SPECTRUM 2007-2008

Like all eighteen-year-olds, I thought I had the answers to everything, and I thought I knew exactly what, and where, I wanted my life be. I did not think there were any differences among cities, except what they have to offer in terms of jobs, so shortly after graduating I moved to the city of angels, Los Angeles, California. I spent about one year living half a block from the Grauman’s Chinese Theater and the Hollywood Star’s Walk of Fame. Life was grand, for a while, but after the glitz of the big city wore off, I realized that Los Angeles was nothing like my beloved Duluth. I have lived in two cities I thought would be similar, but I realized that the differences between Los Angeles and Duluth are as numerous as the miles between them.

One of the first differences I noticed between Los Angeles and Duluth was the vehicle and pedestrian traffic. If a person is first in line at a red light in L.A., he had better be moving into the intersection before the light turns green. If he is even a fraction of a second late, everyone starts honking and shouting at him to go. I even saw one person in L.A. drive up onto the sidewalk to go around a driver who hesitated as the light turned green. But as rude as drivers are to one another in L.A., onlookers will never hear a single horn or curse word if there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk. Pedestrians have the power to bring a busy street to a screeching halt because the city enforces a very strict “pedestrian right-of-way”? law that carries a hefty $200 fine if not obeyed. Duluth’s streets, however, are polar opposites of those in Los Angeles. Residents of Duluth almost never hear car horns anywhere. People sit at green lights until they have turned yellow, and no one honks at them; they either move into the other lane or simply wait for the next green light. Pedestrians in Duluth, though, seem to almost be afraid of crossing in front of a vehicle. They much prefer to wait until there are no cars in sight than to risk upsetting someone who is driving.

The second major difference I noticed was in the cost of living. In Los Angeles, I paid over $1,000 per month for a 900 square foot, one bedroom, one bath apartment, and that was a bargain by L.A. standards! The trade-off, though, was in relatively cheap and abundant entertainment. I never once paid to see a movie, a band, or comedians. People hand out free ticket vouchers along the Stars Walk, and all a person has to do is grab one, show up, and fill out a 30 second survey afterwards. Back in Duluth, I now have a 1,500 square foot, three bedroom, two bath apartment which costs around $700 per month. I get a lot more space for less money, but I end up using that money on the only entertainment Duluth really offers: movies.

The third difference I realized was in the vastly contrasting job markets. I knew L.A. was renowned for its performing arts market, but I thought that a city of such magnitude would have so much more to offer. I found out very quickly that this was not the case. In Los Angeles, people are either in acting, modeling, or an agent for actors/models. If one manages to acquire one of these elite positions, one can expect to be earning a healthy six-figure annual income. If not, however, one will, more realistically, be lucky to settle at around $40,000 per year. Duluth’s booming market is in health care, a relatively easy field to enter, if one doesn’t mind a lot of school, and it pays very well once one has become established in one’s field. But if one doesn’t go the medical route, a $40,000 annual income is more likely. However, $40,000 goes a lot farther in Duluth than it does in Los Angeles because people don’t have to spend ridiculous amounts of money on designer “everything”? just to be respected.

Both cities have some very strong, appealing qualities and some not so desirable qualities. And while not everyone is seeking the same things from their home, I have found that the good qualities of Duluth, Minnesota, are a far better match for my desired life than the rude and superficial qualities of Los Angeles, California.