Does the South Bay feel isolated to you? (Torrance, Santa Monica: live, young professionals)

[Count David]

Isolated from what? How in the heck could one feel the least bit isolated when there's like 10 million people within 30 miles?

Even in a supposed All-American enclave in LA County, the non-isolating feeling of normal is just beyond the buzz of the freeway.

[Jay100]

South Bay is kinda "out of the way" geographically. Stopped going to Redondo Beach ever since the original pier burned down.

[John23]

I think the south bay is....

-More moderate. It's not nearly as "radical" as say Venice or as left as Santa Monica.

-It doesn't have the income disparity like LA does. I think the high prices mean you have to be born there to live there and enjoy it.

-Culturally, its not as international as LA.

More independent mom and pop vibe. West LA, Culver City, Santa Monica are more big box stores.

[HaemophilusAphrophilus]

I always viewed the beach cities in the south bay (not including PV) as a middle ground between OC and LA, though more to the LA side. Politically its pretty moderate (I think besides PV and maybe El Segundo it leans left), the overall "feel" is somewhat like the OC beaches but it is definitely not OC. Hermosa and Manhattan kind of reminds me of Huntington and Newport meets Santa Monica/West LA if that makes any sense

[hipcat]

Originally Posted by ElysianEagle

i agree with you. i definitely get the all-american vibe there too, and frankly, as a non-white person i feel especially out of place in manhattan beach where just abt everyone is blonde and blue eyed. i think hermosa beach by the pier where all the bars are is a bit more diverse.

someone else also mentioned that the south bay scene is more of the jock/bro type whereas other parts of LA (santa monica etc) are more hipster.

Having lived on the Westside for a few months. The yipster/cool nerd/metro types of the Westside are rare in the South Bay. The South Bay is the only place in LA County with a number of Bros who are found throughout SoCal. The youth scene in the South Bay is alot more macho/outdoor sports oriented, and the general fashion is tshirt and shorts with vans or jeans when its colder.

[yby1]

South Bay is not just the beach cities. Torrance and Gardena have a fair amount of diversity.

[hipcat]

Originally Posted by yby1

South Bay is not just the beach cities. Torrance and Gardena have a fair amount of diversity.

And Torrance/Gardena also have little to no yipster/hipster/metro types like the Westside, LOL as they are more family oriented suburban type cities. Torrance has a generic "Any Suburb in the US" type of vibe with more diversity.

[Caladium]

This is sort of like people from the NYC assuming that people who live in Los Angeles must feel isolated because they're far from the east coast cities.

The South Bay is self-contained, I suppose, since you can do everything you might wish to do right there. Except go skiing. And it's true there were lots of people I knew there who rarely went to LA. No reason to too, when everything you might want to do is right there in the South Bay. I never knew anyone who felt isolated because of this, FWIW.

[yby1]

Originally Posted by hipcat

And Torrance/Gardena also have little to no yipster/hipster/metro types like the Westside, LOL as they are more family oriented suburban type cities. Torrance has a generic "Any Suburb in the US" type of vibe with more diversity.

So The South Bay feels isolated because it lacks hipsters? I think of it as a more laid back, self-contained area.

That being said, there are a gaggle of craft breweries that are opening up in Torrance, such as Monkish or Smog city Brewing that are attracting hipsters.

[hipcat]

Originally Posted by yby1

So The South Bay feels isolated because it lacks hipsters? I think of it as a more laid back, self-contained area.

I was joking about hipsters, lol.