JJ Friedman and Jake Davidson

Staff Writer and Managing Editor

We’re back to address an incredibly serious issue that plagues Milken on a daily basis. The 310/818 divide erects a metaphorical wall that pits students from Studio City all the way to Woodland Hills on one side against kids from Westwood to Beverly Hills on the other. While some students may pretend this issue is irrelevant, we are here to show you why it really matters. It’s not just the BMW 335is vs. the Toyota Prius, SMC vs. Pierce, Century City vs. Galleria, Wilshire vs. Ventura or Chipotle vs Chipotle; this issue permeates Milken life on every level. We are here today to break down the pros and cons of each area code, and ultimately decide the true winner of this intense duel.

*Disclaimer: Even though we both reside in the glorious 818, we judged without any type of bias.

Cars: Usually, one can find the average city boy tuning his car on the weekend, whether it be a BMW 335is or Audi A5. On the other hand, when traveling into the valley, one will rarely see a Milken student pimping out his Prius. We’re not saying that all valley kids drive Priuses and all city kids drive BMWs, because that is patently false. What we have noted, however, is an interesting phenomenon of city kids having a proportionally larger obsession with white BMWs.

College: After examining years of data, we have noticed an interesting trend in “city” kids furthering their education in Los Angeles based schools, such as SMC and subsequently USC. This seemingly indicates an unparalleled love of Los Angeles from students who reside in the city. While kids from the valley also have a fondness for Los Angeles schools (such as Pierce College), they are certainly more likely to broaden their horizons and go out of state.

Hangout spots: Since the Galleria and Century City are hangout spots, there is an incredibly high probability that one will run into peers at either location. However, one might see friends at the Galleria at a higher frequency than Century City. In Century City’s defense, though, its mall offers a plethora of options, while the Galleria is more limited. Also, if you want to pay 18 dollars for a movie and and an extra seven for exceedingly gross popcorn, hit up the Galleria!

Roads: We may sound a little biased here… but this is an easy one. Would you like to take in the sprawling landscape of mountains and parks while cruising at an average speed of 40 mph, or would you like to sit in bumper to bumper traffic staring aimlessly at tall, boring skyscrapers and angry men in their white BMWs honking at you?

Places to eat: You got Umami, we got Umami. You got Chipotle, we got Chipotle. You got Katusya, we got Katsuya. We got McDonald’s, everyone in the world has McDonald’s. Basically, don’t try to compare food, because you can find good and bad cuisine everywhere you go. (The jury is still out on Vicki’s.)

In conclusion, it is easy to see the positives and negatives of both the 818 and 310 based on your home residence. We can easily see the merits of the city and the valley. However. based on months of collaborative and intense research, the valley is the true winner of this hotly contested debate.

Featured image by Jordyn Schiff ’13.