filed in Daily Life
Pros and Cons
Confession: I’ve caught myself twice this week boasting about the temperate weather in Los Angeles to people in other parts of the country heading into winter. It’s so obnoxious that I’m cringing as I write this. As I recognized my bad behavior in real time, I quickly pivoted to how bad the traffic is here. It’s the yin and yang of L.A. life. What’s a pro and con where you live?
“Cars” by Seth Armstrong (a painter based in Los Angeles)
Discussion
20 comments for “Pros and Cons”
Leave a Reply
About this Site
FIRST PERSON SINGULAR is a guide to surviving, thriving and sometimes just getting through a single day. Created by Wendy Braitman (more…)
Follow First Person Singular
Greatest Hits
© 2010 First Person Singular. 
Pro: affordable
Con: no great vegan/vegetarian food
Brag away, Wendy! I constantly brag to my family and friends who live 100 miles away in a more popular city how livable my town is 🙂
Whew. Thanks for the reassurance.
I’m living in Hong Kong these days and probably my biggest complaint is that garbage seems to be EVERYWHERE; huge piles of it on sidewalks in all the neighborhoods.
The best part is the fashion, people wear really great clothes here. A very kawaii aesthetic.
Right now I’m feeling like the con list could be a bit longer, but hopefully that’s just a phase…..
What brings you to Hong Kong, Meg?
Teaching English! Plan to be here for 1-2 years.
Was looking for a paradigm shift in my life, and can’t say I didn’t get what I asked for!
What a great adventure, Meg. It’s inspiring.
Con: Bad traffic and weather!!
Pro: the ocean, intellectual stimulation, and my family nearby
Those are some good pros.
Pro-My deep family roots.
Con-The town has gone from charming to big box stores and cookie cutter subdivisions.
Are you there to stay?
I am a lifer here I tried leaving once and I wimped out 🙂
At this point though I am happy I did, I love my rural living and ability to be in DC in 2 hours or the beach in 3 hours or a train ride in 5 hours to NYC.
Every place has its share of cons. But there’s so much good stuff, as you describe it.
Well, I would have listened to your “boast” and then assured you that I vastly prefer winter weather to summer. LOL! To each his/her own….
Pro of my current city: Center of the universe.
Con: Center of the universe.
I’ve been lovingly wrestling about the weather with my brother (New-England based) for decades. He loves the winter, and me, not so much.
Con: A certain dullness and less diversity (including dining choices!) than would be desired; cloudy winters
Pro: A wonderful community of friends (my family is far away); the ability to know the person who is growing or raising my food (established relationships with growers who wind up becoming friends); the glorious potential for growth (I feel like I can–and do–make a difference here; affordable housing/low taxes–mid-to-low income people CAN afford to buy homes here; flat topography, so one can really see some of the incredible summer thunderstorms.
Those are A LOT of pros.
I blossom where I’m planted (i.e. I seek out positives here). Many people complain about this place (and I used to be bad at that too), but complaining and feeling sorry for myself because I live somewhere wasn’t doing me any good. So, I have the choice to either move or embrace my place. And I’ve chosen the latter.
Words to live by. Gratitude.
Petra, this is inspiring. I am beginning to find a community of great people in my current community where I’ve been 2 years and have come to realize I’d also rather blossom where I’m planted than seek out a place that is already fully in bloom. I’m realizing great towns are created by people who care and connect with their neighbors. xo
I’ve always lived in big cities, which is where a dog comes in handy. You get to know the people in your neighborhood by walking around it several times a day with an adorable pet.