NY to LA (San Diego, Long Beach, Santa Rosa: smog, insurance, apartment)

[artichoke63]

Originally Posted by mf123

Thanks artie. I agree! I never looked at this move as perm, but rather give it a couple of years and see what happens. But, still a big decision and am torturing myself. THink I need to rip the band-aid off already!

Yup. Travel light and enjoy the journey. Think of the move out here as part of the decision process. You don't need to put down roots right away.

Art

[morefromcali]

Originally Posted by mf123

Hey there MorefromCali...thank you so much for yr input.
Regarding meeting people though, it seems so hard here in NYC. To hear what you have to say about LA - that's what I thought would be easier - being outside and such. You don't really get that in NYC a lot due to the weather.

Hi mf123,

Wow, I always thought it was easier to meet people in NYC! I'm sorry to hear that it's not! People here in LA do take advantage of the nice weather and get outside when they have the time -- but they usually do it either in groups that are already formed, or alone for exercise complete with i-pods to keep people out. So I'm not sure that that makes it easier, unless you'd be open to joining something like the Sierra Club and going to their events etc. Does that help? I really don't want to be negative, because I really enjoyed LA before I had kids. I'm just not sure that it will be easier here than it is there. Your expericence, of course, could be completely different than mine!

[TheRealAngelion]

mf123, it's a good thing you have been to LA and have actually spent enough time there to know that you like it and think it's a place you would want to live. That alone should tell you something. A lot of people don't have the option or choice to pick up and live somewhere new and start a fresh life. So if you are needing and looking for a change this might be the right time to make one. Don't be persuaded by negative posts on this board. Those are mostly from people who are unhappy. And why they are unhappy can be for a variety and complexity of reasons that may have little or nothing whatsover to do with LA itself. There are many people in LA who lead very happy, rich, fulfilling lives and you can to if that is what you really want and are willing to pursue it.

[matt345]

Originally Posted by TheRealAngelion

mf123, it's a good thing you have been to LA and have actually spent enough time there to know that you like it and think it's a place you would want to live. That alone should tell you something. A lot of people don't have the option or choice to pick up and live somewhere new and start a fresh life. So if you are needing and looking for a change this might be the right time to make one. Don't be persuaded by negative posts on this board. Those are mostly from people who are unhappy. And why they are unhappy can be for a variety and complexity of reasons that may have little or nothing whatsover to do with LA itself. There are many people in LA who lead very happy, rich, fulfilling lives and you can to if that is what you really want and are willing to pursue it.

I know your post was intended for someone else, but thank you for posting this. It's nice to hear things like this because some posters on this board are really making me apprehensive about my move to LA. Yes, I've also spent significant time in LA and really do feel that moving there is what I want to do.

[mf123]

Thanks Puffle. Boston would be a great option, but I'm definitely not going anywhere that's colder than NY. I want to be in better weather year round.

[mf123]

thank you all!

[friendlyflyer]

mf123, you need to decide what exactly you are seeking that makes LA attractive or is just a desire to be in California in general. You mentioned, laid back lifestyle, mountains, beaches, and cruising around in your car..ok, that's good, ask yourself what else are you seeking.
I grew up in NJ suburbs which of course is not NYC, but I know the vibe of living in the East Coast cities. I went to college out West and have lived in SF and LA.
LA and NYC are more connected because of the Entertainment Industry as where SF(Bay Area) is Technology. If someone wanted to move from NYC to the West Coast I would first recommend SF. It's a confined City with neighborhoods, that you can walk around, cafes, restaurants etc, what I call "City People". Yes it is laid back relative to the East Coast, but more opportunities to wear layers and various clothing styles, basically because of the climate of the Bay Area, though outdoor gear is really big up there. It has the hiking, biking, moutains, beaches, but a cooler and chilly climate. San Franciscans are more about their wine, lattes,reading books
city politics (everyone has a cause for something), moutain biking, hiking, the tech industry, and talking about the micro climates of the Bay Area. As far as Cities go, in my opinion one of the best in the USA or world for that matter.

