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Skateboarding => Skate Questions => Topic started by: in love w/ fs shuvs on September 27, 2021, 06:02:43 PM

Title: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: in love w/ fs shuvs on September 27, 2021, 06:02:43 PM
I currently live in some shitty city on the outskirts of LA and this shit sucks ass. My career is dope but honestly I hella romanticize living in a city with a good skate scene/social life although I'd have to ditch my career. I wanna try it sometime tho while I'm young. Kinda don't wanna work in an office tho. I might just be overgeneralizing these IG skaters living situations tho, most skaters probably don't live in these areas.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: Chavo on September 27, 2021, 07:30:27 PM
I currently live in some shitty city on the outskirts of LA and this shit sucks ass. My career is dope but honestly I hella romanticize living in a city with a good skate scene/social life although I'd have to ditch my career. I wanna try it sometime tho while I'm young. Kinda don't wanna work in an office tho. I might just be overgeneralizing these IG skaters living situations tho, most skaters probably don't live in these areas.

You mean living in a city center like downtown instead of a suburb? Most people in L.A. drive to spots, so you're better off living on the outskirts.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: Dwyck on September 27, 2021, 08:40:51 PM
work full time and commute from outlying neighborhood
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: MaXX_I-D on September 29, 2021, 04:06:40 PM
work full time and commute from outlying neighborhood
Good ass advice; cities are so fucking expensive.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: mj23 on October 05, 2021, 02:02:24 PM
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work full time and commute from outlying neighborhood
[close]
Good ass advice; cities are so fucking expensive.
I mean, this is literally just what the majority of people in any given metro area do. There’s a reason traffic and/or public transit gets busy during rush hour. Most of the people who work in the urban core either can’t afford to live there or prefer to get more comfort for their money elsewhere. The few who truly commit to living in the center of everything are either born rich, extremely well-paid, or willing to spend all their meager income on the “privilege” of living in a smaller space with fewer amenities and/or more roommates. And then of course there is the middle ground: just because you don’t live in DTLA doesn’t mean you have to live in Ontario or Fullerton or something, that’s why so many skaters live on the east side or in the SGV or SFV or whatever. Hell, lots of celebs live in fuckin Calabasas now…
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: pugmaster on October 05, 2021, 05:43:43 PM
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work full time and commute from outlying neighborhood
[close]
Good ass advice; cities are so fucking expensive.
[close]
I mean, this is literally just what the majority of people in any given metro area do. There’s a reason traffic and/or public transit gets busy during rush hour. Most of the people who work in the urban core either can’t afford to live there or prefer to get more comfort for their money elsewhere. The few who truly commit to living in the center of everything are either born rich, extremely well-paid, or willing to spend all their meager income on the “privilege” of living in a smaller space with fewer amenities and/or more roommates. And then of course there is the middle ground: just because you don’t live in DTLA doesn’t mean you have to live in Ontario or Fullerton or something, that’s why so many skaters live on the east side or in the SGV or SFV or whatever. Hell, lots of celebs live in fuckin Calabasas now…

Fullerton is really expensive
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: biaherl on October 05, 2021, 07:07:53 PM
I used to rent out a large enough pantry in a apartment kitchen for $300 and would take the bus to a plasma donors spot that would pay for rent, bus pass and food. But that was over 20 years ago

https://octapharmaplasma.com/donor/promotions
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: in love w/ fs shuvs on October 05, 2021, 08:15:25 PM
I used to rent out a large enough pantry in a apartment kitchen for $300 and would take the bus to a plasma donors spot that would pay for rent, bus pass and food. But that was over 20 years ago

https://octapharmaplasma.com/donor/promotions

Damn, that's actually hardcore. Where'd u sleep?
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: FrozenIndustries on October 06, 2021, 06:47:41 AM
If someone is living in a major city and lives some kind of alternative lifestyle and you cannot for the life of you figure out how they do it, the answer is almost always rich parents. Also, the grosser/more slovenly they try to present themselves, the more money their family has. Not even trying to be shady, and obviously there are exceptions.

