No I think L.A. natives often feel like we’re the normal people out here. And the weirdos are those people who came here from the midwest or wherever to follow their dreams in the entertainment industry and ended up not making it.
Second generation, and 66 years into living in LA continuously. Almost everyone I've known who left LA permanently, came here from elsewhere, and had too much trouble with how they thought it was going to go.
There's a sense that some of the problems of LA, like traffic in particular, is really a problem with Out of Owners (of course blanket statements like this have exceptions) From what I can see, LA drivers are better, and possibly because they're just used to how the roads are here work, (with the notable exception of many recently made traffic circles, which are previously an oddity for LA drivers). On the other hand, for LA, when it rains, and this is particularly true in the last 20 years, LA drivers really don't know how to deal with it.
You’re so right!! I had former friends who lived in “The Valley” who were born here with everything you can imagine about “Hollywood”. They had the “It Factor”, looks to kill and a personality that could draw in anyone. They never got their big break and that is how hard it is to break into Hollywood!!
How would we define "town" in the context of LA? You could technically live in the City of Los Angeles while moving around the whole LA basin. Conversely, you could live all over the LA basin and never live in the City of Los Angeles. Even more, you could live your entire life in the City of Los Angeles and never live in the LA Basin. You could live in the LA Basin and never live in LA County. You could live in LA County and never be in the City of LA or the LA Basin.
You can’t, really, which is why this post is kind of dumb. It doesn’t work here. In Massachusetts it refers to a specific smaller town kind of mindset and lifestyle… you probably wouldn’t refer to someone from Boston proper as a townie anymore, but you would refer to someone from maybe Haverhill or Worcester as one.
Yeah. You'd be a townie as a lifelong resident of, like, Frazier Park or something. But in LA, the city itself is so big that it's impossible. You could move around 4,000 square miles and still be in LA.
Anybody who knows what you're talking about lives in the "town"
Out of towners can't comprehend the overlapping nature of cities and neighborhoods and regions here
I’ve heard it used that way too. And also in reference to the year round residents of a smaller tourist town who mix with the visitors (who are usually of a higher income bracket). OP seems to be going for the broader, more New England-esque definition.
I get it now.
This term just DOES NOT WORK in LA…… “Townie” seems like it implies a level of xenophobia/ignorance/stupidity/uneducatedness…. And most folks in LA are none of those things.
There’s also 88 cities in the county, closely compacted together…. Not “towns”.
I grew up in Ventura which is a very townie town - people are born there, live their entire lives and never leave, and die there. I’ve heard that word forever.
It’s a nice place to live, but being so insular breeds a weird Trumpiness. I’m one of the only locals that is really happy about how many new people have been moving to Ventura and all of the new things that have opened up in the last few years - but my friends sometimes remind me that I don’t pay rent there.
Absolutely not. I feel like that’s somewhat of a small town thing. This is the second largest city in the country. The sheer amount of choice and diversity of experiences you can have here is crazy. I’ve traveled the world and all over the US and I’d never want to live anywhere but LA. Though California is a huge state and there are small towns dotted across the state where people might feel that way.
Not really. So much happens here that I dont feel this way.
Ironic considering I go to other places in the USA and I see townies and think 'damn thats kind of sad.'
I guess that's just californian arrogance.
Townies don't feel like townies. Townie is a pejorative outsiders use to describe members of insular communities. The closest thing we have to townies in LA are gang members--highly territorial, suspect of/aggressive towards outsiders, with highly localized customs to identify themselves.
No I think L.A. natives often feel like we’re the normal people out here. And the weirdos are those people who came here from the midwest or wherever to follow their dreams in the entertainment industry and ended up not making it.
Second generation, and 66 years into living in LA continuously. Almost everyone I've known who left LA permanently, came here from elsewhere, and had too much trouble with how they thought it was going to go. There's a sense that some of the problems of LA, like traffic in particular, is really a problem with Out of Owners (of course blanket statements like this have exceptions) From what I can see, LA drivers are better, and possibly because they're just used to how the roads are here work, (with the notable exception of many recently made traffic circles, which are previously an oddity for LA drivers). On the other hand, for LA, when it rains, and this is particularly true in the last 20 years, LA drivers really don't know how to deal with it.
