Is LA really worth it?

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Obviousman

For a number of reasons, we get a bunch of questions asking what it’s like in LA, mostly in order to move here.

First of all, I'll tell you what it's NOT like: It's not like anything on TV. There aren’t running gun battles in the street. There aren’t shootouts every day. Also, you don’t see celebrities just walking down the street. We don't go surfing during lunch hour. Some parts of LA are really nice, others are “ghetto”.

LA doesn’t have an effective public transportation like New York or San Francisco. One reason is that LA is larger in area than either of those, without a central hub where everything is. Back in the 1960’s, we might have done it. But by the time local governments got their act together, it was much more difficult to make a working public transit system. Also, unlike NY, we have earthquakes, which makes it a little more difficult to built underground.

You NEED a car to live in Southern California. Deal with it.

The freeway traffic in LA is probably the worst thing about living here. The 405 is the worst. Know why they call it the 405? Because you go 4 o' 5 miles per hour, and it takes 4 o' 5 hours to get where you're going. Freeway Traffic is bad from 6-10 AM and bad from 3-7 PM. I don't know why they call it rush hour. It's more than an hour, and nobody's rushing, that's for sure.

The gangs in LA are the cause of many rumors. Keep in mind that there are gangs in any large town, in every part of the country. In LA, the gangs aren't really downtown, they are in South LA, East LA, and north Long Beach (an extension of the South LA gangs, actually). And here's the deal: Mostly, they just kill each other.

Gas is expensive in California. Currently, it's about $3.50, on average.

Yes, gas and real estate are very expensive in SoCal. However, this would be the best time to BUY a house because it's a buyer's market right now. There are a lot of foreclosures, and too many houses on the market. So if you have cash, it's a great time to buy. Unfortunately, most of us don't have a half-mil just lying around. Perhaps Paris Hilton (regular poster here)?

Yep, freeways are a drag, it's smoggy in summer, and expensive to live here. Yet, if it's so bad, why do we have thousands and thousands of people moving here?

Weather
Activities
Weather
Plenty of jobs
Weather
Beaches, mountains, deserts all within driving distance
Weather!

Here's my final point on the weather. In colder parts of the country, people keep their cars in their garages all winter. Kids get snow toys for Christmas. Here, kids get BIKES, scooters, and skateboards. 10 AM Christmas morning, the streets are FULL of kids on their new bikes, scooters, etc. We have a play set from Costco in the back yard. I installed a light in the yard and our youngest plays on it (sometimes with friends) at night during the “winter”, from the time homework and dinner are done until bed time. You can't do THAT in the snow.

The job market is good here, mainly because there are SO many people here that it creates its own job market. Then there are MANY industries, including tourism, entertainment, shipping, manufacturing, etc. It’s an incredible economy.

However, LA is not for everyone. Every time someone posts this question, you get the LA haters who post their bile and venom. A lot of them don’t know what they are talking about. Maybe they had cousin Ernie visit once, and he was plumb disappointed when he got to Hollywood and found it weren’t pretty like on TV. Of course, he told all his kinfolk, and now they’re LA experts. Some of them are people who actually visited once, and found out it wasn’t like it was on TV, and it certainly wasn’t Mayberry. And some actually lived here, and couldn’t deal with the expense, the traffic, or the rather impersonal nature of living in a large metropolis. (You know, the kind who like to drop in on their neighbors unannounced, open the (unlocked) door, and let themselves in. Well, it’s not like that here, for better or worse. To those I would say “good luck” to you wherever you are, but please don’t spew your venom in this forum.

In a nutshell, LA a HUGE metropolis. I live in one of the nicer suburbs, but the commute is no fun, often 1-2 hours each way each day. However, 340+ days of sunshine really helps. Yeah, it's expensive. Mrs. Obviousman and I both have to work to pay the mortgage. But is it worth it? You bet!

Luke

Is it really worth it? It's the land of make believe,where anything can happen. You may strike it rich, you may get shot and killed, and for the majority of people you'll just end up paying bills and being average and putting up with more nuisances than elsewhere, more traffic, worse air, more dangers, etc, but still despite all its negatives,

there isn't a place in the world that's quite like it. It's still LA at the end of the day, it's still where Hollywood and the entertainment industry is, and even if you end up average, and never amounting to anything, it's still the only place in the country outside of NYC really, where you can regularly brush into celeb-events, and high profile happenings, industry-type of deals, etc.

You can't really do that in Ohio can you? Or any other country in the world, can you?

It's in Los Angeles.

Though, this city is a WORLD magnet, not just a magnet to you.

It's false advertisement at its best, and can be a quite evil godless place, which tries to suck you in and spit you out. People have referred to LA and NYC as places that chew you up and spit you out because there is just So much competition, so much fakeness, so much wannabeeness, so much of EVERYTHING going on, that it leads to a chaotic atmosphere.

If you want to experience a place that has both the highest of heavens and the lowest pits of hell all rolled into one, a city where dreams are made, and also nightmares are created,

Go to LA.

