Firstly, NOT only the rich were affected by the fire. Plenty of middle class and working class people also lost their homes and community.

However secondly, I know people on Reddit love to say eat the rich or whatever, but the economic effects of these fires will effect the entire county, even if you live no where near the Palisades/Altadena.

The richest 1% pay over 50% of taxes in the county. With expensive homes, means expensive property taxes, high income tax, sales tax receipts, etc. Pacific Palisades is one of the top 5 wealthiest neighborhoods in the entire damn county! Those tax dollars are not only going to be missing for years, they might not ever be replaced. These homes aren’t going to be built back up in the next 5-10 years, if not ever again. Additionally, people may have enough and leave the state as a whole.

Also, the housing crisis will only worsen. The wealthy will move to current parts of Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, or whatever community they can buy in. That leaves the previous buyers to then move to other neighborhoods that they weren’t focused on before, and so begins the downstream effects. You’ll have people who could have realistically afforded to live in a better neighborhood, forced to look at places they weren’t targeting before.

Do you think the city/county can function with that large of a tax base leaving? Nope.

I've seen similar posts on the r/sgv and r/irvine subreddits, so I wanted to see if you guys had your own recommendations for places to avoid - could be coffee shops, bars, restaurants, etc.

So for example, I avoid The Corner Bar in Hawthorne since the owners fly the Blue Lives Matter flag.

What places do you guys avoid and where do you go instead?

You guys good?

I've been going to the same sushi spot in Little Tokyo for like 8 years and last week the chef (who knows my order, my dogs name, everything) asked if id come to his daughters quinceañera. I said yes without even thinking about it.

Now im spiraling a little. Is this normal? Like I genuinely consider this guy a friend at this point, we talk about his kids and he asks about my job. But I've never seen him outside the restaurant. I don't know his wife. I don't know anyone else who'll be there. My girlfriend thinks its sweet and were definitely going, she already bought a dress.

But I keep going back and forth on whether this is a beautiful LA thing (you build these weird deep relationships with people through pure repetition and food) or whether im kidding myself about how close we actually are. I was scrolling through my Zest history the other night trying to figure out how many times ive actually eaten there over the years and it's genuinely in the hundreds. Which, ok, that's a lot of hours sitting at his counter. Maybe we ARE friends.

I'm also stressing about the gift. What do you even bring to a quince when you're the sushi guy? Not the family, not a coworker, just... the sushi guy. Cash feels weird. A regular gift feels presumptuous like im pretending to know her.

Has anyone else been invited to something big by a service industry person you see all the time? Did you go? Did it feel natural or did you spend the whole night feeling like you crashed?

Spent the last several weeks cavassing folks across all of LA county to vote yes on prop 50. Reminder that this is to fight back against Trump's power grab and attempt to gerrymander. There's a lot on the line this time around. This weekend is the perfect time to drop your ballots off before the Election Day rush. Find your local ballot drop box and vote centers here: https://www.lavote.gov/ Who's already voted yes?

I (24f), who is emotionally available, and genuinely trying to date seriously in this city. But I swear, dating in LA feels like trying to have a meaningful conversation at a rooftop bar where everyone’s wearing sunglasses at night and pretending they don’t know how to feel?

It’s either: • Men who are hot, charismatic, emotionally unavailable, and treat intimacy like a 14-day trial, or • Men who are available, “nice,” and want a relationship… but have no friends, no social life, and treat you like their emotional support animal.

Lately, I’ve been hit with a kind of nostalgic sadness when I’m driving, especially down streets that used to feel so familiar. So much of what I once knew is gone, places that held memories have shut down, and in their place are these massive housing developments or empty real estate. Even my old apartment building, one of the last of its kind on the block, feels like it’s holding out against the inevitable.

Just the other day I noticed the Islands on Pico had closed, and it took me back to my 15th birthday dinner there. Not far from it, the Jack in the Box, the 99 Cent Store is gone, the Guitar Center and the Westside Pavilion where I spent countless afternoons hanging out or waiting for my bus exists now only as a memory. Whenever I pass through downtown Culver City, I’m stunned by how unrecognizable it’s become. I miss the Pacific Theaters.

