Love/hate relationships with the place you live

Where is the love for East Bay ART CARS?

http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/news/2000/00sep/images/howberkeley.jpg
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http://www.sonic.net/~imogen/Berkeley/tn/art_car_front.med.jpg

I drove 300 miles yesterday to buy decent beer.

I love the fact that I can get good food pretty much any time of the day here. I love that I can end up at a total stranger's house at 5:00 AM, pissed up and chatting about the relative merits of The Streets' two albums like I've known everyone there for years rather than hours. I love that I get paid money to program drum and keyboard tracks, something I've been doing since I was a child.

I hate that most of the downtown is going condo. I hate that people are fleeing the downtown to become the kind of well-meaning-but-ultimately-completely-clueless middle class weebles that I left my hometown in order to escape. I hate the sense of entitlement that said weebles radiate when they have to come back downtown to work and get their shopping done. I hate that I have to work three jobs to have a somewhat decent standard of living. (I made the mistake of getting an arts degree, y'see.) Oh, I really hate the Eaton Centre come late November, when Christmas shopping approaches critical mass.

Whhen I first moved here I didn't like it so much, but i've grown to like it quite a bit. The best record stores I've ever been to, great live music scene for the most part, great restaurants, attractive girls, freedom to follow certain dreams without people looking at you like you're crazy.

lots of minuses as well: shittier drivers than anywhere else I've been, not enough parks on the Hollywood side, too much cocaine (which depresses me)

As cited above, it's opporessively expensive, and grows ever more so with each passing year. Gentrification has taken root in many once cool (though not recently) neighborhoods. Schools, along with being crazy expensive, are also wildly exclusive and selective about who they'll accept. There's a New World Order aura of menacing "wellness" that has infected the city's nightlife culture -- no dancing, no smoking in bars (look, I'm not a smoker, but if ya can't smoke in a fuckin' bar, where can you? It's ridiculous),....pretty soon, there'll be no drinking and no talking in bars too. Big outlet stores are squashing Mom'n'Pop stores. In the last couple of weeks, Joe's Pizza on Bleeker & Carmine Streets -- easily my favorite of the past two decades -- closed its doors. So did fab-o Greek restaurant ,Gus's Place on Waverly. Grange Hall closed. The Bellevue Bar splintered recently, I gather (haven't been recently), and supposedly everything that was cool about it is now gone. Record stores that I once loved have either entirely vanished or are desperatedly struggling to get by. Likewise live music venues. Shit's changing left and right, and not for the better.

But, y'know, it's my home. Grew up there, and I honestly can't imagine living anywhere else.

Oppressively!

Unfortunately, wages are low. Way too many HS dropouts. Some of our elected representatives still want to overturn civil unions.

Fuckit. I'm never goin' back.

i can. i have. but i can never stay away for long.

-- great sports teams totally SPOILED by their assholish fans and even more assholish sports writers who expect that said teams WIN EVERY DAMN TIME (not just the yankees and the nauseous/kinda funny whining re their loss to the red sox -- every NYC paper was unreadable this past week on account of chickenshit sports writers wringing out poor chad pennington b/c his team had the unmitigated audacity to lose against the current NFL champions who've been undefeated for the past year).

-- a music scene that is on the whole pretty good but NOWHERE NEAR WHAT IT WAS in the past (and invokes the ghosts of the velvet underground/CBGBs/the limelight/old-school whenever anyone points out that its current product is merely OK).

-- some of the best and brightest professionals anywhere in the world, some of whom are also some of the most insufferably ARROGANT and ELITIST motherfuckers who've walked the world since the romanovs.

-- skin-deep cosmopolitanism masking the fact that manhattan can be TEN TIMES MORE PROVINCIAL than just about any east bumblefuck, flyover-country small town anywhere.