I think this applies to any subculture.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: SneakySecrets on October 07, 2021, 09:27:15 AM
They seem to have a penchant for breathing, extending their survival chances incalculably.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: layzieyez on October 07, 2021, 12:09:02 PM
If someone is living in a major city and lives some kind of alternative lifestyle and you cannot for the life of you figure out how they do it, the answer is almost always rich parents. Also, the grosser/more slovenly they try to present themselves, the more money their family has. Not even trying to be shady, and obviously there are exceptions.

I think this applies to any subculture.
There were panhandling gutter punks in my city that were often spotted getting picked up in their parent's Benz. It's quite the phenomenon to witness.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: drcroc on October 08, 2021, 09:15:51 PM
Expand Quote
If someone is living in a major city and lives some kind of alternative lifestyle and you cannot for the life of you figure out how they do it, the answer is almost always rich parents. Also, the grosser/more slovenly they try to present themselves, the more money their family has. Not even trying to be shady, and obviously there are exceptions.

I think this applies to any subculture.
[close]
There were panhandling gutter punks in my city that were often spotted getting picked up in their parent's Benz. It's quite the phenomenon to witness.

This is most definitely true. Because in New York City, the most "hip" areas like The Bowery... the rent demands you earn essentially 85-100k (or more) in salary to even have a chance at renting an apartment there... I know because I once tried to rent an apartment in Chinatown and the landlord refused to rent to me because I didn't earn 90,000 a year. I think the rent for a studio was like 1900 or 2000 a month. And it wasn't even in the "coolest" areas, which were more steeply priced. .....Yet, the people who live there wear like rags and ripped clothing like they're homeless. Once you realize this... it's so bizarre. Why would you dress like a homeless person when you're making 100k a year in salary? It's really stupid and wayyyy romanticized bullshit to live in this type of area.

But to answer the OP... I left my office career and life in a major city behind shortly before I turned 30.  It's worth it if you can make it to a city center from like 22 - 25, but shortly after about 26-27 nearly all of your peers will no longer go out to socialize at night. They'll get married and keep to themselves and their soul-crushing corporate jobs they need to retain in order to maintain their lifestyle and keep up with the Joneses.

And it's ALSO true that despite being surrounded by people all the time, you may still feel just as lonely (if not moreso) than if you were in some remote area. Despite all the people, it doesn't mean anyone will pay any attention to you or give a sh8t about spending time or interacting with you. It's the truth.

Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: Nathanial on October 09, 2021, 03:31:26 AM
This article provides a detailed ethnographic description of skateboarding's main career opportunities and contributes to arguments about subculture theory and the impact of specific subcultures on cities. Professional street skateboarders perform tricks on obstacles in the urban environment and publish these tricks in magazines and videos to share with other members of the subculture. This need for documentation and dissemination of skateboard tricks, as well as the need to design and distribute subculture media, skateboards and skateboarding products, makes skateboarding a self-sustaining industry and provides skaters with an opportunity for subculture careers.

NomNomNow (https://www.nomnomnow.one/)
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: pugmaster on October 10, 2021, 04:09:02 PM
This article provides a detailed ethnographic description of skateboarding's main career opportunities and contributes to arguments about subculture theory and the impact of specific subcultures on cities. Professional street skateboarders perform tricks on obstacles in the urban environment and publish these tricks in magazines and videos to share with other members of the subculture. This need for documentation and dissemination of skateboard tricks, as well as the need to design and distribute subculture media, skateboards and skateboarding products, makes skateboarding a self-sustaining industry and provides skaters with an opportunity for subculture careers.

NomNomNow (https://www.nomnomnow.one/)

Nathanial, how many of the boxes below are a picture of a stoplight?

(https://www.nj.com/resizer/09AWG1BLmQqx7l_vyfZ39fHhLUY=/1280x0/smart/advancelocal-adapter-image-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com/image.nj.com/home/njo-media/width2048/img/traffic_impact/photo/white-boxes-on-traffic-lightjpg-fd3cebb244f07ef2.jpg)
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: lampshade on October 15, 2021, 03:06:09 AM
I currently live in some shitty city on the outskirts of LA and this shit sucks ass. My career is dope but honestly I hella romanticize living in a city with a good skate scene/social life although I'd have to ditch my career. I wanna try it sometime tho while I'm young. Kinda don't wanna work in an office tho. I might just be overgeneralizing these IG skaters living situations tho, most skaters probably don't live in these areas.

