Living in Los Angeles

Lately, I've been complaining about how I don't like living in Los Angeles. To some, this might come across as ungrateful, since I do happen to live in a very nice apartment. But having some where nice to stay simply doesn't change the fact that I'm unhappy living where I am, despite all the wonderful conveniences that my current location has to offer, including:
1. My apartment is across the street from the post office, making picking up and mailing packages very easy.
2. My apartment is within walking distance of my bank, so whenever I need to make a deposit or withdrawal some money, it's quite simple.
3. I'm within walking distance of one of my two jobs (Starbucks,) and can walk to work in the morning, which allows me to avoid the awful parking situation all together.
4. A park is also located across the street for whenever I feel the need to go on a walk/run, or to just get a little bit of fresh, smoggy air.
5. My apartment is right next door to "The Grove," a very nice outdoor shopping center that includes stores and restaurants like a nice movie theatre, Barnes'N'Noble, Apple Computer, Nordstrom's, Pottery Barn, tons of various clothing and accessory stores, The Cheesecake Factory, and Starbucks. The Grove is also connected to an outdoor Farmer's Market, which includes more shops, more restaurants, and lots more food to buy.
6. I can also walk to the stores Ross and K-Mart, and if I get the craving for a nice, big coke slushy, all I have to do is walk a few blocks down to the 7-11.
7. I'm smack dab in the middle of everything entertainment, (the Hollywood sign is even visible from my apartment,) so when I go on auditions, most of them are only 10-20 minutes away.

That's a lot of conveniences, isn't it? I'm extremely lucky to live so close to so many places, and I love being able to walk to most of them. So…why am I complaining? What could I possibly not like about living here?
1. Parking. Almost anywhere you try to drive to around here, parking is almost impossible to find. And when you do manage to find parking on the side of the street some where, it's most likely a.) paid parking, b.) 1-hour parking, c.) permit only parking, or d.) no parking whatsoever due to street cleaning.
2. It's crowded. Really, really crowded. Now, I know southern California in general is very highly populated, but I'm right in the middle of one of the most busy, crowded parts of LA. When you go outside, all you can see are buildings upon buildings upon buildings.
3. The people. I've noticed that, not only are the people of course different from the ones in Missouri, but they're also quite different from the people just 45 minutes away in Orange County! They always seem to be in a hurry, they're much ruder, and many are totally stuck on themselves. "Woo hoo! Look at me with my expensive Coach purse, shiny Mercedes, and little Maltese puppy!"
4. You can't trust anyone. Especially here in Los Angeles/Hollywood. Almost everyone it seems, is simply out to take advantage of you in order to get your money, or to use you as a stepping stone to further themselves or their career in some way.
5. The SMOG. Where I am is so bloody polluted, that the air has a nice, thick layer of smog hovering over it. Some times when you go outside, you can take in a nice breath of smog ridden, stenchy air. In 10 years, I'll probably be dead from breathing in all the crap that's floating in the air here.

And there you have it, the pros and cons of my current living location. (Notice how I didn't say living situation, because I simply love my apartment and my roommates.) I guess after everything is said and done, I'll always be a Midwest girl at heart. No matter how long I end up staying here, I'll always prefer the more laid back, residential areas. Some where that has open land, trees, and grass in site. Some where where the sky is a deep blue, and you can actually see stars at night. Some where that isn't so crowded, that it takes half an hour just to find parking. Some where where the people aren't always in a hurry and are so concerned with themselves and having the most expensive possessions. Where you don't feel like everyone is out to get you just so that they can make an extra buck!