OTFM

plus: cheap good diners EVERYWHERE. the shore. a well-educated, cosmopolitan, sophisticated, prosperous, diverse population. surprisingly tranquil islands of serenity (w/n driving distance of NYC and Philly). being able to pick and choose the best of NYC and Philly, or ignore both/either if you feel like it. some non-NJers seem to think that the state has charm and character. good schools.

minus: cheap BAD diners everywhere. the police at the shore. a thriving subculture of lunkheads (many of whom live in hoboken and jersey city and migrate into NYC). that the stereotypical depiction of the "typical NJer" actually exists. that some non-NJers think that said lunkheads and stereotypes are ALL NJers. that it takes a real effort to ignore NYC and Philly if yer inclined to do so (though it's not impossible). proximity to Staten Island. the inability to differentiate b/w residents of Staten Island and residents of Middlesex County. Newark and Camden. high cost-of-living. the steadfast refusal of NJ employers to acknowledge that NJ has a high cost-of-living (b/c NJ is not as expensive as either NYC or Philly, therefore you don't get paid as much working in NJ as you would working in NYC or Philly). public school/governmental bureaucracy, corruption, and incompetence (a kafkaesque nightmare that would put the brezhnev-era USSR to shame).

Credits:

— For what it is and how many people it has, the arts community could be a damned lot worse. Heck, we might be doing "alright" compared to communities twice our size.

— Minneapolis has, building for building, one of the most attractive skylines in the nation. Only one major dud in the entire line-up. (That pedestrian, perforated white cigarette carton, whatever it is.)

— The four major sports teams (Twins/T-Wolves/Vikings/Wild) have all had fantastic, entertaining seasons in the last few years (or, in the case of the Vikings, fantastic entertaining meltdowns that are, in many ways, every bit as satisfying).

— We just recently started getting The Onion for free in streetcorner kiosks.

— This probably says a lot about my psychological state of mind, but there's something really comforting about living in your hometown.

— I'm too much a native to really say if it's true or a myth, but Minnesota Nice.

Debits:

— Traffic is absolutely unacceptable; the Cities are so much shaped like a perfect set of orbits (like the Target logo, nearly) that it's really insulting that it takes me more than a half-hour to get the ten or fifteen miles from downtown Mpls. to the second-tier suburbs during rush hour. The recently christened "light-rail" train is the proverbial thimble against a crumbling dam.

— This might not be as evident in, say, Fargo, but hotties' hotness comes somewhat overwhelmingly in the vanilla strains (I like me some Rainbow Coalition lust).

— Some people are masochistic fans of our winters. I am not.

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On another note, I just came back from a trip to NYC, and it's nice to hear all the reasons I should immediately stop wishing I lived there. (Of course, none of them can stand against my reason to emigrate: living in NYC seems to be nearly mandatory if you want to be a serious film buff.)

Hi,
I recently visited LA for a week and I had a simple question for people that live in Los Angeles.

How does it make you feel that New York City is such a cooler, classier, and more amazing place compared to Los Angeles?

Just curious. :)

re: Why the NY vs LA
Reply to: [email protected]
Date: 2004-10-29, 2:45PM PDT

someone said:
"In reality, think about why NYC was chosen? Because it is a financial leader"

I say:
That's right, baby! We are the financial leader! Woo Hoo! We have more money that you plastic LA crap fools!!! Ha ha ha! NY rules the money! Wall Street baby! Wall Street will kick the shit out of downtown LA. The West Village could manhandle West LA in a gay/lesbian rumble. Furthermore, Susan Sarandon, who lives in NY can kick Goldie Hawn's ass, baby!!!!!

Hudson River, baby! East River! Long Island Sound, Atlantic Ocean! Our water could kick the shit out of the Pacific Ocean in a fight!

Soho baby! Woo hoo. Melrose is nothing compared to Soho. Soho could kick the living poop out of Melrose in costs!! Our Kenneth Cole is way more expensive than yours and we can afford it baby!

NY chicks vs LA chicks
Reply to: [email protected]
Date: 2004-10-20, 10:49AM EDT

As a man who had the misfortune of being stuck in the hell that is Los Angeles for two years, I feel well-qualified to give you a rundown on the differences.

NY women:
- smart, classy, successful
- sharp dressers - good sense of style, not cheesy, funky, original, sophisticated and cool
- informed about the world, know about the arts (movies are NOT the arts, at least 99% of them), not afraid to have an opinion and express it
- worldly, open to new cultures and new things, true individuals
- great bodies - not plastic, not Barbies but in shape
- bit of an attitude, but only seldom bitchy

LA women:
- a bit dim (even the well-educated ones dumb themselves down so much it's a royal surprise when you see their degrees)
- horrible dressers - all flipflops and clothes that are way too tight and revealing to be sexy, they just look trashy. I think it's in today's Post where John Waters says that every woman in LA looks like a prostitute -- TRUE! -and this look, ladies, is not sexy
- fake bodies - they may be thin but it just don't look right!
- narrow-minded - LA might be an ethnically diverse place but you'd never know it -- everyone stays in their own enclaves and moves from enclave to enclave in their own cars
- not interested in anything other than movies and clubs -- so lame! cannot have a conversation with these women that does not reference People or US Weekly
- WAY too much attitude -- a bunch of entitled whiners for the most part.