If your career is, "Dope" just do it in the city.  Working in an office might be a necessarity depending on the career field/path.  Get a room mate or two and go for it.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: fuhkin_powahfood_kid on October 18, 2021, 11:56:05 AM
If someone is living in a major city and lives some kind of alternative lifestyle and you cannot for the life of you figure out how they do it, the answer is almost always rich parents. Also, the grosser/more slovenly they try to present themselves, the more money their family has. Not even trying to be shady, and obviously there are exceptions.

I think this applies to any subculture.

for real. I can't begin to give a number to how many artist/musician weed trimming travelers I've encountered who I later learned have a trust fund or something like that. Supposedly they'd live off the money they made trimming for 3 months... I've only met a handful of people for whom that was actually the case. I met one girl whose Mom was the lead DA for a US state. Another whose dad was part owner of an oil drilling company. This one kid who didn't get money from his family, but knew that he'd be all set if he needed it because his parents had millions, just "bought" a house. Then there was this one white rasta kid who had been living on the run from a trafficking charge in Nebraska for 10 years. He decided he needed to get a real job, chopped his dreads, his real estate baron parents from Philly flew out, got him a lawyer, new car, clothes, etc. This one kid, oh man, I really didn't care for him much- this one dude grew up in Oakland. His parents owned a house that's worth a couple mil at this time. Dude's granddad was a SFPD guy and his grandmother was essentially giving him a significant portion of the pension or something like that. This kid was trying to be a full time anarchist and weed trimming gutter punk but drove a brand new Tacoma and "family friends" owned the land he would "work" on. No joke, this dude backs over a girls bicycle at the spot they all lived and instead of offering to fix/pay for it he says "you shouldn't have left it behind my truck."

I actually really appreciate and enjoy most of these people, but the choices and risks they took made a whole lot more sense and in turn seemed a lot less badass when I learned that they didn't have much to lose other than their pride if something went wrong.

As for living in a city, I don't know how people do it anymore. The period I lived on the edge of Boston, I had a full time job and a side job. Owned an inexpensive 18 year old car, had 4 roommates, and ate a lot of rice, beans, and lentils. Dumpstered my snacks from the donut shop. Didn't buy new shit, ever. That was a minute ago though and I was able to get a room for 650. I don't know what it's like right now.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: yungthug on October 19, 2021, 08:12:54 AM
If someone is living in a major city and lives some kind of alternative lifestyle and you cannot for the life of you figure out how they do it, the answer is almost always rich parents.
It was eye opening moving to the metro area of a major city and seeing the "core skater" dudes who lived the lifestyle of broke pieces of shit pretty much all either lived with their parents in the burbs or had significant help in affording "their" apartments.

Turns out working part-time as a barista in a trendy neighborhood is NOT enough to make ends meet.

It's pretty funny being looked at as an alien by your fellow skaters because you work a full-time job, live in a decent apartment in the suburbs, and have a college degree.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: OldieButFrenchie on October 20, 2021, 03:31:59 AM
I thought in the US it was actually more expensive to live in the suburbs than in the center? that has changed since the "white flight" era then?

anyways I concur with a lot of observations made here, it's valid in Europe too.

I've also witnessed a lot of "revolutionaries" actually coming from money. Most of the guys I know who came from poverty hustle to make it, they don't have time to read Marx and fantasize about "bringing down the system".....Kinda like the difference between RATM and Ice-T hahaha......even though I love both!
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: Frank and Fred on October 20, 2021, 09:35:11 AM
White Flight. But then the artists and anarhos moved back in. Then the young white hip types. Then the young families. Then it was game on for everyone. Prices going up each step of the way. Until Peak Gentrification at the beginning of Covid.

