cnj
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Post by cnj on Jul 19, 2019 21:01:38 GMT -5
I think Dawn is even anxious in the California Diaries. She constantly worries, dissects things, second guesses herself. Sure, she was cool and projected a “laid-back” vibe, but she definitely had fears, as we all do. Yes, and I think in the NYC Super Special, she even talks about LA. But in LA you’re in your car for the most part. When the books were written, there was no reason to go to Downtown LA itself, if you are familiar with LA and its areas. (There are a lot of cool parts to it now though!) Plus she was presumably with her parents, which is different than going to an unfamiliar city with just your friends at 13. Plenty of people in LA don't need cars, especially if they live right in the city. My friend who lived in LA didn't need a car to get around; she told me that LA has a subway and bus system a lot like NYC and DC. But true that Dawn lived more in the outskirts of LA, which according to several websites googled, has a population of approximately thirteen million.
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cnj
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Post by cnj on Jul 19, 2019 21:05:39 GMT -5
I think Dawn is even anxious in the California Diaries. She constantly worries, dissects things, second guesses herself. Sure, she was cool and projected a “laid-back” vibe, but she definitely had fears, as we all do. Sure, she had her fears in the California Diaries, but she was no more anxious and worried than any of her classmates. I would say of all of her LA friends, Jill was the most scared and worried, especially about all the eighth graders being moved to Vista High. Stacey's Mistake depicted her as going overboard with fearfulness.
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cnj
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Post by cnj on Jul 19, 2019 21:09:41 GMT -5
I have also lived in NYC and its suburbs both. Did you ever visit the Statue of Liberty or Coney Island? They're great places...I've been to each several times. Have you ever been to Washington, DC? I have family and a couple of friends there. DC has a population over six million and is growing rapidly, not too far behind NYC, which has approximately eight million people.
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Post by greer on Jul 20, 2019 5:49:12 GMT -5
I have also lived in NYC and its suburbs both. Did you ever visit the Statue of Liberty or Coney Island? They're great places...I've been to each several times. Have you ever been to Washington, DC? I have family and a couple of friends there. DC has a population over six million and is growing rapidly, not too far behind NYC, which has approximately eight million people. No to Statue of Liberty, yes to Coney Island, many times because of its proximity to Brighton Beach, and yes, but I am not sure what either has to do with anything. LA does have a subway and it is growing, but at the time the series was written, you would *not* want to go to DTLA, which is really the only part where having a car is an inconvenience and where you don’t really need one. I asked my boyfriend if anyone would have gone there at the time, since he was in LA then, and he said only for heroin. So I don’t think the Schafers would have gone there. Also I imagine public transportation was much worse then, too. Even in the Super Special, I remember them being driven by Carol or Dawn’s dad. Dawn lived in an imaginary suburb of Anaheim, which is outside of LA County proper in Orange County, but she was also supposed to live near the ocean, so it makes no sense because that would put her more at Huntington Beach.
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Post by anzuhana on Jul 20, 2019 8:02:04 GMT -5
NYC has the biggest population in the US. Actually, not. I just googled now and found that while NYC has a population of eight million, LA has a population of thirteen million. This includes the downtown cities and the adjacent suburbs. I live in NYC and am familiar with it...and love it...and a friend of mine lived in LA for many years. I googled it myself just now and NYC is still more populated. LA at most a population of 4 million while NYC has a population of 8 million.
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Post by greer on Jul 20, 2019 8:17:09 GMT -5
13 million is the metro area, which extends beyond the city itself. The NYC metro area is much larger than 8 million. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_statistical_areasI have been to both, lived in one, and am moving to the other within a year... I can see why it is not necessarily the case that a middle schooler familiar with Los Angeles would feel comfortable in NYC. They’re very different, especially if you’re actually from the suburbs. And I don’t think we can say that something at that point of the series is out of character, since the character is still really developing. I think Dawn is someone who often seems more confident than she actually is. Plus she was going through a lot with her family.
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Post by anzuhana on Jul 20, 2019 9:40:31 GMT -5
I looked at the link you provided, greer. I didn't expect Pennsylvania to be included in the greater NYC metro area. I'm also surprised that the population is 19 million. I don't know what number I expected it to be but it wasn't 19 million.
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cnj
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Post by cnj on Jul 20, 2019 18:42:13 GMT -5
I looked at the link you provided, greer. I didn't expect Pennsylvania to be included in the greater NYC metro area. I'm also surprised that the population is 19 million. I don't know what number I expected it to be but it wasn't 19 million. That explains the huge number of some stats. Technically, no, the state of Pennsylvania is NOT part of NYC. Most people think of strictly New York City and the immediate surrounding area...not four entire states. Pennsylvania is NOT part of New York City. Also, some people mistakenly think that New York City stretches over the entire state of New York. Those of us who've been there and like myself, who've lived there know that the city is actually a miniscule part of the southern part of New York state. New York City itself... without including Pennsylvania, New Jersey or upstate New York is approximately eight million people...still a large city, but still smaller than LA.