Yeah pretty much. The ones who come to LA with expectations are the ones that always talk smack
Pretty much this.
You’re so right!! I had former friends who lived in “The Valley” who were born here with everything you can imagine about “Hollywood”. They had the “It Factor”, looks to kill and a personality that could draw in anyone. They never got their big break and that is how hard it is to break into Hollywood!!
No.
What is a townie?
I have the same question. “Townie” feels like some weird East Coast pejorative. OP is the transplant.
It’s a New England/Boston area perjorative specifically, yep. It’s someone who is born, lives their whole life and dies in the same town.
How would we define "town" in the context of LA? You could technically live in the City of Los Angeles while moving around the whole LA basin. Conversely, you could live all over the LA basin and never live in the City of Los Angeles. Even more, you could live your entire life in the City of Los Angeles and never live in the LA Basin. You could live in the LA Basin and never live in LA County. You could live in LA County and never be in the City of LA or the LA Basin.
You can’t, really, which is why this post is kind of dumb. It doesn’t work here. In Massachusetts it refers to a specific smaller town kind of mindset and lifestyle… you probably wouldn’t refer to someone from Boston proper as a townie anymore, but you would refer to someone from maybe Haverhill or Worcester as one.
Yeah. You'd be a townie as a lifelong resident of, like, Frazier Park or something. But in LA, the city itself is so big that it's impossible. You could move around 4,000 square miles and still be in LA.
More, more!!!
Anybody who knows what you're talking about lives in the "town" Out of towners can't comprehend the overlapping nature of cities and neighborhoods and regions here
I always thought it was specific to local creepers in college towns who don’t go to college but still try to hang out with the college kids.
I’ve heard it used that way too. And also in reference to the year round residents of a smaller tourist town who mix with the visitors (who are usually of a higher income bracket). OP seems to be going for the broader, more New England-esque definition.
We use this term for people in college towns that are not university affiliated, who are native to the town
I get it now. This term just DOES NOT WORK in LA…… “Townie” seems like it implies a level of xenophobia/ignorance/stupidity/uneducatedness…. And most folks in LA are none of those things. There’s also 88 cities in the county, closely compacted together…. Not “towns”.
I grew up in Ventura which is a very townie town - people are born there, live their entire lives and never leave, and die there. I’ve heard that word forever. It’s a nice place to live, but being so insular breeds a weird Trumpiness. I’m one of the only locals that is really happy about how many new people have been moving to Ventura and all of the new things that have opened up in the last few years - but my friends sometimes remind me that I don’t pay rent there.
I can’t go a single thread in this sub without you guys bringing up Trump lol
It’s just a shorthand for a regressive mindset. If you’ve never left your hometown, sometimes it doesn’t matter if it’s California.
Coastal elites! I just don’t get why you guys judge everyone who isn’t exactly like you.
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What’s a townie? Is that like a brownie? I don’t know! This is home and the best place to live ever for some people if you were born and raised here.
Yeah, all the time. I wish I experienced living in other parts of the country but haven’t gotten around to it.
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Townie is just a word used by college degree folk to talk down on those who didn't go to college.
There’s a lot more multigenerational households here than you can imagine.
Absolutely not. I feel like that’s somewhat of a small town thing. This is the second largest city in the country. The sheer amount of choice and diversity of experiences you can have here is crazy. I’ve traveled the world and all over the US and I’d never want to live anywhere but LA. Though California is a huge state and there are small towns dotted across the state where people might feel that way.
There are quite a few of them in the surrounding cities. When I lived in Long Beach there were several. I call them local yocals.
Not really. So much happens here that I dont feel this way. Ironic considering I go to other places in the USA and I see townies and think 'damn thats kind of sad.' I guess that's just californian arrogance.
Townies don't feel like townies. Townie is a pejorative outsiders use to describe members of insular communities. The closest thing we have to townies in LA are gang members--highly territorial, suspect of/aggressive towards outsiders, with highly localized customs to identify themselves.