Kiwis Living in America - HELP! (school, moving to, public transportation)

[minibrings]

Kia Ora,

San Jose - not for you. Urban sprawl and very expensive.

I'd check out Phoenix, Tucson or Las Vegas if you want sun and with real estate crisis its gotten quite cheap to live in the sun in these cities.

Originally Posted by CHCH-NZ

Thanks for all the replies guys. I think it will end up being a while until I decide to at least visit LA.

Next year I'm going to be doing a film & tv production course, which I might even be getting a scholarship for! (find out soon). I'm also going through the schools career adviser to hopefully get work experience with a TV studio down here (Whitebait hopefully, but maybe just CTV; they're both surprisingly open for work experience). After completing the course, I'll probably look to HOPEFULLY do another one further, possibly over in Aus which won't be too much a problem (friends & relatives are there), but that will prob be far too expensive.

I am still very interested in possibly moving to the States, considering maybe Miami but only because my Godmother lives there, I'm not too interested in living there. I'd rather somewhere else probably still in California, but got serious doubts about LA.

Where would you guys recommend a nice SAFE and affordable city/town/whatever to live? I've heard nice things about San Jose but know nothing about it (simply heard it was nice). Also would be great if it's a warm place, I hate how cold NZ can be. Thanks again.

Oh & that being said, I'll probably end up just staying & living in Aus.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by CHCH-NZ

Thanks for all the replies guys. I think it will end up being a while until I decide to at least visit LA.

Next year I'm going to be doing a film & tv production course, which I might even be getting a scholarship for! (find out soon). I'm also going through the schools career adviser to hopefully get work experience with a TV studio down here (Whitebait hopefully, but maybe just CTV; they're both surprisingly open for work experience). After completing the course, I'll probably look to HOPEFULLY do another one further, possibly over in Aus which won't be too much a problem (friends & relatives are there), but that will prob be far too expensive.

I am still very interested in possibly moving to the States, considering maybe Miami but only because my Godmother lives there, I'm not too interested in living there. I'd rather somewhere else probably still in California, but got serious doubts about LA.

Where would you guys recommend a nice SAFE and affordable city/town/whatever to live? I've heard nice things about San Jose but know nothing about it (simply heard it was nice). Also would be great if it's a warm place, I hate how cold NZ can be. Thanks again.

Oh & that being said, I'll probably end up just staying & living in Aus.

Well I think you are doing the right thing for now to get that experience where it is easy to get it.

I think coming over to LA or the USA at your age with no experience, I don't think you'd get much out of it except for a vacation or living experience.

Also once you have experience down under, another option to consider is Toronto or Vancouver, Canada. Film production has slowed down there, but there are still quite a few tv and film productions that go on in the those cities and that could always be an option. New York City could also be an option.

LA is an interesting town that I enjoy visiting but not living in. It is basically a bunch of small communities with a lot of differences squeezed in together. The LA area has the population of Australia.

Also until you are 30 yrs old you can take advantage of a one year working holiday visa to come over to the USA. And if you are in university you can get a visa called a J-1 which allows you to come over and work in the USA for four months. For instance at my old company in Colorado we always had quite a few students from Lincoln Uni work for us for the winter season. So definitely at some point I'd encourage you to use those visa options to work briefly and travel the USA.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by minibrings

Kia Ora,

San Jose - not for you. Urban sprawl and very expensive.

I'd check out Phoenix, Tucson or Las Vegas if you want sun and with real estate crisis its gotten quite cheap to live in the sun in these cities.

I was in San Jose last year and it didn't do much for me. Definitely the crappy end of the San Fran area.

You'll definitely get sun or heat in Phoenix, Tucson and Vegas!

[Idunn]

You have a fine idea, although some of the details may need a little refinement. Since you don't really know what you want, you can experiment. Most of the suggestions offered here are relevant, with perhaps the most critical being sure you have a return airplane ticket.

LA is a crazy place, and if you can afford it you might enjoy an extended visit. If very persistent, you might even make some movie industry contacts. Quite possibly a lot of fun, but you'll also have the chance to improve your urban survival skills. In any event such an excursion may help you to discover how much you like LA, and the USA in general, not to mention just how committed you are to a career in film.

As for the later, you can probably learn that as well or better at home. It would probably help immeasurably in ever permanently moving to America if you had professional contacts to recommend and welcome you. Besides which you might find in exploring this at school or on your own that something else is really your calling. If not, it can only help to have experience, and if film becomes your life's work then whether you live in LA or elsewhere rather academic, and of your own choosing.

[CHCH-NZ]

I think coming over to LA or the USA at your age with no experience, I don't think you'd get much out of it except for a vacation or living experience.

Very true, I think if I ever go there it'll be for a vacation/to experience the city.

Also once you have experience down under, another option to consider is Toronto or Vancouver, Canada. Film production has slowed down there, but there are still quite a few tv and film productions that go on in the those cities and that could always be an option. New York City could also be an option.

