Paul,
It sounds to me like you have had some bad experiences here. What you are saying is truth mixed with partial truths and out right non -truths. Apparently you have not been here lately. There are many art shows now. The orchestras are here if you know how to look for them. This IS the entertainment capital of the universe , not Hollywood.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Life is what you make of it. It can be all of those negatives you mentioned, but I look at the positives , all the time. Like the Monte Python song says - Always look at the bright side of life :-)
All ways ... Last March my son and his girlfriend flew out here. She is a singer in a band in Atlanta, with a wonderful voice. Witty, rebellious with a knack for writing beautiful melodies. While here they searched for the music scene. Something I supposed was everywhere, but did not know of or about , here. She wanted to sing for me so we went to several back street bars, honcky tonk cafes' and coffee shops. Where local and out of town talent strut their stuff. Boy, was I awestruck. I found a world of extremely talented singers that left me dumb founded. But the one that left everyone shouting for more most was her.
So this non pretentious house cleaning girl has this billion dollar talent. Who opened my eyes to something I had forgotten about during my family raising days in Florida. But was all ways just down the street of dreams.
Life IS what YOU make it. That is why NOW is a present.
Enjoy !