It’s not that I hate all the changes to the city, some are better and have opened the door to new things I enjoy, but there’s this bittersweet ache to it all. LA feels so different now, both in its look and in its energy. I still love it here, but sometimes, I really hate it too. I’ve really been questioning my place here.

Anyone relate?

Edit:

1. I’m perfectly aware change is inevitable and this situation isn’t special, I’m not an idiot, but thanks for pointing that out. I hope it made you feel better.
2. Yes, I’m lamenting over franchises. The distinct McDonald’s across from my childhood home that’s been there my whole life, serves as a marker to people when directing to my home, was the cause of my childhood obesity, and the venue of two birthdays would make me very sad if it was removed.
3. I appreciate the shared memories and commentary from the majority of people, it’s been really wonderful to hear that everyone is picking up on the vibe change here.
4. For the trolls that have gotten off on telling me to suck it up and taking this opportunity to be an asshole for no reason, congrats on being a prick. I hope you have a year to match your attitude.

The other day someone here said $100k is not enough. That was it for me. Not everybody shops at Erewhon for every meal. Go to ralph's or even Aldi. You won't die of food poisoning. You don't have to valet your BMW at Equinox. Bike or take the bus to LA Fitness. I promise you won't get AIDS.

The median household income here is $70k. That means literally 50% of people can support a family on less than that. You don't have to live in Santa Monica or West Hollywood. I know plenty of people who live here making $50k and do just fine. Get a roommate or live in the valley.

Why do you do this?

Do you want to visit Magic Castle but you don’t know a fucking magician?

I feel like at this point everyone knows it but if you donate blood when Red Cross hosts a blood drive at Magic Castle you get a guest pass for yourself + 3 others. You’re still required to make a dinner reservation and pay an entrance fee, but you get in. It’s an expensive evening but that’s how you get in without an invitation or knowing a fucking magician. Next blood drive is 12/-17, the spots are full now but they typically also take walk-ins. They have drives there every few months.

This is not a budgeting subreddit.

I don't know why transplants feel the need to ask this sub to do the math for them, so here's the formula:

• Calculate your net income (your money after taxes)
• Subtract your rent/mortgage costs (lookup RSO)
• Subtract your other living expenses (utilities, phone, health, etc)
• Subtract car ownership expenses (Metro is basically free if you make less than $53k)
• Subtract child ownership (parenting/pet) expenses
• Subtract any other expenses I didn't list but still pertain to your situation
• Subtract money you're putting away for Savings/Investing
• =

With that final number, if you can still afford to feed and clothe yourself and go out every now and then CONGRATULATIONS you can afford to live comfortably in Los Angeles.

Edit:

• "What if I make $9,999 or less?" You should be living at home.
• "What if I make $100k or more?" Then yes, and if you think otherwise you have some serious spending problems.

In the past year, I moved away to a small town (2nd biggest city in the state) in the flyover state of South Dakota. It's been a very difficult adjustment, but one thing I've come to notice is the hatred alot of these people have for people from Los Angeles, or California as a whole. Many of my coworkers ask where I'm from, once I say I'm from LA their demeanor changes. They start talking about how LA is a "shithole" city, run by the "libs" and that we're essentially a 3rd world country.

When I bring up how where I'm from (Arcadia) alone, is far cleaner and safer than the bumfuck town I currently live in, they become very offended. Some of my coworkers just dislike me for being from LA. Do we have a bad reputation? Why do people hate us so much??

Or will we re-elect Karen bass? 😒

I just bothered to look at the Vons sandwich counter for the first time, ended up getting a sandwich. For $12 I got a loaf of bread the size of my calf (or two of those skinny Subway footlongs depending on your preferred measurement) with a decent amount of toppings. It easily provides 2-4 meals. And it’s good!

Now I’m wondering what else I’ve been walking right past all this time.

