Has anyone every moved from the East coast and never regretted it? (Los Angeles: crime, living in)

[DDR2088]

I have always wanted to live in California. I have been in NJ the majority of my life. I am just curious if anyone has headed for the West coast and loved the move.

Thank you.

[pwright1]

Me. Born in New Jersey and also lived in DC for many years. I have absolutely no regrets. Best move I ever made. Moved to Seattle from DC. Then moved to Los Angeles. Love it here. Not a perfect city but far more enjoyable than DC. The best part is the people are much nicer out west imo.

[dozener]

Originally Posted by pwright1

Me. Born in New Jersey and also lived in DC for many years. I have absolutely no regrets. Best move I ever made. Moved to Seattle from DC. Then moved to Los Angeles. Love it here. Not a perfect city but far more enjoyable than DC. The best part is the people are much nicer out west imo.

Do you ever feel like crime has been a problem for you in LA?

[TheseGoTo11]

40+ years in the Northeast Corridor, 4 years now in California. Only regret is I didn't move sooner.

[pbergen]

I grew up in Northern NJ just outside of NYC. Lived in and around the city for my entire life before moving to Los Angeles and couldn't be happier with my decision.

To put it simply, I have found that LA is a much better fit for my personality and interests. I vastly prefer the weather, natural scenery/landscape, food, culture, and vibe in LA vs. anywhere in the Northeast. The road trip destinations from LA are also more interesting to me. And IMO the locals here tend to be much more friendly and laid-back by comparison.

If you have a solid financial/educational/professional plan for moving to LA in the near future, I'd say it's worth a shot. My only regret is that I didn't make the move sooner. While there are the typical big city issues like traffic, homelessness, and a high cost of living, the positives greatly outweigh the negatives for me. As a result, I have no intention to leave anytime soon, if ever.

[pwright1]

Originally Posted by dozener

Do you ever feel like crime has been a problem for you in LA?

Not at all. And as a city photographer I've been all over Los Angeles. To me it feels much safer than DC.

[PK12]

I just moved to LA in September after living in the DC area (Northern Virginia) for over 11 years. Prior to the move, I used to visit LA at least twice a year.

Absolutely love it. Zero regrets, in spite of the traffic and homeless issue. The positives far outweigh the negatives.

[cutiger79]

I moved to LA from the southeast (Miami) about 1 year 9 months ago. I don't regret it, but I don't know if LA is where I'll ultimately stay longterm or not though. There are definitely things I enjoy about it and things I'm not all that big on which is usually going to be the case with most big cities.

[DDR2088]

One of the biggest concerns for me is the cost to leave there.

[MrIndependent]

I moved to LA after living in NYC and DC for a few years. I thoroughly enjoyed living on the East Coast. In fact, NYC is still my #1 favorite city in America.

I used to hate on LA from a distance. I came here expecting this to be a sprawled suburban dump full of hippies, gang members, and annoying wannabee celebrities. Had pretty much made up my mind before Day 1 of living here. Boy, was I wrong! Turns out that I absolutely love LA. Two years later, when presented with the opportunity to move back East, I declined it and chose to double down on staying here. The reason why I fell so hard for this place boils down to one word. Variety.

Geographic variety. Architectural variety, professional, culinary, ethno-racial, recreational activities, etc.
Many cities try to claim that they have variety too, but there are levels to it.
The only city that can hold a candle to the sheer variety here is NYC, but NYC lacks geographic variety (no mountains, nice beaches, or desert landscapes).

You have to think carefully about what is important to you personally and how you prioritize those things. The truth is that LA is America's most misunderstood city. It's not for everybody. In fact, I would say LA is not a good fit for most Americans (when considering budget, outlook on life, and tastes). But for people that it is a fit, it's hard to ever want to leave.