Texans/NYers going West (Los Angeles, San Francisco: sales, insurance, condo)

[largetexas]

Hello all,

I posted this in the San Francisco forum as well. Looking for the right city for my girlfriend and I to settle down on the West Coast. We are from Houston/Austin and have spent the last 9 years in Brooklyn (Ft. Greene and Williamsburg). We're looking for a place to settle down that is ideally a mix between Austin/Houston and Brooklyn...on the West Coast.

We work in the arts and fashion industry and love NY for its diversity, energy, and urbanism. We're just tired of the winters and looking for a place with good Mexican food and more nature. We've loved Brooklyn and are looking for a place with similarities to Ft. Greene/Williamsburg - somewhere that is possibly emerging and not overly-gentrified yet, if one exists? We've heard parts of Oakland could be good. Or, maybe Silverlake or Echo Park in LA? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Criteria include:
1. City where we don't always need a car (we've lived in TX without one for a while)
2. Decent sidewalks
3. Neighborhood with at least some artists
4. Maybe underrated or still relatively undiscovered by yuppies

Thank you!!

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by largetexas

Hello all,

I posted this in the San Francisco forum as well. Looking for the right city for my girlfriend and I to settle down on the West Coast. We are from Houston/Austin and have spent the last 9 years in Brooklyn (Ft. Greene and Williamsburg). We're looking for a place to settle down that is ideally a mix between Austin/Houston and Brooklyn...on the West Coast.

We work in the arts and fashion industry and love NY for its diversity, energy, and urbanism. We're just tired of the winters and looking for a place with good Mexican food and more nature. We've loved Brooklyn and are looking for a place with similarities to Ft. Greene/Williamsburg - somewhere that is possibly emerging and not overly-gentrified yet, if one exists? We've heard parts of Oakland could be good. Or, maybe Silverlake or Echo Park in LA? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Criteria include:
1. City where we don't always need a car (we've lived in TX without one for a while)
2. Decent sidewalks
3. Neighborhood with at least some artists
4. Maybe underrated or still relatively undiscovered by yuppies

Thank you!!

Depending on your housing budget it sounds like Silverlake and Echo Park areas would work for you, so would West Los Angeles.

As for the bay area, well I will leave that to someone else to comment on.

Nita

[largetexas]

Thanks, Nita! We'll also take a look at West Los Angeles.

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by largetexas

4. Maybe underrated or still relatively undiscovered by yuppies

There are just shy of 10 million people in this little corner of the world, not much is undiscovered.

[BRinSM]

you could definitely make LA work, but you may prefer SF after coming from NY. however, SF and surrounding bay cities tend to be much cooler than LA. there will also be more opporunities in the industries you mentioned in LA, fashion and design are pretty big here, probably 2nd only to NY.

[largetexas]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

you could definitely make LA work, but you may prefer SF after coming from NY. however, SF and surrounding bay cities tend to be much cooler than LA. there will also be more opporunities in the industries you mentioned in LA, fashion and design are pretty big here, probably 2nd only to NY.

Thanks, BRinSM! Everything about LA seems to fit what we're looking for, especially when it comes to living close to downtown, except the driving. We really don't want to have to get a car. I HATE driving and wanted to leave TX in large part to get rid of my car. We're pretty resourceful when it comes to public transportation, but are worried that it'll just be impossible to live there without a car.

Also, there's so much LA bashing on these forums! Is it really that bad a place to live? I love it when I visit. How is it living there, though? Is it as frustrating, smoggy, traffic-clogged, unwalkable as people say it is?

[BRinSM]

for the average american family with 2.5 kids who wants a 4br house with yard on a middle class income, LA is not a good fit. however, it sounds like you and your girlfriend may be more of the urban type who can work around the obstacles than LA can present. as for the car situation, i advise that you have at least one. my wife and i only have one car. i also have a vespa and get around by bike fairly often as well. except on days with heavy rain or when we both have to leave town in different directions, it actually works really well for us. otherwise, LA can be anything you want it to be, it's that diverse. if you want suburbia, it's here. if you want high density, it's also here. if you want a beach town, we've got it. we even have neighborhoods that are not far from the city but are 'in the woods'.

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by largetexas

Also, there's so much LA bashing on these forums! Is it really that bad a place to live? I love it when I visit. How is it living there, though? Is it as frustrating, smoggy, traffic-clogged, unwalkable as people say it is?

To understand the "bashing", you also have to understand where people are bashing. Most people consider LA as the area not less than 50 miles from the beach to the north, south and east. Its a GIGANTIC area.

LA is NOT a "bad" place to live.

That reputation comes from the following:

Single family home: $500k+

"Nice" condo, with a couple bedrooms: $350k+

One bedroom "condo" $300k+

Housing is extremely expensive here. People sacrifice a lot to live in "decent" accommodation, simply because its LA.

Because of this sacrifice, there is not a lot left over for travel, or "extras" for MANY people. Obviously, there is a lot of wealth here. If you're making a decent income, LA is very fun. If you can find a decent commute, LA is fine. The complaining comes from people who move to LA looking for a "dream" and not realizing how expensive it is to reside here.

Yes, traffic sucks.

Smog isn't as bad as it used to be.

Walkable? I wouldn't really know, I personally don't see living without a car as realistic in this city. Yes, people do it.

Bottom line: expect to "pay to play" in LA. Know the costs of rent, or mortgage. Know the costs for at lest one car and insurance. Know how our (highest in the nation) sales tax fits into your budget. Know the neighborhoods, and how to get around.