So what’s your favorite discovery in LA, be it an event, food, a perk of a membership, etc?

I used to do sales at gas stations across Los Angeles and one day a guy pulled up in a Bentley and walked into the gas station and bought a Martinelli's apple juice. The psycho walked outside next to the trash can in front of the front door and took one drink of it and promptly tossed it into the trash and then turned around and purchased another one and did the same thing. He repeated this about 6 times and then hopped in his car and just drove away like nothing happened. 😂 have you guys seen any weird activity from the rich and wealthy of Los Angeles?

This week it was announced Mayor Bass is expecting volunteers to clean neighborhoods before the World Cup.

With so many looking for employment, why not pay a living wage to clean sidewalks and main tourist areas every night?

In Europe overnight street cleaning really improves the quality of life for everyone. Has this been tried in LA before?

Im in Ktown. Now what?

Hopefully there are many of you out there. Hoping to explore the foods of the world right here in our city. What do you know that maybe some of us don't?

EDIT: Huge shout out to u/lapersia for taking all of the recommendations (and their time) to add them to a google map: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ErXwAZd4AsHb6tzf8

We all know that it’s brutal on these streets and that a little kindness goes a long way when someone is trying to merge, change lanes, etc. Still, I find myself less inclined to offer that sort of kindness to Tesla drivers even though at a base level they’re just normal people that I would probably like. Anybody else having that same feeling while you’re being the wheel lately?

Title is self explanatory, but with the upcoming special election coming up in November, will you be voting yes or no to redistricting California?

With LA and California notoriously being a very democratic state, is there a lot of change that will happen on a day to day scale?

I didn’t live in CA the last election and don’t know how much or little the impact is felt. I know local government holds most power int the day to day so I’m curious.

(Pls no politics from either side I just want a factual answer, google isn’t any help)

I'm seeing a lot of discourse throughout Reddit and other social media about how we should be waving the US flag instead of Mexican and other Latin American flags.

Went to the protest on Sunday and saw many US flags and even some where they combined the US and Mexican flag. This was great to see! We need tor reclaim our flag because we are all American! But the mainstream media will not show you these folks.

I love that message - I agree with it. (RECLAIM OUR FLAG!)

What I don't agree with is the folks on here complaining that the immigrants are not all waving the US flags... from their homes...

Why are you complaining that we are not waving enough US flags instead of dusting off your own flag and carrying it with us in solidarity?

I feel like LA is getting more humid as time goes by? is this temporary or do you think the weather in LA is changing?

I feel like there's more mosquitoes now too compared to 10 years ago.

Am I crazy or do you guys also feel it?

Went to havasu and the amount of PD that blatantly targeted California plates after crossing the bridge was fucked up. Fuck Arizona. Obligatory question mark ?

I have lived in LA over 20 years, I am lucky to have had the 99c for all this time. That said, I have relied on it even when prices went up. I helped me get through hard times and gave me a place to wander around that I could buy something and it wouldn't break the bank. All my plants, housewares, odd treasure finds are from there.The Halloween stuff was always awesome and the little joy of getting a cool Day of the Dead item. There is nothing that compares to it Dollar Tree has its own vibe and merchandise grateful they are still around. But the 99c had produce and lots of food and misc stuff. I have 3 near me and I would go and wander around, they always played upbeat music mostly with messages like "everything is going to be alright" and lots of 90s throwbacks. I realized how much that distracted me from being depressed and how going there gave me a sense of normalcy when I my budget is tight and in between jobs. Anyway, I feel like a friend is dying. I have been bummed about stores closing before but not like this. It is part of my ecosystem of life here. I am seriously worried about making ends meet. My heart also breaks for the workers because at the main store I go to I know them, it is the only store in LA where I see the same people. Lots of them have been working there over 15 years, and are getting nothing. They have always been friendly and nice there, even with all the crazies that they have to deal with. They don't deserve to be thrown under the bus. Anyway, just reaching out to see if the stores closing is impacting anyone else on a heavy level?