There is nothing simple about Los Angeles, and the feelings we
have about it are no exception. But even if you hate it ““ it
is currently trendy to hate L.A. ““ there is something to be
said for its complexity and the traits that ultimately make it the
perfect town in which to be a student.
When I go home to Chicago for the holidays, I get asked where I
go to school, and I say UCLA. The next question, without fail, is,
“Oh, do you like Los Angeles?”
To those who don’t live here, the question is simple
enough ““ like asking if I like cheese or if I have ever been
to South America. I assume these well-meaning people are looking
for a simple yes or no, a smile, a handshake and a quick return to
wherever it is they came from.
And while I don’t know what they are expecting, I can tell
by their expressions that they aren’t expecting the truth: an
eruption into a spontaneous tirade of examples, counterexamples and
the love and hatred of juxtaposed polar opposites.
This is helpful because it leaves the person both interested and
annoyed, which conveniently happens to be an almost perfect
simulation for actually being in this city.
Chris Tajer, a UCLA alumnus, grew up here and said he never
wants to leave. “I’ll visit other places, but why would
I live anywhere else?” he said. “L.A. has
everything.”
But for all its strengths, there are some things that Tajer
can’t stand. “I hate the traffic. … And the trends
make me want to punch somebody.”
Joseph Mason, on the other hand, graduated last year and left as
soon as he could get out.
Mason grew up in San Dimas, not far from Los Angeles, and has
since moved to San Francisco. “There’s no way I would
live in L.A. for the long term,” he said. “But I do
miss Hollywood. I’ve had some good nights out there, and
there really is no substitute.”
I don’t understand how anyone could simply adore or detest
Los Angeles. Like most cities ““ but even more so ““
it’s too big for that. There are far too many things that are
diametrically opposed to one another to feel any one way about
it.
Whatever you like or dislike, there is sure to be the exact
opposite within an hour’s drive.
For my part, I hate this place. And I love it. I don’t
like the materialism, but then there’s Venice Beach. I
don’t like how Los Angeles sprawls, but I enjoy that I could
live my whole life here and never go to the same place twice.
More than anything, I don’t like the values and character
of this city and its stereotypical “L.A. people.”
The demographics are obviously different for college students
because many of us come from other places, and we have selected Los
Angeles ““ for one reason or another ““ as a place to go
to school. And while I may have distaste for this place, college
life in this city has been great.
It is in this regard that the city shines, and we as students
are particularly lucky that we get the best of it. Los Angeles is
the perfect place to go to school, precisely because there is so
much to respond to.
Mark Twain is credited with saying, “I have never let my
schooling interfere with my education,” which ““ for
good or ill ““ is exactly how a great number of us probably
feel about UCLA.
College is as much an opportunity to be adventurous and gain
life experience as it is a time to learn about fluid dynamics or
“The Canterbury Tales.”
For a group of people inclined to collect experiences and learn
new things, Los Angeles is an ideal place to be. I have never been
to a place as predisposed to the concept of discovering one’s
own interests and passions as this one, and in its breadth, this
beast of a city offers something oddly personal.
Beyond my dichotomous feelings for Los Angeles itself, this
really is a great place to go to school, and my affection for its
parts is an addendum I find absolutely necessary to include.
And while I would sooner amputate my own legs than live in Los
Angeles after college, here and now it’s a good place to be.
I don’t mind saying I love this city. But I also kind of hate
it.
If you like O’Bryan or hate him, e-mail him at
jobryan@media.ucla.edu. Send
general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.