1. The friendliness and optimism of its people – I’ve lived elsewhere and I can attest that people aren’t always this nice. When my family lived in another region of the US we always felt like outsiders, like we were those crazy kooks from California. It’s just not like that here. I can theorize that it’s because almost everyone is from somewhere else (I’m the first generation native born on both sides of my family)…or maybe it’s the great weather. Either way, it makes for a nice living environment.

2. The food – Oh man! The food! So many cultures are represented here. We’ve got Koreatown, Thai Town, Chinatown, Little Ethopia…so many choices. And not only ethnic places. There’s also sandwiches, and burgers, and pizza, and bakeries, and ice cream, and pretty much any other cuisine you can think of. And it’s all so, so good. There’s so much to try that I need to make an effort to visit the same place twice.

Oh, and it’s true, we do have the best Mexican food.

3. The beach – but not for the same reason as everyone else. I don’t like to swim, I don’t like to lay out, and I really don’t like to wear a bathing suit. But in the early morning or around sunset the beach is the place to be. A cool breeze is blowing, the air is pungent with the scent of saltwater, and the view is simply stunning. And as an added bonus – the nice marine layer which means cool mornings and evenings.

4. The Los Angeles Conservancy (and other like minded organizations) – the LA Conservancy is an organization dedicated to preserving our historic landmarks. I’ve been a member for about a decade now and a volunteer for the past year. I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve seen so many things I never knew existed thanks to their fabulous tours. And since I’ve been a member I’ve met so many people that have the same passion for historic preservation as I do.

The conservancy is a biggie but I also love so many other groups like the Art Deco Society, LAVA, and the Los Angeles Historic Theater Foundation, just to name a few.

5. The architecture – Los Angeles is home to such a diverse range of architecture. From beaux arts to art deco to mid century modern to contemporary, we’ve got it. And thanks to groups like the LA Conservancy, much of it is well cared for.

and this guy

Huell Howser has introduced me to so many areas of my home state that I never knew existed. And Charles Phoenix’s slide shows have made me laugh harder than I ever had before.

7. Hollywood – Now it’s no secret that I am a film nerd. And as much as I love all cinema my heart belongs to the classics. Luckily, I live in an area where I’m surrounded by vestiges of Old Hollywood. I can go tour Will Rogers house. I can hike Paramount Ranch and walk the streets where the old westerns were filmed. I can drive by Charlie Chaplin’s studio. I can tour the old Paramount, Universal and MGM (now Sony lots).

Case in point: my sister and I were on a tour of Paramount a few years back. Our tram turned a corner and we both said “Sunset Blvd.!” because we instantly recognized where this scene was filmed.

8. Downtown – Downtown Los Angeles is one of my favorite places to be. For a long time it was neglected but now it’s experiencing a well deserved renaissance. There are awesome places to eat, super cool bars, interesting walking tours, beautiful buildings, and the most amazing movie palaces I have ever seen.

 9. The Art – think that LA is a cultural wasteland? Well, you’d be totally wrong. From the Getty to LACMA to MoCA we’ve got more great pieces of art than you can shake a stick at. I was an art history major and every time I needed to write a paper I would simply drive to a local museum and take my pick from the numerous masterpieces on display.

10. The Traffic – just kidding. I couldn’t resist.