>``But L.A.'s barrenness was an overflowing cornucopia compared to
>the suburbs I started encountering when dating in HS and having to
>drive out to boyfriends' houses in Van Nuys, Thousand Oaks, and
>other suburbs surrounding L.A. Was it merely a coincidence that the
>families I knew living in the suburbs had serious drug-dependence
>problems, suicide attempts....all this despite the squeaky clean
>facades, respectable employment of parents, academic achievement of children?''
>
>Joanna
Otoh, life is what you make of it. J.G. Ballard lived in a suburb for decades, and made it grist for some of the best writing of the late 20th century. With so many people living in suburbs, it's incumbent upon us to understand life there.
By the way, next time you're in Los Angeles, take a stroll around MacArthur Park or Koreatown. They've got your foot traffic.