Earthquakes - how do you cope? Gang situation? (Vista, Culver City: crime, house)

[SFLGirl4Life]

Hi all - we are moving to Culver City at the end of the summer (my husband, 2 young kids and me). I've lived in South Florida all my life. The two issues I'm having with the move are:

1. Earthquakes. I've never experienced one and I'm terrified of them. How do you live with this? I know we have hurricanes over here, but we've got a good week or two to prepare for those. Earthquakes are so...random.

2. Gangs. How big of a presence do they have in Culver City?

Thanks so much!

[Lumerian Feast]

1. Earthquakes. I've never experienced one and I'm terrified of them. How do you live with this? I know we have hurricanes over here, but we've got a good week or two to prepare for those. Earthquakes are so...random.

Not a big deal. The house shakes a little and it's over. The big destructive ones aren't that common. On average, far, far less destructive than the hurricanes that hit Florida.

That said, if "the big one" happens, all bets are off. Depends where the epicenter is.

2. Gangs. How big of a presence do they have in Culver City?

Not much. Though there are reportedly still some pockets of gang activity, it's less and less all the time. Culver City is pretty gentrified. Lots of restaurants and art galleries.

[behindthescreen]

Originally Posted by SFLGirl4Life

Hi all - we are moving to Culver City at the end of the summer (my husband, 2 young kids and me). I've lived in South Florida all my life. The two issues I'm having with the move are:

1. Earthquakes. I've never experienced one and I'm terrified of them. How do you live with this? I know we have hurricanes over here, but we've got a good week or two to prepare for those. Earthquakes are so...random.

2. Gangs. How big of a presence do they have in Culver City?

Thanks so much!

1. It rumbles and sways a little and then it's over. Happens every few years or so. Fun part is watching people panic

2. Gangs don't usually bother normal people. It's the scumbag at a bus stop, parking lot, public restroom, etc, that you watch your back.

[Caladium]

The great thing about earthquakes is you don't have to spend days and days preparing for them. Or spend an entire evening waiting for it to pass. Not to mention the time after the hurricane that it takes putting the house back to normal and taking all the tape back off the windows. An earthquake shakes the house for a few seconds and then it's over. You spend maybe ten minutes calling a few friends, and then you're back to doing whatever you were doing before.

Most earthquakes feel like a truck is driving by. After you've felt a few you won't be so bothered by them. Big ones don't happen all that often. You can go many years without feeling one.

[genjy]

You are going to need:

1) A hard hat
2) A bulletproof vest

[Curmudgeon]

Gangs? Coping? Back in the day when I lived in SoCal, locked and loaded!

[jaypee]

Originally Posted by Lumerian Feast

Not much. Though there are reportedly still some pockets of gang activity, it's less and less all the time. Culver City is pretty gentrified. Lots of restaurants and art galleries.

Culver City 13 homey!

Just stay away from the Mar Vista Gardens housing project area and you'd be fine.

[Troof]

I walk around covered in bubble wrap. Protects me from quake damage, and if i get jumped by a gang.

[Perry Mason]

For earthquakes, it's best to make sure your residence is one that can hold up in a seismic event, some places that are older are more prone to not holding up, so that's something to keep in mind. As for preparing, most of the earthquakes are not that big, so you don't have much to prepare for.

[SFLGirl4Life]

Lumerian - thank you for your reply. I wasn't sure what CC was like, I still haven't been out there and this move is around the corner.

Behindthescreen - soon you will have one more panicked person to laugh at-me! :-) OK, so crime sounds like basic Miami stuff. Minus the cannibalism, hopefully. I was mostly worried about MS-13 presence.

gengy - hadn't thought of the hard hat, sounds like a good idea. I wonder how comfortable they are to sleep in?

Curmudgeon - was seriously thinking of looking into concealed weapon permit.

jaypee - did not know about that area, thanks for the warning.

Troof - re: the bubble wrap - do you use the big bubble kind or the little bubbles?

THANKS everyone!