Those in the LA county area... How's living out there?

[Spoonage]

Just a quick background... I'm from Chicago. But I'm possibly in the market to move out there (job opportunities). How's the daily life / traffic / etc. out there. I guess it depends on exact location but I'm trying to see if it's a worth while move. There's a couple opportunities I was looking at in Carson, Orange County, etc. Wondering about traffic as if it's better to live in one area and work in another, etc. any insight would be appreciated.

[locutus49]

The real question is, is it safe to wear a Rolex in LA County? Those surfer dudes can be dangerous

[Pix]

I think the commute in December would beat Chicago weather any day.

[azguy]

Have you never been there

I lived in Huntington Beach for 7 years, the traffic is horrific, the houses and rents sky high, the people detached and lazy but it's the greatest place in the world

When you are playing in the surf or walking in the sand or enjoying a 75 degree day in January the other stuff doesn't matter

In all seriousness, the commutes can and will kill you, live near work, real close....

[teqp]

As others have mentioned, traffic can be bad depending on the time of day (morning, evening rush hour). Also depends on what city you would plan to live in vs the city where you work. If you have never been, I would recommend to rent to get acquainted with the general area and once you know the areas better and decide to stay in SoCal, they you can look into buying.

I am more familiar with Orange County, so if you have particular questions, you can shoot me a PM. Good luck with your decision.

Originally Posted by azguy

When you are playing in the surf or walking in the sand or enjoying a 75 degree day in January the other stuff doesn't matter

Definitely beats Chicago winters. I can go skiing in the morning and then lobster hunting at night the same day. Nothing beats lobster dinner for the holidays!

[texex91]

LOL you are kidding right?

I lived in Newport Beach for about a year. There were people that would spend 3 hours a day roundtrip in traffic getting to work. (LA County is much worse than OC).

The traffic is HORRENDOUS.

Housing is ridiculous.

Taxes will kill you.

Hope the job is paying great, because the cost of living is like nothing you've seen.

However, the weather is great.

[Tools]

California is a beautiful state..

Traffic is only bad in the daytime and the nighttime..

As mentioned, it has the highest taxes you can imagine and the starting prices for a double-wide on a postage stamp sized lot is about a half million..

Our son recently moved out of California LA area after 20 years because he was tired of the 30 mile, 2 hour or more commute and the requirements that they were teaching his kids in the school district.

Still, some folks wouldn't want to live any place else.. Do your research to find if it's right for you..

[miteemike3]

LA is great place to visit, but it would have to be an incredible job offer for me to consider moving there

As has been said, traffic and smog are enough to drive a sane person insane. Not living in LA, I hear cost of living is quite high, but it can't be worse than living in the Bay Area...

[Thatguy]

I currently live in OC. I have lived all over the country and wouldn't want to live anywhere else. So much to do year round. Traffic can be horrible though. As stated, find a place close to work. I work from home so it is rare that I end up in traffic.
This is the 1st fall my wife has been in a warm climate and she is loving it! We lived in WI previously.


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[perpetualman88]

I love it out here. I live in Hollywood where all the hot bars and clubs are. Gotta pay to play but its a fun life thats for sure

[azguy]

Originally Posted by perpetualman88

I love it out here. I live in Hollywood where all the hot bars and clubs are. Gotta pay to play but its a fun life thats for sure

Thought you were in SD

[sea-dweller]

Lived in SoCal for 20+ years.

All of the posters above are correct. Great weather, culture, women (prettiest in the world, IMO), great food, things to do, etc

The bad: traffic (worst in the US), high crime (in many parts), socioeconomic inequality (lots of poor people, sadly), superficial people (fake), poor job market (relatively) etc

Everything is a tradeoff and SoCal is one of them!

[Kingair]

It's great here in the Desert

Only takes me 2 hours to get to LA

And I plan when I go . . . mostly around 9 AM and gone before 3 PM . . .

Sometimes stuck in traffic but in Belgium it is even worse

[bmpwatch]

I agree with the above posters.

Ive lived in both Orange County and currently in North LA in coastal towns, it has its + and -.

The traffic sucks, and it takes forever to get anywhere. Seems like no one is "from here", which gives the area a cool culture but a lot different from where I'm originally from.

The nightlife is great, as people above have stated. Hollywood and Santa Monica are a lot of fun, but its not cheap.

Being originally from the Boston area, I'm always torn on whether or not to move back. A lot of people will argue "why leave the perfect weather" but to me its not a big deal. I can fish, surf, ski etc. with a lot less hassle from where I'm from compared to here. I love being outdoors and doing different activities based on the weather. Out here, every day is the same.

