Analysis of LA from a transplant.... (transplants, homes, neighborhoods)

[bophisto]

Actually in Orlando you can find condos in the 40k range.. $170k is actually expensive for there...also Florida has no state income tax...another big savings.

If you buy a $40k condo you can probably live off a min wage job...in L.A you don't have that option..

I'm not sure there's really a bunch of people making that much more money than they would in Orlando. MOST people in entertainment industry are making very low wages. Also if you are some kind of professional with an advanced degree you aren't going to get paid $12 an hour in L.A or Orlando.

You can buy a house in Hollywood Hills or Venice if you make it ..prob $1mill+ purchase price..but is it worth it?

Also I think there are more people actually making their money outside of L.A (and probably the country) that are buying those homes.

[genjy]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

I beg to differ, it is hard.

What people are not understanding is that complaining about one's conditions is a GOOD THING.

In America, we keep comaring ourselves to **** poor countries and saying at least we're not them, when we should be comparing ourselves to other DEVELOPED nations and saying, why aren't we at least like them.

When you say it's "not that hard to make it" you're legitimizing the working conditions of the day.

So when people say stop complaining, they're really just telling me to accept the new living standards cus it's better than Mexico! Ironically, after crossing the border to Tijuana, I noticed that life in LA is only marginally better. I met a lot of Americans living there and working in CA. So you cannot use Mexico as an excuse anymore.

What I was talking about was not about work condition, but the general attitude that young people have these days. Instead of trying to find jobs or create jobs, they just sit at home and let their elderly parents take care of them. They expect to be managers and bosses out of HS or college instead of accepting that they have to work their way up with experience and skills.

They think life is hard and sucky, so they try to hold on to their childhood lifestyle for as long as they can. They sure complain, but they also aren't motivated to do anything about it, either.

[bophisto]

Yeah I agree, I think this type of mentality has been on the rise ...but I wonder if it's starting to disappear with all the talk about people not being able to find a job after College.

I do know there are people that live off their parents though and they have that entitlement mentality just like some people have the entitlement mentality towards the government.

Too many people waiting for their dream jobs instead of just getting a job to pay the bills.

On the other hand there are a lot of young people glad to have any kind of work. I think this depends a lot on family upbringing to regarding work ethic.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

Los Angeles has an aura about it that would make anyone want to stay despite the hundreds of flaws that harm the city and it's residents. It's appeal is not only based on the weather but the energy of the city, the out of this world feeling from the rest of America and the various natural surroundings.

Let's compare two cities to show you why LA is much better:

For all practical purposes Houston,TX should be the city people should choose over LA, but then why do so many choose to stay? Besides the list above, I should also add the understanding by many that it's not just how much money you have but how you made it that counts more. What I mean by this is that in Houston, the "star" jobs are in oil/gas, real estate, insurance, engineering. If you fit the mold then you've made it in Houston. Then for the rest of your life you will resign yourself to a keeping up with the Jones' game with your friends from high school.

In LA, people who've "made it" are in the entertainment industry or the arts; tech geeks, designers, starchitects, actors, musicians, writers, comedians, filmmakers, etc. Outside of certain areas of West LA where being a doctor, lawyer or accoutant are still preferable professions, LA reminds me of a Southern European town that harbors the attitude of being "anti-suit".

In places like Houston, one can easily make it with half the salary of a good wage in LA. Yet, I'd rather be in LA and deal with the almost Mad Max like conditions in some of the worst areas than have the rest of my life be mundane. For some, this notion is foolish and immature because they would rather choose the secure comforts of a city on the upswing but again those are probably people who wouldn't choose LA even in the height of a boom. So in the end it's about different mentalities and preferences.

I just wanted to get the ball rolling on a discussion about what makes LA different from other cities in regards to jobs, professions, status, etc.

Most of your calls are pretty good for a newcomer. However, the importance of "the industry" and creative endeavors makes it tedious to live in certain neighborhoods. Yes, I think it is "anti-suit." The only other American city that feels like LA is San Diego, but it is another world - a mere 134 miles away. It is possible for someone to like LA and not like San Diego, and vice-versa.

I was born in LA. I think I would have happily stayed, but life takes one to different places. It think those of us born during the days when LA was a simpler place (it was never really simple) needed to have an uninterrupted stay in the Southland to deal with it, so one barely notices the changes. Coming back after an absence is not really feasible, as in "you can't go home," and many people who leave, and go far away, never do come back.

Coastal California cities with large enough economies epitomize the supply and demand issue. They are the ONLY places in America with a beach and a Mediterranean climate. You don't think that, at the same price, the Wall Streeter would pick NY over LA? Doubtful, and I like NYC a lot.

