how do you move across the country with no job secured? (1 Viewer)

[Jack Briggs]

Of course, nobody else does this.

Brent, unless you have friends or family already here and who are willing to put you and your girlfriend up until you secure gainful employment, this is a very ill-considered idea.

Do you know anything at all about Southern California? Average rent for a one-bedroom apartments in all of Los Angeles County is around $1,100. In Los Angeles proper — that is, any part of the city you would feel safe in — count on one-bedroom rents being at least $1,200. In my building, that's the rate. Even in Koreatown, one-bedroom rents are at $1,100.

A single in my building rents at $1,000.

Then there's the job situation in Los Angeles: There aren't any. Though the city has weathered this "jobless-recovery" economy fairly well (compared with San Francisco), new construction of multifamily housing units has been nil. The whole issue of "affordable housing" is a hot one here, with many of the established residents possessing a strong (and mean-spirited) not-in-my-backyard (NIMBY) mentality.

To survive in Los Angeles, you need to count on at least a third (more like a half) of your salary going to housing costs. And even that doesn't take into account the exhorbitant cost of living in Los Angeles (exceeded only by the Bay Area and Manhattan).

This is, anyone would tell you, a "hard city." It's the Big City. And it eats small-town newcomers alive.

Not trying to scare you so much as to wake you up to the facts. Los Angeles is not for the faint of heart. It's a whole different world from Minnesota, and not a very nice one at that.

And as for The Biz: Forget it. Every valet in town is "working on a script." I cannot begin to tell you how many people tell me that they're "between jobs" when it comes to The Biz. Really. It's the way it is.

Get a job in Minnesota, save some money, and, as you gain experience, start shooting resumes out here. But don't move here without any prospects. You'll be back in Minnesota within months.

 

[Jack Briggs]

And, yes, I remember your previous thread. You're the one who was also considering Nashville, right? That's a much better idea than Los Angeles (I know Nashville really well).

 

[Brent_H]

Jack...harsh man, harsh. I know its all true, but to hear someone actually say it...lol. I am actually going to LA with the intent of finishing school and eventually getting into the Anderson School at UCLA for Entertainment Management. More to the business side of the industry. So as bad as I want to be in California, I don't know how long I can wait. I mean, obviously, its not wise to go there without having a job secured first...one that will pay enough to live comfortable at that. Jack..have an empty room you wanna put me up in?

Actually, my good freind will be done with OCS training in the Navy by September in Pensacola, so I might move in with him down there for awhile....who knows. The cost of living there is half of what it is here, and its half here of what LA is. So....ultra cheap.

Thanks again for all your input everyone!!

 

[Pamela]

Brent-

If you plan on going to school out here, why not apply first? Come out for school and live on campus for a semester or two until you get your footing. Then you can find an apartment off campus.

That's what I did when I came out here for grad school. I had no job when I moved here, but found right away. I lived in a campus apartment, but was able to move out by summer. Worked out really well for me.

As for the cost of living, I concur with Jack. It is really high. Groceries, housing, utilities...everything costs a fortune. Be prepared!


I'm a small town gal (population 11,000) and I made it o.k. 16 years and counting!

 

[Jack Briggs]

Well, Pamela, you're very much the exception to the rule.

Brent, if anything, I applaud your determination. I sincerely hope you are to make it here somehow. But heed the advice you're receiving. I like what Pamela said.

 

[JonZ]

The easiest way of course would be to stay with friends or family.


When I moved to Florida years ago, I put everything in storage and went down with nothing but clothes and a guitar (so I didnt get bored).

You can rent a room for a weekly fee without having to worry about monthly rent and security,stuff for the apartment and such.

After you find a job and a apt or house,you can get your stuff and get settled in.

