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Old 03-20-2009, 07:52 PM
 
5 posts, read 7,653 times
Reputation: 10

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I'm considering a move from NJ (go to school in Manhattan) to LA for school. I have a couple questions about LA.
-Will I really need a car? I know the mass transit is nothing compared to manhattan/jersey; but if I live close enough to school, will this be a problem?
-Are there subways? Are there cabs?
-Is downtown LA as shady as everyone says?
-Do the stereotypes of LA ring true (shallow, uneducated, etc)?
-Should I visit before committing to it?
-How are the bars? Where are the good bars?
-What area would be most similar to nyc?
-Is the city generally walkable?
-Are there scary bugs there?

If anyone moved there from NYC/Northeast it'd be really helpful if you can tell me how it compares.
Thanks!!!
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Old 03-20-2009, 08:31 PM
 
11,715 posts, read 40,446,365 times
Reputation: 7586
What school?

There are subways but its not a comprehensive network that will take you anywhere you want to go.
There are cabs, like just about any city in the world.
You should visit before committing, but that's true of any place.
LA isn't buggy like many part of the US are.
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Old 03-20-2009, 09:07 PM
 
5 posts, read 7,653 times
Reputation: 10
Quote:
Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia View Post
What school?

There are subways but its not a comprehensive network that will take you anywhere you want to go.
There are cabs, like just about any city in the world.
You should visit before committing, but that's true of any place.
LA isn't buggy like many part of the US are.
FIDM.
Are the cabs easily accessible? I've been to cities where I like, never see any.
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Old 03-20-2009, 09:09 PM
 
11,715 posts, read 40,446,365 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kiznit View Post
FIDM.
Are the cabs easily accessible? I've been to cities where I like, never see any.
Its not a sea of yellow like NYC. People here tend to call cabs by telephone unless you're at the airport.
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Old 03-20-2009, 09:10 PM
 
Location: Mission Viejo, CA
2,498 posts, read 11,437,098 times
Reputation: 1619
There are neighborhoods of Los Angeles that are walkable and you can get your basic needs by walking in, but it is a huge city and it isn't like you will walk from one end to the other. You either need to take a bus, subway/light rail, cab, or car to go between neighborhoods or across town. This isn't that different than NYC where you take some form of transportation to go from one area to another (its not like you walk from the Bronx to Brooklyn, you naturally either take a subway, car, or cab).

A car gives more freedom in L.A., but many go just by public transportation (but not most). A recent thread on here described one guys year without a car in L.A.

I highly recommend you visit. It is worth the $300 plane ticket and hotel stay because otherwise you could move out here and hate it.
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Old 03-20-2009, 09:14 PM
 
Location: Southern California
15,080 posts, read 20,470,374 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by missionhome View Post
...

I highly recommend you visit. It is worth the $300 plane ticket and hotel stay because otherwise you could move out here and hate it.
Agreed. Make a short trip out here. I advise any prospective student going across the country for school to visit the school and investigate its local environment. Consider it a reconnaissance mission.
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Old 03-20-2009, 09:16 PM
 
Location: Declezville, CA
16,806 posts, read 39,938,866 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by kiznit View Post
-Do the stereotypes of LA ring true (shallow, uneducated, etc)?
About as true as the NJ stereotypes (loud, obnoxious, guido, etc).

I'll let you draw any further conclusions.
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Old 03-20-2009, 09:17 PM
 
11,715 posts, read 40,446,365 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by MIKEETC View Post
Agreed. Make a short trip out here. I advise any prospective student going across the country for school to visit the school and investigate its local environment. Consider it a reconnaissance mission.
And make the trip during the week. Weekends don't count.
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Old 03-20-2009, 09:29 PM
 
Location: Declezville, CA
16,806 posts, read 39,938,866 times
Reputation: 17694
Quote:
Originally Posted by kiznit View Post
-Are there subways? Are there cabs? Nothing like what you're used to

-Is downtown LA as shady as everyone says? No. Realize this, nothing is ever as bad as the naysayers on C-D say it is. That said, certain parts can be, after dark. Kinda sounds like just about any large city, doesn't it?

-Should I visit before committing to it? Yes

-How are the bars? Where are the good bars?All over the LA Metro area. This place is massive and spread out. Please consult a map to get an idea of what I'm alluding to.

-What area would be most similar to nyc? No area would. Don't look for it.

-Is the city generally walkable? Once again, it's to huge to define simply as "the city". You must narrow down what area you'll be in.

-Are there scary bugs there? In the hills and deserts there are tarantulas and scorpions. There are also Africanized Bees. But very few mosquitoes.
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Old 03-20-2009, 09:39 PM
 
Location: Mission Viejo, CA
2,498 posts, read 11,437,098 times
Reputation: 1619
You are lucky though the FIDM is located in downtown which is the transportation hub of Los Angeles. There isn't an easier place to get to in the city with public transport.

Are you planning on living in housing sponsored by FIDM or on your own? If on your own, you may want to consider living close to the subway line (red line). It will get you to downtown in 30 minutes or less. FIDM is about a 5-10 minute walk from 7th Street Metro Center Station.
http://colesfrenchdip.com/news/map.jpg (broken link)
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