Atlanta or Los Angeles: Which One Wins?

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Four years ago, I was living in LA and I was watching one my magazines decline as the music industry was taking hit after hit with the downloading craze. I wanted out. I had been in LA for 14 years and I was completely burnt on the plastic people the wannabes and the hanger-ons. I needed to get relief and be around real people for a change.

I had visited Atlanta to take a few breaks and I had lived here once before in the mid 80s. I immediately fell in love with the down home southern feel, people actually SPEAKING to you and just the whole laid-back environment. I sold my house, packed my things up and moved to Atlanta.

Today, I am cleaning out my bedroom closet and looking at all the clothes that I still have from LA. My goal was to give a bunch of clothes to the Goodwill. I asked myself why I was still holding on to these things, why my license plate and car are still registered in Cali and why, all of the sudden, am I getting invited to many events in LA outside of Radio? I mean Atlanta is the new industry spot, isn’t’ it?

I heard it said many times that once radio is in your blood you become addicted to it. I don’t know who came up with that but after working at the Beat in the early 90’s in LA, I was pretty much done with it. I have never felt that way about radio and I think that’s a bit limited. I DO however feel that way about the entertainment industry. I AM truly addicted to the industry and I do love it and I am not getting it here in Atlanta and I’m not getting any younger. It’s not enough for me to go to an event featuring a black artist or a local urban radio station when I’m also into independent films, magazines, blogs, acting, writing, plays and so much more. To make a long story short, I should have moved back to LA two years ago. However, in my, at times, foolishly optimistic, thinking about the situation sans candor, I have often surmised: “Atlanta will come around, something will happen.”It still hasn’t and I’m bored here. I’ve already done what I’m doing. I talk to a lot of industry vets who are going to be moving here and I was thinking, well, maybe they see something I don’t see but the truth is, I have a lot of varied interests and while Atlanta is growing, it’s just not there yet.

There are, of course, things about LA I don’t like too. I don’t like the people and it’s very hard to foster true alliances and friendships there but I miss the weather, beach, opportunities and to an extent, the lifestyle.

Atlanta is a GREAT place to visit, but I just can’t live here. I’ve decided today that I’m going to move back to Los Angeles (unless something comes up in NY)(laugh). I’ll keep you posted of my move.
Kevin


1 COMMENT

  1. That’s great! As a LA brat myself, I moved to Atlanta a couple of years ago and still havn’t found it to feel like home yet. But I am not sure yet when I will be moving back but Best of luck to you. Also I was a Radio Account Executive in LA when I was there.. LAter.

    T

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