Want to move from Vegas to LA or OC, but should I stay here b/c of $ and jobs? Need advice! (Orange: apartment)

[TiredOfVegas]

Hi all,

I'm 24, currently living in Las Vegas for a long time now. I'm sick of the club scene, the Strip, the 24 hour partying and drinking... it's hard to meet a group of 20 somethings out here who aren't still fascinated with going to the newest hotspot every night and getting wasted and doing it all over again. Plus the dating scene can get really bad too...
I am considering moving to LA by the end of the year, but after reading many posts on here on the lifestyles of promising areas like Brentwood, Calibasas and even the Orange County cities, I am not sure it's the best move, and I'm stuck in between deciding where to go. I'm NOT interested in the Hollywood/LA core party life, I want a really chill city or suburb that's quiet, family like, low crime, (maybe where the dating is good for young professionals?) I dont really care where it is as long as it is reasonably close to the beach and a good metro city area. I'm thinking Studio City, Agoura Hills, Burbank, Sherman Oaks, etc. Are those good?

I understand money is a big issue. I am possibly moving with my friend, so we can probably pay about $2000 a month in rent for an apt. Aside from the money thing is jobs. I work in journalism, and am trying to pitch a screenplay deal, so those are definitely pulling me toward being in Southern Cal, so I can get up to Hollywood for meetings. But until then I dont know how easy it would be to gettin a job. I am not totally opposed to staying in Vegas if my life will be more miserable than easy by moving to Cali. I just feel like I need to "breathe" and in Vegas I can't do that.
What do you think? ANY advice would be greatly appreciated

[Christine Joan]

TiredofVegas,

If you have written a good screen play, they will call you in Las Vegas and you can fly in to LA to make the deal. Once you have your mega-paycheck in hand, you will be in a better position to move here.

Right now, they are laying people off here. We have a higher unemployment rate than Las Vegas. Many newspapers in California are closing or laying off workers.

If you have a good job in Las Vegas, my best advice to you is to stay there until the economy picks up here or until you submit a winning screen play and are confident that you have enough money to move here. Or, find a good job here while you are still living in Vegas, and then move here. After a few months of living in LA, LA might appear worse to you than Vegas does now if you are unable to find a job and you ran out of money.

Most people find their job first and then find their apartment later because otherwise the commute can be horrendous.

Best wishes

[uptown_urbanist]

Don't plan on the screenplay going anywhere. If it does, great, but realize that there is stiff competition and success has a lot to do with luck. In other words, by all means go for it - someone hits the jackpot, right? - and do what you can to help things along, but do make sure that you're not counting on that for your budget. I don't know how much of that happens in Hollywood, anyway (although I'm not in the "industry"); my dad's agent was in Beverly Hills, and a lot of the other people I know who work in the field are located outside of Hollywood proper.

As for journalism jobs, well, maybe there's something, but I think it's a tough field right now. The job thing will definitely be the toughest part. Since you aren't totally set on moving to LA immediately I would consider applying to jobs from afar, and if something works out THEN move. It will make life much, much easier, and then you will also be able to find a place based on your known budget as well as job location. With traffic so bad in LA that will really make your life easier and more enjoyable.

LA is a great place, and by all means work towards moving eventually if that's what you want, but at this point in time I wouldn't do it until you get a job. There's something to be said for adventure, but since you have a job now and don't mind staying put for at least a little bit you might as well make things much easier on yourself by lining up a job first. In the meantime save up money, don't sign a long lease, and generally be ready to move quickly if an opportunity does arise.

[DapperDans2]

Oh the LA/OC area. I left it 6 months ago to come out here (Las Vegas). I wouldn't go back now unless I won the lottery, or Mega bucks now I guess, and even then I am not sure. My situation is a little different than yours though I suppose. I am married with two kids, so the dating scene is not a problem and I could see how that may be a mess out here, and I suppose there is a bigger pool of people in a more densely populated area, but boy, there are a whole mess of people clogging up southern CA. And not just the ones you want to date. 2k should be enough for a place out there, but plan to spend the full 2k if you want to be in a nice "chill city" that is "suburb like". Even then, your 2k may fall a little short. Also, don't forget that if you can get a job, you are going into one of the worst (highest) taxed states in the country. You WILL feel the difference in your take home pay, as well as the cost of living in general. And before you go out there and take on living in SoCal, take a week long trip and plan a drive from one end of town to the other. Go 20 or 30 miles during rush hour just to get the thrill of a real conjested commute. It is torture, and even if you land your first job close to home, your second or third may not be so close. Close to home is even relative as a 5 to 10 mile drive can take you over 30 minutes sometimes. EVERYONE wants to live in SoCal and that becomes evident when you suddenly live with all of them.

However, if you can put up with all of that, it has quite a bit to offer. I am sure I don't need to spell that out, as most people know what that is and that is why they all want to live there. Peronally, I'd find a different big city. Texas has some neat citys and still a cheap cost of living. Colorado? Washington? I don't know-