CITY & ITS PEOPLE
LA vs. OC
36 topics over Vols. 1–3, plus 'Clock an LA person vs. an OC person in one second' and the two-part 'Misunderstandings between LA and OC.' One freeway apart, a whole world apart.
Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.
Key points
- Vols. 1–3, 36 topics
- Spot an LA person vs. an OC person in one second
- Misunderstandings between LA and OC, Parts 1 and 2
Full text
Just one freeway apart
LA and OC (Orange County) are stuck together on the map, sometimes less than an hour's drive, but their personalities are miles apart. 36 questions across three volumes.
Vol.1: what the city looks like
LA is a hundred little cities stitched together; much of OC is planned communities, like Irvine, so tidy it almost looks like a model.
Vol.1: the beach
LA has Santa Monica and Malibu; OC has Newport, Laguna and Huntington Beach. OC's beaches feel like vacation; LA's feel like everyday life.
Vol.2: shopping
LA shops Melrose and Abbot Kinney; OC heads to South Coast Plaza and knocks out every luxury brand in one trip.
Vol.2: food
LA eats all over the map; OC has plenty too, especially Vietnamese food and Asian markets. You just have to drive to find each one.
Vol.3: pace of life
LA is louder and has more attitude; OC is quieter and cleaner. Each has its people.
Tell them apart in one second
An LA person says "I live in Silver Lake." An OC person says "I live in Irvine, the schools are great."
LA vs. OC misunderstandings (two parts)
The most common one: thinking Disneyland is in LA. It's in Anaheim, which is OC.
In this series
- LA × Seoul: the same Korean flavors, K-town vs. Seoul
- Same little thing, two lives | Taipei vs. LA, up close
- Taipei vs. LA
- A day in Taipei × a day in LA
- Taipei Girl vs. LA Girl
- Moving from Taiwan
- NorCal vs. SoCal
- LA vs. NYC
An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).