To Live The American Dream (Los Angeles, Santa Monica: appointed, real estate, apartment)

[TheSecretWorld]

Hi,

I Appreciate all the help I cant get.

One of my biggest dreams and wishes is to move to The United States of America.
But getting a green card without having a job etc in USA, is easier said than done..
So I'm applying for a extended tourist visum at first. (valid for 1 year)

L.A is probably number one on my list over places I would like to move to.

I'm am a 30 year old male from a small town in Norway. I have just put my shoe stores out of business, and I could realy need a change in life.
I've been in L.A a couple of times, but I have realy no idea of where I should move to.

I would like to live in a relative safe place, not to far away from bars, nightclubs and other "central stuff".
When it comes down to the price range, I guess I have to pay what I have to, within a reasonable range of course. Not sure if I'm going to buy or rent yet.
I will also buy a car, so public transportation is not important.

Please help me decide where I should live in L.A.


Thanks in advance


Sincerely,
Norway

[CALGUY]

Where you live will depend on where you will be working.
Getting around in this city, especially by vehicle ,is terrible at best.
You should live close to where ever you work.

Bob.

[smokingGun]

I'm sorry but LA doesn't really need more unskilled workers from far away places... we have a tough enough time trying to accommodate all the kids from across the US who come here with big dreams & hopes of partying with hipsters, rockers & celebs. This is one of the reasons our region's economy is at a standstill. We need more skilled college-educated professionals who want to carve out a career here. NYC gets the greedy finance types, the Bay area gets cool genius techies while we get stuck with starving actors.

[Joe Van Fossen]

I always thought Norway was a beautiful country, from what I've seen in pictures. I've always wanted to visit there myself -- partly due to the music scene.

When you came to LA, what did you see and what did you like about it? What part of LA did you visit and what about it makes you want to come back and live here?

[flimflamman]

Never mind the naysayers. If you don't have a job lined up then I hope you have a very healthy savings to get you by for a while. If so, then why the hell not? What is one year of your life? Nothing really in the grand scheme of things. If you don't do it then you might be kicking yourself in the rear later on for not exploring the opportunity.

There are plenty of real estate agents that can help you find a place you'd be content with (even if your simply wanting to rent an apartment). It'll probably cost you about $600'ish but well worth the investment. I have someone I can recommend and I am sure there are many other people here that have recommendations as well.

Good luck!

[Those Who Squirm]

Originally Posted by TheSecretWorld

I will also buy a car, so public transportation is not important.

Having a car doesn't mean that public transit is utterly unimportant. If you work normal weekday hours downtown and live in Santa Monica, the daily commute by car can take close to an hour each way. I couldn't do it myself, but then I have a low tolerance for being stuck in traffic.

We do have a limited, but slowly growing rail transit system. If I worked downtown I'd want to live somewhere near the system so I could commute that way. Of course we have buses too, but they can be extremely slow.

[yamota]

I'm glad all these unskilled people are moving to LA, eases the burden for the rest of us :lol:

[BarcelonaFan]

First off, what American dream are you talking about OP?

Sometimes I think Scandanavians watch TOO many Hollywood movies. Why would any of you leave Norway, a place that has universal healthcare, free education, housing, and better social services for Los Angeles, which is borderline third world by comparison???

I notice a lot of Scandanavians around Hollywood and Santa Monica and they strut around like they're on a runway loving every bit of the glamour of LA, but many also think it's a game. I met a Danish guy who was just unbearable in his wannabe Jack Kerouac way trying to make ends meet in LA when he had education, housing, a stable middle class life (which is world's apart from our middle class) back home.

For some Northern Europeans, they think trudging it out through our landscape is some wild west adventure. When Americans back pack through Europe it's an experience in culture, history and seeing a different slice of Europe than what we are fed in the media. But for Europeans and Aussies, America is like some wilderness to trek.

I do not want to be that ugly American but it's true. The LA area doesn't need another person with no discernible skills wishing to break out in LA by some whimiscal chance.

LA is a tough as hell city. It's not like living in Oslo or Copenhagen or Stockholm. The level of poverty here will remind you more of an Eastern European country. The lack of social services, the homeless, the low paying wages and the COL (cost of living) more like Moscow or Prague.

It's not a game, my friend. I am only warning you about the American "dream".

[BarcelonaFan]

To add, I really do not think that many Canadians, Aussies, New Zealanders, Northern Europeans have realized that the USA is not like the rest of the West in many, many regards.

I would say that at this current level, we're closer to Russia and China than Western Europe as far as living standards, income inequality, wage pay and social mobility.

I am assuming many foreigners from afluent Western nations think that the US is just like them; a brother nation in the Western world family.

You coming to America would be like one of us going to Poland to try and make our dreams come true.

[ryanst530]

If it's the "vibe" and "aesthetics" of LA that you like, you might want to consider checking out Austin Texas. It is a liberal city, with a strong economy and relatively cheap housing compared to LA. The weather is also great.

It also has some of the best restaurant scenes in the US, and some great scenery and outdoor activities. Austin is on my short list of alternate places I would actually consider moving to in the US.

If you are deadset on LA though, I think you will be disappointed. This is a tough city to live in without a well paying job. If you do have a good job though, LA can be fantastic. Just keep this in mind.

Good luck!