I left in 1989 for Arizona where I live now.
I’ve been back a few times. Each time I go back I enjoy it less.
I grew up (1959-1974) in a little city in the LA Metropolitan area named Cudahy. Every time I’ve been back it and the rest of LA looks more and more like a foreign, third world country.
California has natural beauty but most of the man made stuff is crap now. And in my opinion the social fabric barely resembles America anymore.
My in-laws live near Cudahy. You would not recognize it from the time you lived there. Looks mostly like a third world slum. In France they are called banlieus.