Just spent two weeks in Southern California...... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Mr.Kenny · #1 09-04-2014, 11:51 AM

Impressions of southern California after being gone for 20 years.

1. I quickly came to the conclusion that Mexico and Asia must be totally empty. .... the crowds of people & cars is incredible. ...Lots of pedestrians. Pedestrians have the right of way; (unlike here in Springfield, Mo).

2. Pollution laws and smog controls Worked.....I have never seen the skies so clean over L.A.; my lungs & eyes didn't burn even once. Also The gasoline smells different and cleaner. Prius taxis everywhere.

3. Domestic cars must have been outlawed in Southern Calif.; there were so few of them; but yet there were a lot of "vintage" Japanese cars.
( Rust and climate extremes must kill cars.)

4. Excellent food and a wide variety of it.

5. Remember to bring shopping bags to the grocery store.......narf.

6. Most importantly; Bring Money... What used to be free or cheap, you pay dearly.

7. Oh, did I say it was crowded?

tjts1 · #2 09-04-2014, 12:03 PM

iwrock · #3 09-04-2014, 12:09 PM

Going to be down there this weekend.

Actually - I'm about to jump in the car and roll down there...!

suginami · #4 09-04-2014, 01:30 PM

That's the impression my wife's family had when they came out from Japan.

They understand that the U.S. is still mostly caucasian (it's actually 75% white as of the last census), but they were stunned that they weren't seeing very many white people here.

Southern California, especially LA, is predominantly Hispanic (of which most, about 85%, are Mexican). The people that I work with here at the plant are nearly all of Mexian descent, and they call this state Mexifornia.

My wife's family was also surprised that the town where we live here in So. Cal. has a majority Asian population.

Jorn · #5 09-04-2014, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suginami

That's the impression my wife's family had when they came out from Japan.

They understand that the U.S. is still mostly caucasian (it's actually 75% white as of the last census), but they were stunned that they weren't seeing very many white people here.

Southern California, especially LA, is predominantly Hispanic (of which most, about 85%, are Mexican). The people that I work with here at the plant are nearly all of Mexian descent, and they call this state Mexifornia.

My wife's family was also surprised that the town where we live here in So. Cal. has a majority Asian population.

That's why I love LA, the diversity. And because of that no where in the world you can get better food as in Los Angeles. Would not want to live anywhere else.

strelnik · #6 09-04-2014, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jorn

That's why I love LA, the diversity. And because of that no where in the world you can get better food as in Los Angeles. Would not want to live anywhere else.

The food in:

Caracas

Bordeaux

Beijing

Reykyavik

Ankara

Naples

NYC

is pretty hard to beat

Let's say it might be a tie with LA?

Jorn · #7 09-04-2014, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strelnik

The food in:

Caracas

Bordeaux

Beijing

Reykyavik

Ankara

Naples

NYC

is pretty hard to beat

Let's say it might be a tie with LA?

Believe it or not but Chinese food in China is horrible and when it's good it's extremely expensive.

The good thing about LA is that we have an abundance of fresh produce and restaurants can stay authentic to their roots. In most other places they have to cater to the original population to stay in business, not in LA.

The Chinese restaurants in San Gabriel are considered the best in the World. And it's cheap.

The food in NY is good, but it will cost you.

Skid Row Joe · #8 09-04-2014, 10:05 PM

The entire Country is becoming a Southwestern border town. The lower-wages brought on by the huge influx of uneducated and un/under-employed labor is quickly bringing down the lower-end, at-risk fringes of the middle-class. The onset of the welfare State is basically more and more of the population. It's quite a sight to see everywhere in the U.S.

tjts1 · #9 09-04-2014, 10:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

Ok sunshine, whatever you say.

Jim B. · #10 09-04-2014, 11:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skid Row Joe

The entire Country is becoming a Southwestern border town. The lower-wages brought on by the huge influx of uneducated and un/under-employed labor is quickly bringing down the lower-end, at-risk fringes of the middle-class. The onset of the welfare State is basically more and more of the population. It's quite a sight to see everywhere in the U.S.

Yes that's becoming true everywhere, but we are a dynamic society, things do change, that is how it is; and with this situation, I do have to admit it helps a little to be able to speak in Spanish a little bit now and then when I am out and about.

