Does the South Bay feel isolated to you? (Orange, Santa Monica: fit in, home)

[hipcat]

Whenever I go to Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo Beach. I feel a different vibe from the rest of LA County like it's disconnected from the rest of the county. There is a general "All American" vibe I don't find in the rest of the county, even in Santa Monica and Venice, and the surfer culture is more dominant there. The isolation smacks me in the face, when I get back to my home where there's more diversity.

Does anyone else feel the same way about the South Bay?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by hipcat

Whenever I go to Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo Beach. I feel a different vibe from the rest of LA County like it's disconnected from the rest of the county. There is a general "All American" vibe I don't find in the rest of the county, even in Santa Monica and Venice, and the surfer culture is more dominant there. The isolation smacks me in the face, when I get back to my home where there's more diversity.

Does anyone else feel the same way about the South Bay?

Isn't your home the South Bay?

Is isolating in two ways: It is expensive, very expensive so people with money buy there. Often (just assuming here) DINKS with no kids because the lots are small and it is a fun place rather than a family place (though the schools are excellent - what would you expect from wealthy residents?)

The other is (and this is what I originally though you meant by isolating) it is far from the 405. Lots of cross streets to reach the 405 if you're near the coast especially on the Redondo side where the 405 curves east.

[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.

[disgruntled la native]

Originally Posted by hipcat

Whenever I go to Manhattan, Hermosa, and Redondo Beach. I feel a different vibe from the rest of LA County like it's disconnected from the rest of the county. There is a general "All American" vibe I don't find in the rest of the county, even in Santa Monica and Venice, and the surfer culture is more dominant there. The isolation smacks me in the face, when I get back to my home where there's more diversity.

Does anyone else feel the same way about the South Bay?

Absolutely. The Beach Cities have more in common with coastal Orange County than LA. By "All American" I assume we are meaning white, upper middle class, family man with a wife at home and 2.5 kids, dog and a white picket fence. The Beach Cities also vote much more Republican than LA. Most people in LA don't go to the Beach Cities and vice versa.

[hipcat]

Originally Posted by Charles

Isn't your home the South Bay?

Is isolating in two ways: It is expensive, very expensive so people with money buy there. Often (just assuming here) DINKS with no kids because the lots are small and it is a fun place rather than a family place (though the schools are excellent - what would you expect from wealthy residents?)

The other is (and this is what I originally though you meant by isolating) it is far from the 405. Lots of cross streets to reach the 405 if you're near the coast especially on the Redondo side where the 405 curves east.

I live more inland by El Camino College in a unicorporated area of LA County. It has a different feel from the Coastal South Bay.

[hipcat]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

Absolutely. The Beach Cities have more in common with coastal Orange County than LA. By "All American" I assume we are meaning white, upper middle class, family man with a wife at home and 2.5 kids, dog and a white picket fence. The Beach Cities also vote much more Republican than LA. Most people in LA don't go to the Beach Cities and vice versa.

Something like that. The White upper class on the Westside/Hollywood corrider have a different "cosmopolitan" vibe about them.

[DontH8Me]

Manhattan Beach is rather Stepford Wife, I'll agree. But Manhattan Beach does not represent the entire South Bay. There are many communities with plenty of ethnic diversity, myriad ethnic cuisine restaurants (Middle Eastern, Indian/Pakistani, Chilean, Peruvian, Mexican, Brazilian, Cuban, Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Italian, etc. and even various fusion restaurants), and there is more sense of community. We go to lots of area parks all over the South Bay, and we see all kinds of folks. It is a family oriented friendly vibe that I feel above all. I suppose we all see things differently.

[disgruntled la native]

Originally Posted by hipcat

Something like that. The White upper class on the Westside/Hollywood corrider have a different "cosmopolitan" vibe about them.

Yeah, most of the westside white upper class is Jewish too, so they don't fit in the WASPY Beach City mold. But there is certainly more interest in alternative lifestyles, the arts, and different cultures among the westside white upper class.

[bentstrider]

Never really ventured much into this area by myself a whole lot of times.
But from what I've gathered from my Taco Tuesdays/Midnight Ridazz buddies, this seems to be the case according to how they talk about it.

Although their titular Tuesday night ride has ventured from Culver City on down to Redondo and back a few times.

[JTGJR]

I don't know that "isolated" is the right term. Maybe self-contained. We have just about everything we need within the the South Bay. Great restaurants, dive joints, high & low- end pubs and bars. I would disagree about the OC and conservative comments. I think the South Bay is very moderate, which would be considered conservative in West LA. I would agree that it lacks some of the cultural aspects, but that doesn't mean it's not important. My wife and I have a box for the summer series at the Bowl. We go to Dodger games. We go to plays and concerts in DTLA.

Yeah, there are some pieces of work in this neck of the woods. But no more so than any other affluent area of the greater LA area. And, contrary to disgruntled_la_native, my wife makes a heck of a lot more $ than I do. We have 2 kids, 3 dogs and there's not a white picket fence in sight. Oh, and we drive Fords and Hondas.

To each his/her own. As always, it's not for everyone. But it seems to be a mystery to many in West LA.