Canada I think is quite a good option, the only thing that puts me off is the freezing weather, but I think I could get over that. Canada is a very interesting idea, and one I'm really going to consider quite seriously. I'd also quite like to live in NYC, the city looks extremely interesting to me. The thing I worry about these options is, wouldn't these both be quite expensive? Especially NYC? Also, what's crime like, I'm quite used to New Zealand and think I may have trouble adjusting to how America/Canada may be (though I think Canada might be quite like New Zealand-ISH).

I don't know a lot about Canada at all, I've had a few friends from Canada, and one of my best mates went there and played Hockey for New Zealand (or something along those lines) and he absolutely loved it, lived there for a few months. Also, do you know much about the Visa's there? I'm quite interested in Canada now that you mention it because I feel it's actually quite a possible option to live in and possibly find work.

Also until you are 30 yrs old you can take advantage of a one year working holiday visa to come over to the USA. And if you are in university you can get a visa called a J-1 which allows you to come over and work in the USA for four months. For instance at my old company in Colorado we always had quite a few students from Lincoln Uni work for us for the winter season. So definitely at some point I'd encourage you to use those visa options to work briefly and travel the USA.

I think if I'd most likely stay in NZ while I get my education and wait until afterwards to go overseas to America. So that first idea sounds like it'll be good.

Kia Ora,

San Jose - not for you. Urban sprawl and very expensive.

I'd check out Phoenix, Tucson or Las Vegas if you want sun and with real estate crisis its gotten quite cheap to live in the sun in these cities.

Oh okay, San Jose's out of the picture then. Phoenix and Vegas both seem like quite exciting options, I don't know much about Tuscon though. Other than accommodation type aspect, what would the actual cost of living there be like, and like I said earlier, are those cities very dangerous? I can imagine Vegas being quite dangerous wouldn't it?

Again guys, THANK YOU all for being so consistently useful!

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by CHCH-NZ

Very true, I think if I ever go there it'll be for a vacation/to experience the city.

Canada I think is quite a good option, the only thing that puts me off is the freezing weather, but I think I could get over that. Canada is a very interesting idea, and one I'm really going to consider quite seriously. I'd also quite like to live in NYC, the city looks extremely interesting to me. The thing I worry about these options is, wouldn't these both be quite expensive? Especially NYC? Also, what's crime like, I'm quite used to New Zealand and think I may have trouble adjusting to how America/Canada may be (though I think Canada might be quite like New Zealand-ISH).

I don't know a lot about Canada at all, I've had a few friends from Canada, and one of my best mates went there and played Hockey for New Zealand (or something along those lines) and he absolutely loved it, lived there for a few months. Also, do you know much about the Visa's there? I'm quite interested in Canada now that you mention it because I feel it's actually quite a possible option to live in and possibly find work.

I think if I'd most likely stay in NZ while I get my education and wait until afterwards to go overseas to America. So that first idea sounds like it'll be good.

Oh okay, San Jose's out of the picture then. Phoenix and Vegas both seem like quite exciting options, I don't know much about Tuscon though. Other than accommodation type aspect, what would the actual cost of living there be like, and like I said earlier, are those cities very dangerous? I can imagine Vegas being quite dangerous wouldn't it?

Again guys, THANK YOU all for being so consistently useful!

If you are from Christchurch and haven't been overseas to Europe or the USA, you are in for one hell of a shock. Especially if you are from rural south island. One gal I knew from Balclutha, she looked at all us Americans like aliens when she first got to the USA. From what I have seen it takes some getting used to super malls and 8 lane wide highways.

Tucson, Vegas and Phoenix are some of the hottest(temperature) places in the USA. The crime is high in all 3 with a lot of drug crime. The Phoenix area is probably the nicest of all 3. Tucson I would say is an area you don't go to unless you have a specific reason to. Vegas is all bright lights and glitter and gambling.

Ultimately the best thing is to come over for a long vacation or use one of those visas for a toe in the water deal. Travel around the USA and see what you think. Basically we are 50 states that are like little countries. The culture and topography is very different from coast to coast.

I've known hundreds of kiwis that came over to the USA. Some loved it and ended up finding a way to move over permanently, some liked it and wanted to come back again but were glad to go home to NZ and some hated it and were never to come back again. You'll never know unless you give it a try yourself.

[krudmonk]

Originally Posted by minibrings

Kia Ora,

San Jose - not for you. Urban sprawl and very expensive.

I'd check out Phoenix, Tucson or Las Vegas if you want sun and with real estate crisis its gotten quite cheap to live in the sun in these cities.

Originally Posted by wanneroo

I was in San Jose last year and it didn't do much for me. Definitely the crappy end of the San Fran area.

You'll definitely get sun or heat in Phoenix, Tucson and Vegas!

Ha, SJ sucks yet you recommend those holes? They're all at least twice as sprawly, not as safe and with far less international culture. Oh, and they're unbearably hot.

[jja100]

Originally Posted by CHCH-NZ

I plan on (hopefully) moving to America, in around two years, maybe even one. I'm only seventeen, and I realise this is still early, but in only a few weeks I'll have finished my final exams and will begin looking for a job so I can begin saving up. I hope to move to Los Angeles, obviously like most naive young teenagers to pursue a career in film.. I realise the HUGE difficulties, it's not so much about 'making it' as much as it is to be involved with that culture and to be with others interested in film production, I'm more interested in behind the scenes type stuff, in particular directing or DP.

