it would tick a lot of your boxes especially if you worked sort of close to where you live. Rush hour is particularly maddening coming and going from that area.
I personally prefer Venice but you really can't go wrong living in either area if it is in your budget.
 
I usually stay (for long time too) in Marina del Rey and I love it.
Venice is also very nice but a little bit expensive.
If you know the London car traffic you will not be scarred by the LA rush hour ;)
For us European is a complete (and positive IMHO) change in life.
I hope one day to stop coming and going from the west coast and stop there indefinitely but for now it's only a wish
 
Thanks everyone :D So Venice, SM, Marina Del Ray, aren't they all near airports, what's the noise and pollution like when you're living in those areas?
I'd probably be staying in Culver or Silverlake.
And as I understand from your replies, it ticks a lot of my boxes. But not all?
 
I'm born and raised in Redondo Beach.
All the areas in LA that are close to the beach are super high density. Very nice weather, very expensive.
Due to it being a mostly "beach city", you will find the people to be very friendly and loving to spend time outside.
Lots of beach time, bike riding, outdoor and indoor restaurants, clubs, etc.
Many of the small beach cities along LA share these common traits.
Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Marina Del Ray, Venice, Santa Monica. All very nice. Skip El Segundo. 90% of the city
is industrial headed up by Los Angeles International Airport. You don't want to live at the beach with giant jet plains making noise 24x7.
All of these areas have fairly low air pollution as they are beach cities and all the fresh air comes in from the ocean.
Once you get about 5~10 miles in from the beach the pollution seems to start building up.

Having lived here all my life, I can tell you the air pollution is nothing like it was in the 60's.
A good part of the LA lifestyle is to try pollute as little as possible. Now most of the pollution in the sky comes from other parts of the world.
LA is build in a giant basin so air pollution gets trapped when it's hot and slowly filters out past the mountains on the east side.

As far as shorts and tee's living goes.. LA is known for it's laid back attitude.
We have almost no restaurants that require jacket and tie.
Shorts and tee's might not be appropriate for work, but otherwise it's a way of life.
 
Everything inland is Smogville. It's the mountains that trap it that way. I would also look at everything between Seal Beach and Corona Del Mar. Edit: I see loopie covered the geology that causes the smog bowl.
 
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I'm looking for;
high density per km, lots of friendability population, reasonable architecture, good infrastructure, sunshine, tees and shorts living, vegan fitness, non-alcoholic/drug based fun.

high density per KM;
Most of So Cal is crammed with suburban tracts wedged between strip malls, with the occasional city center highrise buildings. But I think in the areas you mention it's a little more spread out.

lots of friendability population;
Most people are friendly

reasonable architecture
not sure about this. They have buildings. Mostly modern stuff, I'd say.

good infrastructure
First rate as far as fixed improvements. For transportation, you can drive anywhere if you have the time as roads are everywhere. I think public transit may not be up to what you're used to, but it's not bad.

sunshine
Yes. California is in a drought. When it rains you will probably have floods!!

tees and shorts living
Pretty much yes. The climate is mild.

vegan fitness
I think this is pretty common in So Cal. especially in the communities you list. Maybe others can comment. Here in Northern California I've noticed the typical person has become a little larger.Sadly, obesity is more the norm.

non-alcoholic/drug based fun.
Maybe locals in SM are into this, but ime, all of So Cal is one big party with plenty of drugs and drinking. Not for me any more.

I have to comment that with your username, I'm surprised at the gentle, optimistic, life-loving, holistic-health tone of your post. :) If you really want a good place to live, go to Hawaii. The only drawback is the cost, but if you can afford SM, most places in Hawaii are in rich, and still plenty of haole souls to harvest, lol.
 
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high density per KM;
high density per KM;
Most of So Cal is crammed with suburban tracts wedged between strip malls, with the occasional city center highrise buildings. But I think in the areas you mention it's a little more spread out.

non-alcoholic/drug based fun.
Maybe locals in SM are into this, but ime, all of So Cal is one big party with plenty of drugs and drinking. Not for me any more.

I have to comment that with your username, I'm surprised at the gentle, optimistic, life-loving, holistic-health tone of your post.

So where in west LA would I go to experience the london/nyc density if the places I mentioned are too spread out?

Is there a way to survive socially without drugs/alcohol in LA? I mean holistic living is pretty much about living with inner happiness, isn't this just a community thing?

I want to live naturally, but hawaii and san diego seem too suburban sleepy (compared to London/nyc) and too class-focused. I would like to experience all people in los angeles without class segregation with lot's of alive! and energy as much as possible.

Yeah Harvestthesouls was the old me, but even the old me was interested in gentle, healthy and life-loving. Now I'm a lot more of that. Harvest = gather, maybe that's a less antagonistic way I could justify continuing to use it :p
 
The places you're talking about aren't too spread out, ALL of LA is spread out. If you look at NYC, they built UP and to a certain degree, they built out as well. LA didn't build UP as much but they sure as hell built out. It's not like you leave LA and as you get to SM, suddenly there's more suburban sprawl, they may aim for that, but trust me, it's very densely populated. I survived from age 22 when I moved here, till now (age 39) without drugs or alcohol. You can still go to bars, clubs and be social without getting blitzed.
I think the places you've mentioned will give you what you're after as far as lifestyle, etc, you have go about 90 miles out of LA to get to "suburbs" like you might be thinking. I don't how London is but I imagine it's densely populated and then trails off to the burbs or the shire - sorry had to, and then that's it... good, clean English country side for miles. In SoCal it's about what, 10 million people between LA, OC and San Diego, all living together.

You will find a LOT of self segregation. There are "mixed" areas, that's not to say one area is 100% white, black or whatever, there's always a mix... but you'll find "predominantly" white, black, latino, asian areas all over the place. You can drive a few blocks and be in a GORGEOUS neighborhood, drive a few more and be in a COMPLETE slum. That's LA, a giant melting pot, where not everything melts together.
 
I live in Culver City (west side of LA.) Very nice, at least 3 vegan restaurants in downtown, easy access to the bike path down to the beach cities. Not as pricey as the actual beach cities, but pretty central for hitting the beaches, Westwood and the Hollywood area.

Pretty much any of the areas mentioned above should fit what you're looking for. And if you're homesick for a game of darts, there's always Ye Olde Kings Head pub in Santa Monica.

TT
 
I live in Culver City (west side of LA.) Very nice, at least 3 vegan restaurants in downtown, easy access to the bike path down to the beach cities. Not as pricey as the actual beach cities, but pretty central for hitting the beaches, Westwood and the Hollywood area.

Pretty much any of the areas mentioned above should fit what you're looking for. And if you're homesick for a game of darts, there's always Ye Olde Kings Head pub in Santa Monica.

TT

This sounds like a winner.


L.A. is different. West Coast versus East is still that different, partly because of the super-urban factor of the latter. I think NorCal cities, especially SF, will get closer. Or, L.A. downtown-ish. But it still won't be the same. East is metropolitan, West is laissez-faire.
 
San Francisco is the place to be, all real people know this, for soooo many reasons. And if you like women, well youknow, less competition. Far friendlier, far more liberal, far less pretension far more real people far more healthy far better surrounding areas, wine country, much more "european" from what they say.
 
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