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Old 02-26-2011, 06:40 PM
 
2 posts, read 2,751 times
Reputation: 10

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Hi everybody from Madrid, Spain, Europe. I´m thinking about moving to LA o nearly cities and I have read a lot about the gangs and unsafe places. I want to move there with my family and I´d like to know about what places are the most calm to live (of course I can´t pay rents in the more expensive places, I´m not Pau Gasol, so I´m pointing to middle-class places), no matter if are other cities arround LA. We´re white skin and light eyes people (i dont if this is important): me, my wife and two young daugthers. Here we aren´t used to that violence
We were in LA in 2008, but just like tourists. But I saw many crazy people at nigt in Venice and Inglewood (our hotel was near from LAX airport).
Your information and advices, if serious, will be wellcome, thanks for all y sorry about my english. I like your country, We also were there last year
Besides, if any of you needs information about going to visit/work to Spain, dont doubt to contact me
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Old 02-27-2011, 02:14 AM
 
2,245 posts, read 4,219,935 times
Reputation: 2152
Are you Basque?
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Old 02-27-2011, 05:54 AM
 
2 posts, read 2,751 times
Reputation: 10
No, I´m not basque I´m from Madrid
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Old 03-01-2011, 11:31 PM
 
10 posts, read 24,952 times
Reputation: 13
I lived in Spain for a year during university--Madrid, then Granada, early 90's--and frankly encountered much more violence, theft, threats than I ever have in LA.

Examples: my girlfriend was "held up" with a supposedly infected HIV needle while in a phone booth;
My boyfriend (at the time) had his car broken into repeatedly; I saw several people shooting up on the street during "la marcha". When I return to visit friends, I make it a point to not wear my good jewelry--my other friend, Madrilena, had a simple gold chain ripped off her neck. I could go on...

All this to say, yes, there are guns in LA and violence (everywhere in the US) but it is not something that you are assaulted with (no pun intended) on a basis that merits consideration unless you are directly involved or have the very unfortunate yet rare experience of being caught in the crossfire.

Don't get me wrong, I love Spain, and Madrid. But my radar is always on alert when I am there and IMO, the violent, in your face accostings may leave you alive, but completely alter how "safe" you feel going about your day-to-day life in day-to-day places, which is where all these things occurred.

LA is just not in the same realm.
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Old 03-02-2011, 12:28 AM
 
2,245 posts, read 4,219,935 times
Reputation: 2152
Quote:
Originally Posted by Birdgirl View Post
I lived in Spain for a year during university--Madrid, then Granada, early 90's--and frankly encountered much more violence, theft, threats than I ever have in LA.

Examples: my girlfriend was "held up" with a supposedly infected HIV needle while in a phone booth;
My boyfriend (at the time) had his car broken into repeatedly; I saw several people shooting up on the street during "la marcha". When I return to visit friends, I make it a point to not wear my good jewelry--my other friend, Madrilena, had a simple gold chain ripped off her neck. I could go on...

All this to say, yes, there are guns in LA and violence (everywhere in the US) but it is not something that you are assaulted with (no pun intended) on a basis that merits consideration unless you are directly involved or have the very unfortunate yet rare experience of being caught in the crossfire.

Don't get me wrong, I love Spain, and Madrid. But my radar is always on alert when I am there and IMO, the violent, in your face accostings may leave you alive, but completely alter how "safe" you feel going about your day-to-day life in day-to-day places, which is where all these things occurred.

LA is just not in the same realm.
Were the perpetrators native Spaniards, or people that migrated recently from elsewhere?
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Old 03-02-2011, 04:17 AM
 
208 posts, read 545,543 times
Reputation: 178
Quote:
Originally Posted by Birdgirl View Post
I lived in Spain for a year during university--Madrid, then Granada, early 90's--and frankly encountered much more violence, theft, threats than I ever have in LA.

Examples: my girlfriend was "held up" with a supposedly infected HIV needle while in a phone booth;
My boyfriend (at the time) had his car broken into repeatedly; I saw several people shooting up on the street during "la marcha". When I return to visit friends, I make it a point to not wear my good jewelry--my other friend, Madrilena, had a simple gold chain ripped off her neck. I could go on...

All this to say, yes, there are guns in LA and violence (everywhere in the US) but it is not something that you are assaulted with (no pun intended) on a basis that merits consideration unless you are directly involved or have the very unfortunate yet rare experience of being caught in the crossfire.

