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It's going to be a slow burner due to the current situation but with my company a chance has owned up to maybe head west (again).
Quick back story I am 34 and moved to the states in 2013 from London with work (work for a big global company) and now i am a LPR (green card holder) after some successful years here with my company and sponsorship in a mangers position. Currently based in PHL.
I am a single straight guy and I like to move around and new experience things. I have no idea where I will settle for good. I actually lived in San Diego for 18 months from 2014 - 16. I found it a little soulless overall as I am used to bigger cities with more character. I did like the weather and the natural beauty. My base now is Philadelphia (actually a great underrated city). I have lived here twice 2013/14 and 2016 through to now. The truth is I am in a bit of a different place in my life, more financially comfortable (to an extent) and did feel like I left a bit of an unwritten chapter behind me in Cali and I am tempted to maybe give it another shot. I have the advantage of living in SoCal before albeit in a completely different kind of vibe south of you guys. On $100k or so a year do you think for a single social person in his mid thirties could make a relocation back west work? I love hiking, running, sports etc, would it be easy to meet friends? I assume with a car I would be looking at the 2000 - 2,200k kind of living range, may a little less. Any ideas of neighborhoods?
Starting again, again is tough but I feel I am still just about young enough to do it. My company has offices in most major cities so maybe I should explore somewhere else, even Seattle or something but I am unsure. It might be a little bit more of a longer process with the current pandemic but I should certainly be able to make a move happen Q4 or Q1 of next year.
Location: Midwesterner living in California (previously East Coast)
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This city ain't for everyone. However, I think you're a good candidate for trying out LA. Nearly 50,000 British people live in the metro area, so you'll be one of many. You'll notice that San Diego and LA share some similarities, but at the end of the day, LA is fundamentally a different city altogether.
$100,000 a year for a single person in LA is fine. You will have enough money to cover rent, other monthly living costs, and still have discretionary money leftover (assuming you don't have massive debt). At that salary, you could very easily do a 1 roommate situation living in a nice 2 bedroom 2 bath, pretty much anywhere in LA.
If you don't want to have roommates, you could still do a studio or 1 bedroom on your own. The caveat is that if you wanted it to be in a sought after, walkable neighborhood, then you'd be looking at a smallish apartment of 400 to 500 sq ft. Starting rents for something like that would be around $2,100 (plus or minus $200).
Places like the Santa Monica, Silver Lake, Westwood, Downtown LA, West Hollywood, Venice, Los Feliz, Brentwood, Echo Park, Palms, Culver City (east of the 405 freeway) and Sawtelle, all fit that description.
Koreatown is an exception as it's walkable, with metro subway stations, and tons of urban amenites, but still somewhat affordable compared with the above places. Be wary of landlords that label their properties as being in Ktown, but only to find out that the real location is actually in a sketchier/less desirable adjacent neighborhood like Macarthur Park or Westlake.
If you are willing to be a little further removed from the action of the cool neighborhoods, you could have a true 1 bedroom of 550 to 750 sq ft. Starting rents for that would be maybe $2,300 (plus or minus $300). Keep in mind, I'm not talking about living in a dangerous area nor living in a far-flung suburb. I'm just talking about quieter, more residential areas that are a 10 - 15 minute drive from the cool areas that have the walkable urban amenities. Playa Del Rey, Culver City (west of the 405 freeway), and a whole bunch of neighborhoods sprinkled throughout Central LA fit that description.
Huge caveat to all of this is that I don't know where your office is and what type of commute you would have. Generally speaking, it's a good idea to live within a 20-minute drive of your office for your first year in LA (measured during average rush hour traffic NOT offpeak hours). Newbies have an easier time adjusting if they initially land in one of two regions: The Westside (west of La Cienega Blvd, north of LAX, south of the mountains) or Central LA (east of La Cienega Blvd, west of the LA River, south of the mountains, north of the 10 freeway).
Don't get me wrong, the other regions have some awesome urban neighborhoods too (I'm a big fan of Studio City, Old Pasadena, and the South Bay) but I think living there makes more sense after an initial 12-month introduction to LA life has been completed in the aforementioned regions. You just want to get off on the right foot with being close to the main big city amenities.
