controlthebleeding Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 after living in LA, not a fan.. i got out asap. though i do miss it from time to time.. mostly the food and amoeba. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
just a normal guy kevin Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 It's awesome to drive in to LA, hit up Amoeba or watch a live show, and then get to leave LA. Living in Hollywood or downtown is a huge commitment that requires a certain personality type. Friends I've had who were happy living there where the kind of person who can walk down a scary 5 block stretch of closed souvenir shops at midnight and not be at all concerned or in touch with their surroundings OR people who love hitting up bars and taking the bus around to crawl them up. If you're a meek introvert who wants a little bit of grass and to not feel like you might be stabbed walking to your local grocery store after dark, then you might be bummed there. At the very least, visit first and see how you feel walking around downtown, Hollywood, West Hollywood, etc. They are all a bit different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cambionic Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 The best part of going to LA is leaving LA. It's fun - the culture, food, events, entertainment, etc. - but that wears thin after staying for more than a few days. I prefer the bay area, other than expenses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
controlthebleeding Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 bake, that was me.. i'd walk around hollywood blvd at night if i couldn't catch a bus/subway home from gower and sunset and i lived near the knitting factory. It's definitely kinda sketchy after say 11pm in hollywood area. i only did it maybe 3 times before hearing someone got shot 2 blocks from my house and didn't feel the need to be a statistic. though i saw some funny events late at night walking home that give most people chuckles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avery Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 It's awesome to drive in to LA, hit up Amoeba or watch a live show, and then get to leave LA. Living in Hollywood or downtown is a huge commitment that requires a certain personality type. Friends I've had who were happy living there where the kind of person who can walk down a scary 5 block stretch of closed souvenir shops at midnight and not be at all concerned or in touch with their surroundings OR people who love hitting up bars and taking the bus around to crawl them up. If you're a meek introvert who wants a little bit of grass and to not feel like you might be stabbed walking to your local grocery store after dark, then you might be bummed there. At the very least, visit first and see how you feel walking around downtown, Hollywood, West Hollywood, etc. They are all a bit different. exactly this. i grew up in the ventura area and moved to OC for college, deciding to stay down here because the kind of housing i wanted (within a mile of the shore) was cheaper (i have a 1000 sq ft place that we paid $558K for). my husband moved here from SLC and lived in the south bay first. i love it there but a decent bungalow-sized home would've cost me more. additionally, i love driving in to LA a few times a month but i prefer the overall everyday pace of life in OC better. when my husband went to law school, he moved from the south bay to koreatown (because that area used to be cheap and it was closer to his school). k-town has become gentrified a bit more in the past decade, but back then we used to hear gun shots in the middle of the night. not sure if that's still the case. it was terrifying but i did find things to enjoy about hanging out there every weekend. not sure i could've stayed past the 3 years he went to school though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inlimbo Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Stay outta LA, especially residing there. I'd go more often if I could find a fucking parking space. Take heed and find a surrounding area to live in. A one hour commute isn't so bad. Try nice areas like Monrovia, Pasadena, Claremont, San Dimas, West/Covina, Arcadia, Glendora, etc. Those are nice places to live with plenty to do around. Some might be as expensive as LA but you'll find it more enjoyable to live in. I never really liked places south of Fullerton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
najerarick88 Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 (edited) I can vouch for those who express the frustration of the financial burden associated with LA. It's expensive, so definitely be ready for that. I moved over here from San Diego about six months ago, which I can honestly say I now regret. Don't get me wrong, there's definitely a lot to do and see here with it being the entertainment hub of the country, alongside NYC...but...that's not enough to draw away from how truly rugged this place is. Maybe I became spoiled from San Diego?? I had no idea how dirty and crowded Los Angeles was. Extremely overwhelming. Avoid freeways any chance you get because there is constant traffic every day and at any given hour. Like a couple people have mentioned, Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank. Those are probably the nicest and most laid back/safe areas that I've encountered. The drive from either of those places to West Hollywood is definitely worth it. Actually considered moving to Pasadena but I'm actually now headed back to San Diego within the next two weeks which I'm extremely excited about. Los Angeles is a great place for a weekend trip but I personally would never live here again. Some genuine advice, do as much research as you possibly can before coming. Everyone has a different experience, so you might end up loving it. Probably doesn't help that I live in Downtown, haha. Edited July 27, 2015 by najerarick88 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronniegwilliams Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 A few things: 1. LA is a strange place, especially if you've come to rely on the public transit system in Chicago. Have you considered NY? 2. I moved to one of the most expensive cities in the country (DC) after living in a town where my rent was $350 a month, so cost of living is terrifying when moving. 