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cnj
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Post by cnj on Jul 20, 2019 18:59:58 GMT -5
13 million is the metro area, which extends beyond the city itself. The NYC metro area is much larger than 8 million. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_metropolitan_statistical_areas. I have been to both, lived in one and am moving to the other within a year...I can see why it is not necessarily the case that a middle schooler familiar with Los Angeles would feel comfortable in NYC. Sure, if you include upstate NY, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, then true the NYC population will be ballooned hugely. Heck, then Stoneybrook could be labeled part of NYC, LOL. 😁😁😁 But I'm just talking about the one city itself and the immediate suburbs...not the entire New York state...the state I agree is huge. They’re very different, especially if you’re actually from the suburbs. True there. And I am sure somebody from Queens, a NYC suburb would feel a bit strange and slightly anxious in the middle of urban LA. It's funny because it reminds me of Girl Talk's Randy Zak...she moves from urban NYC to a tiny town in Minnesota and initially has a tough time because she is actually rather afraid and anxious, not to mention homesick. And I don’t think we can say that something at that point of the series is out of character, since the character is still really developing. I think Dawn is someone who often seems more confident than she actually is. Plus she was going through a lot with her family. All the BSC had been through stuff with family. True that Dawn...like the rest of the BSC...had their share of insecurities and anxieties...so, actually, she was hardly unique there. I am glad that later in the book, the book stopped over-playing the "fearful" Dawn bit. In subsequent books, Dawn enjoys NYC visits and is not so fearful. The books evolved with all the characters and slowly became more accurate, which was great.
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cnj
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Post by cnj on Jul 20, 2019 19:18:44 GMT -5
Did you ever visit the Statue of Liberty or Coney Island? They're great places...I've been to each several times. Have you ever been to Washington, DC? I have family and a couple of friends there. DC has a population over six million and is growing rapidly, not too far behind NYC, which has approximately eight million people. No to Statue of Liberty, yes to Coney Island, many times because of its proximity to Brighton Beach, and yes, but I am not sure what either has to do with anything. Lots...the pictures don't do Lady Liberty justice. Hope you get a chance to visit if you're ever in the Big Apple again...I love NYC and am glad I live there. So I don’t think the Schafers would have gone there. I suspect they occasionally did...not all the time, mind you, but maybe a few times a year. Also I imagine public transportation was much worse then, too. You "imagine"...which means that you're merely speculating; you don't really know for sure. Anyway, when my friend lived in LA for a few years...and not smack dab downtown either...she never had a car and never had trouble getting around. Now she's in DC and thankfully, still doesn't need a car. I love the BSC books where the girls take trips into NYC...and in my fanfic storyline, Mary Anne lives there as an adult and raises a family and teaches there.
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Post by booboobrewer on Jul 20, 2019 21:04:45 GMT -5
Aren’t you doing the same thing??? Imagining these characters as real people with real motivation when...they’re not?
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cnj
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Post by cnj on Jul 20, 2019 21:26:40 GMT -5
Aren’t you doing the same thing??? Imagining these characters as real people with real motivation when...they’re not? With fictional characters, it's fun to imagine. But with real places and cities, there are real stats, so we don't have to guess or speculate with those. I love NYC and know that it's a big city with lots to see and do, but I'm under no illusion that it's the hugest place in the world.
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Post by greer on Jul 20, 2019 22:06:36 GMT -5
I had a long response but honestly I just find the whole thing tedious, so I deleted it.
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Post by anzuhana on Jul 21, 2019 7:07:09 GMT -5
I looked at the link you provided, greer. I didn't expect Pennsylvania to be included in the greater NYC metro area. I'm also surprised that the population is 19 million. I don't know what number I expected it to be but it wasn't 19 million. That explains the huge number of some stats. Technically, no, the state of Pennsylvania is NOT part of NYC. Most people think of strictly New York City and the immediate surrounding area...not four entire states. Pennsylvania is NOT part of New York City. Also, some people mistakenly think that New York City stretches over the entire state of New York. Those of us who've been there and like myself, who've lived there know that the city is actually a miniscule part of the southern part of New York state. New York City itself... without including Pennsylvania, New Jersey or upstate New York is approximately eight million people...still a large city, but still smaller than LA. Yeah, whenever I think of the greater NYC area, I think NYC and parts of New Jersey and Connecticut. Before that Wikipedia page, I've never heard of Pennsylvania being included.
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cnj
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Post by cnj on Jul 26, 2019 23:53:36 GMT -5
I had a long response but honestly I just find the whole thing tedious, so I deleted it.
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