Marin County to SB or West LA? (Los Angeles, Santa Barbara: employment, safe neighborhood)

[troupermca]

So seriously thinking of moving from Marin County (north of SF and the golden gate) to southern cal to better pursue a career in commercial modeling and TV/Film production. I know that Hollywood is the place to be but, well, I can't stand the area - flat, too much cement, traffic, smog, and yes people. I've never lived in a big city, crave the outdoors and natural surroundings. Must-haves include in order of priority safety/safe neighborhood as I am a single female who tends to be a creature of habit, clean air, access to fresh organic produce, plenty of employment opportunities with minimal commute. I love everything about where I am living now except the limited employment opportunities in the way of modeling and production. Am I crazy to leave? Looking forward to hearing all of your comments. Don't hold back; be as straightforward and plain as possible. Thanks in advance!

[fairweathergolfer]

West LA. You will have to give up one thing or another here in S. California (no to little commute or fresh air) when it comes to production/commercial modeling. You wrote SB which I assume is Santa Barbara. You can get many of the things you described in Santa Barbara, however the critical reason you mentioned for moving here was the commercial modeling/production with no real commute. If you move to SB this is all you will be doing when it comes to work--commuting.

West LA while not having the freshest of air (although probably better than you would expect or envision) has a lot of outdoor activities (daily hikes in the very close Santa Monica Mountains (takes me 7 minutes to drive or even just walk to massive hiking trails). All the activity down on the waterfront, jogging, cycling, skating, walking, volleyball. Excellent organic and natural shopping, services, resources, and restaurants. Many west LA folks are as you described yourself although they realize to live in a rural area they would have a very bad commute that would not be healthy or natural and they would also give up on the plethora of great organic restaurants, services. job opps, etc. Many are in the industry.

SB out. West LA in. That is if you are serious about your career. If not move to SB.

As an after thought there are also many surrounding areas to vacation that are close by such as Ojai, or Santa Barbara, or east to Palm Springs, or to the NE mountains. There are a lot of places in addition to what exists close in west LA in which to enjoy on your time off. Northern Californians, as do the rest of the country, make a lot of uninformed assumptions about Los Angeles, especially west Los Angeles. They compare it to where they live, as opposed to understanding we have our own beauty down here that is very rich and lovely and we also enjoy many things they could never imagine, because they do not exist where they live. There are a lot of outdoor activities in lovely areas here in Southern California. If you want to be a mountain (wo)man though it definately will not work for you in LA.

[troupermca]

. . .I'm in the business of health promotion so everything I do has a health-related aspect from the modeling gigs to the types of production projects I undertake so the whole clean air thing is a really big factor for me. I can deal with the commute as I wouldn't be working the typical 9 to 5/Mon thru Friday so perhaps SB would be the way to go? Not sure.

[fairweathergolfer]

Yes, I think if clean air is critical then it is Santa Barbara. The congested commutes in all of these areas are not picky about when they happen though I must warn you. Yes general congestion at peak hours is expected, however commuting anywhere in S. California at anytime could mean lots of traffic. I never work or travel normal hours. I usually hand pick where and when to drive anywhere and I still sit in a lot of traffic. Santa Barbara's 101 too can be quite conjested. Just be prepared for heavier traffic in off hours as well. Good luck.

[The Floridian]

I spent 5 years trying to be a working paid actor in LA; 1990-95... finally, moved back to Florida, made a killing and retired recently at 42. Now, I'll go back and pursue it a again, this time $ is not an issue. My opinion? Do something where you have a legit shot of making serious coin, then get in to it later on when maturity is your ali... But then again, you're a woman and looks fade over time.

I lived in the SF Valley for 5 years when I pursued my dream of acting. The Valley is cheaper, and the people seem more real. I couldn't afford otherwise.

Now, I might buy a pad in Malibu and act to meet new people, enjoy life, etc.

Marin County and Los Angeles are two very different worlds!

Good luck