However, now we are seeing White Flight again as downtown urban cores fall apart. Covid, social unrest, defunded police, crazy rise in crime rates, and its time to flee again. It's a wild cycle. At least that's what I am seeing in Portland and I believe other West Coast cities are seening similar.

I'm still here as people get car-jacked and robbed daily in my neighborhood. 1000 shootings and over 70 homicides thus far this year in a metro area of 2.5 million people. Portland will be affordable again before long.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: FrozenIndustries on October 20, 2021, 09:49:30 AM
Expand Quote
If someone is living in a major city and lives some kind of alternative lifestyle and you cannot for the life of you figure out how they do it, the answer is almost always rich parents.
[close]
It was eye opening moving to the metro area of a major city and seeing the "core skater" dudes who lived the lifestyle of broke pieces of shit pretty much all either lived with their parents in the burbs or had significant help in affording "their" apartments.

Turns out working part-time as a barista in a trendy neighborhood is NOT enough to make ends meet.

It's pretty funny being looked at as an alien by your fellow skaters because you work a full-time job, live in a decent apartment in the suburbs, and have a college degree.

I realize that wasn't really what the OP was looking for, but I think its important to mention it because you can go down a real rabbit hole of unrealistic expectations or self doubt when you see other people having an easy time and you're struggling.

When I was younger and didn't realize this stuff I used to feel like of gaslit, like "I have a job, how am I always broke but all these dudes eat takeout every meal and always have booze and cigarettes?". My other subcultural involvement outside skating it was even crazier, dudes looking like borderline oogles with modular synths and shit.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: Frank and Fred on October 20, 2021, 09:57:49 AM
I moved to Portland at the end of 99. And it was very easy to live in a cool "close in" neighborhood and barely work.  I paid about $180 a month to live with four people in a 3 bedroom house in inner SE. Worked when I wanted, didn't when I didn't want to.

So that was very possible at one time...  and maybe will be again. I did not know how good I had it at the time...
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: biaherl on October 20, 2021, 10:04:10 AM
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I used to rent out a large enough pantry in a apartment kitchen for $300 and would take the bus to a plasma donors spot that would pay for rent, bus pass and food. But that was over 20 years ago

https://octapharmaplasma.com/donor/promotions
[close]

Damn, that's actually hardcore. Where'd u sleep?

I slept in the pantry. It was big enough for a twin bed that I'd propped up on milk crates to store my stuff

I forgot, in LA they have extra casting calls. Depending on the production you get fed and $250+ just for standing around for 6 hours

https://www.backstage.com/casting/open-casting-calls/los-angeles-auditions/extras/
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: fuhkin_powahfood_kid on October 20, 2021, 07:55:55 PM
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
If someone is living in a major city and lives some kind of alternative lifestyle and you cannot for the life of you figure out how they do it, the answer is almost always rich parents.
[close]
It was eye opening moving to the metro area of a major city and seeing the "core skater" dudes who lived the lifestyle of broke pieces of shit pretty much all either lived with their parents in the burbs or had significant help in affording "their" apartments.

Turns out working part-time as a barista in a trendy neighborhood is NOT enough to make ends meet.

It's pretty funny being looked at as an alien by your fellow skaters because you work a full-time job, live in a decent apartment in the suburbs, and have a college degree.
[close]

I realize that wasn't really what the OP was looking for, but I think its important to mention it because you can go down a real rabbit hole of unrealistic expectations or self doubt when you see other people having an easy time and you're struggling.

When I was younger and didn't realize this stuff I used to feel like of gaslit, like "I have a job, how am I always broke but all these dudes eat takeout every meal and always have booze and cigarettes?". My other subcultural involvement outside skating it was even crazier, dudes looking like borderline oogles with modular synths and shit.

for freakin real.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: OldieButFrenchie on October 21, 2021, 12:41:51 AM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYIqBG1v8BY

Love Fred Armisen.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: al_cvbrera on October 26, 2021, 06:03:41 AM
drugs and stimulants during winter to numb the pain and boredom until the weather is nice again
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: Brguy on October 28, 2021, 11:39:55 AM
Expand Quote
Expand Quote
If someone is living in a major city and lives some kind of alternative lifestyle and you cannot for the life of you figure out how they do it, the answer is almost always rich parents. Also, the grosser/more slovenly they try to present themselves, the more money their family has. Not even trying to be shady, and obviously there are exceptions.

