Moving BACK to L.A.? (Los Angeles, Orange: how much, home, weddings)

[s0nginmyheart]

Has anyone ever left L.A. and eventually moved back? If so, where did you move to and why did you move back?

I left L.A. in 2008, partially being unhappy with the city in general, and the the rest just needing a big change in my life. I moved to Chicago and really love the city here. It's been really nice to be able to experience life, different perspectives, etc outside of the bubble. But now I find myself missing home a lot. In retrospect, I think the things I had been irked about when I left weren't so bad. I'd like to move back home eventually/soon.

So, I just want to know, if anyone has ever left L.A. and eventually came back. What drew you back?

[Charles]

Originally Posted by s0nginmyheart

Has anyone ever left L.A. and eventually moved back? If so, where did you move to and why did you move back?

I left L.A. in 2008, partially being unhappy with the city in general, and the the rest just needing a big change in my life. I moved to Chicago and really love the city here. It's been really nice to be able to experience life, different perspectives, etc outside of the bubble. But now I find myself missing home a lot. In retrospect, I think the things I had been irked about when I left weren't so bad. I'd like to move back home eventually/soon.

So, I just want to know, if anyone has ever left L.A. and eventually came back. What drew you back?

Bet you miss those 70F degree days from October through April too.

A lot of it may be personal; if your parents/family/kids etc are in LA, then flying to LA a couple times a year might not cut it.

Also, LA housing prices have fallen like a lead zeppelin since 2006.

[Island_OnThe_Land]

I left my native Los Angeles in 1996 to attend graduate school on the east coast (actually in the NYC area).

After finishing grad school I spent nearly 5 years in Washington, D.C. I returned to Los Angeles in 2002...and I will tell you that when I drove my car across the state line from Nevada into the Calif. desert I nealry KISSED the ground. I was very happy to return.

I left initially to try something new and get a new perspective. I found a lot I liked on the east coast: compact, walkable cities; very good public transit; cultural amenities.

That said, there were SOME things I did NOT like about the east coast and things I MISSED about So.Calif:

1) Dreadful weather...and I am really referring to the HORRIBLE humidity in the summers back east. The first witner or two was not that bad. However, I was younger than and I'd prefer to NEVER live in a "cold" climate again. Can't imagine a Chicago winter...that would drive me home FAST.

2) East coast attitude which attaches too much importance to "tradition" and "where you went to school" or "where you grew up" as oppposed to the Calif. attitude of who cares where you are from or where you attended school.

3) I missed that "laid back" So. Calif. lifestyle which is a combination of our pleasant climate AND the attitude of people which says....."be whatever you are...even if you are a bit odd or off-center...that is ok." Yes, LA Freeways are stressful....but man we are laid back in a very good way.

4) I cringed at the formality of the east coast. Jeans and casual wear in So.Calif. I'll never forget going to a bar on a Sat. night and seeing guys in jackets and ties. I asked my east coast friends, "Did they just come from a wedding?" The response, "No...they are just out on a Saturday night." Sorry, to me, a tie is like a noose around my kneck...very uncomfortable. I don't even wear them to weddings.

5) The GEOGRAPHIC Diversity of California is UNMATCHED anywhere in the USA. I really missed our dramatic landscapes...from ocean to mountains to desert. Yes, it is MORE green back there. But what a "boring" green it is. We have the HIGHEST point in the contiential USA and the LOWEST point in the entire USA all within like 100 or so miles in California.

6) LA's diversity is unmatched by any other city....other than perhaps NYC. Largest Korean pop. outside of So./No. Korea; largest Mexican pop. outside of Mexico; largest Persian population outside of Iran; Largest Aremenian pop. outside of Armenia; largest Slavordanian population outside of San Salvador; largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam (ok, that includes Orange County).

7) Last one is more of a minor complaint..hopefully not too trivial. But I really grew tired of the east coast stereotype that we Californians are all just a bunch of laid back, mindless beach bums. Yes, we are laid back in a GOOD way. But one day in Silcon Valley or at the Jet Propulsion Lab or at a Hollywood movie/television set will tell how hard Californians work and how much we contribute to the American economy.

[FrostyThe2nd]

I left LA for Seattle for a year followed by Las Vegas for another 2 years. I'm slowly moving back to LA and seriously, I feel like I'm crossing over to heaven. I took what LA had to offer for granted when I was living there.

What drew me back? It's a combination of things that makes LA home. Yes the same can be said of Seattle and Vegas, but LA's diversity provides just a right combination of things that makes me feel like I belong. I can draft out an endless list, but suffice to say there's no other city like LA.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Island_OnThe_Land

I left my native Los Angeles in 1996 to attend graduate school on the east coast (actually in the NYC area).

I'll assume your folks are in CA too. Another huge reason to want to come back.

[Island_OnThe_Land]

Originally Posted by Charles

I'll assume your folks are in CA too. Another huge reason to want to come back.

Friends and family were a big pull.....

[osuzana]

At least you left and experienced something new. I left for two years and moved back and I was sorry I did. I was able to see things that really bothered me about the L.A. lifestyle that I wasn't around for a few years. A fake, materialistic showiness that was not the norm where I had moved to and I really appreciated not being around it for those short two years. It just hit me like a ton of bricks when I moved back and found that it was me that had changed and what was once acceptable and normal no longer was to me.

[Jonah1979]

My half brother was born and raised in SoCal and has lived in northern georgia for the last 3 years. He came back to visit and his question a few days into his trip was "how the heck did I ever stand this place?" So I guess it's a matter of perspective.

It took me nearly 4 years to adjust to california...I wanted to leave bad for most of those years. I think anyone who moves away from home really has to give it about 5 years and really settle in.

[readymade]

I moved to LA from Boston 10 years ago. I lived in LA for 4 years and then my husband & I moved to Ventura because we wanted to be able to afford to buy a house. we didn't like living in Ventura (was there for 4 years) and found myself driving down to LA (anywhere from 1 to 2 1/2 hours) more and more just to have stuff to do. Still couldn't afford anything in LA, though, so we moved to Austin, TX. Oh my god, the HEAT! And just couldn't reconcile myself to living in Texas... and even the coolness of Austin didn't make up for it. I got pregnant so we decided to move "back home" to Boston last November to be closer to my family. The winter just about killed us PLUS pretty much everything Island_OnThe_Land said. Add to that: the driving is hellish. Driving in LA is heaven compared to Boston, believe it or not! The people are miserable, and my husband pointed out that everywhere we look... someone is limping. Seriously. We call it "broken foot syndrome." And, for the first time in my life... my joints hurt. I don't know if it's coincidence, result of my pregnancy or getting older, but it started as soon as we moved here. I don't move as much here because it's always so crappy out and it's easier just to stay inside.

We hate it here.

So, after our nationwide tour, we're moving back to LA this summer/fall. I can't wait! It's the only place I've lived that I've ever been happy about. I miss my friends. I miss palm trees. I miss the fantastic weather. And, given the choice between east coast rudeness and west coast phoniness... I'll take the phoniness. It doesn't **** me off as much as rudeness, and I can laugh at it.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by readymade

we wanted to be able to afford to buy a house.
we didn't like living in Ventura
couldn't afford anything in LA,

we're moving back to LA this summer/fall.

Where will jobs be?
So where are you looking to live?