Column: LA is more than a place, it’s a vibe

L.A. is not just a city. It’s many cities, even within L.A. The city in South L.A. is not the same city that’s in Brentwood. 

Then there’s surrounding cities and the city inside the city, Beverly Hills. 

The surrounding cities to the east, north, west and south all have their distinct neighborhoods and peculiarities. 

Then there’s the surrounding counties, with some areas heavily populated by Latinos, who probably moved further south or east for the same reason I moved back to the Inland Empire. I got priced out of L.A. 

LA has a center, from where the serenity embedded in the wind swishing the palm trees above the taco trucks flies over and spreads like the CO2 affecting the air quality.

The serene vibrations travel like an earthquake in waves to each city until it reaches the mountains or the beach. 

That’s the vibe. It’s not an intrusive vibe … it knows what consent means.

You can either feel it or not, like the smog entering your lungs as you’re waiting on the corner to cross the street. 

Let the aromas and colors in the Piñata District or in the alleys envelop you.

Feel the cobblestone street from Placita Olvera on your feet.

That’s why I say that L.A. is a vibe. You can either feel it or not but when you’re here you know.

I’ve felt it since I came to visit my dad from Mexico City during summers and Christmas breaks. 

When I first moved to the I.E. when I turned 18, I didn’t consider Ontario a city. It felt so plain to me. In comparison to the vibrancy of Mexico City, all the houses painted in muted colors seemed so boring. 

When we visited L.A. I felt like the city felt so much closer to my hometown, although with less tall buildings, but still with its own personality.

Ontario has grown and now the tranquility of the mountains soothes me. I like looking up at the mountains as I drive to the market. 

But I also love taking the train to work and going downtown and even going to the beach sometimes.

There’s a reason I always say CALÓ News covers Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Because L.A. is more than just one city. It's a vibe that travels throughout Southern California. That’s the L.A. I know and the L.A. I live in. 

Now we are also expanding our coverage to the Southwest thanks to Joanna Jacobo, who is our southwest editor. She's a little farther from L.A. but given that she was born in SoCal, she carries the vibe to Arizona. 

I will be having some iced chocolate at the Café con CALÓ event on May 29. Come by and talk about what makes you happy to live in L.A.! Or what issue you feel needs more attention. 

Either way, be sure to RSVP here. 

I’ll see you there!