 

[Scott_lb]

Brent- I just flew back from L.A. earlier tonight! I completely agree with what Jack stated. I moved out to Los Angeles to attend grad school after living in Wisconsin my entire life and, needless to say, it was a very different experience than what I anticipated. I found my first apartment through a roomate program at my school and it turned out simply o.k. I went from paying $300/month (plus utilities) for my share of a 2 bedroom/2 bath with my best friend in a fantastic location in Wisconsin to paying $500/month (plus utilities) for a 2 bedroom/2 bath in a crappy location in the San Gabriel Valley. The building itself was great - the location was not (if you find the guy who stole my amp and sub from my car, you can have it after you're done beating him with it!). Last year I ended up living in a fantastic guest house owned by a fellow student a few blocks from Venice Beach for $750/month (including utilities). I was able to pay less because she was a very busy woman and I watched her dogs all the time. Venice has it's charm, but it's certainly not the safest place to live. I might be moving back around May or June and will likely take her up on her offer to move back in.

Your post reminds me of where I was in my life five years ago, especially since we're both from the Midwest. Living in Los Angeles is very, very expensive and was not what I was expecting at all. I didn't anticipate many "little things" such as spending 3 hours per day commuting, paying so much more for groceries and other bills, getting robbed, getting my car vandalized, the extreme difference in overcrowding, spending 15 minutes getting a parking space at Best Buy, etc. Also, the people seemed different as well - more selfish and rude (especially on the freeways). I suppose SoCal natives could debate me on this one, but it seemed pretty apparent to me and others I've met out there who were from the Midwest.

Yes, I researched all these things before moving there but they didn't become real to me until I was actually there experiencing them. Now that I'm back in Wisconsin (at least for now), I appreciate living here more than I ever thought I would. I don't even mind the cold anymore!

I'm curious - you seem really determined to move out to L.A. What is it specifically about L.A. that is attracting you so much to it? I'm not saying you shouldn't go, I'm just trying to gain a deeper understanding of why you are so set on Los Angeles.

Oh yeah - I'll be out there again during late March. If you get the addresses of a couple of places in Santa Monica (or the immediate surrounding area), I can help you out by taking a few digital pics for you. However, bear in mind that the west side tends to be more expensive than other parts of the city.

 

[Brent_H]

Scott--

The reason I am set on Los Angeles are mainly because of my aspirations to finish school there and eventually get into the grad school at UCLA for Entertainment Management. I shoult wait until I'm ready to go back to school to move there, but I am really tired of living here and just want to get out. All your insight has helped me a lot though, I really appreciate it. I just have to remind myself that California isn't going anywhere, and there's no rush to get there. I need to wait until I am in a better financial situation and I should really get my B.S. before heading out....We'll see what happens.

 

[Jack Briggs]

With that frame of mind, I think you'll make it here, Brent. If you want. Keep plugging away, and do as much research about living here. (FYI, depending on how things shape up in a variety of areas, I could see myself moving to Vancouver, BC. If I decide to stay in the U.S., I could see moving up to Eugene, Oregon.)

 

[Brent_H]

Jack--

At risk of getting off topic, what on earth is there in Eugene, OR?

My best friend will be done with his officer's training in the Navy by Sept, and wants me to move in with him down in Pensacola, FL. It would be inexpensive and allow me to get away from home and also clear my head and think about the future...I think that might be some good segway into making the big move to SoCal. For how bad I want to be in LA, I think I could handle visiting there until I can afford to live there.

Thanks again, everyone, for all of your comments!

 

[Jack Briggs]

Keep those dreams alive, Brent.

Have you ever been to California before? If you could spend some time in Los Angeles scoping the town out (that is, not spending too much time checking out the touristy nonsense, but getting familiar with how the city ticks), you might get a better feel for what realizing your dream will take. You need to get wise to how people interact here (believe me, Minnesota can't prepare you for that); you need to learn how to fend off the scammers, the hustlers, and other rip-off operators.

I live in a really nice neighborhood, all told. But in this last year, I've endured an airplane crashing into the apartment building across the street from me (killing five humans and two cats) and a startling, alarming increase in the homeless population.

(Every night, they set up encampments underneath a ledge at Fairfax High School, and there are other encampments in the alley behind the shops lining the eastern side of Fairfax Avenue. Then there are the runaways and drifters begging for money and, um, other things along Melrose Avenue. And this is one of the good neighborhoods.

