The trend of celebrities leaving Los Angeles for other cities is hardly new. In a recent interview, Bruce Springsteen discussed why he chose to return to his roots in New Jersey.
“I never felt comfortable in Los Angeles during my time there,” Springsteen shared with *The Sunday Times*. “New York wasn’t right for me either—you won’t find photos of me stumbling out of nightclubs in either place.”
For almost a decade, Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa, who is also an E Street Band member, lived in LA. Although their three children—Evan, Jessica, and Samuel—were born there, neither Springsteen nor Scialfa embraced the Hollywood lifestyle for their family.
“We didn’t want our kids growing up in Los Angeles,” Springsteen explained.
“I was raised on a street with six houses, all family members. So we came back here, where they could have aunts and uncles close by. It was a good trade for not being where the industry is.”
For Springsteen, his hometown of Freehold, New Jersey, offered a sense of comfort he couldn’t find elsewhere. While many people seek to leave their roots behind, Springsteen always felt the pull to return.
“It’s certainly not Los Angeles,” he added. “I feel safe here. This is where my people are, where the folks I wrote about are. I was never a worldly young man. You grow up not so sure about your hometown, but over time, you find yourself drawn back. Now, I love it here.”