The entertainment wannabees are the biggest thorn in LA's side, though. That is a constant.

[John23]

Originally Posted by bophisto

Actually in Orlando you can find condos in the 40k range.. $170k is actually expensive for there...also Florida has no state income tax...another big savings.

If you buy a $40k condo you can probably live off a min wage job...in L.A you don't have that option..

I'm not sure there's really a bunch of people making that much more money than they would in Orlando. MOST people in entertainment industry are making very low wages. Also if you are some kind of professional with an advanced degree you aren't going to get paid $12 an hour in L.A or Orlando.

You can buy a house in Hollywood Hills or Venice if you make it ..prob $1mill+ purchase price..but is it worth it?

Also I think there are more people actually making their money outside of L.A (and probably the country) that are buying those homes.

I think LA and so cal have,

-A much larger entrepreneurial base than most places. That's some of the housing price....i.e. a guy that owns a heating and air conditioning company, or service company.

-A pretty well educated population. The percent on food stamps is much higher in other states. Orange county is pretty well educated.

-A lot of wealthy/savvy immigrants. I.e. persians in beverly hills or century city. Europeans or south americans buying homes on the westside. Many immigrant business owners.

The guy I was talking to rented homes across the country....he basically gave up in a lot of areas. The weather is always going to attract people here. There's also more ingrained corruption or incompetence in other areas. I.e., look how the LAPD has turned around in 20 years. I don't think that would have been true in many places.

People in LA can live in their own enclave....i.e. venice or some other area. Even if a lot of industry leaves LA, I think many immigrants will make it their 2nd southern europe, or south american coastal city.

Although with home prices, there is a huge gap between the valley and LA. I was reading on a site, the average price per square foot in northridge is $200 and $450 in hollywood? I think its a bigger gap than people realize. It makes the coastal areas of la seem more expensive.

[robertpolyglot]

Originally Posted by bophisto

Actually in Orlando you can find condos in the 40k range.. $170k is actually expensive for there...also Florida has no state income tax...another big savings.

If you buy a $40k condo you can probably live off a min wage job...in L.A you don't have that option..

There are condos for ridiculously low prices in Houston. Again, no sales tax AND a healthy job market. At the lower price ranges, I'm sure the condos are either dated and/or in a not-so-great area.

A condo anywhere half way decent, say a 2/2, and with a parking SPACE (not a dedicated garage) is at least $250K to $275K, and that would be in the Valley, and certainly not in the Basin.

The only way to afford the Southern California lifestyle, really, is to move into the greater Palm Springs area. It's unmistakably SoCal and you can visit LA often, rather than living there.

[mysticaltyger]

Originally Posted by bophisto

Actually in Orlando you can find condos in the 40k range.. $170k is actually expensive for there...also Florida has no state income tax...another big savings.

If you buy a $40k condo you can probably live off a min wage job...in L.A you don't have that option..

I'm not sure there's really a bunch of people making that much more money than they would in Orlando. MOST people in entertainment industry are making very low wages. Also if you are some kind of professional with an advanced degree you aren't going to get paid $12 an hour in L.A or Orlando.

You can buy a house in Hollywood Hills or Venice if you make it ..prob $1mill+ purchase price..but is it worth it?

This is what I was thinking. The median salary in L.A. is higher than Orlando, but the lower wage in Orlando goes a lot farther than the higher salary in L.A. That makes L.A. (and most other coastal California metro areas) a dealbreaker for a lot of people, especially for those of modest means (that's most of us) who want to own single family homes and send their kids to half decent public schools.

[Enquiring Minds]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

you fail to mention that some people won't choose to live their home city because that is where their family is located. as much as i may have been interested in living elsewhere, my wife would never have moved more than a couple hours from her family in the LA area. thus, we remain here, but i'm not complaining.

For some reason (atleast in my opinion) it seems women tend to be the ones wanting to stay close to family. This is why there are more women on the Eastcoast than men, because they dont want to leave family or friends. I have also dated women in the past that said they would never move across the country because of the family excuse.

to the OP I enjoy reading your posts, I have basically agreed with everything you have posted on these forums.

[TurcoLoco]

Why live in LA (CA)? 3+ million illegals cannot be wrong!

[UB50]

I always think two things about LA:

1. Anything is possible here.
2. Nothing really matters.

I used to live in Orlando. Everything mattered there: What you wore, what you thought, who you knew, where you worked -- and lots of things were impossible: Getting away from the Mouse, working in a "real" urban area, getting ahead in a profession when so many retirees were willing to work for next to nothing.

I find LA so much more refreshing.