To Live The American Dream (Los Angeles: extended stay, insurance, how much)

[BarcelonaFan]

Th Secret World, I did not mean to be rude or make it seem like the US is not welcoming. It's just that world image the United States gives off in the media is one that makes it look like it resembles your country or any other developed nation in the Western world, when in reality we are starting to resemble Eastern Europe more, especially in our major cities.

You will see nice neighborhoods that look like the American paradise, but you will also see straight poverty that makes you wonder if you're still in a "first world" country. We are actually somewhere in between the two.

Do college students graduate with 20-60 thousand dollars in debt in Norway? Some with a degree in music or art?

Do people in Norway pay 100-200 dollars a month for good healthcare?

1200 dollars rent for a really crappy apartment?

All of this on a miserable wage that hasn't been adjusted for inflation in over 20 years?

Now if you're educated, have a connection and know people in the States, then by all means life will be easier and you can make the new American Dream of getting flithy rich work for you. But then again American college kids are pulling this stunt in third world-ish areas like China, India, Latin America and the Middle East. So what does that say about the US?

If you're visiting make sure you have plenty of cash saved up. It will be eaten away in a short amount of time. Stay as far away from the beach as you can if you want an inexpensive place. The real hotspots are actually in Central/East Hollywood, Downtown and Central LA. The televised hotspots which are overpriced and overrated are in West LA/West Hollywood. But considering you probably want to live the televised version of LA, you might want to stay West.

[TheSecretWorld]

Thanks.

Close to the beach is not a must, but if possible, why not. But as you say, if you got a car you can focus on the more safe places, and that's more what I'm looking for.

[TheSecretWorld]

BarcelonaFan, thanks, and no, I didnt think you were rude. I understand what you mean.

A lot of people graduate with even more than that in Norway - actually up to 100.000 dollars or more if they take a long graduation. But in music or art, I doubt it.

The housing prices in Norway right now are insane. They rocketed sky high the last years. There is not enough houses/apartments to fill the demand, so you realy have to over pay at the moment.
1200 dollars for a crappy apartment, yes, I doubt you can get anything cheaper than that. In the cities that is.

But, our wages is going up every year. It is also a real expensive country to live in. (because of the wages are goin up up and up..prices also do)
So prices direct compared, USA is a much less expensive country than Norway. (For Norwegians)

I'm not saying the cash not will be eaten away - I know they will from the experiences when I've been over on vacation.


Thanks for taking your time answering.

[Those Who Squirm]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

Scandinavian nations, Australia and New Zealand, even Canada were not hit hard by the recession. The whole world felt it's hit but these nations bared the brunt and without taking it out on their own citizens. Germany (at the expense of the Greeks, sadly) is not in dire straits.

I don't want to take this too far astray but feel I must chime in. Germany's success does not come at the particular expense of Greece, but rather as a result of its galloping export trade. In today's world having a trade surplus is like having the ability to manufacture gold bricks from dirt. The only thing German economists wonder about is how big next year's surplus will be, rather than whether there will be one at all. Their national health funds are routinely over-funded leading to the possibility of premium reductions and rebates.

And you know how we always hear that the American economy needs to produce hundreds of thousands of jobs each year just to keep up with population growth? Germany, with its stable population, doesn't have that worry; quite the opposite. In many industries they can't find enough young people wanting to enter those occupations.

[Those Who Squirm]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

Do people in Norway pay 100-200 dollars a month for good healthcare?

$200/month?

It's much more than that for older people. A person nearing fifty who is married, and loses the job on which they were both depending for health coverage, can expect to pay over $800/month to maintain COBRA coverage for the two of them.

[sll3454]

Back to the good neighborhoods, folks. SecretWorld, you can learn about different neighborhoods in other threads, too.
The participants here seem distracted.

These might give you some ideas:
//www.city-data.com/forum/los-a...eas-stuff.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/los-a...al-moving.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/los-a...lver-city.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/los-a...-downtown.html
//www.city-data.com/forum/los-a...check-out.html

[BarcelonaFan]

Originally Posted by TheSecretWorld

BarceloneFan, thanks, and no, I didnt think you were rude. I understand what you mean.

A lot of people graduate with even more than that in Norway - actually up to 100.000 dollars or more if they take a long graduation. But in music or art, I doubt it.

The housing prices in Norway right now are insane. They rocketed sky high the last years. There is not enough houses/apartments to fill the demand, so you realy have to over pay at the moment.
1200 dollars for a crappy apartment, yes, I doubt you can get anything cheaper than that. In the cities that is.

But, our wages is going up every year. It is also a real expensive country to live in. (because of the wages are goin up up and up..prices also do)
So prices direct compared, USA is a much less expensive country than Norway. (For Norwegians)

I'm not saying the cash not will be eaten away - I know they will from the experiences when I've been over on vacation.


Thanks for taking your time answering.

Well I understand that Norway has really high prices and your dollar is probably too high to purchase.

But your wages have not been stagnant like ours for 20 years. You wages keep going up with the rising prices. Ours keep lowering. Adjusted for inflation our minimum should be at 12 bucks, but I believe in some states it's 7.50 an hour.

So imagine living in a country with next to little union representation making minimum wage or at most the minimum adjusted for inflation; 12-15 an hour if you're lucky and trying to pay for a 1200-1400 decent one bedroom in a decent neighborhood. On top of paying for school, healthcare, gas and food.

When you say people get in debt 100 thousand for school in Norway, are these federal loans? or Private bank loans? Some people (stupidly) have to take out private bank loans that can ruin your credit, have high interest rates and high as hell monthly dues.

[Grim Reader]

Originally Posted by BarcelonaFan

When you say people get in debt 100 thousand for school in Norway, are these federal loans? or Private bank loans? Some people (stupidly) have to take out private bank loans that can ruin your credit, have high interest rates and high as hell monthly dues.

They are the equivalent of federal loans. And there are a lot of protections build into them. For example, if you make less than 20 000 $ roughly per year, they go dormant untill you do. Including the interest.

They came with some grants as well, and they are not for tuition, since that is free, they are loans to cover the cost of living of people who did not work their way through uni.

[BarcelonaFan]

Amazing. Still though, I am sure these were economic reforms aimed at making the government more "market oriented". Just make sure Norway doesn't go totally neo-liberal. We are paying the price of that over here.

[katnip kid]

Originally Posted by TheSecretWorld

Norway is probably one of the better countries in the world to live in, either you have a job or not. If you get sick, everything is paid for. If you cant get work for some reason, or not able to work, you wont end up on the streets.

But, this is as an tourist. An I have no idea of have it is to live there, but I'm getting a picture of it, thanks to you.

You are going to miss that health care, believe me. The USA IS NOT Norway. You get sick here, you gotta pay, and pay big,unless you have health insurance, which pleny of folks do not.

It is one thing to admire a place when on vacation. It's quite another to actually live there! When you were here on vacation, did you notice the homeless people? Did you hear or read about our homeless population? Or our growing low income/at or below poverty line population? How do you think they got to be homeless? Did you read about our other problems?

I suggest that you read the newspapers of any region you wish to reside on a daily basis before deciding that any place in the USA is the place for you. Pay attention-close attention-to what you read. Notice especially the negative news and consider it's implications.


Listen, I am sorry if this all sounds critical of you, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way or are insulted. I think it is important to consider all the facts prior to such a move.