(Not being critical of the homeless; it's just that they do serve as a barometer when it comes to quality-of-life issues — this is the "jobless-recovery" economy in all its glory.)

As for Eugene, Oregon: It's one of the coolest, hippest little towns in the U.S. (the late Ken Kesey lived there). It's also rated as one of the nicest places in the U.S. to live — good cost-of-living factor, clean, scenic, friendly people, a lot of hippies, etc. I'd prefer, all told, San Francisco, but it's even more expensive than Los Angeles.

 

[Brent_H]

Jack--

I was in Los Angeles last August, planning on going back this August again. I will also be in San Diego for spring break in a few weeks. So yes, I have only done the touristy stuff. I probably have no clue as to how its really like. Any idea how I could maybe get a better idea of all that? I mean, obviously the more time I spend in LA, the more I will get a feel for it. It's hard to not do tourist things when you're going with your parents and/or people who have never been there before. It would be nice to get an idea how to fend off the scammers, hustlers, etc...

How long have you lived in the LA area, Jack? Your nice neighborhood sounds like the worst one we may have in the Twin Cities. I guess I don't really have a clue about that. The worst that I have encountered I guess would be 5am on the south side of Minneapolis, waiting at a stoplight, and a girl comes up to my rolled down window and asks me how much I'd pay her for a bj. Which, just for the record, I passed on

What do you do for a job? What happens with that when/if you move to Eugene? Maybe I just have the California dream in my head; the Beach Boys have brainwashed me. hah just kidding. I might be better off just moving to the Valley for now too, cheaper and cleaner? At least thats been my perception.

I'd like to keep this conversation going, so if you want to move it to email, you can reach me at [email protected]

thanks

 

[Scott_lb]

Brent, Here's my experience in the three places I've lived since I moved to Los Angeles in the late summer of 1999:

Apartment #1: In San Gabriel, about five minutes south of Pasadena. The building itself was great, the neighborhood was not. It was a very dirty and "run down". The only crime I witnessed or was victim to was my car stereo system being stolen.

Apartment #2: In the north end of Long Beach near where the 710 and 405 meet. Although the area was pretty close to some bad parts of what I know as "south central", it was pretty quiet. The only crime that occured there was the smashing of my car windows by some gang members.

Apartment/Guest House #3: In the north end of Venice, about four blocks from the ocean. The coolest place I've ever lived. The main house is owned by a friend of mine and she has it all done up very nicely. The guest house used to be an old garage that she remodeled for her son. The interior has a strong South American influence and is quite beautiful. As I understand it, Venice used to be a pretty bad neighborhood. It's still not the greatest, but I've heard that things are changing for the better. The only "problems" we've had are the homeless people who sit next to the fence in the yard and drink tequila all day. They never bothered anybody but they got a little annoying nonetheless. There's also this one guy who drools a lot who always came up to me and asked me for a quarter whenever I was washing my car. The side of the guest house gets "tagged" about four or five times per year, however, the anti-gang unit comes by and paints over it (oddly, not with the color of the house). Other than that, no problems.

As far as the hagglers and scammers, you do need to watch out. For example, my girlfriend and I were up at Pier 39 in San Francisco and some homeless guy said he was selling a little newspaper talking about isses that the homeless were facing and how the city could improve the situation. She has a soft heart for struggling people and wanted to know more about it. She bought a copy for two dollars and found a schedule of classes a local university inside. It's only two bucks, but she should have known better. She became wiser upon meeting the self-proclaimed "Poet of Pasadena" who told her some stupid rhyme and that she owed him a few dollars for hearing it.

Also, the are beggars EVERYWHERE in the city! I used to spend a lot of time in the 3rd street Prominade in Santa Monica which features many restaurants with patio seating (that's the other thing about L.A. - the majority of places I'm familiar with offer outdoor dining unlike in Wisconsin). It's sort of weird - you'll have someone sitting down enjoying a nice, somewhat expensive meal and a guy just a few feet away begging for change.

Sorry for writing such a long post, but this thread makes me realize how much I've learned about L.A. and how much it has become a part of my life over the past four years. I sort of have a love-hate relationship with it!

