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Los Angeles

Lifestyle

Don’t Move Out of Los Angeles & Expect To Come Back

April 17, 2009

Whether you’re into sun tanning at the beach or into shopping on Rodeo Drive, you can do just about anything in Los Angeles. With so many great options, outsiders may wonder why people even think of leaving Los Angeles.

When I graduated college, a few of my friends mentioned to me that after college they wanted to get out of Los Angeles. While I respected their choices, being an LA native my whole life I had to question their reasoning. Perhaps it is just my biased opinion, but LA is unique compared to other cities. No where in the United States can you find a city as large and as diverse. Yes, you can make the argument that other cities are just as diverse, but not only is LA diverse ethnically, but it is diverse in its personality. LA is known for having the ‘glitz’ and ‘glamour’ but it is more than that. Living here my whole life I realized when I visited other large cities that LA has a personality unlike any other. LA has a sort of swagger to it. Perhaps it is the laid back nature of its citizens on the weekends and the intense workaholics on the weekday’s that give LA such a unique balance of work and play.

So what makes people leave?

While it may not be the million dollar question, it is a question that has many possible answers.
Continue Reading…

Economy, News, Social Media, Technology

LA Goes Wireless, So Should Companies

December 23, 2008


Los Angeles has always been known for being a hot spot for social trends and cultural change, and recently I noticed something that I hadn’t really taken the time to notice before. Driving down Melrose and La Brea, I noticed just how few payphones their were. In fact, I was unable to see one for almost 3 blocks.

Not only was it just in this vicinity that I was unable to find a payphone, but in other surrounding areas as well. This lack of payphones leads me to believe that LA has gone wireless. Today, cellphones have replaced the need to carry around quarters except to pay for the parking meter. Cellphones are no longer for the rich and powerful as they once were back in the early 90’s, but are now common ‘toys’ for teens and necessary tools for students and professionals.

LA’s new direction in regards to communication is something that businesses should be aware of as well. Consumers can now get the weather, find out what’s for dinner, look up directions, and update there Facebook all from there cellphone. Businesses should take advantage of this and find new ways to target consumers. While payphones do exist in remote locations, such as near the bathrooms at shopping malls, LA for the most part has made the transition from landlines to wireless.

With the addition of Wi-Fi, 3G networks and reasonable wireless service plans, a cellphone has become standard for most. When email became preferable to ‘snail mail,’ companies jumped onboard, trying to tag every page with there advertisements. Now that cellphones have become the new ‘communication’ tools, companies should recognize this and latch on to it. Whether it is through text advertisements, which many companies have already been utilizing, or through cellphone apps, ‘wireless advertisements’ will be the new way to advertise and the new way to communicate with this new generation.

Cars, Economy, News

The LA love story

December 4, 2008

Just like a romance novel, so goes our story.

Boy sees car, boy falls in love with car, boy loves to drive car, boy runs out of gas, boy sees gas prices, boy falls out of love.

While the gas prices have dropped substantially, with the economy being the way it is now, consumers are being more careful with their decisions when it comes to cars. Still, being a native of LA, I can say that I can hardly tell. While it is true that the number of riders on the metro system has increased, cars still dominate the streets and freeways of LA.

Driving in LA is not just a normal task. It is so much more than that. From the “way” you drive, to the kind of car you drive, driving is an expression and way for you to let everyone in LA know who you are. For example, seeing a Ferrari pull up to a McDonald’s is not uncommon in LA. While everyone is aware of the economic situation and unstable gas prices, LA will continue to be crowded with cars. With the gas prices on the down at the moment, it is fair to say that LA will see an increase in the number of cars on the road. We should be starting to go green, but for some us, going green means changing our image. To some, the $60,000 luxury car that gets 12MPG in the driveway means that we’ve accomplished something and are well-off. Some of us don’t want to change that.

While some of us drive out of necessity, some drive because

1. They enjoy driving

2. They want to show off their car

3. They don’t want to use the public transportation

While LA has made great strides to improve there public transportation I will admit that aside from one time when I was very young, I have not ridden the public transportation since.

Yes, I am guilty. I am guilty for being one of the hundreds and thousands of drivers that drive because they don’t want to use the public transportation and enjoy driving. As a result my car and the way I drive have become an extension of who I am. Some may even classify me as the “college student driver.”

So now I ask you, what kind of driver are you?

Cars, Economy, News, Technology

The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly: LA Auto Show

November 23, 2008

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With unpredictable gas prices, economic hardships, and falling sales, the Los Angeles Auto Show is an important event not only for automakers, but for consumers as well. This years LA Auto Show, taking place at the Los Angeles Convention Center, will answer consumers questions, unveil new cars, and also could be the last time we see all of the Big 3 automakers under one roof.I myself am in the market for a car so I decided that the LA Auto Show would be a great place to get an idea of what new models would be coming out.

The most notable thing that I noticed while in attendance was the trend in the consumers interests. For the most part, automakers like Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Nissan, and Mini-Cooper had by far the largest number of visitors to there exhibits. The main reason behind this can be attributed to there focus on both gas efficiency as well as there focus on reliability. Toyota for example, featured a Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered version of the Camry Hybrid which caught the eye of many consumers. Honda and Mini-Cooper also went along the same path as Toyota by choosing to focus there exhibit areas around there ‘eco-friendly’ as well as ‘pocket-friendly’ vehicles.

Lexus and Nissan were definite winners of the auto show as crowds came away excited for there upcoming 2009/2019 vehicles. Most notable of which were the Lexus IS250C, the convertible version of the already popular Lexus IS250, and also the quirky Nissan Cube.

As a consumer, when I looked at the way that Toyota, Honda, Lexus, Nissan, and Mini-Cooper marketed there vehicles and exhibits, there was one key characteristic that all of them shared. It was a very plain and simple element which I believe most of the other carmakers failed to get. That was the concept of “How can we help you.” When I visited other carmakers exhibits I wasn’t asked what kind of car we we’re looking for or even when we we’re looking to buy, but rather we were told why we need this car and how we should take a test drive. Among those that used the latter approach was the big 3 automakers (Ford, GM, Chrysler). Not only were they insensitive to the consumers feelings or desires, but just by looking at the cars they had on display, I can see why they are struggling. The big 3 focused on making cars that they thought consumers wanted, when they really should have been asking us what we wanted.

The LA Auto Show is not only an event for the public to see the new cars, but it also a chance for automakers to show the direction they are going. We all know Mercedes makes luxury cars, but we want to know that they will continue to push the limits on luxury. We know that Ford is struggling to sell cars; we want to know that they are making the appropriate changes to bounce back. At the end of the day I walked out of the convention center with three thoughts in mind:

1. The LA Convention Center is huge

2. “Green” is the new direction of carmakers

3. I love free stuff