Just to explain what I mean in the post below a bit more, my world is very small. In my standard daily routine, I usually don't travel more than about 1.75 miles from my house, except when I'm being good and running regularly. Obviously that's in part because I work at home, but if had a commute the 1.75 mile range would apply to my life other than the commute. Majority of my friends live nearby, and the friends who live nearby are the ones I see the most often. Anything under half a mile is easy walking distance, more than that I might take the bus or occasionally the subway, depending on mood and weather. Except for special occasions, I'm unlikely to attend any event which isn't accessible by transit, though car sharing is convenient when the need arises.
In LA, the world is very big. Culture and social expectations are such that traveling fairly long distances regularly is considered to be normal.