LA on the other hand is spread out, yes everyone drives and cars are important as the place you live in. Personally the driving here is frustrating.
Everyone talks about their drive to whereever they are going. Your either in bumper to bumper 6 lane freeways, or on surface streets that are a constant stop and go. So one end's up staying close to their "hood" and not venturing miles away unless they have too. If you like year round warm weather, hot summers, mild winters, LA is better. You will not need your wardrobe of 4 seasons in LA. Yes it is a fashion trend setter, but that more comes from the Hollywood side of it. People do dress up here, depending on what industry they work in, however, we only interact and see each other, once we park our cars (valet probably) and enter the office building or restaurant or club. Then of course your wearing lighter weight clothes. There is not as much human interaction on the streets. People tend to stick within their social or economic circles.

However if you work in the Entertainment Industry or want to be, this is the place. I work in Sales and all my accounts are Entertainment related. The whole thing about people be fake I don't buy. There aren't fake they are real, however that realism is not for everybody's taste. There are the serious actors/actresses and entertainers and those that work in "The Industry", and theres a whole lot of trying to be this. They come to party, they come for the sunshine and they come to "make it" be famous, etc, etc and they come from all walks of life, at all ages. (that in itself is a bit nerving to those that are not apart of it)

I just saw a 70 something woman at the supermarket, wearing tight jeans, a top with very old cleavage hanging out, tons of fake jewelry, fake hair size of Mt. Rushmore, a face lift that looks like it will snap back any minute. She took off in her 2007 Jaguar when she left. Yes, there still is alot of this floating around. For most of us in America, it is one thing to see it on TV, another things to live around it.

However, there is definetly a very strong NYC presence in LA, much more so than in SF. New Yorkers are here in droves mostly because of the Entertainment Industry.

Yes, LA is full of beautiful people (natural or enhanced) and alot of not so beautiful people. It some ways LA is more about what it represents, that what it really is.

One thing I often tell people, is when your visiting a place, what is your feeling, when your driving around and walking around. Do you feel like you belong or are you trying to convince yourself. When I arrived SF more than 12yrs ago, my gut was "eureka I found it", and still feel that way. I moved to LA 2yrs ago for the second time, it was the right move at the time, but I was like, "ok I'm going to give this a try again, for various reasons". I've answered the question and don't want to settle here even if I was rich. San Diego or SF are my vibe cities, even BOS, NYC(if I was loaded) or DC.

There's a love/hate relationship between LA/NYC, has been for yrs, everyone compares those two cities against each other...to each his own, and Good Luck on your decision!

[AsianNYLover]

Tell me about it, LA does SUCK!!! Regretting moving here from Michigan. I'm planning to make the move to New York by the end of the year, maybe sooner.

[mf123]

Thank you so much friendlyflyer. I really appreciate your input. I think you are absolutely right in a lot of what you had to say. Other than better weather, which is important to me, I think the bottom line is that NYC is just so expensive, but I'm beginning to realize that what I may gain in LA may not be enough to justify a move or life change.
Thanks again!

[marilyn220]

Do you have a job waiting for you in LA? If not, then do you have friends here that could hook you up with one?

I relocated from NY to LA 3 and 1/2 years ago and have YET to find a permanent job as a legal secretary or admin/executive assistant. I lucked out with a longterm temp position that lasted for a year. It's one of the main reasons I was able to collect unemployment. That job ended in September and temp work has been very sporadic and I'm registered with at least TEN AGENCIES. I've decided that I'm going to have to do retail or shift work in order to save money to get out of here. Yes, this place is overpriced and you NEED A CAR to get around. Public transportation is GARBAGE! It's nowhere near the superiority of NYC's 100+ year old transit system.

I'm not going to do the comparison thing between NY and LA, because you've been here before. Let me just say VISITING and LIVING are two different animals. LA is the complete OPPOSITE of NYC in every way you can think of.