And yes the fabric of the white middle class has indeed frayed, and is being ruint by excessive taxes, but it is still there and the remains the primary driver of the consumer economy.

Though illegal immigration, is truly out of control and nobody has the political will to do anything about it, unfortunately.

Skippy · #11 09-05-2014, 07:17 AM

I get down to San Diego for work a couple times a year. Aside from the traffic at Naval Base San Diego (aka 32nd St.) in the morning, I actually like driving in SoCal. Most people drive like they know what they're doing and have someplace to be. The food there, especially Mexican is AMAZING. However I wouldn't want to live there due to the ridiculous gun laws, the strict but admittedly necessary smog laws, and the cost of living. I'd probably have to make at least 60% more than I do now to maintain the same standard of living there that I have in Cartoon City. And you can't smoke in a bar in California.

strelnik · #12 09-05-2014, 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jorn

Believe it or not but Chinese food in China is horrible and when it's good it's extremely expensive.

The good thing about LA is that we have an abundance of fresh produce and restaurants can stay authentic to their roots. In most other places they have to cater to the original population to stay in business, not in LA.

The Chinese restaurants in San Gabriel are considered the best in the World. And it's cheap.

The food in NY is good, but it will cost you.

Chinese food in Beijing is definitely not as tasty as Shanghai, agreed. But there's a place in Beijing called Rick's Cafe where you can get genuine Texas chili, if you are homesick. WITH pinto beans (imported).

All the places I mentioned like Caracas etc have food just as fresh as LA, which is a diverse place but it isn't the Mecca of US restaurants, or world restaurants for that matter.

You can find great fresh food in Marseilles, Ankara, Casablanca, Madrid and many others.

Each has great food and bad food. Thus, a tie, no clear winner across the board.

spdrun · #13 09-05-2014, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skippy

I get down to San Diego for work a couple times a year. Aside from the traffic at Naval Base San Diego (aka 32nd St.) in the morning, I actually like driving in SoCal. Most people drive like they know what they're doing and have someplace to be. The food there, especially Mexican is AMAZING. However I wouldn't want to live there due to the ridiculous gun laws, the strict but admittedly necessary smog laws, and the cost of living. I'd probably have to make at least 60% more than I do now to maintain the same standard of living there that I have in Cartoon City. And you can't smoke in a bar in California.

You can smoke outside a bar, in a gazebo. With the local climate, that works just fine.

Drivers? They're fine in dry weather, though they tailgate like idiots. When a bit of rain falls, a whole different ball game happens on the freeways. I will give rural CA mountain drivers that they're good, and FAST on the winding mountain roads.

Gun laws? Not really that hard to own a gun, just to carry one and own certain models of gun. But buying (let's say) a revolver is a lot easier and laxer than in NYC, NJ, or some other Eastern states.

As far as it being expensive, property taxes are low (managed by Prop 13) and you can find a fixer-upper 2 bedroom condo in the SD area for under $200k under the right circumstances. Still.

(Writing this from an MD-80 somewhere over Kentucky headed for the other coast

)

Mr.Kenny · #14 09-05-2014, 12:43 PM

My daughter kept taking us to best cheap food joints in L.A.; now has ruined us for Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean food.
YELPs #6 highest rated restaurant...this little Ramen joint in little Tokyo.
....9:00 P.M. Wednesday night & still had to wait 40 minutes.....
.....so we walked the Japanese mall & shops while waiting.
Another cheap crowded place was Sam Woo's in Chinatown @ 10 P.M.

ramonajim · #15 09-05-2014, 01:48 PM

Years 1.5 through 45 spent in San Diego county. Really have no interest in living there ever again.

Drivers? Not the best, not the worst, but dear dog in heaven..... having no precipitation 361 days of the year (and zero snow) translates into a world where huge portions of the people barreling down the 5 with you are driving on seriously bald tires. Still chuckle at the accident counts when it sprinkles

Plenty of good (and plenty of really, really bad) food options in San Diego and LA. Then again, finding good food isn't really that hard if you've got a willingness to try the dives and time to explore. And no, the "Chinese" food in 98% of US restaurants isn't anything like what the locals eat in Shenzhen or in Shunde.