 

[Jack Briggs]

So do I, and I'm a "lifer." I love this town, but there are so many things that get to me, even still. And last year's plane crash across the street from me reinforced for me just how trying life (and death) in L.A. can be. (I've been evacuated from my various homes for all manner of reasons — earthquakes; MTA drilling its tunnels underneath Hollywood Boulevard, causing my already yellow- and red-tagged building to lurch forward and potentially topple; bomb scares; the 1992 civil unrest; etc., etc.)

Which is why Eugene, Oregon, has such appeal to me. After a life in the Big CIty, a little quietness is appealing, as long as urbanity isn't sacraficed.

The homeless situation in Los Angeles, always bad, has compounded dramatically in the past three years. My neighborhood — the Fairfax district — seemed to have two or three "permanent" homeless "residents" per season. Then the cold weather would come and go, and a new set of two or three "regulars" would hit the usual spots to beg for change.

But when the economy went bust and this protracted era of joblessness set in, the homeless started turning up everywhere in the neighborhood. As I said, there are full-blown encampments now. It is not disparagement of the unfortunate to note openly how their presence contributes further to the stresses of one's daily life. (I no longer smoke in public because it gets tiring to have person after person come up to you to bum a cigarette. And one gets hardened to it all after a while, which also can be alarming.)

Yet, I still like my town.

(Brent, I work as a managing editor for a daily newspaper targeted at the legal community; I'm in charge of three of the regional newspapers. And let me tell you, journalism is not the highest-paying field — something that concerns me when it comes to housing affordability. If I had not been in the same apartment for ten years, I would be barely able to pay market value and still get by.)

 

[Brent_H]

Scott--

I guess I've been curious, but have never asked, what exactly do you do that causes you to share time between LA and Milwaukee?

Sounds like you had a nice setup in Santa Monica. I have been looking at lots of different places both on apartments.com and rent.com and have found decent looking one bedrooms all over in the $700-$900 range. Granted, they are usually around 600-700 square feet, but I suppose thats all the bigger you're gonna get at that price. The frustrating thing is that the places I find that look to be ok, upon further review on apartmentratings.com they turn out to be either poorly managed or unsafe. On site security working 24/7 and yet there are burglaries in the middle of the day. Nice. Considering I have the Panasonic 53" RPTV, I need to be extra careful. Although that would be a bitch to steal...lol.

I did have a pretty exciting homeless experience on my first night in LA last summer, actually. I was in a Subway on whatever that main drag is running parallel with the PCH (I think?) in Marina Del Ray/Santa Monica. Anwyays, it was a nice night of course, and the door was propped open and I was looking down, eating my sandwhich and to my right I notice some dirty bare feet facing my way. So I look up, yeah. Hello. I gave him 25 cents. We got out of there quick tho, cause I think he was going to round up his boys so I could share the love with them too.


Jack-- If you move to Eugene, I'm assuming you'll have to find a new job? Its a shame journalism doesn't pay more. You're position sounds important enough to warrant a large paycheck. My parents have been in newspaper/advertising for years, so I can kind of see where you're coming from. Can I ask, do you live alone? That certainly doesn't make the rent payment easier. :

It would be nice if some more locals would speak up on here, because maybe someone knows someone who is looking for a roomie or could put in a good word for a job.....something. Anything. Advice on places to live, etc....oh well. I am still keeping hope alive. I dunno how wise it is to head out without a job tho. With no degree, I might have a hard time getting something that pays decent. Oh well, life is all about risks. Bring it on, right?

 

[Pamela]

I come from a small town in Pennsyvania. I moved here in 1988 to go to grad school. I've always felt stifled by small town life. I knew it wasn't for me. Only supposed to be here for a couple of years. All these years later...

Things I don't like:
The Crime- Back home, nobody locked their car doors. Here, I have many friends that have been the victims of crime, from being held-up at gun point, to home and car break-ins. My former neighborhood, in Alhambra, had its fair share of gangbangers. Not pleasant.