LA is a rollercoaster ride that never quits, and can take you to brushes with heaven, and plunge you into hell.

So go there, but don't kid yourself, you'll deal with bad things as well as good. 50/50.

If you want a more easy and normal lifestyle, by all means, go elsewhere.

YES, LA has horrible qualities about it, but it also has amazing qualities about it as well.

Just be careful. LA is like any other place but magnified. It's more intense.

then again, you do only have ONE life anyways.

I'll tell you what though. The sunny skies, and the architecture of the buildings, and the palm trees, just the way of life there, is VERY different from let's say NJ/NYC, northeastern US, midwest, etc, northwest.

it's sub-tropicalish, desertish, somewhat similar to FL minus the flatness and humidity.

The armpit part people refer to is just the main city itself, downtown, inglewood, lots of bad cities of LA county, but there are TONS and TONS and TONS of great areas as well. But yes, you'll need money to live in the great areas.

LA is magnified. meaning if you're average in lets say Pennsylvania, you'll be below average in LA.

It's just a place thats really only enjoyable for the rich, and VERY enjoyable.

If you're not at least upper middle class, you can't really live a fabulous life in LA.

You can vacation though, and you can rent for a while, and you can defintiely try it out, why not.

IT has alot of good things about it as well, please don't let anyone dissuade you.

CarlisleGirl

Those people just seem not to be able to fill their glasses more than half full! LA is wonderful in many regards, and yes, it's a huge city with problems, too. But EVERY huge city has problems -- it just comes with the territory.

No, we won't be underwater. No, the gangs are not taking over. No, the schools are not hopeless. We are actually a city of normal people living our normal lives. Just as other cities have their dominant industries, LA has a few, and Hollywood is one of them (although not the only, it surely is highly visible).

We are a town/region of leading universities, for example, including Caltech, UCLA, and Occidental, the five Claremonts, and so forth. We have a lot that people just don't see because of all that TV hype. Come see the REAL LA, and you will see normal people living normal lives.

My husband and I are both architects and have made 35+ year careers designing buildings here, only slightly touching the Hollywood industry (he did some work for Disney). Normal people, normal lives.

And yes, it's expensive to find housing here, but somehow ten million people find a way. Once you have broken in, you get in the swing. If you are young, you double up until you get established in a job that pays commensurate local wages. If you are not, you rent for a while, then later take the plunge to buy. It all works out, and just like everywhere, people who are motivated to be homeowners find their way to accomplish it. And yes, to me LA is well worth it.

kelly s

Living in Socal is expensive. It's hard to get a really nice house under 100k so you can still get a lovely house in a good area. but expensive. Lots of oppertunities, every kind of food you want but particularly every different mexican food of course. life is a melting pot here you got your pick of any lifestyle you want. people are pretty well tolerate of other cultures. you dont live next to gangs unless you choose to they arent in every community just the big spots like south central and santa ana. i love living in southern california. little rain, sunshine, my car and the fwy can take me anywhere (i live in OC) I am moments away from the beach, two hours from the snow and two hours from the desert I can be in another world in the same day. Small business is an uphill battle but It is fun. so It's hard but It's fun. people have a sense of community and well being for one another with out invaiding personal space.

lalapunk

Only the most persistent make it in LA. Most of the negative comments come from outsiders who have high expectations of a city. These people come from places are far away as the Deep South, Midwest or New England, areas where rollerblading, surfing, and especially Hollywood is considered alien or taboo to them. I agree with Luke. It is indeed a rollercoaster. The LA lifestyle will pick you up or put you down whether you want it to or not. If you've never lived a big city before be very prepared. If you come from a small town, I would suggest you first try living in a larger city like Dallas or St. Louis before deciding on LA.

However, I don't guarantee that LA will be underwater by 2057.

Emo B

LA is like any and every other major city in the world. It has its GREAT points and its AWFUL points. Yes, there's a lot of crime in some cities (because remember, LA county is HUGE... very, very big), high prices in others, etc., but there are also advantages like nicer weather and lots of stuff to do. It really just depends on what you're looking for. People have glamorized Los Angeles for years, just like they do Hollywood (which is technically a city in LA county). Truth is, most of Hollywood is a hell-hole. Lower income people live there, and homeless people. A lot of people think everything is like.. Beverly Hills, I guess. But not even Beverly Hills is like Beverly Hills, if you know what I mean. Before ever moving anywhere, especially with LA, I'd suggest an extended visit. The average salary I'd guess is around 50k, if people are lucky. It's tough to make ends meet sometimes, it really is, because things are pretty expensive in some cities in LA county compared to what people are actually making. I wasn't born here, but I was raised in the Burbank area. I've been all over the world, and I can honestly say that I love living in the San Fernando Valley. There's a ton of good people, lots of stuff to do (and I mean lots), and I just can't imagine myself living somewhere else. Sure, you always have to keep your doors locked, and should never sleep with your windows open, and if you leave something outside, chances are it won't be there the next day.. but again, as with all major cities, it has its ups and downs. LA county is such a huge place that it's possible to find everything under the sun here, from ghettos to mansions. And by the way, LA won't be underwater by then.. even when that whole thing does happen, if it does, I recently heard on TV that it will separate, like an island. Minimum wage here is I believe 8.50. Sales tax is 8.25%. The average apartment rental in a safer city (for a 2 bedroom) is around 1500. Utilities are pretty expensive. Cable is 50 bucks, gas is 50 bucks.. Home ownership is crazy here right now.. a regular condo goes for around mid 300's. A receptionist here makes about 10 or 11 dollars an hour, sometimes less, sometimes more of course. Basically, it's just a major city full of imperfect people, making it an imperfect place (like every other place in the world). Good luck, no matter what you decide. :o)

