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I remember the first time I landed at LAX and was trying to find the flyaway bus to Van Nuys. Even taking in the smog, I knew I was in the most relevant city in the world. Also the most envied in my opinion. Everyone watches movies sometimes - even those who hate LA.
Anyways, people always say LA has rude jerks, mean people, etc. I didn't find that to be true at all, maybe I wasn't there long enough. I end up talking to an obvious transvestite (this is when I knew I really in LA, lol) and pretty lady who both worked at LAX and were taking the same bus as me, told them about my "California dreams" and they were both very nice and seemed engaging in conversation.
Saw a shooting star while crossing my first night there crossing Valleyheart in Studio City...and I knew I had to live in LA.
I should say, there is this feeling in LA that you sort of get, that you don't get in other places, it's both good and bad. You sort of feel like an ant...essentially, you're just a regular person (so is most of LA) but you know there's people living the Hollywood dream there. Everywhere else, the "elite" are essentially regular people (politicians, doctors, lawyers, etc) with lots of money. In LA, you have that, but there's a certain segment that you know the rest of the world seems to follow, and if they don't, they've heard of them.
I just got back from Los Angeles yesterday and want to get my thoughts out. After a few years of thinking about Los Angeles and wondering what it's like, I finally took the step and visited the city, as I could very well be moving there this year.
I would say I had a mixed reaction, but I was more impressed than not. Going by the posts on here and just the general way L.A. is viewed, you would think it's horrible!
I have the choice right now to move elsewhere, but Los Angeles is in contention primarily because I want to pursue screenwriting. I haven't officially decided yet, but I will soon enough.
I don't drive, and I was told that is a big no-no here. Especially if you want to work in the movie business.
While I was only there for a week, I feel like I got a good sample of what Los Angeles is all about. Some of the things I had always heard about the city rang true and some didn't.
It is very spread out, but I just loved the feel of it all. I expected it to be spread out in a very bad way, but in a way I sort of liked it. As I mentioned, I love urbanity and big cities (NYC, DC, etc.) where you can walk everywhere and everything is built-up to be walkable.
To my surprise, I found most of central LA to be a dump. Didn't like downtown, Hollywood, WeHo, etc. They were OK, but I wouldn't be able to live in those areas or appreciate them much. I can definitely see how this is one of those aspects where people contribute their dislike of LA to.
Loved Westwood and Santa Monica, to me that is where the city shines. The westside. I also went to Pasadena, liked there too. Unusual because in other cities, I would prefer the downtown and Hollywood-type neighborhoods.
Rode the bus and train everywhere. I can most certainly see how it is not the best for someone to live without a car here, but definitely do-able and in no way a stretch like some people claim. The only downside is most of the transit not running past 12-1 AM, but that's typical in any city not named New York.
And I did find LA's light rail to be a good system, better than that of some other light rail systems out there. Loved the Expo line, I suppose it will be an awesome day when the rest of the line is complete.
Met some interesting people too. Overall I would say while I didn't fall in love with Los Angeles, I started to really come to like it and that was something I didn't expect to happen.
I just have to admit I was expecting an entirely different city based on what I gathered through here, media, and everything else. At the end of the day my visual picture of Los Angeles prior to visiting isn't all that different to the one I have now, but it helped so much by going on a vacation there. It's the little things.
Sorry if I rambled on, just had a bunch of thoughts.
For only spending a week in the city you seemed to have gotten a very fair and balanced opinion of what he has and does not have to offer. of course I would add, the areas you seem to love are also on the pricey side, whether you will be renting a home or buying. I imagine you are thinking of renting...
I think my biggest concern would be depending on public transportation. Yes, it can be done and more and more on using it, but So Ca is still not really mass transit friendly.
Will you be consentrating only on your screenwriting or will you want to find employment to carry you through until you make it, if you do?
Good luck, though I would never move back to the area, it does have a lot of positives and you seem to have found most of them.
This thread should be named "The Los Angeles Metro Area I visited..." You point out several spots you liked and disliked outside the city. I'm the same way though. That whole area is Los Angeles to me.
I have lived in L.A. for 12 years, all of it in Santa Monica or within a couple blocks of the Santa Monica city limits, and I love it. If you have a good income (or are single and could live in like, someone's garden shed) and don't mind renting indefinitely, I think you would be incredibly happy in Santa Monica (I always was). I never felt the need to go east of the 405 or north of the 10. But it's nice to know that if I wanted to go to something in Hollywood I could.
I can't imagine living here without a car, honestly, but I've never tried. I know people do it. But yes, if you want to be in the movie business you will have to have a car. People do not want to wait for you to transfer to 3 different bus lines or bike your sweaty self to a meeting in midsummer. The entertainment business is TOUGH. Do not give people more reasons to reject you. I moved out here for the same reason (screenwriting ambitions) but eventually drifted into fiction writing instead. That said, I can advise you on screenwriting stuff if you need it (classes to take, Nicholl Fellowship, etc.) and I am not going to be one of those people who tries to discourage you. Who am I to say who will make it and who won't?
