Resenting L.A. in Manhattan

Occasionally someone who gets caught abusing L.A. stereotypes complains that I don't point out the same style violations by writers about New York. Go figure — we call it LA Observed for a reason — but here's a fun hybrid that sort of cuts both ways. Radar has a piece about Los Angeles kids invading the clubs in Manhattan that's full of stereotyping, though mostly of the L.A. sort.

While celebrities and the people who attend to them may be the most public members of this exodus, they definitely aren't the only ones. Whether they are in New York for school or just slumming it in Williamsburg for the summer—or longer—a large chunk of the L.A. hipster crowd has been transplanted, fedoras in hand. "I see them at Black and White and Beatrice," gripes one New York native, "and they just act aloof and rude."

You have seen them around too. The lanky girls with their super straight hair and hyper-trendy, eccentric clothing combinations. That raggy shirt, the one fringed at the bottom? Probably APC. Wipe some grime off that mellow chick's purse and good chance you'll see the friendly crossed C's of Chanel. "They have even less regard for the weather than New Yorkers. They assume they can wear leather jackets in the summer," claims another New Yorker. Get a little closer and you might even overhear some talk of new skate world artists, surf videos, or a tales of late night tagging. If you send out a strong enough vibe that you're nonplussed, you may even hear the utterance of an all-expressive, "hey."

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A New School student ventures a guess on the elusive L.A. clan's tribal movements: "They are the classic high school clique. They've been going to private schools together their whole lives and no one else is really vetted into their social circle. They think they're the shit. They're on top of the world. They think they can effectively take over New York City for themselves."

L.A. kids may dig the familiar vibe of their conquered nightclubs, but some native New Yorkers treat their presence with skepticism. One L.A.-born NYC fashion assistant further explains, "all the L.A. kids hang out together. Literally. They all went to Windward/Crossroads and now they all go to NYU." She adds, "It's just an extension of being backstage at Coachella every year, going to private school and having very wealthy parents who are also wild creative types."

The writer sums up: "You can say a lot of nasty things about people from Los Angeles, but one thing you have to give them is that they know how to spin themselves into a story. It's possible that a lot of L.A. kids just want something to write about before finishing up college, returning to Los Angeles and penning the next Gossip Girl retread."

Photo: Nicky Digital / Radar Online