The greatest city in the world?
An outtake with LA Explained, and an afterthought on staying put
Welcome to Human Pursuits, the column that features need-to-know names and stories in media and other creative spaces. Today, an outtake from my conversation with LA Explained co-founders, Charles Ryan and Thom Vest.
Read part one of our conversation here.
Outtake
ES: Charlie, you’re LA Explained’s editor-in-chief. Why was it important for you to be an archivist and share these stories from Los Angeles?
CR: I think about it this way. I’m about to turn 39, and I think millennials are at an intersection that other generations aren’t. I remember the way the world was before. I grew up “the old way”, and now it’s all broken down. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are two very different demographics. I feel LA Explained is a way to morph it all together.
TV: It’s a changing of the guard.
CR: We need something to help the younger generation understand where we came from, and to present that idea in a way that is palatable to them. It is very visual. I don’t like video content very much, which is something they really love.
ES: You’re talking to a guy whose main mode of communication is the written word, so I get it. Laughs.
CR: You can tell with the demographics of our page, who we’re reaching, and it really is an equal amount of people who are roughly our age, and people aged 18 through 30.
TV: People aged 25 to 44 make up about 80% of our audience.
CR: Yeah, and it’s all about blending it together, and making something where we can all learn about Los Angeles. You have people in their 70s commenting, “Oh my god, I remember when this happened!” And someone who’s 20 can read that and feel close to that event, or the idea.
TV: It's like a guidebook, a resource, a sign of the times, really.
ES: So I have to assume you both think Los Angeles is the greatest city on the planet. Maybe the universe.
TV: Some days. When it’s sunny. Laughs.
CR: I would say I’m very passionate about Los Angeles. I’d be remiss to say L.A. is not without its issues. It’s always had issues. And right now, things are happening that prove that that is still the case.
Would I want to live somewhere else? No. Would I feel like I understand a place the way I do L.A.? No. Do I see myself living here forever? Not necessarily. But as someone who was born here, grew up somewhere else, and then came back, I can say this is the place that I have chosen as my home. Most of my family and friends would associate Los Angeles with me and would know that I’m excited to share its history. If you position it that way, in terms of personal attachment, then yes, I do consider it to be the greatest city in the world, but it is not without its issues and challenges.
Would I live in New York? No.
ES: Laughs.
Afterthought
A feeling washes over me whenever I drive through the city without using Google Maps. It’s the same one I get from knowing Dan Zajac is left-handed or remembering Leah’s phone number by heart. It’s the sensation of intimate knowledge. Of zeroing in on a certain time, a certain place, a certain group of people, and registering their finer details.
This interview reminded me there’s a comfort that comes with integrating into community. Ever-advancing technology has made it easy to uproot ourselves while maintaining connections and career. But while we often celebrate digital nomadism, for example, remote work and laggy Zoom calls also threaten to make life feel more transient, more siloed. It’s hard to lay a solid foundation when you’re constantly shifting to the next adventure. The desire to go everywhere potentially leads you nowhere.
In choosing to make Los Angeles their home, Charles and Thom have opted to form a deeper relationship with the city. They know it in a way few people do. This knowledge allows them to transpose history for their audience. To keep L.A.’s stories alive not just in the present context, but hopefully in the future, as well.