The Traffic- As you can imagine, being from a small town I never encountered the kind of traffic that is in L.A. It's insane. The freeways scared the living daylights out of me when I first moved here. I couldn't believe how long it took to drive just a few miles! And it wasn't until moving here that I developed road rage. The traffic sucks.

The Drama- There always seems to be some kind of high drama out here and it can be draining. Natural disasters. Man-made disasters. Turmoil of all kinds. Sometimes I wish for a more stable environment.

The Cost of Living- As I said before, everything is sooooo expensive. I almost sh*t my pants when I first got car insurance out here. The rents are out of this world. Gas is more expensive. Utilities are more expensive. Food is more expensive. Everything, it seems, is more expensive.

Being Away From My Family- I can honestly say I've never been homesick in all the years I've lived here. Never even a twinge. It is difficult being so far away from my family, though. I've had to deal with family members being sick or dying while I'm 3,000 miles away. There have been times my family needed me and I couldn't be there. That is really rough.

Things I like:
Always Something to Do- If your looking for a movie, it's here. Some great clubs in the area. Museums like MOCA, LACMA and The Getty offer first-rate shows. People watching your thing? Then LA is the place. Great food of any kind can be found—Tai, Chinese. Ethiopian, Mexican, Cuban, Japanesse—it's right around the corner. The beach, the mountains and the desert are just a short drive away. Great shopping, too.

The Weather- I severely dislike winter. Couldn't ask for a nicer climate than LA.

The World of Possibility- Moving to LA, I realized that this place was the world of possibility. You never know what's coming your way. I've had some pretty amazing experiences out here. When things start to suck, I always remember that in LA, you never know what's coming down the pike. Hope springs eternal. It is certainly not a feeling I've had living in a small town.

The Diversity- LA is a cultural melting pot. Some people fight it. Some people embrace it. I've embraced it. I've learned so much since I moved here. I've made some great friends. I've really grown as a person.

Um ... gosh ... there are other things I'm sure there are other things I love. I just can't think right now.

Expect to pay around $1,000 in rent for a one bedroom in a decent area. You never know, though you could luck out. I did. I live in a small house in a nice section of Burbank, after living for many years in a crappy area of Alhambra (near Pasadena). My landlord has a 2 bedroom, 1 bath house for rent, right down the street. $1500. Let me know if you want it and I'll have him hold it for you!

My last piece of advice is, if you really want to move out here, then do it. Just be sensible about it and plan it out. Shortly after I moved to LA, my brother told my aunt that I had no business moving out here. She told him that I was doing what I wanted to do, and would never look back and say, "what if?" She was right. Even if I failed, at least I tried. I would never have the regret of not giving it a shot. Maybe I'll move back east some day. Who knows? But for the moment, it has worked out pretty well for me.

P.S. You might want to look in the Pasadena are. The rents are all over the map because of the different neighborhoods, but there are lots of places to look at. South Pasadena is gorgeous, but you won't find much under $1,000.

 

[Scott_lb]

Brent,
I share time between Milwaukee and L.A. for a few reasons, largely related to graduate school. I am an industrial/organizational psychology doctoral student at a small, private school in Los Angeles. I began in the fall of '99 and should be done by next December. There are a few reasons that I am so "back and forth" between the two cities. First, I am currently performing my doctoral internship at a Milwaukee-based management consulting firm yet have responsibilities related to my dissertation as well. Those responsibilities cause me to fly back every so often to meet with my committee in L.A. I tried very hard to land a position in Los Angeles and was not able to do so - there simply weren't many jobs to choose from. Ironically, I received a phone call from SoCal Edison shortly after begining my job in Wisconsin. I guess timing can really suck sometimes. Anyway, during my studies I ended up coming home for the summers. After my first year (living in San Gabriel, near Alhambra), my program experienced some major changes and I wanted to wait things out a bit to see how the changes would pan out before continuing on. So, I moved back home for 18 months. During my second year, I ended up living in a place (in Long Beach) that was a little "unstable." Among other things, I had encounters with the mafia, horses, illegal aliens, Jerry the Pimp, sheep, my roomate's drug addiction, and a guy who lived in a broken down bus. I ended up living in a hotel for the final two months of school and went back home for the summer because I had no place to live. After my third year (living in Venice Beach) I went home for the summer because I got a teaching position at the University of Wisconsin's School of Business Administration. That's a pretty big thing in my field and I didn't want to pass up the opportunity. I want back to L.A. during the month of August looking for internships and found nothing. However, I had tremendous luck in other parts of the country (Minneapolis, Florida, Wisconsin, and Pittsburgh) and had no choice but to leave. It's interesting, the firm I work at now is less than 1/2 a mile away from the home theater store I worked at previously.

