MOVING TO LA: Relocating your Life without Dislocating your Back
March 28, 2008 1:09 am Tips
The key to relocating smoothly is in planning a wise move. Many people don’t prepare enough for choosing a place to live, and then have to move all over again within their first year. But it doesn’t have to be that way!
Moving to Los Angeles is a great idea. Many major corporations hold their headquarters in the L.A. area; multiple industries are centered in the city; and best of all, day to day living can be filled with almost any of your favorite recreational activities, wonderful cuisine, and an action-packed nightlife.
Los Angeles is huge – a sprawling web of “mini” villages attached by major roads and freeways. Unlike most metropolitan areas, Los Angeles is not simply a downtown area with surrounding residential neighborhoods. Therefore, the crucial goal is to find the L.A. community that fits your style, sensibilities, and is relatively close to where you’re hoping to work. This is no small feat to accomplish, but it can be done.
Finding the “Los Angeles” that fits you.
If you have the funds to accommodate a pre-move trip to Los Angeles, it is strongly recommended for a few reasons. First of all, even with as many freeways as we have, the traffic can be abominable, and therefore, cutting down your driving time does require knowing what sort of commute you’ll have. For example, a person living on the west side of town could conceivably have an hour long commute to get to the downtown area, which is less than a 20 mile trip.
Secondly, a pre-move trip is crucial for finding the area that provides the lifestyle needs you have. The affordable community of Silverlake, just east of Hollywood, is packed full with coffee shops, hip boutiques, great music venues, and some of the best bar stops in the county. However, it’s going to be the wrong place to live if you’re hoping to frequent the beach. It’s nowhere near any of the freeways that take you to the beach quickly, and you’re far better off looking for an apartment in Culver City on the borders of Venice or Santa Monica, in order to live economically while still being near the beach and some fun hangout spots.
A pre-move trip is also important in regard to learning about where your employment opportunities are located. If you are in the world of finance, far more companies are located in the downtown area than if you were to work in film production, which is heavily centered in the valley or North Hollywood. Getting to experience the drive and the areas firsthand will help you make wiser moving choices.
And lastly, a pre-move trip will help you better understand the economics of Los Angeles living. Take moving to Hollywood, for instance. Hollywood ends up being a common place for one’s initial relocation to the city. Landlords know this, and much of this area is overpriced because of it. If you were to go only a couple miles in any direction adjacent to the main Hollywood vicinity, then you can trim your rent $200 to $400 dollars a month.
By Allison Fedrick
Learn more: experience.com