I think this applies to any subculture.
[close]
There were panhandling gutter punks in my city that were often spotted getting picked up in their parent's Benz. It's quite the phenomenon to witness.
[close]
Yet, the people who live there wear like rags and ripped clothing like they're homeless. Once you realize this... it's so bizarre. Why would you dress like a homeless person when you're making 100k a year in salary? It's really stupid and wayyyy romanticized bullshit to live in this type of area.
If I learned something living in Brazil is that you're less likely to be robbed if you dress like a bum. Also maybe they spend all their money on rent and disregard clothes? I wouldn't know.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: fuhkin_powahfood_kid on October 28, 2021, 08:35:03 PM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYIqBG1v8BY

Love Fred Armisen.

so good.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: gsosa on November 07, 2021, 12:05:32 AM
Expand Quote
If someone is living in a major city and lives some kind of alternative lifestyle and you cannot for the life of you figure out how they do it, the answer is almost always rich parents. Also, the grosser/more slovenly they try to present themselves, the more money their family has. Not even trying to be shady, and obviously there are exceptions.

I think this applies to any subculture.
[close]

for real. I can't begin to give a number to how many artist/musician weed trimming travelers I've encountered who I later learned have a trust fund or something like that. Supposedly they'd live off the money they made trimming for 3 months... I've only met a handful of people for whom that was actually the case. I met one girl whose Mom was the lead DA for a US state. Another whose dad was part owner of an oil drilling company. This one kid who didn't get money from his family, but knew that he'd be all set if he needed it because his parents had millions, just "bought" a house. Then there was this one white rasta kid who had been living on the run from a trafficking charge in Nebraska for 10 years. He decided he needed to get a real job, chopped his dreads, his real estate baron parents from Philly flew out, got him a lawyer, new car, clothes, etc. This one kid, oh man, I really didn't care for him much- this one dude grew up in Oakland. His parents owned a house that's worth a couple mil at this time. Dude's granddad was a SFPD guy and his grandmother was essentially giving him a significant portion of the pension or something like that. This kid was trying to be a full time anarchist and weed trimming gutter punk but drove a brand new Tacoma and "family friends" owned the land he would "work" on. No joke, this dude backs over a girls bicycle at the spot they all lived and instead of offering to fix/pay for it he says "you shouldn't have left it behind my truck."

I actually really appreciate and enjoy most of these people, but the choices and risks they took made a whole lot more sense and in turn seemed a lot less badass when I learned that they didn't have much to lose other than their pride if something went wrong.

As for living in a city, I don't know how people do it anymore. The period I lived on the edge of Boston, I had a full time job and a side job. Owned an inexpensive 18 year old car, had 4 roommates, and ate a lot of rice, beans, and lentils. Dumpstered my snacks from the donut shop. Didn't buy new shit, ever. That was a minute ago though and I was able to get a room for 650. I don't know what it's like right now.

Heeeey easy on the weed trimming bashing. I did it for the first time this year and it gave me a lot of money and am currently travelling the US, bought a bunch of camera equipment and I was a pretty slow trimmer compared to other people who have been doing it for years, so I didn't make as much money as other people did. That being said a lot of people use that money and go live somewhere else (usually in Latin America) where their money will last much longer. I feel like my bank account is hemorrhaging money living here in the US. You can live 3-4 months tops with that money here without having to work and thats if you are lucky and actually take care of your spending
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: Sanka Coffie on November 08, 2021, 05:45:50 PM
It's not that hard to afford if you give up on making it in skating and get a job.
Title: Re: How do skateboarders survive living in major cities like SF, NYC, LA etc.?
Post by: Pushing 4D on November 10, 2021, 01:11:29 PM
While I can't imagine paying the rent to live in NYC or SF, slightly smaller cities like Philly still have terrific skate scenes and are exponentially more affordable.  Spent my 20s in Philly and had a blast even before all the new parks were built in the past 10 years or so.