Anyway, I still have many ties to L.A. that keep me going back. I ended up breaking up with a girl I was dating for four years last February and started dating the girl I am with now shortly thereafter. She lives in L.A. (near San Dimas - "San Dimas High School Football Rules!" - Bill and Ted) so I try to see her as much as I can (finances permitting). That's the one thing I didn't think about when I was looking at schools - I was so focused on the academic program and professional development opportunities that I didn't realize how "tied" I would be to a new city AFTER I had graduated (or in my case, almost graduated). I thought I would simply move there, get my degree, and move to Chicago. Wrong.

Regarding Pamela's comments:

"Things I don't like:
The Crime- Back home, nobody locked their car doors. Here, I have many friends that have been the victims of crime, from being held-up at gun point, to home and car break-ins. My former neighborhood, in Alhambra, had its fair share of gangbangers. Not pleasant."

I don't know of anyone whose house has been robbed (although I'm certain it's happened), but every single one of my friends has either had their car stolen or their car stereo system stolen at least once. One of them had a '91 Accord parked inside a gated apartment with an alarm and a club and they still took it!

"The Traffic- As you can imagine, being from a small town I never encountered the kind of traffic that is in L.A. It's insane. The freeways scared the living daylights out of me when I first moved here. I couldn't believe how long it took to drive just a few miles! And it wasn't until moving here that I developed road rage. The traffic sucks."

I actually don't mind the freeway traffic that much, it's the side street traffic that I hate. The freeways offer beautiful views of the mountains, the ocean, downtown, etc. and I just don't seem to mind it much. However, waiting over ten minutes (literally) at a stop light is insane. Also, you shouldn't have to drive around for 15 minutes to find a parking spot at Best Buy!


"The Drama- There always seems to be some kind of high drama out here and it can be draining. Natural disasters. Man-made disasters. Turmoil of all kinds. Sometimes I wish for a more stable environment."

I completely agree! In fact, the night I flew in about two weeks ago I came into my girlfriend's house, turned on the news and BAM there it was - live coverage of a high speed chase on ALL the major stations! I love high speed chases! I realize that they are dangerous and that innocent people's lives are placed in danger because of them and that certainly isn't good. However, it's amazing to listen to the news reporters do live John Madden play by play coverage on some guy driving 40 miles per hour on side streets! They seem to interrupt just about anyting to bring you the latest high speed chase - sometimes for well over an hour! We do have some of them in southeastern Wisconsin (although nowhere near as many) and we NEVER have live coverage - they just do a quick bit on the news. Last summer I saw one where a guy was "trapped" on a suburban street and he blew his brains out inside his car - right on live tv. That's something you certainly don't see in Milwaukee. Instead, you get to see guys in bio-suits carrying barrels of acid out of Jeffery Dahmer's apartment with body parts inside!

"The Cost of Living- As I said before, everything is sooooo expensive. I almost sh*t my pants when I first got car insurance out here. The rents are out of this world. Gas is more expensive. Utilities are more expensive. Food is more expensive. Everything, it seems, is more expensive."