I am in the process of buying a house in the Mid-City area (a really nice residential pocket just west of La Brea and north of the 10), and will miss Santa Monica terribly, but I will not miss renting. Just a personal preference. And one thing of interest to me (and to you!) is that within 4-5 years there will be an amazing light rail line that goes all the way from downtown attractions like the Staples Center to Santa Monica and back, so when that's finished I'll never have to worry about traffic again (my husband still works in Santa Monica and is going to have to suck it up and bear the commute for a few years).
You are DEAD ON when you say you like the westside best. I literally don't think, until I started house-hunting, that I had crossed east of the 405 more than once a year since I stopped doing background/extra work (another fun thing to play around with that's very compatible with writing if you don't have a full time job, but ONLY if you have a car and either GPS or are great with maps).
Hope this helps! And look me up if you ever need a fellow LA-lover/writer to talk to!
Last edited by xmasevemom; 06-08-2012 at 10:47 AM..
I never felt the need to go east of the 405 or north of the 10.
I literally don't think, until I started house-hunting, that I had crossed east of the 405 more than once a year since I stopped doing background/extra work.
Hope this helps! And look me up if you ever need a fellow LA-lover to talk to!
How do you call yourself a "LA-lover" when you haven't truly explored LA within the past 12 years you have lived here?
"I am a LA-lover--but I only love a very, very, very small part of LA."
How do you call yourself a "LA-lover" when you haven't truly explored LA within the past 12 years you have lived here?
Oh, I've been all over L.A.; I've only really been hunkering down on the Westside for the past few years. But the best thing about L.A., to me, is that it's really a huge variety of little towns all next to each other, each with its own flavor and "vibe," and you can easily just pick one that suits you and settle in there without having to deal with the parts that annoy you. That's part of what makes L.A. L.A. I've never seen another city where you can so easily make it exactly what you need it to be. (Unless what you need is thick, lush forests, in which case you've a few hours' drive ahead of you )
I have lived in L.A. for 12 years, all of it in Santa Monica or within a couple blocks of the Santa Monica city limits, and I love it. If you have a good income (or are single and could live in like, someone's garden shed) and don't mind renting indefinitely, I think you would be incredibly happy in Santa Monica (I always was). I never felt the need to go east of the 405 or north of the 10. But it's nice to know that if I wanted to go to something in Hollywood I could.
I can't imagine living here without a car, honestly, but I've never tried. I know people do it. But yes, if you want to be in the movie business you will have to have a car. People do not want to wait for you to transfer to 3 different bus lines or bike your sweaty self to a meeting in midsummer. The entertainment business is TOUGH. Do not give people more reasons to reject you. I moved out here for the same reason (screenwriting ambitions) but eventually drifted into fiction writing instead. That said, I can advise you on screenwriting stuff if you need it (classes to take, Nicholl Fellowship, etc.) and I am not going to be one of those people who tries to discourage you. Who am I to say who will make it and who won't?
I am in the process of buying a house in the Mid-City area (a really nice residential pocket just west of La Brea and north of the 10), and will miss Santa Monica terribly, but I will not miss renting. Just a personal preference. And one thing of interest to me (and to you!) is that within 4-5 years there will be an amazing light rail line that goes all the way from downtown attractions like the Staples Center to Santa Monica and back, so when that's finished I'll never have to worry about traffic again (my husband still works in Santa Monica and is going to have to suck it up and bear the commute for a few years).
You are DEAD ON when you say you like the westside best. I literally don't think, until I started house-hunting, that I had crossed east of the 405 more than once a year since I stopped doing background/extra work (another fun thing to play around with that's very compatible with writing if you don't have a full time job, but ONLY if you have a car and either GPS or are great with maps).
Hope this helps! And look me up if you ever need a fellow LA-lover/writer to talk to!
Awesome to hear people are buying in Mid-City. We are possibly looking to move if my wife gets a job that doesn't require driving into the Valley every day, and Mid-City is atop our list of neighborhoods. The Expo line is a huge draw (as the Red Line was a huge draw for us moving to Hollywood).
Too bad High Speed Rail costs so damned much to build (or so the estimates have told so far)
I don't want to, um, derail this thread, but expanding highways and airport capacities cost so damned much as well, but intractable interests have subjected those costs to double standards for so damned long we no longer examine our transportation spending priorities. And despite the constant drumbeat of reflexive ideological opposition, I'm wagering HSR still gets built.
How do you call yourself a "LA-lover" when you haven't truly explored LA within the past 12 years you have lived here?
"I am a LA-lover--but I only love a very, very, very small part of LA."
Its pretty common, west side and downtown (and surrounding areas) folks often don't go to the other the "other side". And then there is the San Fernando valley which, the snobs in the west side hate and the hipsters in downtown hate as well.
But yeah, hard to call yourself a "LA-lover" when you're not actively experiencing the entire city...
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