This was my sentiment exactly...I ended up making some friends in LA over the past 1.5 years and have been visiting enough to the point where I got to know the

This was my sentiment exactly...I ended up making some friends in LA over the past 1.5 years and have been visiting enough to the point where I got to know the areas pretty well (mostly in the South Bay..El Segundo, Hermosa, Redondo..less so Santa Monica, Venice). Decided to turn down a school in New York for one in LA because of those reasons you mentioned. I guess I have such a mystical view of NYC and SF because everytime I visit I have such a great time. In a weird way, I think I picked LA because my experience thus far has been more real than NYC or SF.