Since we are talking about Minnesota vs. Portland in some of the other threads, what are some of the best cities in America you have visited/lived in? I'm going to say nothing beats the Pacific NW (Portland/Seattle). Washington is lame with the strip clubs (topless only, no alcohol..etc.) though. I'm a fan of Denver, Phoenix, Las Vegas and Anchorage. Not a fan of Los Angeles, Albuquerque, or Boise.
New Orleans- probably my favorite city in the USA for the french/creole vibe. Waikiki- Food, beaches, relax. Love it. Vegas- Expensive but fun. Just a non-stop party. Portland- I love my city. Chicago- People just partying and having fun there (translation: lots of sluts). Love the vibe. LA- Its where I live. Its GREAT to live in for day-to-day living, mainly for the weather and lots of things to do. Daytime is better than night time though.
Portland Seattle San Francisco Vancouver BC (Yeah, I know, but it's mere hours from Seattle/Portland, the Cascadia trio) 20% of Los Angles Kansas City is surprisingly nice Chicago San Diego Hate: Phoenix 80% of Los Angeles All of Florida Dallas: Shockingly mediocre
Venice, CA is probably my favorite place to kick it nowadays. Abbott Kinney Blvd is where I hang, it was named the "coolest block in America" (yeah yeah, by GQ) but its a pretty fucking cool street. Especially getting coffee/breakfast before all the hipsters wake up (and all the yoga chicks are done with their classes). The vibe there is about as "Portland" you can get in LA. Was walking around the other night and the back residential streets totally reminded me of PDX. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/21/gqs-coolest-block-in-amer_n_1370371.html
Venice has a cool vibe. The restroom kinda ruined my experience there. To this day, that's the most rank restroom I've ever been in.
Just go to a bar and piss there. so much better. The beach is pretty ghetto but it does have flavor and its pretty unique. When I bring out of towners they like it there versus Manhattan/Hermosa/Santa Monica/etc. Just a more unique vibe....
Metro-ish. Have you been there? Btw, I wasn't too impressed with Malibu. By far Laguna is my favorite beach town in that area. I hear Montecito is very nice, never been there though.
Bourdain's "Layover" had a great episode in L.A. [video=youtube;6KAtLwyDtd0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KAtLwyDtd0[/video] 'Red Medicine' looks like a great restaurant.
yeah, i've been to laguna a few times. its fine, just very "vanilla" like most of the OC. Its a bitch to park when the weather is nice (the other beaches I mentioned I can bike to or take a short cab ride) Not a fan of Malibu either, never have been..... Beaches in LA are cold water and dirty...not a fan of chillin on the beach...just by the beach.
I don't really like any places where it's hot (especially humid) most of the time. LA sucks, heat + ultimate concentration of douche bags (and many more reasons). I like Denver, Chicago, Seattle, San Fransisco. Portland is the best. Disclaimer: I've never experienced the "night life" in any of these places.
haven't been to red medicine. it got famous for kicking out the LA Times reporter when it first opened. The guy who started it is the same guy who did the "Umami Burger" chain..... I thought that "Layover" episode of LA was really spot on to the vibe of the city as I see it and not the touristy crap most people expect it to be. Taco Trucks, Korean BBQ, cheap hole in the wall mexican joints and some really just off the beaten path type places. I steer way clear of that shit.
I think some beach areas, like Laguna, would be great to invest in with the market still a buyers market (and for the foreseeable future), specifically Mystic Hills and Victoria Beach neighborhoods. I've done a little homework on the area.
The temperature by the beach in LA is 65-80 degrees the ENTIRE year. And it hardly ever rains or is cloudy. The problem is when you went here, you probably did the tourist thing. Its like going to downtown Portland and thinking Portland is just homeless street kids and yuppies shopping in Downtown.
That flee market was very Portland, the name escapes me at the moment. Some areas near downtown (and Venice) have that quirky Portland vibe, too.
Oh yeah, also a fan of San Francisco, as long as I'm staying in the city and not in silicon valley or man jose.
