So I Might Leave Rome and Move to LA...

[Kirby Drummond]

The idea is being kicked around. I'm visiting in October, starting to think about employment, all that jazz, so I don't know, I'll listen to any comments.

[CTDeLude]

Hmmm its a tough bit of a fight to live out here as my girlfriend recently went through the whole roommate service thing. But there are plenty of people willing to take you in with the right amount of money. Also depends on what you want to do. And what you can do. Most people in LA wait tables or bartend because...wll...they're poorly paid actors. But I suppose with enough looking you can find a decent enough job to squeak by when you first get here.

[Rylander]

I have some experience with this concept, as a former NYC resident. In many ways, it seems like LA is one of the only places you can move to after New York. There are many many former New Yorkers here.

As far as my understanding of what you do for a living, I don't think it would be all that hard to find work.

Also, housing is noticeably cheaper than NYC, and easier to find if you don't mind apartment living. Personally I tired of that pretty quickly and was lucky to find the place where I live now. I'm not sure why exactly, but apt. buildings out here are pretty poorly constructed and I could always hear noise from other units. Not like those solid NYC buildings at all.

The trade off of it all is that you absolutely have to have a car, and a reliable one at that. Add in the associated costs like insurance, and in the end it costs as much as living in NYC or SF.

What's great? The weather. I hate cold weather myself. And in fact it doesn't get as hot here as other places due to the winds coming off the ocean. The valley gets pretty hot though. In the winter it's still winter in terms of getting dark at 5 pm, and sometimes it gets pretty rainy, but the temperature never gets too bad.

When I was initially thinking of moving to Cali I wanted to avoid LA and was considering SD instead. But after talking to a friend who had lived there, he said that there's WAY more to do in LA, and it's true.

What sucks? Traffic, obviously. My commute is currently an hour each way. Last night going home was particularly bad. Most nights I am too worn out to do anything after work.

Also, sometimes it sucks going out to party because you almost always have to drive home after. That's one thing I really miss about NYC, being able to stumble home at 4 am. Bars close at 2 here. So, you generally need to try to figure out ways to avoid driving while intoxicated, whether it means drinking less, waiting an hour before driving home, or the old designated driver thing.

Radio out here is actually great, which I know it ain't in NYC. These days I am all about the college stations, KXLU and KCRW. Great way to hear new and different shit and avoid commercials. The commercial stations are generally better than NYC as well.

I'll chime in later in this thread if I think of anything else.

[CTDeLude]

Disses the 818 yet agai.
And damn yes it is hot!

As for KCRW: Good stuff!

[Will]

Kirby Drummond:
The idea is being kicked around. I'm visiting in October, starting to think about employment, all that jazz, so I don't know, I'll listen to any comments.This is a horrible place and not safe. I wouldn't do it if I were you. You are probably much better off where you are.

[Kirby Drummond]

No open arms from Will. But maybe getting away from NYC will change me from a smart-ass liberal into someone who can hang out in Rancho de Will.

[Rylander]

All I said was that it was hot CT, jeez! :cool:

[Russell Lucas2]

Kirby's decided to go and try his hand at writing wrestling pictures.

Interesting idea.

I think a Will-Kirby peace accord is within the realm of possibility, provided Kirby doesn't try to drop a tab at CHUDWESY '03. You both enjoy a good dirty joke.

[Kirby Drummond]

I just finished a biopic screenplay, R. Gonna finally tell the story behind Leapin Lanny Poffo. I'm thinking Ed Norton as Lanny and Brad Pitt as the Macho Man.

[Russell Lucas2]

Add Daniel Benzali as George "The Animal" Steele and you're set to go.

[Kirby Drummond]

Ry, thanks for the input, man. I have been to LA and seen the glory that is LA traffic. I've been on the 3 hour car ride that is Manhattan Beach to Burbank. So I think the key to LA bliss is living in the same area where you work hence no traffic time. Two of my friends do that there.