You'll be fine on your salary. Plus, given that you're interested in outdoor activities like hiking and running, it seems like your hobbies/interests may generally be lower cost. Feels good to be able enjoy the beautiful things LA has to offer without having to break the bank.
Not sure if you lived close to the coast in San Diego, but if you did, perhaps you may want a different experience with somewhere like Silver Lake or Los Feliz if you want to be closer to downtown, or possibly somewhere like West Hollywood if you want to be in around central LA but still close to the west side. Nevertheless, areas by the coast such as Santa Monica and Brentwood are very nice.
This city ain't for everyone. However, I think you're a good candidate for trying out LA. Nearly 50,000 British people live in the metro area, so you'll be one of many. You'll notice that San Diego and LA share some similarities, but at the end of the day, LA is fundamentally a different city altogether.
$100,000 a year for a single person in LA is fine. You will have enough money to cover rent, other monthly living costs, and still have discretionary money leftover (assuming you don't have massive debt). At that salary, you could very easily do a 1 roommate situation living in a nice 2 bedroom 2 bath, pretty much anywhere in LA.
If you don't want to have roommates, you could still do a studio or 1 bedroom on your own. The caveat is that if you wanted it to be in a sought after, walkable neighborhood, then you'd be looking at a smallish apartment of 400 to 500 sq ft. Starting rents for something like that would be around $2,100 (plus or minus $200).
Places like the Santa Monica, Silver Lake, Westwood, Downtown LA, West Hollywood, Venice, Los Feliz, Brentwood, Echo Park, Palms, Culver City (east of the 405 freeway) and Sawtelle, all fit that description.
Koreatown is an exception as it's walkable, with metro subway stations, and tons of urban amenites, but still somewhat affordable compared with the above places. Be wary of landlords that label their properties as being in Ktown, but only to find out that the real location is actually in a sketchier/less desirable adjacent neighborhood like Macarthur Park or Westlake.
If you are willing to be a little further removed from the action of the cool neighborhoods, you could have a true 1 bedroom of 550 to 750 sq ft. Starting rents for that would be maybe $2,300 (plus or minus $300). Keep in mind, I'm not talking about living in a dangerous area nor living in a far-flung suburb. I'm just talking about quieter, more residential areas that are a 10 - 15 minute drive from the cool areas that have the walkable urban amenities. Playa Del Rey, Culver City (west of the 405 freeway), and a whole bunch of neighborhoods sprinkled throughout Central LA fit that description.
Huge caveat to all of this is that I don't know where your office is and what type of commute you would have. Generally speaking, it's a good idea to live within a 20-minute drive of your office for your first year in LA (measured during average rush hour traffic NOT offpeak hours). Newbies have an easier time adjusting if they initially land in one of two regions: The Westside (west of La Cienega Blvd, north of LAX, south of the mountains) or Central LA (east of La Cienega Blvd, west of the LA River, south of the mountains, north of the 10 freeway).
Don't get me wrong, the other regions have some awesome urban neighborhoods too (I'm a big fan of Studio City, Old Pasadena, and the South Bay) but I think living there makes more sense after an initial 12-month introduction to LA life has been completed in the aforementioned regions. You just want to get off on the right foot with being close to the main big city amenities.
Really appreciate this information thank you!
My idea (and I know this will come with a price tag) would be somewhere walkable to the beach, an area that might have good running clubs, happy hours / sushi and weekend hang out spots, single young(ish) professionals, also.
I was in my late 20s in SD and ended up in north pacific beach. It felt more like a ASU grad hangout than an area where professionals hung out and you could meet more solid friend groups. I know this can be tougher in Cali as a lot of people seem to move with friends and follow their dreams etc. However I am confident I can do it better this time. Also I actually dated a girl for a few years when I moved back east and got super into hiking over the last 4 years. I never took advantage of that when I was in Cali last time. That appeals to me.
You'll be fine on your salary. Plus, given that you're interested in outdoor activities like hiking and running, it seems like your hobbies/interests may generally be lower cost. Feels good to be able enjoy the beautiful things LA has to offer without having to break the bank.