Wow, you are young... maybe too young for LA. I am very close to LA... I live near Malibu and I can tell you it will be almost impossible without parents helping financially.

Originally Posted by CHCH-NZ

I'll be moving over with a friend with similar ambitions, so we'll be living together probably to help cushion the likely to be large cost of living in LA.

Even splitting the rent in half is not going to cut it. Where I live it is almost 2k per month US for an apartment with 2 bedrooms. You don't want to live in downtown LA... it is a cesspool ridden with crime and filth. You have to live in the suburbs and commute in.

Originally Posted by CHCH-NZ

Obviously I want to live in a safe area, but because I'll be quite poor, is that actually possible? I've read it can be difficult, but if living with someone, it's possible. I didn't think living actually in any part of Hollywood was possible because I figured it would be ridiculously expensive, but from brief researching it actually sounds like an apartment might be possible to find? What's public transport like, I hear it's terrible?

Safe?? Um, I hate to burst your bubble but safe starts at around 500k US for a place to live. Again, rent may be higher than 2k. Public transport?? This is America and you are probably coming from a more socialist country and don't understand yet. Ok, in the US, nobody uses public transportation except for minorities and the extremely poor. Trust me, a young female using public transportation is VERY dangerous. You need a car period. Good news, cars are not as expensive as socialist countries (you can buy a new Honda Civic for 15k US or by one used for around 5k).

Originally Posted by CHCH-NZ

How long is it likely I'll be allowed to live in America? I hear it's very difficult to obtain citizenship in America, my brother mentioned that you have to have lived there quite a while to try get citizenship, is this true?

Forget citizenship... you get all the same rights as a legal resident except with the ability to vote and that is rigged anyway. The only benefit I like about being a US citizen is the power of our passport which allows us to get into the most countries visa-free. I am going to be a little cynical and say that it will be easier for you to fly to Mexico City, walk across the border, and get a job than trying to acquire residency.

Originally Posted by CHCH-NZ

Right now, I don't know a lot of the details of actually moving to Los Angeles, but it would be great for people to help fill me in, and remove my cloud of ignorance. Thanks!!

Your not ignorant, just young and naive. I truly wish you the best and I hope I did not frighten you with my post. My honest advice would be to continue your studies in your dream field, attend school here in the US for your Undergraduate and Graduate studies before you pursue anything here. Don't forget, you are competing against the most educated in the world when you come to the US, not because Americans are smart, but because we attract the brightest people from all over the world who have no opportunity in their home countries, therefore if you make it in LA, Seattle, Chicago, or New York City, I would say you are doing very good.

[NZAspirant]

+1 Second to all that jja100 has said. Wow, if you are thinking of moving to Phoenix or Tuscon, are you prepared for the extreme heat? It is terribly hot there with temps in the range of 19C in winter and 45C in summer! Check weather.com. Dont just pick a city off the map and think of moving there. Goto City-data forums of the city want to move to and find out what is going on over there.

Originally Posted by jja100

Wow, you are young... maybe too young for LA. I am very close to LA... I live near Malibu and I can tell you it will be almost impossible without parents helping financially.



Even splitting the rent in half is not going to cut it. Where I live it is almost 2k per month US for an apartment with 2 bedrooms. You don't want to live in downtown LA... it is a cesspool ridden with crime and filth. You have to live in the suburbs and commute in.



Safe?? Um, I hate to burst your bubble but safe starts at around 500k US for a place to live. Again, rent may be higher than 2k. Public transport?? This is America and you are probably coming from a more socialist country and don't understand yet. Ok, in the US, nobody uses public transportation except for minorities and the extremely poor. Trust me, a young female using public transportation is VERY dangerous. You need a car period. Good news, cars are not as expensive as socialist countries (you can buy a new Honda Civic for 15k US or by one used for around 5k).



Forget citizenship... you get all the same rights as a legal resident except with the ability to vote and that is rigged anyway. The only benefit I like about being a US citizen is the power of our passport which allows us to get into the most countries visa-free. I am going to be a little cynical and say that it will be easier for you to fly to Mexico City, walk across the border, and get a job than trying to acquire residency.



Your not ignorant, just young and naive. I truly wish you the best and I hope I did not frighten you with my post. My honest advice would be to continue your studies in your dream field, attend school here in the US for your Undergraduate and Graduate studies before you pursue anything here. Don't forget, you are competing against the most educated in the world when you come to the US, not because Americans are smart, but because we attract the brightest people from all over the world who have no opportunity in their home countries, therefore if you make it in LA, Seattle, Chicago, or New York City, I would say you are doing very good.

[minibrings]

Originally Posted by krudmonk

Ha, SJ sucks yet you recommend those holes? They're all at least twice as sprawly, not as safe and with far less international culture. Oh, and they're unbearably hot.

Only because they are much cheaper than SJ and cheap to fly to LA.
I actually find Phx and Tucson much more interesting than SJ.