Now I am totally aware that you can find women of the LA persuasion in NYC and vice versa, I am just talking generally, and by and large, I find that these descriptions have held true. Thank you sweet Jesus for getting my ass back to NY.

this is in or around NYC, thank the good lord
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

re: To the intelligent person
Reply to: [email protected]
Date: 2004-10-29, 2:53PM PDT

Fuck you, you smart ass fucker. If you knew anything about NY, you would know that Astoria has some of the best food in the city. Queens is the most ethically diverse county in the WORLD. Your rich sister deals with Queens people every day on the subway you idiot.

Touring shows are RECYCLED. The often have NO LIFE to them. The original cast of most Broadway shows is so much better in quality than the touring companies. Obviously, you wouldn't know a good work of theatre if it smacked you in the face.

Your fool! Moma is $12 now. When the new building opens, it will be a $20 SUGGESTED DONATION. Check for yourself idiot: http://newyork.urbanbaby.com/play/museums_cont.html
You said our museums are $20. You were WRONG. Wrong wrong wrong. Ha ha ha .
Plastic face!!!! I go to museums all the time you assuming shit face.

Our former mayor begged people to come and, guess what, THEY CAME!!!! You fool! We have jobs here! Tourism is at pre-911 levels.

Face it. We rule your asses and LA is not a real city. It is a sprawling suburban metropolis wasteland.

Mwaaa haa haaa haaa haaaaaaaa! I'm so evil and bitchy!!!!

To the LA native
Reply to: [email protected]
Date: 2004-10-29, 6:37PM PDT

Yeah, go ahead and flag me. You can't take it. LA is NOT NOT NOT the biggest melting pot in the world. That is pure Bullshit. NYC has way more diversity than you can imagine. Just visit Brooklyn and Queens and you will know. More than 5 million people live in those two boroughs alone.

By the way, the sun is beautiful here. It has been about 60 degrees this Fall. The fall colors are amazing. The air is clear (unlike smog-city over there) and the diversity is amazing.

Also, you are the Film and television capital of the world. There are other forms of entertainment like theatre, opera, music, comedy, dance etc in which we KICK YOUR ASS IN.

Who won the emmy for best show? Sex and the City. Filmed where? NYC
Other NYC awards this year include:
The Sopranos
Angels in America
Law and Order

We have more theatre, opera, music, dance, comedy. We also RULE the day time television scene. WE RULE THAT SCENE. New York is THE capital of the world.

Face it. All you know how to do is make films and every now and then they are good.

I am a nice girl. I love my life, my family, and the city I live in. I've been to LA many times before my last visit which lasted a week.

I like LA and I never said anything insulting about it. I just think it is a joke compared to NY.

You do NOT have broadway shows. You have TOURING companies. Your art museums do not even come CLOSE to the plethora of museums that we have. We have much more modern architecture than you and we are CONSTANTLY building new skyscrapers including the TALLEST BUIDLING IN THE WORLD: THE FREEDOM TOWER, which is being constructed as we speak. We have suffered 4 deadly terrorist attacks - yes 4! Read your history. And, we still build, climb, and profit.

LA theater is a joke. Don't even try to compare your theatre with ours.

I'll go back to LA for sure. I have lots of friends there that I love. Some of them really like it there.

And, to the intelligent person who said that San Francisco is better than both cities: dream on! It is a wonderful city, yes. But, it is no NY.

Why don't we just agree that all cities in the world are different and they each share their good points and their bad points. The only exception to this rule is New York City which is greater than any other city in the history of the world. Can't we just agree on that?
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BTW, my NY'er friends, this is what it looks like right now in our wonderful city, palm trees blowing, sun out, blue skies....... how's the sun and/or blue skies working out for you over on the East Coast?

this is in or around NY - the city that puts LA to shame
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

Why don't we just agree that all cities in the world are different and they each share their good points and their bad points. The only exception to this rule is New York City which is greater than any other city in the history of the world. Can't we just agree on that?

