Hi all!

Is there one really good DRIVING MAP for Los Angeles that I can get? (AAA?) I want to start acquainting myself with all the neighborhoods.

Also, I'm pretty sure we'll be living in West Hollywood. Besides westsiderentals.com, are there other sources for finding a great deal on a two-bedroom apartment?

Thanks a million,
Betty (NYC)

Sorry, I meant "Relocating" in my title. Darn spelling!

Betty,

Get a Thomas Guide! It's the best money you will ever spend (besides a navigation system for your car). Most major bookstores carry them.

Westsiderentals is good, but also check out craigslist.org

Good luck with the move!
m

Thanks, Mitch! Actually I AM going to buy a GPS as well!

If you have any input on that, it would be appreciated. I know the portable GPSs are much cheaper than having one built in to your car.

Does the GPS also advise you on which are the best roads/streets to take to avoid traffic jams?

Cheers!

Second the Thomas Guide! When I moved to LA, it was a life saver!

I third the Thomas Guide. I just bought a vacation condo in an area I'm unfamiliar with and the Thomas Guide has helped trememdously. Much easier to deal with in the car than a folding map too.

Thanks, travelgirl and amwosu!

Really excited about this move...and a little overwhelmed!

I totally understand it being overwhelming...I felt the same when I moved out there but soon got the lay of the land was good to go. It is most definitely different from the East Coast but you can't beat the weather! When I moved to LA, I left DC where it was 30 degrees and a few hours later landed in LA to a sunny 80 degrees.

A funny story...when I was living out there, I bought a new car. A year later I was moving back to the East Coast and my father came out to make the drive with me. During our drive, it started to rain and my dad asked where the wipers were on the car. I honestly had no idea as I swear I don't believe I ever used them...the song is right, "it never rains in Southern California"!!

Good luck with your move!!

Yes, the Thomas Brothers maps are great however, the AAA maps of the freeways are much better. So, I always use both when getting around. MapQuest is just so so.

I have lived in SoCal since 1955 :-B

Ed,

Great face! I was hearing stories of how LA drivers have a lot of road rage. Is this true?

What kind of car should I get? I want fuel-efficient, but it would be nice to have one that is a convertible too!

The stories of people shooting each other on the freeways are a bit exaggerated, but they DO happen. Defensive and deferential driving habits will keep you safe.

There's no one "best car" for anyone. How much do you want to spend? Remember that the cost of a car includes gas (still over $2.70 a gallon last I looked) maintenance, registration and insurance (a CA requirement). Convertibles cost more to insure, especially if they are two-seaters. Hybrids are increasingly popular out here-- the wait can be weeks to get a Prius in a specific color.

You may want to resist the temptation to buy a large car or an SUV (even a hybrid) until you're sure you have off-street parking where you live. By the way, most of West Hollywood's residential streets have permit-only parking in the evening. Arrange to get the permit as soon as you've got an address.

RJW,

Hi there! Don't worry: NO plans to get an SUV. Also, we're looking for a place with parking. But thanks for the heads up on the PERMIT.

Just curious: HOW MUCH DO YOU L.A. FOLKS SPEND ON GAS PER MONTH (on average)?

I just watched an upsetting news segment on price gouging of oil, and the oil companies' RECORD PROFITS at this time.

My brother from San Diego says California prices are among the worst...aaaaa!

I think I'm spending about $240 a month to keep my convertible's tummy filled with gasoline....

yikes!

I have a new BMW convertible two-seater and it doesn't cost anymore to insure than my BMW sedan did before it. In fact, I think my premium went down $10 or something like that. Gas-wise, I fill up about twice, maybe 3 times a week, depending on how often I drive. Most of my driving is city driving - or going back/forth between OC & LA. Using premium, I guess I spend anywhere from $160 to $240 a month on gas alone. Living in OC has its benefits, and my insurance costs maybe $1000 a year and that includes a $3m rider. On the other hand, my dad has a 10 year old car in LA and his premium for liability coverage only, costs higher than my full coverage. Sad, but true.

