Scouting report from my LA trip (potential move) (San Diego, Brentwood: rental car, apartments)

[DT97]

I started a thread back in the spring on places to live in LA.

Wanted to move to LA ever since Jan 2010. So I booked a trip back in March for Sept 17-21st. Stayed 4 nights at the Hollywood Heights Hotel, rental car, membership to westsiderentals to scout out properties in WeHo, Santa M, Studio City, Brentwood.

I knew I had to make a trip to check it out in person if I was going to pull the trigger. Was pretty much already sold on the move since LA is the perfect city with mountains, beach, beautiful people and always warm.

The trip and all ran be close to 2k.

Here is my rundown in short:

Negatives: My face and lips immediately got very irritated the first day. Face was very red and lips were dry, cracked and itching. ( 2 days after returning home they were clear again)

Worst traffic in the world in Hollywood. Worst DRIVERS, especially the cabbies.

I'm a radio, top40 fan. Only 2 non- spanish stations on the FM dial.

Severe shortage of parking

Sky high prices on rent. Sad thing was they weren't even nice.

Positives:

The best looking females I have ever seen in my entire life.

It actually got mildly cool when the sun went down.

Santa MOnica had a distinct breeze and cooler temp and you can smell the ocean.

Brentwood seemed a bit slower.

Some really nice views.

Overall there was no compelling reason to move, pretty dissapointed. Back to Atlanta, for now and looking at Seattle.

I suppose my hopes were too high but it just seems like something as minute as swinging by the grocery store would be an ordeal with the traffic.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by DT97

I suppose my hopes were too high but it just seems like something as minute as swinging by the grocery store would be an ordeal with the traffic.

And you might not want to do it after dark!

Yes, your hopes were high but that's the draw and mystique of California in general and L.A. in particular. It's disappointing to discover it really isn't the Promised Land. But you did the right thing. You traveled there and checked it out in person. That's ever so much better than arriving with little cash, no concrete plans and nothing but a dream fueled by television.

[uptown_urbanist]

Yes, you were smart to check it out in person BEFORE moving!

If you want a slower city without much traffic and with easy parking then LA is definitely not the place.

You could check out San Diego; not that prices are much better there, but it sounds like it could be a better fit.

[Inter441]

Culver CITY

[bluenoter]

Have you checked out East Hollywood?

Originally Posted by DT97

My face and lips immediately got very irritated the first day. Face was very red and lips were dry, cracked and itching. ( 2 days after returning home they were clear again)

I'm a radio, top40 fan. Only 2 non- spanish stations on the FM dial.

Some really nice views.

Overall there was no compelling reason to move, pretty dissapointed. Back to Atlanta, for now and looking at Seattle.

[DT97]

Originally Posted by bluenoter

Have you checked out East Hollywood?

Never heard of East Hollywood. However I found some nice reasonably priced apartments in Studio City. SC and NoHo had more reasonable prices.

Santa MOnica really had slow neighborhoods and loved the cool temp. The apts looked nice on wsr but were dumpy in person. Had some brand new appliances though.

B'wood was a slower pace but skyhigh prices.

[DT97]

Originally Posted by uptown_urbanist

Yes, you were smart to check it out in person BEFORE moving!

If you want a slower city without much traffic and with easy parking then LA is definitely not the place.

You could check out San Diego; not that prices are much better there, but it sounds like it could be a better fit.

I hate that I had to drop 2k just to "figure" out it wasn't for me. Honestly though, thats a sacrifice you have to make if you want to play it smart and make a prudent decision.

SD actually has slightly lower prices and I hear a lot of good things about it. I suppose I should check it out next.

[WSMC]

LA has terrible air. Angelenos don't realize it until we go on vacation.

You get used to the bad drivers. I routinely see visitors blow their lid at offenses that to me don't even register as rude any more. Think fast.

Parking is great if you've experienced anything anywhere in Europe (I moved here from Germany). If you move here from the Midwest, it's terrible. Everything is relative.

People here spend a lot of time thinking about how they look. Plus, everybody who thinks they're a hottie in Cincinnati moves here with high hopes of becoming famous. Interestingly, the desire to look good doesn't at all carry over to what people wear.

I'll tell you that after 10 years in LA I'm more apt to check out a lady when I'm visiting Austin, Seattle, San Fran... That means either that one does indeed grow tired of the hyper-facilialized and manicured look or that I'm getting old.

Is housing in LA expensive? Is water wet?

I'm a public radio type of guy who turns off the radio when the music comes on but there HAS to be a top 40 station. It's LA! What about 102.7?

I find that it takes the average transplant 3 years to learn to truly love LA - with all its warts. It sounds like you're on the younger side. I'd say if you're still even remotely interested after your stay here, now is your time to give it a shot.

-R.

[Ceece]

If you aren't moving somewhere for a job it's always going to be questionable whether you should move at all. I guess I just don't get the point unless you absolutely hate where you live and have no job, friends or family. Moving anywhere for "the lifestyle", especially CA, will rarely work out if you are just basing it on dreams. WHY did you want to move to LA anyway?

[nighthouse66]

well, i think gauging LA by hollywood is a bad idea. did you, as another posted asked, check out culver city? i loved it there. lots of the old movie history, quiet streets, easy to get in and out of, plenty of amenities, its got a great cheap theatre (culver plaza) and i would live there in a second. yeah, housing is expensive, but anyplace worth visiting is gonna have high rents- i wish there was the perfect city that was great for artists, lots of cultural amenities, and loads of cheap places to live. but that place seems to be on the shores of palatial lake Not.