Los Angeles to Kansas City and I don't even know where to start!

[emfish25]

Originally Posted by DinsdalePirahna

BTW: I may be driving back around July 4th to pick up some stuff in Lake Saint Louis. I'll have a pickup truck if anyone wants to share a ride. from LA to anywhere off Interstate 70. PM me.

Hi there, saw your post. I am currently moving from LA to KC the last week of June. I am researching ways to get the little bit of stuff I have out here back. I have matress, box springs a desk and boxes of household items. If you would be interested in taking these items back with you, I would pay you gas money. My email is emfish25@gmail.com if you are interested and want to discuss.

I do not have vehicle out here, so I will be flying back..

[jason87x]

To those in LA/OC, a summary....

The Good:
Homes are much cheaper, and better selection as well. $500k which I hear is bare bones low end in OC will get you a really nice place, with a bigger yard. Smaller homes can be had for $200k or even less if you look around.
Schools are usually better. While people on these forums whine about parkville vs blue valley and all that, basically any suburban school district here is good.
Although KC statistically has a lot of crime, it's concentrated in a relatively small area that makes Compton look like an amusement park. Stay out of there, and you're safe. No worries period. Even the Mexicans here aren't a threat, they're either friendly or mind their own business.
Traffic: get this, no place in KC is more than 30 minutes away for the most part. an hour on a bad day. I'm talking from Lenexa (a fairly far west suburb) to blue springs (a really far east suburb) is 40 minutes max. You may be whining however of how slowly people drive here, that can be really annoying. Still, if you're on any freeway, except for at the peak of rush hour (5-6 pm), you can go any speed you want (well except for speed traps obviously). And we have a ton of freeways (the most per capita out of any big city in fact).
People here are more "real". Hicks yes, but I do know people from LA, and I am creeped out at how fake looking some of them are. There are some mildly sophisticated people here too. A lot of people here are engineers too with intelligence but simple conservative values. But very few fakes.
Pretty much zero natural disasters, other than the occasional flooding. Simple solution is to not live near a creek. Easy to avoid if you look when buying a home. Tornadoes are NOT a threat, contrary to all the media Wizard of Oz stereotypes. When the tornado sirens go off during a storm, we don't take cover in fear, we go outside and look to see if anything is actually happening. Almost always not and we go back inside and watch our weather forecasters add drama to the weather where there really isn't any.
Not as homophobic as you think (not sure if this applies to you or not, but I am gay). People my parents age do disapprove of it, but the younger people are totally cool with it. I hear the reverse is happening in California, which is a shame.

The Bad:
Weather. Summer can get up to 100 degrees, and it's always very humid. Winter: insanely cold, and I'm not talking 65 degrees cold either. I'm talking actually freezing, with snow and everything. And bone dry air to the point that my knuckles bleed every winter, it is that bad. Spring is usually very bipolar, storm one day, 80 degrees the next, then it snows. Fall is okay, but the cold tends to hit all of a sudden and stays there. Weather is the main reason why I will leave for OC when I get a college degree. And yes I know about the problems down there but hopefully I can make it.
Religion everywhere. Not really that bad to be honest, if evangelical religious people are annoying you (usually they don't bother others), it's pretty easy just to tell them to leave you alone. But people here do marry early (kinda scary), and there is a lot of pressure to conform to the family image. Still you can ignore it and likely have a decent single life if you really try hard.
People here can be annoying and dramatic. Though there are plenty of really nice people here too, I've noticed people pick fights here for no real reason, just stupid drama. Everyone I know is bipolar, no one can just "chill". We feel guilty for partying or having fun, not to mention worry about everything.

[cabrat]

N/a

[Apple052868]

Best road trip ever, decided to drive from KCMO to L.A, left Thursday 2/9/17 at night at 8:30pm started at 35 south, does have small towns speed does drop but not that bad. went through Wichita safe roads if hauling anything. Then you will take US 54 which will take you towards Oklahoma/ entering into Texas, not so pretty but again a safe route. from then you will hit 40 west passing through Arizona/entering into California, once you are going through Arizona there are some mountains where the elevations can get high but not dangerous, safest route I have found so far. you will then merge onto 1-15 S. and your pretty much there just continue to read your signs where your headed in California I am currently visiting in Burbank.

***Don't recommend this, I drove straight through from KCMO to California, had a rider she was good company not a driver.

Now a couple of tips, regardless of your GPA if it asks you to exit off 40 highway on to a highway called Oath mans Hwy, please do not veer off stay on the highway it will eventually take you to 1-15S. it is a dangerous road, it is an old route which is really called Route 66, names like Dead man curves, Bloody Highway.

Next tip, you will come to a little town called Albuquerque New Mexico, which is a half way mark from KCMO to California you can get a hotel there, if you need some lay over time to rest, just pick a good hotel to sleep, have some not so safe spots.

[gfkb6f]

You can find (depending on how many rooms) a nice place in Midtown KC for anywhere $600-800/month. And its a quick drive away from the Plaza, Downtown and Westport. If you live near the Plaza or anywhere that's walking to nightlife, expect to pay almost double. It's still full of culture and close to all the popular spots in the city.