Coming from the San Francisco Bay Area, I was all too familiar with the Norcal-Socal Rivalry, and while both cities have very different “feels” to them, I’ve come to love and appreciate everything that LA has to offer. And trust me, there’s a LOT of fun things to do!
First and foremost the weather is awesome! One weekend during my freshman year I went to the beach, and texted all my jealous friends who were at schools in the Midwest and east coast and stuck in the snow. Being able to wear shorts for a good part of the year and never needing more than a sweatshirt are definite benefit of going to school in Los Angeles. Besides the weather and everything that goes on on-campus, there’s a ton of things to do in LA no matter what your interested in!
LA Live is a popular spot for USC students because its really easy to get to (there’s a free tram that will take you from campus to LA Live) and it hosts a variety of fun venues including a movie theatre, Nokia Theatre (lots of cool concerts here), Staples Center, restaurants and more.
A little farther off campus you will always have a great time exploring Santa Monica (beautiful beach and some great shopping), Beverly Hills, Westwood (home of the famous Diddy Riese cookies), Hollywood and some other fun neighborhoods. Just last week I went downtown on a Thursday night and was able to check out the Downtown Art Walk—so many people were out n about the city!
If you’re interested in Concerts…from LA to Hollywood and the recently popular destination of Coachella, there are a lot of different music opportunities to go check out your favorite band or artist when they go on tour! Sports Fanatic? In addition to the many amazing USC athletic teams, LA is home to the LA Kings and LA Lakers (both at LA Live) and the Dodgers!
Be sure to check out some of the other posts on viterbivoices.usc.edu to see why other current USC students love LA!