-- Eric H. (ephende...), October 30th, 2004.

I think some of us Angelenos would have a few issues with that statement, Mr. Eric. =)

It's not a myth. Sometimes, the people there were too nice.

dammit i hate me and my shitty typing!

i meant "indifference" of course. not "indifferenace".

it's my favorite film of 2004.

But that last bit has its downs too - I can't fucking interior decorate to save my life. You're also a bit too full - I filled you on my own, and now Sarah's moved it you're just that little bit too cramped, with *things* all over the place, where they shouldn't be.

Plus: friendly people, laid-back and all that. Surprisingly good restaurant scene. Many good places to see music. Decent enough film scene...the Belcourt Theatre is still around, they do good stuff. Lotsa musically sophisticated people who know N-ville is more than blandout modern "country." The Ryman. Downtown is fairly alive. Mary's BBQ--the fish sandwich, mainly--on Jefferson St. Not nearly as racist as most of the south, certainly not as much as the surrounding towns (Clarksville, Dickson, Springfield, SW Ky.). Beautiful countryside. Warner and Shelby Parks. Good-looking women. Grimey's Records on 8th Ave. S.

Minus: bad traffic; stupid drivers; bad city water; dumb Baptists and Methodists; a certain smug attitude found amongst "hipsters" who oughta just relax, you're IN NASHVILLE. Many BBQ places but not one (maybe Neely's) anywhere near as good as the humblest BBQ joint in Memphis; its condescending attitude toward the city of Memphis, which is TENNESSEE AT ITS BEST. Lots of lame singer-songwriters w/ their guitars capoed up plying their trade at the goddam Bluebird Cafe (OK, sometimes someone good plays there--saw Gene Clark there once). A bad attitude toward Altman's great film about the city, which pretty much lays out the minuses of the place in a very artistic way. Horrible local news. Humidity. Lack of public transport.

I think some of us Angelenos would have a few issues with that statement, Mr. Eric. =)
-- Vic (aFe...), October 30th, 2004 10:09 AM.

I didn't say it was the only city, but there are no Catherine Breillat films currently playing in LA, whereas NY currently has two.

But, to clarify, I'm not saying LA has a sucky film scene. That would be wrong. Heck, I don't think Minneapolis is all that bad.

Yeah, I liked it a lot, but it dragged on way too long.

-- Core of Sphagnum (ada...), October 31st, 2004. (later)

Yeah, you south of the river types think it's the shit, don't you.

Melbourne

Pros: Great arts, music, restaurant scene, some gothy/old world architecture, vibrant inner-city.

Cons: Suburban wastelands stretching out into the outer circles of hell, yob culture, snotty South Yarra types, shitty train system out on the eastern side.

But... I've only lived here a year.

New Jersey: mmmm bagels. Yay Midtown direct trains and diners. Everything else... eh.

I need to get a home somewhere I actually like, maybe then I will less bitter.

What Eisbar said about NY, you could also say about the West of Scotland.

I like where I live. It's far enough away from Glasgow to be reasonably affordable, it's a quiet area, it's commuting distance to my and the mister's places of work, and it's ours.

Cons: It's far enough away from Glasgow that taxi fares are a pain in the arse, so I don't get out as much as I would like.

pros: generally its ok. mostly warm weather. its become large and diverse enough so that there's usually something to "do" to keep me occupied.

cons: SOUTHERN BAPTIST HELL. Bob Jones University. when the weather's not nice its incredibly schizophrenic. its impossible to walk anywhere, everything is so spread out.

What do you get when you have 32 Laytonville women all in a circle?
A full set of teeth.

What do Laytonville men use for birth control?
Their personalities.

You get the idea. The only thing to do around here is smoke pot, which sounds nice but try having it as the only pastime there is.
Oh, and no high speed internet in the outskirt part I live in.

Eisbar, you're completely right on about both NYC and NJ.

I'll add a few for NJ, where I live.
Bad: Irvington, East Orange, failure to redevelop Asbury Park.
Horribly careless and needlessly aggressive drivers. Gets dirtier by the year. Rutgers University.

Good: strongest sense of community anywhere. Well kept, abundant park system. Weird NJ. The weather/changing of the seasons.