[yt]

Kirby, I don't know what you do but I've found LA to be the easiest place to get a good gig. There are lots of housing options, as others pointed out, but prices are kinda high right now, but probably low-ish by NY or San Francisco standards. I'd say the drawbacks are the air, the surreal ratio of phonies vs. regular people and the traffic (all the prefab sprawl communities have really monkeyed with the suitability of the freeways).

That said, I love LA. It's my favorite city in America. I was born and raised here and have lived here most of my life (on second thought, maybe that makes me a less reliable info source, if you factor in the Stockholm Syndrome thing). We also have a proper downtown that I love:
<img src="http://abclocal.go.com/three/kabc/webcam/web2-1.jpg" alt="" />
You of all people will love the women but the embarrassment of wealth might ultimately exhaust you.

Lots of movie theaters and cool revival houses. A decent music scene (not that I would know anymore). Polluted water but good beaches. No humidity to speak of. Unbelievable bookstores (not quite NY or Boston level but with their own distinct strengths) and independent music/video stores. Speed traps every few miles. The bar scene is not quite what it is in walking towns like NY and Boston, but there are some really great places that you find. An excellent Chinatown, Little Tokyo, Alvero Street, way better Mexican food than you can get by and large back east, pretty good sushi if you know where to go, lots of funky weirdnesss unlike anywhere else (how do you get to the Valley? Marry a musician), close proximity to mountains, deserts, islands, national parks, wilderness, all that happy crap.

The biggest complaint I usually hear from people who come to LA is that they come here with writing or acting hopes that quickly dashed. Not that it's hopeless, but that it can take a long time and is a treacherous world to navigate.

All that said, it's a great town.

[CTDeLude]

This damn Valley bashing has gone too FAR!

[Kirby Drummond]

Thanks yt. I certainly trust your judgment on all things good and plenty in the world.

When I visited LA in March, I wasn't expecting to like it really. But I totally did. The weather, the attitude, I loved the little community of Manhattan Beach where I stayed. I had a blast. Of course, getting to chill with Guillermo del Toro had a lot to do with the excitement.

I work in the banking industry so those jobs are everywhere. Not sure if I'd want to do that out there, but I'd could easily start out doing that I'm sure.

I love love love NYC. My school is here, my art is here, lots of things are here. But some cool life things have come up recently and they put LA in play as a possible new home. I'm wary of the phoniness and the money and how much of a pretty town LA is (I prefer my dirty NYC) but I don't know, we'll see.

One thing that's very West Coast cool: watching sports.

[Blofeld]

Manhattan Beach is terrific.

In L.A., if you need to go anywhere, it's an hour.

[CTDeLude]

Don't work for a certain Mutual that happens to be named after the first president!

[Kronos]

That company has screwed up a lot of people...we've felt it in our credit card batches...what happened anyway?

[Django]

Dunno man, The Old Man may be right.

Move to The LBC, end up like Django.

Move to Burbank, end up like Will.

Stay in NYC, end up watching Ali Larter's ass at a salid bar.

Seems fairly obvious...

[Smilin' Jack Ruby]

L.A.'s a trip. I absolutely love this place and can't imagine living anywhere else. There's always shit to do (though you have to seek it out), once you get used to the constant white noise, the heat and constant threat of skin cancer, it's quite cool.

I never thought I'd want to live anywhere other than Texas, but this place felt like home almost immediately after I got here. I don't feel too often like I fit in with a city, but I really feel like I fit in here, strangely enough.

It's a great place to live, work and explore.

[CTDeLude]

Dont ask me kronos.

but I don't like how we uped and decided to try and buy almost everyone out.

Too fast too much.

i dont think we're Enron but who knows.

More at CHUDWest!

[Will]

Kirby Drummond:
No open arms from Will. But maybe getting away from NYC will change me from a smart-ass liberal into someone who can hang out in Rancho de Will.If you are here on August 24th, I expect you to appear at the BBQ or I will hunt you down like a dog! Flame wars aside, you are a chewer and you are welcome at CHUDWEST.

