--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I expected Los Angeles to be slick and…" description: "\"“I expected Los Angeles to be slick and modern, but overall it had a rundown look and feel to it. Sort of like Denver. Sort of like every city in Ameri..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e51/gary-reilly-13028_los-angeles_i-expected-los-angeles-to-be-slick-and-m_1963294.png" --- # I expected Los Angeles to be slick and modern, but overall… ![“I expected Los Angeles to be slick and modern, but overall it had a rundown look and feel to it. Sort of like Denver. Sort of like every city in America I’ve lived in, except San Francisco, which looks cool.” quote by Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e51/gary-reilly-13028_los-angeles_i-expected-los-angeles-to-be-slick-and-m_1963294.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e51/gary-reilly-13028_los-angeles_i-expected-los-angeles-to-be-slick-and-m_1963294.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e51/gary-reilly-13028_los-angeles_i-expected-los-angeles-to-be-slick-and-m_1963294.png) > ““I expected Los Angeles to be slick and modern, but overall it had a rundown look and feel to it. Sort of like Denver. Sort of like every city in America I’ve lived in, except San Francisco, which looks cool.”” [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Los Angeles felt outdated and gritty, similar to other American cities, while San Francisco appeared stylish and modern. **In simple terms:** LA seemed run‑down compared to SF’s cool vibe. Key Takeaway Notice how city aesthetics differ. Themes urban perception comparative observation travel Mood reflective observational Type cultural travel When to use this quote - city planning - relocation decisions - tourism marketing Key Concepts sociology environmental psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do personal experiences shape city impressions? - What makes a city feel “cool”? A Different Perspective Subjective impressions may overlook deeper cultural factors. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Angeles Slick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/angeles-slick-3253397/) [Expected Los](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expected-los-3253399/) [Like City](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-city/) [Like Denver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/like-denver-3253398/) [Los angeles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/los-angeles/) [San francisco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/san-francisco/) [York](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/york/) ## Related quotes > [“Some people believe that people are essentially evil. Others believe people are essentially good. I believe they are somewhere in the middle, like Denver.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jarod-kintz/some-people-believe-that-people-are-essentially-evil-others-believe/) [Jarod Kintz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jarod-kintz/) > [I like being from a city that is not entrenched in show business. When you're in New York City or Los Angeles, even if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ed-helms/i-like-being-from-a-city-that-is-not-entrenched-in-show-business-when/) [Ed Helms](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ed-helms/) > [If we do high-speed rail, the governor has to be intelligent and invest the dollars at the 'bookends' - San Francisco and Los Angeles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-de-leon/if-we-do-high-speed-rail-the-governor-has-to-be-intelligent-and/) [Kevin de Leon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-de-leon/) > [I think people's minds are going to have to assimilate in the sense that all the world is international now. The whole world has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pico-iyer/i-think-people-s-minds-are-going-to-have-to-assimilate-in-the-sense/) [Pico Iyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pico-iyer/) > [There are plans for a new high-speed train between Los Angeles and San Francisco. It will make the trip time 30 minutes. People in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-ferguson/there-are-plans-for-a-new-high-speed-train-between-los-angeles-and/) [Craig Ferguson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-ferguson/) > [The thing you gotta understand about L.A. is that everything is suburbia. Los Angeles isn't set up like San Francisco or New York.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-famuyiwa/the-thing-you-gotta-understand-about-l-a-is-that-everything-is/) [Rick Famuyiwa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-famuyiwa/) > [“I hate to admit it," she said, "but for all we hear about the States, Canada's capacity for racism seems even worse." "Worse?" "The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joy-kogawa/i-hate-to-admit-it-she-said-but-for-all-we-hear-about-the-states/) [Joy Kogawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joy-kogawa/) > [“French Polynesia embraces a vast ocean area strewn with faraway outer islands, each with a mystique of its own. 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It looks like it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-rifka-brunt/i-stared-out-the-window-the-whole-way-because-it-was-raining-which-is/) [Carol Rifka Brunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-rifka-brunt/) > [Toronto is like a city of grandmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/earl-sweatshirt/toronto-is-like-a-city-of-grandmas/) [Earl Sweatshirt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/earl-sweatshirt/) > [Calcutta is a very culturally-forward city. People encourage art, music, literature and I just feel like that's a city that looks for experiences over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masaba-gupta/calcutta-is-a-very-culturally-forward-city-people-encourage-art-music/) [Masaba Gupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masaba-gupta/) > [I don't like L.A. I've always said that, and people hate on me for it. I don't really like the city.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shenae-grimes/i-don-t-like-l-a-i-ve-always-said-that-and-people-hate-on-me-for-it-i/) [Shenae Grimes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shenae-grimes/) > [I love everything about Philadelphia, and its food is like the city itself: real-deal, hearty, and without pretension. We've always had an underdog vibe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-scottoline/i-love-everything-about-philadelphia-and-its-food-is-like-the-city/) [Lisa Scottoline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-scottoline/) ## More by Gary Reilly > [“The big house... reminded me of the types of structures you can still see in places like Center City: gingerbread houses, two-story affairs built…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/the-big-house-reminded-me-of-the-types-of-structures-you-can-still/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [It's a funny thing about writing. You get so balled up in a story idea that you lose your perspective and forget that human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/it-s-a-funny-thing-about-writing-you-get-so-balled-up-in-a-story-idea/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“I don't think there is anything that annoys me as much as having to "be" somewhere. It seems like every bad thing that ever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/i-don-t-think-there-is-anything-that-annoys-me-as-much-as-having-to/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“My imagination was running amok again. Twice in one night. This never happens when I’m sitting in front of a typewriter.