Does the traffic really affect your life in LA?

[LemonyPie]

^Oh, I know it. :P But that doesn't mean I won't try, of course!

[jen5276]

I am currently in NYC and commute from Staten Island to Manhattan everyday. It easily takes an hour, sometimes less, sometimes more.

I am hoping to move out to LA in the next few years. Do you think the traffic will seem as bad to me, being that I am from NY? I keep reading all the horror stores also, but I am not really too worried about it, but would love some perspective from the residents...

[greggd1]

Originally Posted by nickdahammer

It has kept me away from the Westside, for the most part. Once the Expo Line starts running, I'll be taking it out there. The trains have managed to get me out to most all the places i like so I've just re-aligned a few things. Turned out OK, actually.

When the expo phase II opens, I will use it to hit up downtown. Hope they dont shut it down at 12:00am.

[Senshi]

Originally Posted by LemonyPie

As for the different parts of Hollywood, what would you guys say is the closest to the most fun/interesting places and bustling city life?

Oh, and also...what I'm wondering is: why don't more people in LA use the public transit? Or do plenty of people use it if they live close enough to it?

Thanks again for the replies. Keep 'em coming!

Hollywood/Highland or Hollywood/Vine are the two Hollywood places that are always active. Hollywood/Highland is more tourist traffic while Hollywood/Vine is more club based generally.

As for why more people don't use it? It doesn't go through the West Side, YET, so a large chunk of people don't really have access to it. Once the Purple Line and Expo get going the system will be even better. Especially if they expand the upcoming Crenshaw line to Hollywood/Highland through WeHo.

[calipoppy]

Originally Posted by LemonyPie

Thanks for the replies so far!

So it seems like my best bet might be to move to Hollywood...one of the epicenters for film/TV of course, close to the transit, and walkable in its own right...Sounds good so far!

You are still going to need a car. I don't care who says what about the public transporation in LA getting better, yadda yadda yadda. LA is not walkable.... and you will need a car.

Los Angeles is very spread out from the Harbor to the northern most tip of the San Fernando Valley and all points in between. You need a car to access a good majority of it. I hate it when people from other places get lied to by the public transit junkies because it simply does not work as an option for most people.

Let's say that you get a job in West Hollywood as a Production Assistant with a production company. So you get an apartment that is in walking distance to the office, great. But you may be required to be on location in the Hollywood Hills, in El Monte, in Redondo Beach, in Claremont, in Granada Hills, in Lawndale, etc, etc. You will NOT be able to do it without either having your own car or bugging someone to take you there.

[balmain]

Originally Posted by jen5276

I am currently in NYC and commute from Staten Island to Manhattan everyday. It easily takes an hour, sometimes less, sometimes more.

I am hoping to move out to LA in the next few years. Do you think the traffic will seem as bad to me, being that I am from NY? I keep reading all the horror stores also, but I am not really too worried about it, but would love some perspective from the residents...

LOL, "in a few years".

Try finding something better to do with your life in the meantime then come back and ask this question closer to the date of your move.

[SandyCo]

This is how traffic affects my life. I was going to go grocery shopping yesterday. Then I looked at the clock, and thought, "Oh, wait. It's 4:30 now; I don't want to go out during rush hour." I live on a busy street, and just trying to pull out into heavy traffic is a challenge! That's part of the reason I work the hours I do - 6:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You really do need a car in this city unless you have a job that requires no travel whatsoever except for the commute to and from work.

Also, during the week I usually don't go shopping on the way home from work, because if I do, the commute home is that much longer as the traffic gets worse by 4:30 or 5:00. Then again, I've become so traffic intolerant that my avoidance of it is pretty extreme.

[lesallimc]

Rule of thumb is to live near where you work. I walk to work every day so no longer deal with daily commuting. I really thought when I moved here it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I really thought people literally sat on the freeway with absolutely no movement for at least 3 hours at a time which is a gross exageration. Again, if you make a smart decision about where you live, you will be fine. I go wherever I want on the weekends, and it isn't terribly bad if bad at all except certain holidays, key times, etc. (which is no different than any other major city.) Now if you are obsessed with owning a large house in the burbs and want to work in the city, be prepared for a bit of a daily headache...

[greggd1]

Originally Posted by lesallimc

Rule of thumb is to live near where you work. I walk to work every day so no longer deal with daily commuting. I really thought when I moved here it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. I really thought people literally sat on the freeway with absolutely no movement for at least 3 hours at a time which is a gross exageration. Again, if you make a smart decision about where you live, you will be fine. I go wherever I want on the weekends, and it isn't terribly bad if bad at all except certain holidays, key times, etc. (which is no different than any other major city.) Now if you are obsessed with owning a large house in the burbs and want to work in the city, be prepared for a bit of a daily headache...

I agree. I wish more people would follow this rule of thumb.

I live very close to work but the entire neighborhood is infested with people commuting from west la/santa monica through residential streets to reach the 405 frwy at sunset. even traveling 2 miles can take 30-40 minutes.

I am hoping it gets worse though because that is the only way it will be addressed. If the entire west la sm turns into a parking lot and it takes 5 hours to go from Santa Monica to west la...then they will look into the problem.

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by calipoppy

You are still going to need a car. I don't care who says what about the public transporation in LA getting better, yadda yadda yadda. LA is not walkable.... and you will need a car.

I don't think you need a car. But it really helps to have one. Personally my wife has to have a car for work (work related driving) but if she didn't we would be car free (like we were in Boston for three years, and this neighborhood in LA is more walkable and less car dependent than my old hood in Boston).

But getting out of the city is much easier with our own car, and visiting friends in the South Bay and Ventura County is doable with a car, not so much without.

I forgot to mention, most of our neighbors do not own cars, the building is pre parking regulations so there are waaay more apartments than parking spots.