Back in the 1990's there was an advertisement in the back of a free weekly computer rag for a day trader's group. They met once a month at some location here in San Diego. I wrote down the time and place back then, but I never went. I would have been too embarrassed because I wasn't a successful trader. I've lived here in San Diego for over two decades and I have never met another trader face to face. Not a day trader, not an investor, nothing. Bright had an office here back in the 90's, it's closed now, maybe there just isn't enough people out here.
I lived in both LA and OC for about 13-14 yrs. EVERYONE is trying to upgrade at all times. Better job, better house, better wife/hus, better BF/GF, better car, better connections, better friends... etc, etc, etc. All at each other's expense. I had a very small group of close knit friends but otherwise it was just strange. Like some kind of massive disconnect. Weird.
Port Im going back to New York. Was born there, rasised there shortly then moved to cali and grew up there for quite a while. Sad to say cali slowed me down significantly, life is like a vacation and I cant live with myself like that almost constantly. I love the NYC fast paced life style I was born into it. I miss the city dearly, I deviated from it quite enough and it's like a magnet and it's going to pull me back home and extricate me from cali and it's home for alot of fake personalities. Cali is a good vacation dont get me wrong, but if you want to be a wall streeter, NYC is the place to be. I've had it with california as well. the fires and earthquakes are annoying.
A key part of this thread is work ethic. If you are surrounded by people that are constantly working and pushing to get somewhere in life, then that work ethic will ultimately rub off on you. In Southern California, there are nice houses and nice cars, but absent is that true work ethic and drive. In fact, Im not really certain why there are so many nice houses and cars there with so many truly lazy people. Now that the mortgage and loan business is almost non-existent in SoCal (i.e. Indymac implosion) and housing has wrecked, Im certain the easy money has "left the station". When the easy money has "left the station" and there is no work ethic, then what do you have left? When you go to an event in NYC, then talk a little about the S&P. Watch how many people who are non-traders want to talk about it with you. I had my laptop open with a few charts and I noticed how a few people came over to talk to me about what I was doing. In California, no one really cares or knows or wants to know. NYC is about learning, push and drive. Everyone wants to learn, everyone likes to push and just so much drive. In that article about the guy who sold houses, he even says he puts surfing above working. I can tell you, in NYC, work comes first and you fit in everything else around it. Is that a negative? It isnt because its that type of work ethic that drives our world and keeps us going. You want to have the NYC work ethic truely and surely.
My favorite ny quote. NY may knock you down but it won't count you out. Listen how the sounds are different when they shoot the night scenes. <object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/KMxQ9Ntc9XQ&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/KMxQ9Ntc9XQ&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
There's rather a strong "work hard and you'll succeed" ethos in the part of California where I live: Silicon Valley. Lots of ambition, lots of drive, lots of incredibly smart people. And there are a surprisingly large number of traders, too. People whose net worth hit eight- or nine-figures from ISO's, then changed careers and shifted to trading full time because it's fun and a lot less stressful. Best places to bump into them include Blue Chalk, Buck's, Forbes Mill, the BBC, Gordon Biersch, BJ's, St. Johns. Sorry to hear that LA and Orange County didn't suit you.
I'm thinking this quote is directed at me as I mentioned both. Anyways to make things clear, I had some of THEE best times of my life in both LA and OC. Crap when I was there, the Red Onion's and Live Bait were firing! Fenders in LB and Nightmoves in HB. Not to mention Gazzari's and the Whisky on the strip. The Cathouse. The Anti-club and ...ahh fuck I forgot that place off skidrow... GNR would play there before blowing up. Cassidy's and Malarkys in NB and my personal favorite: The Rainbow. I can't begin to tell you how many Swedish, German, and Brazilian nannies I boinked from that club. This was in the big hair hayday. It was nuts. If anybody on this board was in the scene at that time ('86-'96 abouts), they'll know. I kinda got off my point which was if you get in your cliq, and know how to play the game, there are good times to be had. If not, it can be cold as ice. If you're an isolationist type that hates the woods, move to downtown LA. Literate zombies everywhere.
Southern California is a great time when you are in your 20s and looking fit. In the 90s, I too had a great time and you didnt even have to go out to bars. However, we are not in the roaring 90s anymore and the slightest hint of age in SoCal and your days of womanizing are basically over. You didnt even have to go out to bars in the 90s. Just sitting at home on Love@AOL would produce results too. I remember chatting on AOL and asking women to come over and they did. Those were the good times. A mid-30s male wont be as successful at having that same good time as a mid-20s male. Try picking up with a hint of grey, receding hairline and a gut. Its just not going to happen. In NYC, its different and all about approach. I have seen guys in their 40s pick-up in NYC with the right approach. Sex on the first date in NYC is frowned upon (save that for second date). Sex on the first date in Cali is the rule if chemistry exists. I agree that the Silicon Valley and San Fran in general is not a bad area to be either. Well, I have my plane ticket for Sunday to get to NYC for a PERMANENT vacation.