I would recommend renting for a bit and see what you think. While there is a reason everyone wants to live here, I don't think its all what its cracked up to be in my opinion.

Either way, you won't regret coming out here. Good luck

[sea-dweller]

One suggestion: try and live as close as possible to work, if you have to commute. It will save time and ease your stress level.

I know of a few that have moved to California from Chicago (which is a great city, by the way). Most stayed, the weather was the factor that tipped the scales.

But, there are tradeoffs for the nice weather. It may not be evident for the first few years, but it will be as time moves on...

[Spoonage]

Thanks all for your input. I've been to LA once years ago when I was younger. I've been to San Diego a few times to visit my sister who lives out there and I'm looking at a couple positions there as well. I just don't know much about the LA area. It's an option that I'm considering. I've lived in the Chicagoland most of my life and the wife and I were thinking about somewhere warmer.

[FiftyTwoEighty]

Lots of great advice already!

We live in Huntington Beach and love it. I take our dogs to the beach nearly every morning. The surf is awesome, but bring a wet suit and leave your rolex at home -- because it's not safe to 1) get it wet or 2) take it to the beach! If you're a mountain biker, we have great trails nearby overlooking the ocean my wife and I ride all the time. And to piss off my friends in Colorado, We make a point to ski and surf on the same day -- because we can.

As others have mentioned traffic can suck -- only if you have commute. Thankfully, I don't commute. But, if you can control your schedule and drive times, you can avoid all the traffic. Living close to your office helps.

If I do hit the road for some meetings, I just plan my day opposite the traffic patterns. You will get good at managing freeways and surface streets.

I grew up in Northern VA, then spent 10 years in Colorado in Denver and the high country, after college, and the last 10 years living coastal in SoCal. I never wanted to leave the Mountains and hated California, but business brought me back to sea level. Now, We really can't see leaving. The only temptation for us is to move to the Central Coast -- to get closer to family.

And if you need to travel, we have three airports to choose. I fly about 3 days a week. John Wayne Airport is 10 to 15 minutes, Long Beach is 30 minutes, and LAX is 40 minutes (if you time it right).

One "other" thing to mention about the weather living at the Beach...We get what's called the May Gray and June Gloom. The fog rolls in off the ocean every May and June. The Sun can't burn off the moisture until about 2:00pm every afternoon. We like it. It's usually so sunny, that the cloud cover is a relief. We also don't have air conditioning. 50 weeks out of the year, we get a cold ocean breeze. Typically, during the day, We leave all the back doors open in the back of the house, so the dogs can roam in and out -- no need to worry about bugs, we don't have any. Ok...So 2 weeks out of the year, it can get hot...that's when we bug out.

I say go for it! When I moved to Colorado and California, I was single and knew no one. Two of the best decisions I made in my life. To borrow a quote from the great Warren Miller (not Buffet), "If you don't do it this year, you I'll be one year older when you do."

Good luck in your decision!

[Kingair]

Compton is somewhat cheaper . . . . and not that far from the Coast . . . .

[towernick]

It's currently 84 degrees at my office in West LA, what's the temp in Chicago? In all seriousness, I grew up here and went back East for high school and college. I came right back after college because the weather simply can't be beat. Yes, you have to drive everywhere, and yes, there is traffic but if you live close to where you work, it's not bad. Did I mention it was 84 outside?

[T. Ferguson]

I grew up in Chicago but have lived in Southern California a very long time now.

I love Chicago but the weather out here is just too good. In the winter you can surf in the morning, hop in your car, and be skiing in the afternoon. Yeah, traffic can be bad - very bad - but a lot of that can be minimized by where you live relative to work. If you are going to be working in Carson then don't buy a house in the San Fernando Valley. There are a lot of cool places to live near Carson like one of the south bay beach communities or on the Palos Verdes peninsula. These areas can be expensive though, especially if you plan on buying a home.

[sea-dweller]

I recall living in Pasadena in the 80's (attending college) and on New Year's Day, washing my car in 80 degree weather, in shorts and a tee shirt watching the Rose Bowl game!
Afterward, firing up my grill at 5:30 PM and drinking beer and having steak while some of the country was having snow!

[FiftyTwoEighty]

And Monday night football is over well before midnight!

[Thatguy]

Sitting in traffic is better than sitting in a polar vortex IMO.


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[Laszlo]

Originally Posted by Thatguy

Sitting in traffic is better than sitting in a polar vortex IMO.


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You know that weather system has always existed, it's just been rebranded.

As for SoCal, love it. Lived in LA, Playa Del Rey. Funky place, real close to Culver. Everything sucks, but everything is so great. It is what it is. Lifestyle though = amazing.

I say go for it! You can always move back.