LA?
Oct 26th, 2005, 09:12 AM
#1
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LA?
I want to live in LA very soon!
I am from Ohio and have been to LA on many occasions, however I have questions I need answering
Where is the best place to live?
Where are the best places to eat?
Where is the best places for value for money?
and on a completly random note
where is the best value for money city in the US (the catch is it has to be on a coast, east or west Im not fussy!)
PLEASE HELP!!!!
I am from Ohio and have been to LA on many occasions, however I have questions I need answering
Where is the best place to live?
Where are the best places to eat?
Where is the best places for value for money?
and on a completly random note
where is the best value for money city in the US (the catch is it has to be on a coast, east or west Im not fussy!)
PLEASE HELP!!!!
Oct 26th, 2005, 09:50 AM
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Be aware that LA is VERY VERY expensive, even for an apt or a small,older home and the traffic and the smog are both a nightmare.(my apologies to any Fodorites from LA--I still like to visit there).
If money were not a huge object, I would suggest somewhere near San Diego, but this is really expensive.
If money were not a huge object, I would suggest somewhere near San Diego, but this is really expensive.
Oct 27th, 2005, 07:43 AM
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Best place to live: Somewhere within 10 miles of your job. Beach communities are great, but getting in and out can be difficult.
Best places to eat: There are 1,803 restaurants listed in the 2006 Zagat Survey of LA area restaurants. And thousands of non-listed eateries. The high-rated places go all over the map, although there's a high hit rate when you're in West Hollywood, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Still, the highest-rated French bistro (food rating) is in Long Beach, of all places, so plan to drive to hit the really great places. If you like authentic Asian, East LA and San Gabriel Valley for Chinese, the Sawtelle corridor for Japanese, Cerritos for Filipino, Westminster for Vietnamese, Long Beach for Cambodian,....
Best value for money? All of southern CA is expensive. Let's see: Cincinnati's median home price in Money magazine's 2005 survey was $127,805. The cheapest beach community in California that I know of is grimy ol' Long Beach (my hometown!!), where the median home price is $412,443. The more tony community of West Hollywood: $556,964. Santa Monica? $827,729. A lot of people are moving way up into the Santa Clarita Valley or into the Inland Empire-- upwards of 50 miles outside of greater LA. And median prices are now over $300K in such relatively scruffy places as Riverside, so you won't cut much of a break out there.
It's reflecting market conditions. People want to live out here, and they'll pay top dollar for the privilege.
Speaking of which-- what do you do? Do you have a job lined up out here? The employment situation is improving out here, but not so much that there are lots and lots of jobs. You will be competing with some pretty top-notch people out here.
And if you're planning to come out here and become an actor, here are some lines you should start rehearsing:
-- "The dressing rooms are over there. What size did you want to see?"
-- "Venti Half-Capp skim milk foam, right?"
-- "Look buddy, Happy Hour's over, well drinks are $3.50, the good stuff starts at $5.75."
-- "Hi, I'll be your server. I'll give you a few minutes to look at the wine list and appetizer menu; may I start anyone off with a cocktail?"
Best places to eat: There are 1,803 restaurants listed in the 2006 Zagat Survey of LA area restaurants. And thousands of non-listed eateries. The high-rated places go all over the map, although there's a high hit rate when you're in West Hollywood, Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Still, the highest-rated French bistro (food rating) is in Long Beach, of all places, so plan to drive to hit the really great places. If you like authentic Asian, East LA and San Gabriel Valley for Chinese, the Sawtelle corridor for Japanese, Cerritos for Filipino, Westminster for Vietnamese, Long Beach for Cambodian,....
Best value for money? All of southern CA is expensive. Let's see: Cincinnati's median home price in Money magazine's 2005 survey was $127,805. The cheapest beach community in California that I know of is grimy ol' Long Beach (my hometown!!), where the median home price is $412,443. The more tony community of West Hollywood: $556,964. Santa Monica? $827,729. A lot of people are moving way up into the Santa Clarita Valley or into the Inland Empire-- upwards of 50 miles outside of greater LA. And median prices are now over $300K in such relatively scruffy places as Riverside, so you won't cut much of a break out there.
It's reflecting market conditions. People want to live out here, and they'll pay top dollar for the privilege.
Speaking of which-- what do you do? Do you have a job lined up out here? The employment situation is improving out here, but not so much that there are lots and lots of jobs. You will be competing with some pretty top-notch people out here.
And if you're planning to come out here and become an actor, here are some lines you should start rehearsing:
-- "The dressing rooms are over there. What size did you want to see?"
-- "Venti Half-Capp skim milk foam, right?"
-- "Look buddy, Happy Hour's over, well drinks are $3.50, the good stuff starts at $5.75."
-- "Hi, I'll be your server. I'll give you a few minutes to look at the wine list and appetizer menu; may I start anyone off with a cocktail?"
Oct 28th, 2005, 09:52 AM
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Where have you been? The Bay Area is one of the most expensive housing markets in the continental US, with median home prices for the SF/Oakland/Frémont metro area at nearly $727,000.
Again-- people WANT to live here in California, and prices reflect that.
Again-- people WANT to live here in California, and prices reflect that.
Oct 30th, 2005, 11:26 AM
#13
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OOhhh I need everyones help about one more thing.
Out of these areas what are the top 5 LEAST crime areas:
Wilshire
Downtown LA
West Hollywood
Hollywood
Hollywood Hills
Beverly Hills
Calif. State Univ. Northridge
Westside (Santa Monica,Westwood...) and Beaches (Bel Air to Malibu)
San Fernando Valley (Woodland Hills,Burbank, ..)
