Best Guide For Moving To Los Angeles

The city you are currently living in got boring? Did you get a new job opportunity? Or are you just ready to take a significant risk and maybe even earn big? Some call L.A. the city of Angels, others call it La La Land, which nickname will you address it with? Well, moving to Los Angeles is no joke. You need to be really wary of which cross-country movers you pay to help you. There are a BUNCH of things you need to consider before thinking about calling this city your new home. Let’s ask ourselves the question of whether Los Angeles truly is the city of opportunities. So, one step at a time, let’s go over some of the key facts you’ll need to know before moving.

The traffic just can’t get worse

You most likely already know this. Yes, the traffic in Los Angeles is absolutely hideous. Going from one place to another will usually take you more time than you expected. The roads are almost always full and the traffic signs easily get confusing. So when you get in your car and pull down your seatbelt, get ready for a long ride. Although, if you are moving from Miami to Los Angeles, this might not be too big of a change for you. On the other hand, if you are moving from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, a much smaller city, prepare for some rapid changes. L.A. is the sixth city on the list of hours lost in congestion in the USA, so stay away from rush hours!

Also keep in mind the sheer size of the city, meaning that work might not be just half an hour’s ride away. If you do like big cities, but are not so sure about Los Angeles, maybe check some other largest cities in the USA. The only way to counter this problem is to use Google Maps or similar applications to try and plan ahead of relocating to Los Angeles. Also, taking into account the city’s size (4,083 square miles or 10,570 square kilometers) you will have a lot of land to cover when going from point A to point B.

The Freeway Philosophy

Another thing you need to keep in mind is how people from Los Angeles give directions. If you are traveling by car, you will most likely use their freeway system. Every freeway has its name and number. The names usually symbolize where the freeway ends, but not always. Therefore, Angelenos just use the freeway numbers as a means of giving directions. It’s a good idea to go through the list of all the freeways and their numbers before moving to Los Angeles. So when someone tells you a bunch of seemingly random numbers, keep in mind they are most likely talking about the freeway numbers.

What if I don’t want to travel by car after relocating to Los Angeles?

If you are planning on using other means of transport, you might have more luck. Walking through L.A. will most likely be shorter than traveling by car considering the traffic. Also, most of the citizens say that it’s not dangerous even during nighttime. Even though most people are afraid of venturing through the city during those hours. They do film a lot of crime scenes out there, but that doesn’t mean that crime actually happens that often. But, more word on crime rates later.

Obviously, walking isn’t the only option. What about bikes? Well, turns out that by repositioning to Los Angeles you will learn that bike sharing is one of the alternatives to car travel. You can go to one of the many metro bike stations, rent a bike and ride it to another station. For a ride that will take up to 30 minutes, you can pay $1.75. On the other hand, for full 24h bike access, the price adds up to $5. Finally, there is a big metro station that is still expanding itself, and you can practically travel by train through most of the city.

Finding work in Los Angeles

The city of Los Angeles truly is a place where most businesses focus on movies, theatre, art, etc. But it doesn’t stop there, in the past few years the city has seen a lot of new Tech startups coming in. In fact, large Tech companies like Google and Amazon have settled in quite comfortably. Let’s not limit ourselves there, tourism and aerospace have seen some growth also. Although considering finding a job after moving to L.A. is quite risky, you never know what opportunities are hiding behind the corner. The unemployment rate in this city is equal to 5%, which is quite a bit less than the long-term average of 8%. After this talk about work, it still just seems like a better idea to secure a job before actually deciding to move.

Cost of living

The cost of living in Los Angeles might not be as high as in New York City but it is quite high on the scale. The median home price is about $910.000, while the median rent price is $2.781 per month. The housing prices are hard to fathom, but that’s exactly why most people choose to live with a roommate. To be exact, more than 60% of the city of Angels are renters. Moving on, grocery prices are 13% higher than the national average, while healthcare is 11% more expensive than the average. As expected, you have to be ready for pricey deals when you decide on moving to Los Angeles. Therefore, having a steady income is more than a need.

Los Angeles just never gets old

Moving onto a more positive theme, Los Angeles is actually full of extraordinary sights. Whether you are feeling like enjoying your time at a calm beach or partying hard during the night, this city has all the prerequisites for every one of your everyday needs. All you have to do is reposition to L.A. Enjoy the shores of Venice Beach or Zuma Beach which are now just a walk away. Explore the city’s museums, observatories, and art galleries all day long, since there is plenty of them! Some of the more popular places to visit are the Griffith observatory, The Getty Center, and the Santa Monica Pier and Beach.

