Los AngelesI’m asking you all for your help today. See, my love affair with Los Angeles is done. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for 15 years and the magic is gone.

When I lived in New York, I felt the same thing. I remember how much I loved my 20’s in New York City. There was no greater place to live in the entire world than New York City for me. It helped me really become the man that I am. But I remember one day back in the winter of 1992, I was in the park, on 23rd Street across from my bar. I forgot the name of the bar.

I was throwing this little football to my dog, Jesse. Jesse was this really awesome Golden Retriever and I had this football that was the size of my hand. I’d tell her to sit, and then I’d look at her and say, “Ready, Set Hutt, Hutt, Hike!”

And Jesse would run, do a pattern, and I’d throw the ball directly into her mouth. I remember that day really, really well. That day I planted my right foot into the ground and flipped over. I looked down, and what I planted my foot into was a dead sewer rat the size of my foot.

That was the moment I decided I had enough of New York City. It was time to say goodbye because I truly believe when you live somewhere, there is a moment when the magic goes, and you’re only just living somewhere for the sake of being there. You feel trapped, and you’re no longer growing as a person.

I’m beginning to get to that point in Los Angeles. As I’m dictating right now, driving down Robertson Boulevard, and crazy traffic at 2:09 in the afternoon on a Monday. I’m realizing that my time in Los Angeles is really up. I find it over-priced. I find it congested. And I don’t find there is any value for my money at all. I find the people closed off and I don’t really enjoy living here the way I used to.

I have great friends here but that’s not enough to keep me here. There’s a water shortage nobody wants to admit. There is a ridiculous spike in property that is just out of control again.

My dilemma is where to next?

You see, I’ve lived most of my adult life in what I call, highly conscious cities. I’ve lived in cities with people who are vibrating at the same energetic level as me.

People are very sophisticated, they travel around the world, they want to grow and expand their minds. They’re healthy. They’re health conscious.  I always meet a different type of interesting person in LA, and in New York.  I’ve lived up in Seattle for a couple years, I’ve lived in Boulder, Colorado and I’ve lived in Del Mar, California.

What I want now is a place that I can actually raise my daughter. I want a nice place where dad doesn’t go nuts living there. I have a couple places on the short list.

I’ve been to Nashville, Tennessee a bunch of times and I’ve had nothing but really beautiful experiences with really nice people there. I’m just a little afraid that it’s a little too bible-belty for me. Austin, Texas is really beautiful and I’ve enjoyed the times I’ve been there, but I’m afraid of the heat.  Nashville has the humidity, Austin has intense heat.  Long, hot, 100-degree summers are not exactly my favorite thing in the world, but I’ve heard nothing but great things about it.

San Francisco is fantastic, but it’s even more expensive than Los Angeles and I don’t know if I feel like really subjecting myself to the expenses of California any more.

I love Sag Harbor out in New York.  It’s part of the Hamptons, and I wouldn’t mind being able to live there year-round. The winter would be quiet, which I think would be really nice, and the summers would be crazy, full of people from Manhattan.  That’d be fine, that would stimulate the hell out of me, to be around my people again.  I’m not sure I really want to deal with cold winter months, but it doesn’t really bother me as much as I think.

I love the weather in California.  There’s nothing better than. I thought about going down to Miami, maybe living down in Coconut Grove, but the humidity and constant heat puts me off. I love Hawaii, but I feel like I’m geographically trapped to ever doing anything sophisticated ever again.  Granted, I can get to Asia, which is something I like to do. But it’s an 18-hour flight if I want to go into London!

I don’t know where else?

So today, I’d love to hear about places that you’ve been to. You know me. I’ve traveled a lot. I’d love to hear about places that you’ve been to and places that you think would be a great place to live.  Maybe I’m missing something.

I want somewhere sophisticated, and somewhere I can get a great house. I want something where people are always looking to evolve spiritually, and energetically. I want my daughter to grow up somewhere beautiful and amazing.  I’d like to be near beaches. I’d like to be near a major airport. So if I’m not living on a beach, I can travel to a beach.

That’s about all. I’d love to hear what you guys think.