Living in the South Bay can sometimes be a dream.
You’re just a hop, skip and a jump away from the beach, traffic (for the most part) is nonexistent and you’re about a 15-minute Uber ride to the airport. But the grass is always greener.
Though the South Bay has its perks, there are also plenty of struggles that accompany being a permanent resident of the area. If you happen to live in this part of town, you’ll find the 15 truths below all too relatable—for better or worse!
1. Being so close to the airport, everyone expects you to either pick them up or drop them off. Uber and Lyft exist for a reason, guys.
2. Living within walking distance to the beach is so nice, except you never have any time to go. And when you finally decide to venture out there, it’s always way too crowded or the temperature is at either end of the extreme.
3. Forcing yourself to leave the bubble is a difficult task. While you’d love to hit up a bar in West Hollywood or a ramen spot in Silver Lake, the thought of having to drive all the way out there is a nightmare.
4. Instead, you decide to go out on your side of town. Which is fun, except it’s not. All the bars are filled with the annoying bros and middle-aged women trying to find their second husband. You get over the nightlife real fast.
5. If you don’t play beach volleyball or know how to surf, good luck making friends. That’s all anyone does in the South Bay.
6. You see the same people everywhere. Everyone in the South Bay knows everyone.
7. It feels like it’s always summer, which means your productivity levels don’t exist. When the beach is your backyard, you suddenly become the most laid-back person on the planet.
8. Just about everyone and their grandma is constantly rocking boardshorts and bathing suits all year round.
9. Once you discover your favorite bar, it’s yours forever and no one can take it away from you. You will be there every weekend, till death do you part.
10. There are at least three bartenders who not only know your go-to drink order and how to make it the right way, but also your entire life story. They know every last detail, so keep ’em close.
11. The food options are… interesting, to say the least. Why there’s such an obsession with El Burrito Jr. (aka El BJs), you’ll never understand. But you still go as often as you can.
12. Whenever you hang out with your friends who don’t live in the South Bay, you make sure they come to you. You’re not about to venture anywhere outside of your comfort zone. Plus, your friends always want to hit up the beach anyway, so it works out for everyone.
13. Dating is awful. Every guy is a total bro who only owns Hawaiian shirts and army-print shorts. Fantastic.
14. Those who were born and bred in the South Bay are quick to defend it. Talk a lick of smack about it and you better be prepared to fight—yikes.
15. You might not fully appreciate all the South Bay has to offer, but you couldn’t see yourself living anywhere else. Once you make it your home, you’re stuck there forever. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is on you to figure out.
