Los Angeles isn’t just the City of Angels, but also the city of stress and constant movement. A city built on entertainment, image and celebrities has a lot happening at all times, and going anywhere is a challenge. Living in Los Angeles might sound like the perfect life plan, but there are a few things to consider before thinking it is just another amazing city.
The jump from Ohio cornfields and small towns to lit buildings surrounded by mountains is huge, and there are many reasons why. Not all of the changes are great.
Know that when a person goes to Los Angeles, there is a great chance that person will spend a lot of money, even if living a “cheap” lifestyle. Gas prices are around two dollars more than in Ohio, and homes easily reach price tags in the millions. The major expenses also mean that there are so many people with life struggles. When everything costs more, affording basic needs becomes something people must work for.
When driving down the streets, overpasses consist of an array of homeless tents. It can hurt to see so much pain in a place where dreams are supposed to be within reach. The Los Angeles prices are an obstacle when spending even a short time in the city.
Another negative part of this dream city is the traffic. The freeways look as though each car is connected to another. Los Angeles is a very crowded area because of its history, opportunities and places to see. This also means that there are a lot of people on the roads around the same times. LAX was one of the busiest airports this year for the Fourth of July weekend. The roads were also full of people making road trips to surrounding areas.
People must also realize crowded and busy areas mean some places aren’t as clean or perfect as they are made out to be in online pictures. Many areas of The Hollywood Walk of Fame on Hollywood Boulevard are covered in trash and unkempt sidewalks.
Lastly, the air of a dry and busy city is less than wonderful. Los Angeles has earned 25 F’s on air quality. Wildfires, constant traffic, heat and pollutants are all factors. Although the air quality has improved, it still is some of the worst in the U.S.
Now, of course, Los Angeles isn’t all bad; it wouldn’t have the recognition it does if it wasn’t an enjoyable place to be. It does have a good amount of positives. The first is that driving down the street and seeing multiple movie studios in one drive is something that can’t be found anywhere else. California and its cities are places of creativity, and Los Angeles pretty much runs the world of entertainment. This is a significant feature of the city that can draw people in. The weather is also probably one of the most lovely parts of the city. The sun is out and humidity is down almost every single day. Summer days consist of basically no rain, and it's hard to feel gloomy because of bad weather when there isn’t any.
Overall, Los Angeles can be painted into a picture of perfection even though that isn’t the case. Like anywhere, it has downsides such as pricing, traffic and life struggles. Every city has its ups and downs and there are a lot of parts of Los Angeles that are wonderful, but it isn’t all glamorous.
Kyra Dapore is a junior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Kyra know by emailing her at kd364521@ohio.edu.