Not sure if you lived close to the coast in San Diego, but if you did, perhaps you may want a different experience with somewhere like Silver Lake or Los Feliz if you want to be closer to downtown, or possibly somewhere like West Hollywood if you want to be in around central LA but still close to the west side. Nevertheless, areas by the coast such as Santa Monica and Brentwood are very nice.
Thanks for your help, I have also found these forums so helpful in whichever city I have targeted! I have answered some of questions to the reply on the first post. My office is near the standard hotel (downtown LA), I think it is right by 7th and metro center by memory. Have not been since 2015 but it's the same spot.
OP - welcome to LA! Based on everything you mentioned, you will absolutely love it here.
As for neighborhoods geared toward young professionals: my personal rec is not to live in the Westside. While the Westside is great (Santa Monica, Culver City, Playa, Brentwood etc) it is kind of detached from the rest of LA.
For the THE most centrally located neighborhood, Koreatown it is. Also has tons of young/corporate professionals.
For a quieter neighborhood that still has great urban amenities related to food, drink and fitness, Old Pasadena is awesome.
West Hollywood is great in most aspects except for public transit.
Studio City is a fantastic choice as it is very close to Hollywood/West Hollywood, has Metro access, and quite a few bars/restaurants on Ventura Blvd.
Areas with sizeable UK expat populations, if this is a consideration at all:
Santa Monica
Studio City
West Hollywood
Silver Lake
Burbank (mostly the folks working at the studios - Burbank itself may be a little quiet for you)
For perspective, I moved to LA 8 months ago from Washington DC. #neverreturning is my motto as far as the East Coast is concerned.
Location: Midwesterner living in California (previously East Coast)
296 posts, read 438,601 times
Reputation: 598
Quote:
Originally Posted by UK85
Thanks for your help, I have also found these forums so helpful in whichever city I have targeted! I have answered some of questions to the reply on the first post. My office is near the standard hotel (downtown LA), I think it is right by 7th and metro center by memory. Have not been since 2015 but it's the same spot.
If your office is downtown, then I'd recommend you should focus on 1 of 3 options: Los Feliz, DTLA, or Santa Monica/Venice.
Los Feliz:
This is a nice urban neighborhood, with a good amount of restaurants, cafes and pubs. It's also 1 - 2 miles walking distance to cool part of Silver Lake. There is a metro station (our name for a subway) on the edge of the neighborhood. It will take you directly to DTLA, Koreatown, or Hollywood.
When apt searching, make sure it's actually in Los Feliz and not in East Hollywood. East Hollywood is a different neighborhood that borders Los Feliz. It has some of the most authentic Thai and Armenian restaurants in the United States, but you don't want to live in that area, as it can feel too dumpy.
Santa Monica/Venice:
In this area, you would want to focus your apartment search south of the 10 freeway, west of Lincoln Blvd, north of W Washington Blvd. This area includes some delightful urban areas that are walkable and bike-friendly, yet very close to the beach. Most of the action is clustered around Rose Ave, Abbot Kinney, and Main St. Those are the hot spots with restaurants, cafes, and pubs attracting lots of young-ish professionals that are your age. In my opinion, this is the best part of Santa Monica and Venice you could live in.
Heads up though, Lincoln Blvd and Pico Blvd the cheapest (relatively speaking), but those are throughways that have more riff raff loitering about. It's not dangerous, just annoying. For some reason, the riff raff don't wander away from those streets, so if you're 2 blocks away, you'll be fine.
Downtown (DTLA)
Very walkable, bike-friendly, with access to several metro train lines.
The area by Staples Center is called South Park. It's nice. Primarily high rise building living. Expensive.
The area by the Broad Museum is nice too (it's called Bunker Hill). Not as expensive as South Park.
The Arts District is on the other side of DTLA. It's is cool if you're more into that hipster/edgy vibe. I love hanging out there, as some great restaurants, breweries, and Japanese shops are located around there and Little Tokyo.
Unfortunately, you will encounter homeless people more frequently in the Arts District than compared with the other places I spoke about.
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