Don't get me wrong, I love Spain, and Madrid. But my radar is always on alert when I am there and IMO, the violent, in your face accostings may leave you alive, but completely alter how "safe" you feel going about your day-to-day life in day-to-day places, which is where all these things occurred.

LA is just not in the same realm.

I´m from granada, I want to know where happened that, ¿Albayzín, Zaidín, ...?
just curious. Thanks
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Old 03-02-2011, 06:42 AM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,338 posts, read 93,524,803 times
Reputation: 17829
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nacclelauama View Post
Hi everybody from Madrid, Spain, Europe. I´m thinking about moving to LA o nearly cities and I have read a lot about the gangs and unsafe places. I want to move there with my family and I´d like to know about what places are the most calm to live (of course I can´t pay rents in the more expensive places, I´m not Pau Gasol, so I´m pointing to middle-class places), no matter if are other cities arround LA. We´re white skin and light eyes people (i dont if this is important): me, my wife and two young daugthers. Here we aren´t used to that violence
We were in LA in 2008, but just like tourists. But I saw many crazy people at nigt in Venice and Inglewood (our hotel was near from LAX airport).
Your information and advices, if serious, will be wellcome, thanks for all y sorry about my english. I like your country, We also were there last year
Besides, if any of you needs information about going to visit/work to Spain, dont doubt to contact me

Why do you want to move to the other side of the world, away from you parents, your kids' grandparents, your job, your social and support networks?

Why do you like our country?

Legalities, visas, citizenship?
Job?
Housing budget?
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Old 03-02-2011, 11:41 AM
 
1,812 posts, read 3,348,135 times
Reputation: 751
you should call the embassy to find out about VIsa in order to stay here longer then a tourist. As per work You can see if any Spanish companies in your country are hiring or even check the embassy if they know of any being BIlingual is a big plus finding a job, but if you are legal to work here you are out of luck
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Old 03-08-2011, 10:37 PM
 
5,976 posts, read 15,215,044 times
Reputation: 6709
Default Being global...

Quote:
Originally Posted by Charles View Post
Why do you want to move to the other side of the world, away from you parents, your kids' grandparents, your job, your social and support networks?

Why do you like our country?

Legalities, visas, citizenship?
Job?
Housing budget?
I think many people are in his shoes, including myself. I am at the age where I would welcome living in another country, provided of course that I had secure employment. Not a permanent thing, just an opportunity to experience a different culture for about four years, or so. Depending on where one goes, it would make them miss home that much more, and not take for granted everyday things.

My wife had to move to the US from Spain when she was young as her parents decided to emigrate and immigrate to the US, and she would like to go back someday, she has family there, and I would welcome the chance to go... we visit about every nine months anyway, I really like Barcelona.
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Old 03-18-2011, 11:18 PM
 
10 posts, read 24,952 times
Reputation: 13
I am late to respond to the questions to the post I made--the people involved in the crimes I or my friends experienced were Spaniards, mid-20 somethings who seemed to have lost their way or were "drogadictos" (drug addicts). Heroin was fairly common then and of course, hash. The one exception was a tall, Scandinavian 60-ish man who claimed his family had been gassed and all their belongs stolen while on vacation near Malaga and approached me on the street, inquiring about a Danish embassy. I fell right into the scam and ended up giving him $50 US for bus fare to Madrid to get to the embassy.

Months later, I saw him on the street. He had a very clever scam going o targeting tourists or students with this story, and obviously was successful enough to make it worth staying the college town.

As far as Granada goes, I remember shady warnings about the Albaicin alone at the wrong time, but didn't experience anything there. Near the university, up on the hill to the (east?) side of town, my friend had a band of gypsy pre-teens assault him and take his bike, which he had brought over from the States.

One of our rental car windows was busted out somewhere in the south (Malaga), so when we got to Sevilla, same trip, we left ALL the car windows down. Ironically, we returned to the car and someone had wound up the remaining windows. A random act of intended kindness

BTW my favorite place in Spain is Galicia, where my dear friends live--a flat in La Coruna and a finca just outside. Spain is magical and I just think the population density, small geographical area, and public transport make it easier for these kinds of petty crimes to take place. Same goes for many places in Europe proper. My 2 cents!
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