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/my-imagination-was-running-amok-again-twice-in-one-night-this-never/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“Writers, even unpublished writers, have a tendency not to notice what’s going on around them when they are the center of attention.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/writers-even-unpublished-writers-have-a-tendency-not-to-notice-what-s/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [Being a cab river is not unlike being a magician--minus the top hat, the cape, the rabbit, an the gorgeous assistant. But you do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/being-a-cab-river-is-not-unlike-being-a-magician-minus-the-top-hat/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“Golf baffles me. They says it’s a sport, and I have to take their word for it, but anything that involves having fun while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/golf-baffles-me-they-says-it-s-a-sport-and-i-have-to-take-their-word/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“To me, knowing how to do something is like cheating. That's why I never studied in grade school. Studying made passing tests too easy.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/to-me-knowing-how-to-do-something-is-like-cheating-that-s-why-i-never/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“My fake weekend has begun. I always take Tuesday off, unless my rent is due and I need to pick up some extra cash.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/my-fake-weekend-has-begun-i-always-take-tuesday-off-unless-my-rent-is/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“TGIF," I said aloud even though it was only Thursday. But I was alone in my apartment as far as I knew. I deliberately…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/tgif-i-said-aloud-even-though-it-was-only-thursday-but-i-was-alone-in/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [Work/Loaf Ratio”...I have spent fourteen years perfecting... I won't bore you with a long-winded explanation of the “W/LR” save to say that it is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/work-loaf-ratio-i-have-spent-fourteen-years-perfecting-i-won-t-bore/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“Get thee behind me, whatever you are," that's my motto.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/get-thee-behind-me-whatever-you-are-that-s-my-motto/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“Late Friday morning I was driving toward Boulder. I was seated in "Doctor Lovebeads Cosmic Wonderbus and Mobile Mercantile." That entire phrase was painted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/late-friday-morning-i-was-driving-toward-boulder-i-was-seated-in/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“I didn't offer to help him carry any of his stuff. That's the unwritten code between cabbies and movers… It's his punishment for tricking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/i-didn-t-offer-to-help-him-carry-any-of-his-stuff-that-s-the/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) > [“They say that a man has to want to quit before he can stop working, that nobody can stop working for him. His first…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-reilly/they-say-that-a-man-has-to-want-to-quit-before-he-can-stop-working/) [Gary Reilly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) [Explore all 52 Gary Reilly quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-reilly/) ## More Los angeles quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [“French Polynesia embraces a vast ocean area strewn with faraway outer islands, each with a mystique of its own. The 118 islands and atolls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-stanley/french-polynesia-embraces-a-vast-ocean-area-strewn-with-faraway-outer/) [David Stanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-stanley/) > [“You’re American, yes?” Daniela said. “Yes.” “New York?” “Oregon.” “Dónde?” Where? “It’s a state on the West Coast.” “Near Los Angeles?” Brigitte asked. “North…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-cach/you-re-american-yes-daniela-said-yes-new-york-oregon-d-nde-where-it-s/) [Lisa Cach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lisa-cach/) > [ Just between you and me, shouldn’t the World Bank be encouraging MORE migration of the dirty industries to the LDCs \[Less Developed Countries\]?... I… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-summers/just-between-you-and-me-shouldn-t-the-world-bank-be-encouraging-more/) [Lawrence Summers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-summers/) > [Elevated locations imply elevated purposes, even in American cities departing as radically as Los Angeles does from the traditional planning patterns of the Eastern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/elevated-locations-imply-elevated-purposes-even-in-american-cities/) [Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/) > [As a sports fan, the Los Angeles Kings winning the Stanley Cup makes me feel very alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/five-for-fighting/as-a-sports-fan-the-los-angeles-kings-winning-the-stanley-cup-makes/) [Five for Fighting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/five-for-fighting/) > [Reggie Jackson hit one off me that's still burrowing its way to Los Angeles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-quisenberry/reggie-jackson-hit-one-off-me-that-s-still-burrowing-its-way-to-los/) [Dan Quisenberry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-quisenberry/) > [We been bubblin' in the Los Angeles underground for years.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/xzibit/we-been-bubblin-in-the-los-angeles-underground-for-years/) [Xzibit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/xzibit/) > [ It's \[Los Angeles\] mostly full of nonsense and delusion and egomania. They think they'll be young and beautiful forever, even though most of them… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-hitchens/it-s-los-angeles-mostly-full-of-nonsense-and-delusion-and-egomania/) [Christopher Hitchens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-hitchens/) > [I began with small roles in successful movies like 'No Country For Old Men' by the Coen brothers; but it was 'The Last Exorcism'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/caleb-landry-jones/i-began-with-small-roles-in-successful-movies-like-no-country-for-old/) [Caleb Landry Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/caleb-landry-jones/) > [“Even though I grew up two hours south, I had rarely ventured to Los Angeles. I soon learned that my dad wasn't totally off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-halpern/even-though-i-grew-up-two-hours-south-i-had-rarely-ventured-to-los/) [Justin Halpern](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-halpern/) > [“Monk worked on his remaining Intertect cases at his dining table while I tried to hone my detecting instincts by reading the Murder, She…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-goldberg/monk-worked-on-his-remaining-intertect-cases-at-his-dining-table/) [Lee Goldberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-goldberg/) > [I was playing surf music with my band when a girlfriend of mine who had come from Los Angeles took me to a James…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-b-schmit/i-was-playing-surf-music-with-my-band-when-a-girlfriend-of-mine-who/) [Timothy B. 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