Why Do I Hate L.A.?

Update 7/1/18: I love LA now. It’s really grown on me. It’s one of those places that takes awhile to get the feel for. A place that only slowly reveals itself and, after years of going there, I can say fully that I love LA. I wouldn’t want to live there but I love visiting!

Los Angeles. There’s just something about it I hate. I hate the traffic and the lack of public transportation. I hate the vanity and how everyone is “so Hollywood.” I hate the pollution. I hate the lack of neighborhoods. LA just rubs me the wrong way.

But I haven’t spent much time in the city. My opinion has only been formed by a few short visits. I wonder if I really hate L.A. or just think I do?

We all have preconceived notions and perceptions of different places. We all have our own prejudices and opinions based on what we’ve read and heard over the years. Stories from the news, the Internet, and our friends create an image in our minds.

As long as I can remember, I’ve always had preconceived notions about Los Angeles. I thought it would be polluted, a giant traffic-jam-filled city with vain wannabe-celebrities. Los Angeles was a sprawling city with no culture.

When I visit L.A., I see all of these negatives. It would be hard not to. But I often wonder if I see those things more because of my already-formed notions and feelings about the city. I’ve been to many cities that are run-down, dirty, and full of pretentious people, and have bad traffic. Los Angeles isn’t the only city in the world like this. Bangkok is no spring chicken, Barcelona needs a good scrubbing, and rush hour in Tokyo is no joke. Yet while I see these things in other cities, they don’t seem to bother me as much as they do in Los Angeles.

There are some legitimate things I dislike about Los Angeles. I don’t like cities that are too big to get around. NYC may be big, but it’s easy to get around. Bangkok has a good transit system, and while Tokyo is gigantic, you can still navigate public transportation fairly easily. Yet everything in L.A. is spread out, and you need to drive to get places. I like cities with good public transit — and Los Angeles doesn’t have it.

Moreover, L.A. has no neighborhoods. It just seems to sprawl forever, and it’s filled with too many people trying to make it. Everyone I meet in L.A. is trying to make it as an actor or screenplay writer.

Yet these things don’t really make L.A. “hateable.” None of these “issues” are super off-putting, and I’ve had many fun moments in L.A. with my friends. So why is it that I hate Los Angeles so much? Where does this visceral reaction come from?

I think back to my recent trip to Ottawa. It was a city I knew nothing about, and I was able to form my own opinions about the city right on the spot. I loved Ottawa. It was great.

Often when we travel, we see cities not as how they are but how we expect them to be. We take our knowledge with us and use it as a lens to view the city. When we think of Amsterdam, we think of pot and prostitutes, so that’s what we see. We go to Bangkok and see the dirt and pollution because we know it to be a “dirty” city. Often, we visit places and do things that further our preconceived notions of the city. We go experience romance in Paris or party on the island of Ko Phangan. And cities we know the least about are often the places we love the best. We aren’t looking for things that fit into the mold our mind has made. We simply take the city as it is — no expectations and no disappointments.

Fighting preconceived notions is an important part of traveling. The images and notions in our head can paint a bleaker picture of a place than what’s really there. They can color our thoughts on cities in ways that don’t often reflect reality. Yes, I hate L.A. — but I suppose if I really thought about it, it’s not that bad a place. I would rather be in many other places in the world, but I can see that there’s something for people in Los Angeles.

Maybe one day I’ll live in Los Angeles and love it. After all, I despised Bangkok at first and now it’s one of my favorite cities in the world. Stepping back from my emotional, knee-jerk reaction to Los Angeles, I see there are some things that make the city worth visiting and worth living in. After all, it’s near the beach, it’s warm throughout the year, there’s a lot to do, it’s got good sushi, and it has an affordable cost of living. Plus, you get to spot celebrities all the time. (OK, maybe that’s just something I would enjoy!)

Sometimes we just need to step back, breathe, and judge a place on its own merits with unclouded eyes. And so maybe it’s not that I hate L.A. itself, but rather the version in my mind, and after nearly 30 years of only picturing that L.A., that’s all I can see right now.

People often see what they want to see. I think as travelers we need to be conscious of that. Bill O’Reilly thinks Amsterdam is a cesspool. When I go there, I see canals, beautiful buildings, and friendly people. Is he seeing what he wants to see, just like me and Los Angeles?

We all have preconceived notions about places in the world. When we visit a place, we often see it through a prism in our mind, which distorts what it’s really is about. Travel is about opening yourself up to new experiences and places. It’s about letting go of biases we have about people and places. Going to places without prejudice and expectation is the only way to really “see” a place. We need to drop our guard and be open to new things. Otherwise, we’ll always end up only seeing the image in our mind.

And then we’ll always just end up hating L.A.

For more information on the United States, visit my country and city guides to US travel and start planning your adventure today.

Book Your Trip to Los Angeles: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight
Find a cheap flight to Los Angeles by using Skyscanner or Momondo. They are my two favorite search engines. Start with Momondo.

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel in Los Angeles with Hostelworld. If you want to stay elsewhere, use Booking.com as they consistently return the cheapest rates. (Here’s the proof.) Here are suggested places to stay in Los Angeles:

• USA Hostels – Located right between Hollywood Boulevard and Sunset Strip, this spot is awesome with privacy pods and ensuite dorms.
• HI Los Angeles Santa Monica – A comfortable hostel where all the beach action is in Santa Monica.
• Banana Bungalow – A social hostel in Hollywood with a great outdoor courtyard area (and regular BBQs!).

For more hostel suggestions, here’s a list of the best hostels in Los Angeles!

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. I never ever go on a trip without it. I’ve been using World Nomads for ten years. You should too.

Need Some Gear?
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use!

Want More Information on Los Angeles?
Be sure to visit our robust destination guide on Los Angeles for even more planning tips!