The Mob, Vegas, and Tea

In big cities, how hard is it to connect?

Unlike New York, in L.A., since we spend so much time in cars, you won't bump into anyone on the street. You won't brush up against anyone on the subway. And you certainly won't be walking very much. Instead in this sprawling (and expanding) metropolis, people live far apart. Travelling in private cars to private residences. It is quite possible to go from the bubble of your apartment to the bubble of your car to the bubble of your cubicle and back to the bubble of your car to the bubble of your place again. You might have to take three freeways just to see a friend. Seriously.

A super cool project created at the Times called ICU, created by Katy Newton, seeks to capture the spirit of Los Angeles' deep need to connect. Sort of like Craigslist's Missed Connections, but in video form. You can see people's real faces, as they tell their tiny tales of longing. Watch as people pine for each other at a gas station.

The project is up for a Webby Award.

Check ICU out here.