Yup, nothing I haven't said before. Fortunately, because I was a student, I didn't have to register my car in California and didn't have to pay California car insurance. Here's an interesting tidbit you might not know: I don't know about Minnesota, but in Wisconsin you pay somewhere around $40 - $50 for your annual auto registration. I think trucks might be a little more, but no more than ten or fifteen bucks tops. My girlfriend drives a '96 Jeep Cherokee and pays THREE HUNDRED DOLLARS per year for her registration! After Gray Davis tripled the fee, she would have had to pay NINE HUNDRED DOLLARS per year - twenty two times as expensive as it would have been in Wisconsin! Fortunately, that law was overturned before she had to pay. Gas seems about five cents more per gallon than Wisconsin, so that's not a big deal. Food is more expensive as well. If I recall correctly, a gallon of milk in L.A. is somewhere around $4.75, and in Wisconsin it's around $2.60. I will never understand why that is, especially given that California actually has more dairy production than we do. Also, sales tax is a lot higher. In Wisconsin it's 5.x%, and in California it's 8.x% - a big deal when you're buying a big-ticket item.

"Being Away From My Family- I can honestly say I've never been homesick in all the years I've lived here. Never even a twinge. It is difficult being so far away from my family, though. I've had to deal with family members being sick or dying while I'm 3,000 miles away. There have been times my family needed me and I couldn't be there. That is really rough."

I'm not that close to my family so this isn't that big of a deal for me. However, I am very close with my friends (who are more like my family) and it's very, very hard. 9-11 royally sucked! After the tragedy, I wanted to be at home with my loved ones and the only way I could do that would be to get in the car and drive for four days. I felt very, very alone.

"Things I like:
Always Something to Do- If your looking for a movie, it's here. Some great clubs in the area. Museums like MOCA, LACMA and The Getty offer first-rate shows. People watching your thing? Then LA is the place. Great food of any kind can be found—Tai, Chinese. Ethiopian, Mexican, Cuban, Japanesse—it's right around the corner. The beach, the mountains and the desert are just a short drive away. Great shopping, too."

Yup, many different kinds of ethnic food, especially if you like Asian or Mexican food. Before moving there I hadn't the faintest clue on the difference between Japanese, Thai, Chinese, etc. I never even had sushi before. I thought California rolls involved bread and mayo. Now, it seems like old hat. I do prefer the food in NYC and Chicago, though. Also, the beaches seem to go on F-O-R-E-V-E-R! I spend a whole lot of time there at Venice Beach and loved every minute of it. I never went to the mountains much, as I'm not an outdoors kind of guy. Great shopping - especially if you're looking for winter clothing to wear back home (as no one seems to wear it in L.A.). I picked up a $148.00 coat from The Gap for $12.00! There is pretty much a store for anything you would want to buy - from an exclusive clothing designer to oddball furniture place. Also, there are a whole lot of malls if you're big into that.


"The Weather- I severely dislike winter. Couldn't ask for a nicer climate than LA."

The thing that many people don't realize about SoCal is that it's not just the temperature that's great, it's also the lack of wind. In Wisconsin we often seem to have some sort of strong wind blowing which can be a little annoying. It's amazing how often the weather in L.A. seems "perfect" - even in winter. However, I do love the change of seasons. I love the reds and oranges in October that you do not get in L.A. You also don't get to see Christmas lights on a house covered in fresh snow. To me, Christmas isn't the same in California because I'm so used to having a real winter. Every day looks like summer. For me, it does get a little old, especially around the holidays.

"The World of Possibility- Moving to LA, I realized that this place was the world of possibility. You never know what's coming your way. I've had some pretty amazing experiences out here. When things start to suck, I always remember that in LA, you never know what's coming down the pike. Hope springs eternal. It is certainly not a feeling I've had living in a small town."

For me, this goes for any large city. I'm sure NYC is the same.

"The Diversity- LA is a cultural melting pot. Some people fight it. Some people embrace it. I've embraced it. I've learned so much since I moved here. I've made some great friends. I've really grown as a person."

I didn't expect as much diversity when I first arrived. It took me a little while but I learned to embrace it. When I went home, it became very apparent to me how many people were impatient and insensitive to other cultures. Just last night I took one of my buddy's out for Thai and he just thought it was "Chinese food". After all, all asian those countries are the same right? Wrong. They aren't, and I've learned to appreicate the differences.