3. Speaking from experience, 4k isn't going to get you very far at all, especially if that's what's paying for an apartment, moving expenses, etc. I would definitely double that prior to making your exit. 4. I mean none of these things in a negative way, and really do hope you move somewhere you love Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psus2h Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 A few things: 1. LA is a strange place, especially if you've come to rely on the public transit system in Chicago. Have you considered NY? 2. I moved to one of the most expensive cities in the country (DC) after living in a town where my rent was $350 a month, so cost of living is terrifying when moving. 3. Speaking from experience, 4k isn't going to get you very far at all, especially if that's what's paying for an apartment, moving expenses, etc. I would definitely double that prior to making your exit. 4. I mean none of these things in a negative way, and really do hope you move somewhere you love DC is more expensive than LA, but public transit is getting better in LA. The subway system is expanding and the busses seem to be reliable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shitty Rambo Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I can vouch for those who express the frustration of the financial burden associated with LA. It's expensive, so definitely be ready for that. I moved over here from San Diego about six months ago, which I can honestly say I now regret. Don't get me wrong, there's definitely a lot to do and see here with it being the entertainment hub of the country, alongside NYC...but...that's not enough to draw away from how truly rugged this place is. Maybe I became spoiled from San Diego?? I had no idea how dirty and crowded Los Angeles was. Extremely overwhelming. Avoid freeways any chance you get because there is constant traffic every day and at any given hour. Like a couple people have mentioned, Pasadena, Glendale and Burbank. Those are probably the nicest and most laid back/safe areas that I've encountered. The drive from either of those places to West Hollywood is definitely worth it. Actually considered moving to Pasadena but I'm actually now headed back to San Diego within the next two weeks which I'm extremely excited about. Los Angeles is a great place for a weekend trip but I personally would never live here again. Some genuine advice, do as much research as you possibly can before coming. Everyone has a different experience, so you might end up loving it. Probably doesn't help that I live in Downtown, haha. I'd live in San Diego. It's like the Seattle of California. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cesar11 Posted August 4, 2015 Share Posted August 4, 2015 born and raised in LA right here. Few things to note: - our public tranportation is NOTHING compared to Chicago's so be prepared for that. - 4K is not a lot of cash in LA. right off the bat. rent IS pretty expensive now but if you get lucky you'll find a pretty decent place for a good price. i live in Mid City LA with my best bud and rent is $1200 for a 2 bed/1 bath apartment. - find a job before you make the move. that cannot be stressed enough. - stay the fuck away from Hollywood by all means. Parking SUCKS, you have all the tourists and gets incredibly loud Thurs-Sun nights. - Burbank is a great "raise a family" kind of city but pretty pricey and if you are the kind of person that likes to party, mm-mm. it's like Pleasantville kind of. but besides all of that, yes, LA is a drag at times but pretty fucking awesome as well. you have a shitton of record shops, so many great taco spots and lots of sight seeing that aren't touristie at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zacooper Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Southern California born and raised and you will only catch me in LA for a concert or when I have to go for work. Otherwise I stay the hell away. I live in Orange County and enjoy it; clean, family friendly, nice beaches. Still just as expensive as LA. You will easily go through $4K a month if renting your own place, though you can find houses/apartments that can be shared for $800-1,000 per person though as previously mentioned landlords will want to see you have a job. I'd recommend Newport Beach/Costa Mesa if you're single and still enjoy the occasional going out to the bars. There's a younger (20s-30s) crowd in that area. I'm 28 and that's pretty much where my friends all go out or have lived at one point or another. Also as previously mentioned, public transportation in SoCal sucks. I absolutely love Chicago, NY, and DC and a lot of it has to do with ease of getting around to see stuff. LA public transportation is a nightmare to figure out and doesn't hit nearly half the places you'd want it to and will take way longer than necessary. I've traveled to a ton of cities and LA is definitely last on the list of places I'd willingly move (and that's considering I'd be willing to put up with East Coast winters over CA's beautiful weather). Also, while we do have beautiful weather, LA is covered in smog 95% of the time. Just something to be aware of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Hundred Fifty-Two Posted August 5, 2015 Share Posted August 5, 2015 Sounds like a great place Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turnstiles Posted August 5, 2015 Author Share Posted August 5, 2015 Thank you guys for all the information. I'm going to lee applying to jobs in LA but I'm going to keep my lease going in Chicago and keep doing comedy here until I find something. Looks like another year in Chicago, but it won't be that bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronniegwilliams Posted August 6, 2015 Share Posted August 6, 2015 Portillo's, man. Portillo's Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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