[Will]

Kirby Drummond:
Ry, thanks for the input, man. I have been to LA and seen the glory that is LA traffic. I've been on the 3 hour car ride that is Manhattan Beach to Burbank. So I think the key to LA bliss is living in the same area where you work hence no traffic time. Two of my friends do that there.Two of yours friends and one mean old man that you know. It IS the only way to go in LA.

[Django]

If I show, will all of you join hands in unison at the front gate and say "Django's Leave..." as you gimme a Care Bear stare?

That'd be cool...

[Will]

CTDelude (Sojourner):
This damn Valley bashing has gone too FAR!YEAH! Besides, I heard is was how do you get a musician off your front porch? Pay him for the pizza!

[MADMAN]

That's two references to the care bear stare. You holding out, man? You reviewing the Care Bears movie on DVD?

[Will]

Kirby Drummond:

I work in the banking industry so those jobs are everywhere. ?????????????? Homeboy!!!!!*** We must talk.

[CTDeLude]

Will you gonna plant him in the banking industry?

Man i thought I was your plant to be!!!

And I am in chat for the next 25 or so minutes

[Django]

See! You see this, Chewers! This is what happens when Django floats around all day in the pool listening to The Monkees Head...

[Kronos]

Personally, I like The Squishy Bears.

[Kirby Drummond]

Unfortunately, I won't be on the left coast in August. Chudwest would be an interesting thing to attend.

[Rylander]

yt
<img src="http://abclocal.go.com/three/kabc/webcam/web2-1.jpg" alt="" />
What's up with this pic yt? Is it an auto-reloading webcam or something? I could swear that when I was reading this thread last night it was a night time shot. Cool.

[Smilin' Jack Ruby]

It gets updated every three minutes. Here's the one for Django-land (da' LBC)

<img src="http://abclocal.go.com/three/kabc/webcam/web1-1.jpg" alt="" />

[gravedigger]

Whatta dump...

[Will]

CTDelude (Sojourner):
Will you gonna plant him in the banking industry?

Man i thought I was your plant to be!!!

And I am in chat for the next 25 or so minutesYou ARE my plant. But with two I was kind of hoping that maybe two plants night multiply and make more of them.

[Will]

Smilin' Jack Ruby:
It gets updated every three minutes. Here's the one for Django-land (da' LBC)

<img src="http://abclocal.go.com/three/kabc/webcam/web1-1.jpg" alt="" />oooooooooo! Show us Burbank! Show us Burbank!

[Django]

The camera can't snap one thru the thick layer of Brown Haze...

God I love the former Spruce Goose Dome. That's where Ra's lair and Schumacher's Batcave are...

[CTDeLude]

Oh Oh Oh!

Give me where I can get that.

Thats cool looking!

[Kirby Drummond]

Will:
Kirby Drummond:

I work in the banking industry so those jobs are everywhere. ?????????????? Homeboy!!!!!*** We must talk.Didn't see this before. Hey, I'm listening. Business is business.

[Carl Cunningham]

I love L.A.

Not sure I'd ever really be confortable living there permanently, but I have no problem visiting the area consistently. Since 1999, I've started going out there at least twice a year.

I make my home-away-from-home in North Hollywood/Studio City at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn. And I now know my way around L.A. and Hollywood as well as I do Atlanta.

Speaking of which, the air and traffic here have finally equalled (if not surpassed) that of L.A. I was wondering what the big deal about L.A. traffic was when I visited. No different here (except perhaps our surface streets aren't quite as crowded). And during the Summer, our smog is actually worse. Plenty of "Smog Alert" days in the "dangerous levels" around here. I hate Summer. Can't wait for Fall/Winter. Oops, off topic...

[Kirby Drummond]

Subletting is a big thing in NYC and I know where to go to find that. Any LA chewers know where I'd look for that in LA? An LA version of the Village Voice perhaps?