blissful

well u dont have to live in la. u can live by the cities around it which arent as expensive. like an hour away from there is like half the price in la. like huntington beach, fountain valley, cypress or irvine.

and u know, the price of homes are lowering, by summer the homes will be really affortable. i dont know whats so bad about la, there's so many things to do here and once u get a job, u get open doors so u have lots of oppuntunities here. and not just celebs live in la, there are normal people there. and if u dont want to live around it but in really in la then just rent an apartment.

Dylan F

basically, if you are rich, la is paradise, if you are poor, it is hell on earth, and if you are somewhere in the middle, it is a shithole that can be fun at times. it's way overrated in general.

Mom-of-2

MOST of the time the air you breathe in L.A. is BROWN. They call it smog. It's disgusting. Soooooo many people from all over the world have moved to L.A., so it is EXTREMELY crowded, no matter where you go there are very long lines, obscene amounts of traffic, everyone is in so much of a hurry to get where they are going, that they don't have time to smile at you, wave at you, or be nice to you. Even the beaches are crowded. I moved away from L.A. soon after the 1992 (or was it 1991) Riots. That was the straw that broke the camels back!!!

Sav

Many of those sites like city-data.com or bestplaces.net tend to have people that have had bad experiences and have moved away. I live in San Diego and have been thinking about moving to Miami just for a change of scenery b/c I love SoCal and almost everything people write is negative. I've seen the bad things people write about San Diego and I am shocked to see some people's experience b/c I love it down here, so don't go off those site completely but just use it as a guide of what's the worst you can expect.

LA is a cool city in it's own way and it requires a certain mentality to live there. It has it's good and bad about it and some people can't handle the bad like the traffic, smog, ect.. And it all depends on what part of town you live in that will determine your experience and how much effort you put into enjoying a place. Some people move here expecting some TV/Movie based paradise and for all the fun and excitement to find them, it doesn't work that way. LA is a great city you just gotta learn to appreciate what it has to offer and not get hung up on it's bad qualities.

If you want great weather (better than LA), nice beaches (better than LA too), and a cheaper housing then look south to San Diego. Housing is a much better deal here than LA, it's less polluted, less crime, less traffic, friendlier people, ect... SD has a better quality of life, it's a big city with lots to do but not as big, diverse, or crazy as LA. For some people SD is too slow or laid back and they want the craziness of LA, but for some it's perfect.

copestir

It is March. the hills are covered with wild flowers and I saw a fawn munching on the grass in the middle of the hill atop the San fernando Valley. Yep I say it is worth it.
LA has its problems like everywhere else. It is very congested. so my suggestion is stay away.

West of Encino

everything you hear about los angeles is true.. it is almost the armpit of the US (cleveland or detroit still leads) My city is rapidly becoming a third world country and as soon as I get Laid off i am outta this trash can.

oh i see one poster that continues to repost his novel of dribble for the points.. how sad

Greasy Tony

The best thing to do is get off your computer, turn off the T.V. and see for yourself. Every city has good and bad areas, and you're just hearing about the bad. There's gangs in L.A., but they are not running the entire city. Just learn where the bad areas of L.A. are, and stay away from there. There's lots to do and lots to see, so if you go for just a weekend, you'll miss out on a lot.

Honey

Like most big cities.
the real people move in and tear things down.
I've been to Los Angeles and have relatives that moved
out of the main city and into the suburbs.

But some of the outlining cities have taken the overflow.
You have to go there a few times, to see for yourself.
Another thing. Because the map edges up from Mexico.
to put it nicely. there are more Hispanic's there, than in
Pennsylvania.

slickRick S

sheesh, what was the question again?

Rick

I live in L.A. over a decade, trust me if you wanna live like those what you see in hollywood in L.A. you had be millionare.. cause home price is been skyrocket in L.A. House price has Triples in one decade. Most nice area of L.A. house didn't drop at all, just freeze the price for like a year. I know people with Doctor Degree making over 100k that can't afford a family home... I not sure about underwater by 2057, Los Angeles is not under sea level, but elsewhere it is like Oregon.

Anthony C

LA is an armpit, however there are some beautiful surrounding areas, if you have money the LA area is great. If you do not then not so good.

Kelly

lol even with 100k a year you can barely get a condo. I have yet to find one redeeming quality of LA and avoid it at all costs. I am amazed people take vacations to that crap hole.

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