The Griffith Observatory features not only breathtaking views but also an astonishing planetarium and exhibitions. The Getty Center is one of the bigger architectural commodities of the city. What is there to say about Santa Monica Pier Beach? We bet you are already well-informed about this place, considering it’s one of the better-known destinations in Los Angeles.

Other places you should visit after your Los Angeles move

We can just never stop talking about things you should check out while living in L.A. Nor stop reminding you to think about good Los Angeles cross-country movers to not make any mistakes before even starting out!  Here’s a list of some more places you should take a look at after migrating to Los Angeles:

• Grand Central Market – It’s a great place to get enjoy a quick meal, offers a range of different cuisines, spices, and quite literally most of the stuff you can think of. It’s downtown L.A. after all.
• Hollywood Walk of Fame – Who doesn’t want to take a walk where stars are made immortal? The biggest entertainment names lay alongside 2,700 names on the Hollywood walk of fame.
• The Broad – After moving to Los Angeles you should take a look at this popular museum that offers free admission. One of the main things this museum has to offer are the Infinity Mirror Rooms where you will get lost in Yayoi Kusama’s interpretation of infinity.
• Rodeo Drive – If you have money to spend and are into large shopping sprees, take a look at Rodeo Drive. This place has an exquisite amount of expensive shops that you can take a look at after moving to L.A. Warning! It is extremely expensive.
• Walt Disney Concert Hall – This place is the go-to music center in these parts. The name might make you think you will be watching cartoons, but it’s far from that. There is plenty of music genres covered in these halls, that altogether offer an astonishing acoustic experience.

Moving to Los Angeles brings perfect weather

Is this theme worth a whole title? It absolutely is. Most people can just dream of enjoying the sun almost every single day. But, the dreaming comes to an end just by relocating to Los Angeles. There are about 284 sunny days in this city per year. That means that every day is as positive as it gets. If you think you’ll get tired of the weather here, maybe consider moving from Los Angeles to San Francisco as an alternative. San Francisco, being more north, offers mild weather.

If neither cities seem like a good option, but California is the state you are aiming at, make sure to keep an eye out for some good cross-country movers in California. Keep in mind that by accepting these sunny days in L.A. you are getting rid of snow fully. Since there is absolutely no snow in Los Angeles. But the palm trees and regular jaw-dropping sunsets are exactly what’s beautiful about this city, aren’t they?

Crime Rates

According to the police department, crime rates have been on the rise nationally. The increase in homicides is measured to be about 30% higher in Los Angeles County than in the year 2020. On the other hand, violent crimes have increased by 4%, compared to 2020. Los Angeles is considered to be a safe city when we look at it from a worldwide angle. Although, FEMA has ranked La La Land as the #1 most dangerous city in The United States in 2021. Pretty contradictive considering one of its nicknames is “The City of Angels”. Keep that in mind before migrating to L.A.

If we put Los Angeles alongside cities that are close to its size, we get results that tend to be near the average crime rates. Seems to all depend on the angle you take. And we bet you are already asking yourselves the question: “Is L.A. a good place to live?“. Taking a big step like moving to Los Angeles, as large as it is, is sure to have some unfortunate statistics. But don’t get discouraged, big cities tend to have higher crime rates. Especially considering the number of people living that spend their lives there. The more people, the bigger the chances of crime happening.

Neighborhood Variations

Every neighborhood in L.A. is different in its own way. From Central L.A. to The Verdunos, you’ve got every variation you could ever need. Central L.A. is the heart of Los Angeles, featuring Hollywood, Koreatown, Beverly Grove, and many others. If you want to enjoy the classic urban commodities, Central L.A. is going to be your go-to destination. Downtown Los Angeles is a place full of good architecture, art galleries, and culture. There is a lively arts district that goes from 1st street to 7th street that you can always use for indulging in some quality art.

If you want to have a good night out, visit West Hollywood, a part of the city that never sleeps. Clubs, Bars, Pubs, you name it, West Hollywood has got you. If you want to visit the suburbs, take a trip to San Fernando Valley (better known as “The Valley”) where you can take a hike near the famous Hollywood sign. If all of this still seems boring to you, then maybe it’s a better idea to take a look at some of the other best cities to live in California. We could talk about the sprawling neighborhoods that you can experience by migrating to Los Angeles all-day, and we haven’t even mentioned Beverly Hills or Santa Monica, so let’s just move on to another theme for now.

Conclusion

After this long talk about the ups and downs of this very well-known city, we hope that you have a better idea of what’s waiting for you after moving to Los Angeles. Make sure to take your time and thoroughly analyze every single detail about this city before making the final decision. L.A. is one of the main cities you think of when mentioning America, but is it truly The City Of Angels? Or is it just an overrated place overall? We’re confident we answered your questions after reading the text.