What it’s like living in a Los Angeles suburb

When you think of Los Angeles, you probably think of a city with an awesome clubbing scene, beautiful beach views, and hipsters that dream of making it big in Hollywood. Oh, did I mention the traffic? Those nasty rumors you hear about LA traffic are true—with the right amount of poor planning, you can seriously get stuck in traffic for six hours.

I often say that I’m from Los Angeles, but what I actually mean is that I’m from an LA suburb. Growing up in the quiet city of Arcadia, all I wanted to do was go downtown and explore all that the city had to offer. To me, Arcadia was just this boring bubble that had nothing special to offer.

But after a while, I found myself missing everything I had taken for granted. Being away from home for college has made me realize specific things you just can’t find anywhere else.

Arcadia is right outside downtown Los Angeles

We’re not downtown LA, but we’re still pretty amazing. We get all the perks of having the hustle and bustle of a city, but also the serenity of a small town. Not to mention that we’re only a car drive away from the millions of other suburbs around us. (okay, there aren’t actually a million, but there are a lot) There’s a hidden beauty in having the best of both worlds. If I ever wanted to go into the city, I’m just $1.75 away from taking the Metro to Union Station. 

Bomb-ass food

Okay. This one is kinda a cheap cop-out, but our proximity to everything LA-related means we have easy access to great food. Not to say that Arcadia doesn’t have good food! Whenever I’m feeling a bit artsy or adventurous, I have the luxury to pick from a range of options.

626 Night Market

Practically everyone who lives in the 626 SGV area knows what the hype is about. What started off as a small idea has turned into a monthly tradition during the summer. The hundreds of vendors and entertainment attractions bring together an amazing community that strives to blend Asian American and LA culture.

?: @d3nnskng

We own a piece of history

If you came into Arcadia today, you probably wouldn’t even know that the Santa Anita Race Track was once an internment camp for Japanese Americans during the Second World War. Or that the founder of Arcadia, Elias J. “Lucky” Baldwin, lived in our arboretum in 1875. (You can still find his house there today) Fun fact: They also filmed part of the 1993 Jurassic Park film in our arboretum!

We have peacocks

While it’s not uncommon to see a peacock trotting up your driveway, you’ll most likely spot one in the gardens of our arboretum.

An amazing community

One of the best things about Arcadia—and one of the things I regret taking for granted the most—are the people. I should mention that while we only have one high school, we have over 3000 students in total. That makes it damn near impossible to not run into a new face on the last day of school. And yet, despite all odds, Arcadia High School surrounded me with some of the most sincere, caring, and capable individuals I have ever met. Even if everyone didn’t know each other, everyone made an effort to get to know each other. We treated each other like family.

Few things in life have as big an impact on your life as your hometown does. I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Arcadia gave me some of the best experiences I could have asked for. I may not have realized it then, but my little suburb hometown makes the city of Los Angeles that much more special.