I didn't think it would be this way either

My first thought of Los Angeles was ehww, why would anyone want to live here? That thought came from the comfort of my own couch in Minneapolis before ever visiting here. L.A, as I knew it, was the place of my mother's gossip rags and ET (coincidentally taped right across the street from where I live now.) L.A. was a booming metropolis filled with designer stores, celebrities everywhere, a 24 hour Vegas-like party land, where if there aren't droughts and fires, there are mudslides, if no mudslides, there are earthquakes. ( All of this coming from a girl who lived in the land of blizzards, tornadoes and insane humidity )

I think that is what shocks people when thy come here. L.A. is very underwhelming.

I know that last statement sounded very bad. I don't exactly mean it too be, sometimes when things are less than what you expect that can be very good. Take for example the fact that I thought that I had to buy a whole new wardrobe before my first visit, because I would seem so midwest . I liked that when I got here, I was pleasantly surprised that it quite honestly didn't matter what you wear here. You could wear nothing at all, not like girls here don't try.

The things about L.A. that is played up so much in the media and is so underwhelming are things like ...

Robertson, Where all of young Hollywood shops and the site of The Ivy-Is actually only 3 blocks long. Just this little blip on the radar of Los Angeles.

The Kodak Theater- The sight of The Oscars, is inside of a shopping mall. Yes, it is true. You have to pass Nine West in your Manolos and Versace to get to your seat. You could possibly stop for some Could Stone if you get there too early and want to avoid Isaac Mizrahy's uncomfortable questions and bad touches.


Walk of fame- The stars of the acting greats are flanked by stars for the not so acting greats and former Laker Cheerleaders, turned singers, turned... The site of the Chinese Theater is also the sight for panhandlers dressed in costumes.

Anyway, this is not to deter you from ever coming here. There are many things about Los Angeles that I love. I just know that it is a shock to find out that the mighty wizard is just a man pulling switches behind a curtain.