But, back to the OP's original questions. I agree with the Thomas Guides. They're so handy! I also keep a Rand McNally laminated fold out that has just the major freeways (not a city map) so that I know which freeway to take if I'm on a detour or something.

Don't be scared about road rage. I happen to think (anecdotally) that SoCal (and LA/OC in particular) have the best drivers in the US. With all the navigating and construction we have to deal with, and the myriad of freeway interchanges, for us to be able to drive safely doing 75-95 mph on the freeways while talking on cell phones is pretty amazing. LOL.

I've had to drive in the Southeast and the Pacific Northwest and I must say (anecdotally) that SoCal drivers do know how to drive better than most. I still remember a taxi-driver in Vegas once saying how he could tell the CA drivers from all the other visitors in Vegas - we drive better. LOL.

I'm glad you're looking for parking included in whatever place you're looking to rent or buy. Parking is definitely a premium around here. I absolutely refuse to live somewhere that doesn't have designated parking. I don't know how street-parkers do it. That is just something I couldn't compromise on.

Westsiderentals.com is ok, but I agree craigslist will have good listings, too. I've also found that if you can spend a day or two just driving around in the neighborhood, you'll see signs on the places for rent and you might have better luck. Most of the good places don't need to run ads and the signs are usually only out for a week or so before a good place is rented.

Good luck and let's hope you get to see some sunny weather this winter (unlike last year.)

Hi Simone!

Thanks for all your feedback! Yes, I've lived in NYC for so long that all this car stuff has become so foreign to me!

That's a good idea: I will drive around West Hollywood, looking at what's available. I understand that is also easy to find short-term rentals pretty easily in that neighborhood.

Cheers,
Betty

Hi Betty!

Definitely a Thomas Guide. We have them at discounted prices and our EasyFinder laminated folded maps are indispensible as well to keep in your door or glovebox. (Nice to use quickly when stuck in traffic for an alternate route. Plus they give you the overall freeway look.)

Los Angeles county comes by itself or as a Los Angeles and Orange County combination, (you get the book and cd-rom!), or as Los Angeles and Ventura County combination, (again book and cd-rom).

The digital edition cd-rom is just like the Thomas Guide Book except you can zoom in and print out the area you are interested in with a larger format.

If you are interested, our online map store is here: www.mapbooks4u.com

You will find pictures, descriptions, and a wealth of other information about the Thomas Guide books there. The 2006 Thomas Guides are available now.

Have a safe trip and a wonderful relocation move.

I agree with the Thomas Guide. My boyfriend recently moved here from Australia...you should see what his looks like already. Highlighting everywhere!

I just recently did a business event, and met a rep from TomTom. I was thinking about getting it for my boyfriend, but it is expensive. You may have seen the ads. You can go to www.tomtom.com to see what I am talking about.

Apparently this thing works straight out of the box. There is a service where it's supposed to tell you about traffic, but the rep was honest and told me this system is buggy right now. So best to get it just for navigation.

Demo looked cool, but when I told my boyfriend that it has a suggested retail price of $699, he said he'd make do for awhile with his $30 Thomas Guide. I think there are also much cheaper GPS systems on the market, but I don't know what they are like.

Thanks, MapBooks and Mina!

Mina: Funny thing -- my husband mentioned TomTom before I tuned into your post. Yes, $699 is kind of high, but still may be worth it.

Would love to hear from others who may be currently using TomTom or other GPS systems.

Cheers!
--Betty

I worked in LA for 6 months a few years ago. The office I was working in was on Sunset Blvd. The last office building in West Hollywood before going into Beverly Hills. I stayed in West Hollywood. I bought a highway map for weekend "touring" but never bought a city map. I had no problem finding my way around that area. I used MapQuest alot. But I'm sure the GPS would be great!!! Anyway, just wanted to say that it's a pretty easy area to become acquainted with. Or at least it was for me. And I had only been to LA once before that, as a tourist. There definately is alot of traffic, but I didn't have a lot of trouble with it. Tried to do the same thing I do at home....learn the city streets and stay off the interstates as much as possible.

Good luck with your move!!!