Key to being happy in L.A.: Don't drive (Huntington Beach: to rent, home)

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

My visits to L.A. have led me to the conclusion that driving almost anywhere is stressful - and occasionally, maddening.

It seems that it would be prudent for any newcomer to set up his (or her) life so that he rarely has to leave his neighborhood, and can walk to a variety of places for everyday needs.

Agree? Disagree?

[KnoxTown]

I absolutely LOVE driving in LA, as long its not to or from work.

[SEAandATL]

Yeah, I figured that one out. Every time I went to L.A. I had a much better time when I rode the Metro instead of driving. It's a lot less stressful to use public transit, same with Tokyo, New York, and any other city, and I strongly support them to expand the Metro.

[ferretkona]

We just know the better hours to drive in.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by AnUnidentifiedMale

My visits to L.A. have led me to the conclusion that driving almost anywhere is stressful - and occasionally, maddening.

It seems that it would be prudent for any newcomer to set up his (or her) life so that he rarely has to leave his neighborhood, and can walk to a variety of places for everyday needs.

Agree? Disagree?

Virtually every post from someone asking where to live in SoCal receives "Live near where you work" in response.

The big dilemma is, finding a place you want to live, near where you work. Often those are mutually exclusive.

Also, many of us may change job locations (by choice or necessity) several times in our careers. If you live (homeowner, kids in schools, integrated into the community) in Thousand Oaks and your job is in Canoga Park - great. What happens when your next job is in El Segundo or Huntington Beach or Pasadena or Azusa?

[SandyCo]

I agree; I'm happier the less I drive. It's sad that when you go somewhere, that by the time you've fought the traffic and finally get to your destination, you're too strung out to truly enjoy it!

[jc76]

Hmmm... I live an hour from Chicago and I absolutely dread having to try to navigate that hells nest of a city, so much so that when I go to LA I actually look forward to renting the convertible and dealing with the LA drivers. You Angelians don't have it so bad. Yes, your commute times are maddening, but all in all LA freeways seem to be better maped out than many of the confusion cities in the midwest.
I would say if I ever move back to LA I would drive, no problem.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by AnUnidentifiedMale

Agree? Disagree?

Disagree. Driving is fine as long as you don't have to do it in forced conditions, like commuting. I don't commute anymore so I'm rarely in a situation where I can't just relax and take my time and appreciate my nice new car (less than 6,000 miles). It's a real pleasure to relax in comfort and watch all the other crazy people try to kill themselves.

And Mr. OP, let me point out that you are evidently a visitor, not a resident, so about the only thing you may be authoritative about is getting around LA as a visitor. I suspect your opinion is not valid for those who reside in LA.

[bayarea-girl]

I grew up in LA and now live in N. CA. When I visit family and friends in LA I HATE DRIVING there. You must drive for just about everything. Places that should take you 20 minutes to get to could easily take 45 to 1 1/2 driving time is very common. Employers don't seem very understanding to commutes either. There is a good public transportation system that hardly anyone uses, I never used it when I lived there either but grew accustom to bay area transit which helped me with my stress. The rage and unpredictable actions people in LA have over traffic that doesn't move is stressful.

Come on people if you can please use other means of transportation.

Also, has anyone noticed a decline in traffic recently? In the Bay area I've noticed a huge decline in traffic.

[Cato the Elder]

Therein lies the rub - you pretty much have to drive in LA. It's like saying the secret of enjoying hell is not drinking any water. The problem with mass transit in LA is that you're usually talking buses and it takes 10 minutes to travel one mile on a bus, even without transfers. When it rains, mass transit becomes moving homeless shelters. Riding a bike might be an option with the great weather, but you have to deal with the crazy drivers and showing up to work all sweaty. In sum, unless you work from home or can make your own schedule, you're looking at wasting at least a couple hours per day crawling on a highway or driving through side streets like a madman.