Glendora
Santa Clarita Valley
Los Feliz, Silver Lake (Eagle Rock, Glendale, Atwater..)
Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley
Eastside (Pomona,Moreno Valley, Fullerton, Calif. State Univ,...)
Central Los Angeles
South Los Angeles (Norwalk, Florence,...)
South Bay, Long Beach cities, Calif. State. Univ. & City College, Torrance & El Camino College
OC North & Central: Anaheim, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach,..
OC South: Mission Viejo, Laguna Beach, San Clemente
PLEASE HELP.....IT VERY IMPORTANT!!!
Out of these areas what are the top 5 LEAST crime areas:
Wilshire
Downtown LA
West Hollywood
Hollywood
Hollywood Hills
Beverly Hills
Calif. State Univ. Northridge
Westside (Santa Monica,Westwood...) and Beaches (Bel Air to Malibu)
San Fernando Valley (Woodland Hills,Burbank, ..)
Glendora
Santa Clarita Valley
Los Feliz, Silver Lake (Eagle Rock, Glendale, Atwater..)
Pasadena, San Gabriel Valley
Eastside (Pomona,Moreno Valley, Fullerton, Calif. State Univ,...)
Central Los Angeles
South Los Angeles (Norwalk, Florence,...)
South Bay, Long Beach cities, Calif. State. Univ. & City College, Torrance & El Camino College
OC North & Central: Anaheim, Santa Ana, Seal Beach, Costa Mesa, Newport Beach,..
OC South: Mission Viejo, Laguna Beach, San Clemente
PLEASE HELP.....IT VERY IMPORTANT!!!
Nov 1st, 2005, 07:25 PM
#14
You're basically asking for the crime statistics for all of L.A. and Orange Counties... I really doubt anyone here has that info or is interested in doing the research for you. I'd suggest you surf the internet and see if you can find a government agency that publishes this data.
Nov 1st, 2005, 10:23 PM
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Crime and how it affects you is sooo relative. I used to live in mid-to upscale Sherman Oaks and went to hear bands in places where everybody told me I should not go, especially at night. Never had a bit of trouble in many years, incl. at the then "murder capital" (Leiffert Park); but in broad daylight at an ATM in Sherman Oaks a lady got robbed and killed, our parked cars on a "good" street got shot up at night for no reason, and burglaries up and down the neighborhood were commonplace. What does that tell you? Nothing. Watch your step but live your life.
The best place to live in LA is the closest to where you work, unless you have working hours that let you commute outside of rush hour. From Sherman Oaks you can be at the airport in 20 minutes at 1PM, and two hours later it's 45 minutes, and another hour later it's 90 minutes. And the 405 can come to a screeching halt at 2AM, for no apparent reason. The freeways are brilliant one moment and frustrating the next.
Still, if you're single or otherwise not tied down and want to get out and about a lot, taking advantage of the way way too many music and theater and other such events 7 nights a week, you'll love L.A.
L.A. gets a bad rap from people who don't know it, and who don't take the trouble to get to know it. Just one example: Hands up who's been to Barnsdall Park (free concerts, art gallery, family picnic scene...)? I've shown long-time residents nice spots all over that they had never heard about, so don't buy into the bad rap.
It's so much not one city but an agglomeration of cities that look and feel different, right down to the colors of the cop cars, that one should talk of SoCal rather than L.A. because there really is no such thing as L.A.
Anyway, go for it, bring your money and a car in decent working order. Then have fun!
WK
The best place to live in LA is the closest to where you work, unless you have working hours that let you commute outside of rush hour. From Sherman Oaks you can be at the airport in 20 minutes at 1PM, and two hours later it's 45 minutes, and another hour later it's 90 minutes. And the 405 can come to a screeching halt at 2AM, for no apparent reason. The freeways are brilliant one moment and frustrating the next.
Still, if you're single or otherwise not tied down and want to get out and about a lot, taking advantage of the way way too many music and theater and other such events 7 nights a week, you'll love L.A.
L.A. gets a bad rap from people who don't know it, and who don't take the trouble to get to know it. Just one example: Hands up who's been to Barnsdall Park (free concerts, art gallery, family picnic scene...)? I've shown long-time residents nice spots all over that they had never heard about, so don't buy into the bad rap.
It's so much not one city but an agglomeration of cities that look and feel different, right down to the colors of the cop cars, that one should talk of SoCal rather than L.A. because there really is no such thing as L.A.
Anyway, go for it, bring your money and a car in decent working order. Then have fun!
WK
Nov 2nd, 2005, 04:58 PM
#16
Well put, WallyKringen... and my hand is raised for Barnsdall!
I was browsing books at Dutton's/BH today and drooled all over a beautiful (and large) Rizzoli book of photos of L.A. (mostly architecture, some gardens). It reminded of our amazing range of exceptional buildings (residential, commercial, cultural) and gorgeous settings (Hollywood Hills, Malibu, etc.) -- and most tourists see only the Chinese Theater and the Getty Center, at most.
I was browsing books at Dutton's/BH today and drooled all over a beautiful (and large) Rizzoli book of photos of L.A. (mostly architecture, some gardens). It reminded of our amazing range of exceptional buildings (residential, commercial, cultural) and gorgeous settings (Hollywood Hills, Malibu, etc.) -- and most tourists see only the Chinese Theater and the Getty Center, at most.
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tomct
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Aug 26th, 2003 11:02 AM