"My last piece of advice is, if you really want to move out here, then do it. Just be sensible about it and plan it out. Shortly after I moved to LA, my brother told my aunt that I had no business moving out here. She told him that I was doing what I wanted to do, and would never look back and say, "what if?" She was right. Even if I failed, at least I tried. I would never have the regret of not giving it a shot. Maybe I'll move back east some day. Who knows? But for the moment, it has worked out pretty well for me."

Although I think it's great the Pamela has this attitude, unfortunately I cannot say the same for myself. I cannot look people in the eye (or in this case, my monitor) and say with 100% confidence that I did the right thing by moving out there. The quality of my life has not been good since I moved in '99, although I think it has much more to do with my career decision and less to do with L.A.. Yes, I got to experience a new environment where I always thought I wanted to live. Yes, I got to meet people from all over the world. Yes, I now have a different perspective on other places because of my experience. However, it ended up costing me far more money than I originally planned and I endured far more heartache than I ever anticipated. I've driven across country SEVEN times in the past four years and that's a lot (at least for me). I admit that I am jealous of all of my friends who have the stability in their lives which I have not had in almost five years. The job opportunities in my field are best in large size cities (NYC, Atlanta, San Francisco, Chicago, etc.) and there is a strong chance that I'll have to move again either before my internship hours are completed or shortly thereafter. Yes, traveling and seeing new places is exciting. However, I do like being able to simply go home, do things on my computer, play some Xbox, and watch some movies. It's harder to do that when you're constantly on the run. Now that I'm almost 30, I want to "set down my roots". I don't think I can do that in Milwaukee because of the limited professional opportunities. I can't do it in L.A. because it's too expensive and it's not an environment in which I'd like to raise a family. Therefore, I'll have to go somewhere else. I've been thinking about the Pacific Northwest or Chicago. Chicago is close to home and I love the town. I've never been to Seattle or Portland, however, every single person I know who lived there absolutely loved it. One of my best friends is moving to Seattle in a few months and I'm looking forward to checking out the city. I realize that many people have to move to different cities quite often, and that I'm not the only one with problems. I'd just prefer some more stability in my life.

Sorry for the long message, but I'm bored and this thread helps me reflect on the past five years of my life.

Pamela - out of curiousity, where did you attend graduate school?

 

[Jack Briggs]

Scott, "no wind" in L.A.? Have you been here when a Santa Ana is in progress?



Pamela, you said much better exactly what I was trying to convey in my last post. I still shudder when I look at that boarded-up, burnt-out hulk of an apartment building from kitchen window every morning while communing with my coffee.

(And I wish the hell the owners would go ahead and repair the damn thing. Off-topic, but I thought some of you might be interested to know that pilot error was the cause of the Beechcraft Bonanza crashing into the apartment building. Seems he was radio'd that another private plane was nearby and that he needed to evade it. Stupidly, the pilot attempted a steep climb, and the Beechcraft summarily stalled — witnesses at the CBS studio said it looked as if he were doing aerobatics maneuvers. The plane crashed into the apartment building, killing the pilot and his three passengers. Worse, months later it was reported in the Los Angeles Times that the pilot had both alcohol and cocaine in his system when the autopsy was performed.

(It gets to you when something like this occurs just forty feet from your own home, and you're there to witness it.)

 

[Ross Williams]

It's pretty nice here, as far as big city living goes. I'd far prefer living here than LA. Out of my little experience with big cities; LA, SF, Phoenix and Seattle, I'd pick Seattle out of all of them. SF is a cooler town... but it costs at least 50% more. Not that Seattle is cheap. Rent has risen dramatically since I've moved here. My wife and I have lived in the same place for 8 years, and we're paying a ridiculously cheap amount for the area in which we live. A comparable place goes for at least $400-500 a month now. But I've done my 10 years here, we plan on moving to Ashland, OR this summer.

 

[Pamela]

Scott-
I went to Cal State, L.A. Got my MA in Graphic Design and Photography and was 3/4 finished with my MFA in Design and Photography when I finally got tired of school.

Alhambra was close to the campus, which is why I originally moved there. Stayed waaaaaaay to long. I think San Gabriel is better than Alhambra.