An L.A. Story - Area Code Snobbery

Since L.A. is my hometown I tend to ignore writing about it. Los Angeles seems normal and common to me. Of course, to most of the world it is an interesting place due to it’s standing as the media-creating center of the world. L.A. is also a very big city with a lot of people spread out all over. We are not on top of each other like some other major cities – density is pretty low but there are a lot of us.

To get an idea of how many, take our dialing prefixes, or area codes. There is a shit-load of them. Since so many people have land-line telephones, faxes, cell phones, dedicated DSL lines, and god knows what else – we have run out of telephone numbers. So, we have to continually add new area codes.

In contrast, Madrid has – as far as I know – only one or two dialing prefixes. In Madrid, all land lines or “fijos” use the dialing code “91” or "90". Mobile phones start with other numbers that are easily recognizable as a mobile phone. In L.A., the mobile phones are given an area code just like land lines so you can’t tell them apart from the “fijos”.

Area codes in Los Angeles are assigned according to location. Because of this people can tell where you live, where you work, a little bit about you – solely based on your area code. So, some conclusions are drawn – even before they know you.

Here’s the quick round-up of the area codes from the point of view of an Area Code snob (not me) – click on the area code for a Google Map location:

• Area Code 310 - Top of the line; Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu, Beverly Hills, West Los Angeles – this is where the big money is, where the best weather and views are, the expensive houses, or interesting city life, etc. This is the coveted area code, and because of this – there are no more to give out.

• Area Code 424 - Since there are no more “310” codes to give, if you move to this part of town they give you the new dreaded “overlay” area code. You are a late-comer, not a true West-sider, and obviously not cool enough to have a “310”.

• Area Code 323 - Mid-city Los Angeles, Hollywood. This is not bad, kinda cool and funky, sort of the poor part of town but interesting. Good bars and museums – L.A.’s Lavapies. You may be cool – but you are poorer than “310”.

• Area Code 213 - The granddaddy of all Los Angeles area codes. All of L.A. was "213" at one time. This is right, smack downtown, in the old city center. Up until recently downtown was not doing very well. People only went there to work during the day then go home promptly at 6:00 pm leaving the place a ghost-town at night. It actually is pretty happening now.

• Area Code 818 – This is the San Fernando Valley, “the Valley” to the locals. To many Westside snobs (area “310”) the Valley is a cultural wasteland, they say it’s hot, and boring. You have to drive to the Westside for fun and maybe to work. That means a long commute. But the Valley pops up in movies all the time. I remember hearing Frank Zappa’s “Valley Girl” on Madrid radio in 1983 – that blew my mind.

• Area Code 626 – Pasadena, East of downtown. Still an acceptable area code because of Pasadena. Pasadena is an old town part of L.A. You can get to downtown Los Angeles pretty easily – lots of nice old houses and old money.

• Area Code 661 – Where? This is WAY out there past the Valley. This is like Mars to “310” people. You go there if you are ready to raise a family – and then die.

• Area Code 562 – I don’t even know where this is. It must be new…

• Area Code 714 – Orange county, Anaheim and Disneyland. This area is commonly referred to as “behind the Orange curtain” due to it’s fame as being strait laced, conservative, Republican, organized and clean.. Nothing wrong with that if you’re into that kind of thing… Lot’s of cookie cutter tract houses.

• Area Code 805 – Ventura, the Coast, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo. Nice places to go for a drive and taste wine. Far to live. You gotta have bucks because there are no jobs – or you are a low-bagger, living poor.

• Area Codes 949, 951, 760 – Who cares? I have no idea!

That’s the roundup on the area codes. By the way, I’m no snob. But if I see any area code on my caller ID other than 310, 323, 213, and maybe 818 … I’m not answering.