You're probably wondering what it's really like to live in the fast-paced, thrilling city of Los Angeles, California. After living in LA for 3 years, I can give my whole-hearted, honest opinion of what I know of this city. If you're in the midst of thinking about moving to Los Angeles hopefully my thoughts will ease your decision or maybe even change your mind.
Full of opportunity.
I cannot stress this enough! Los Angeles is the perfect city if you're looking for a start in a career/internship. The number of companies located in this city is astounding! It blows my mind comparing it to the other places I've lived. Although job-hunting in LA is very competitive. It is reassuring to know the number of companies that are around town. Also, if you're interested in wide-known industries, Los Angeles is the city for you. If you are hard-working and driven, you will find opportunity waiting for you in this city!
The best weather, all the time.
You won't find the sun any brighter anywhere else. It's always beautiful, every, single day. If you're a fan of nice weather I don't see a reason NOT to move here. Well, there are a couple of red flags, but on the topic of weather. It's 5/5 stars in my book!
Endless possibilities.
Do you want to see Maroon 5 next year? Or even go to a taping of your favorite TV show? There is a high chance that you'll have no problem doing so, living in Los Angeles. Before living in LA, I was so jealous of the people that had the chance to go to all these events. In my mind, I wanted to do that! It's crazy how much there is to do in LA! If you're a shopper (like myself), welcome to heaven! The shopping malls here are beautiful, huge, words can't even explain how much I love shopping here. If you're a fan of sports - basketball is a huge fan favorite in LA, as well as college football. You won't EVER have to worry about becoming bored in this city!
It's very fast-paced, along with its people and lifestyle.
If you're not into a very fast-paced lifestyle, I wouldn't recommend Los Angeles to you. I'm not originally from Los Angeles so the transition was a bit crazy for me! Everyone is always on the go. But one of the benefits of this, it always keeps you on your toes - 24/7. I've also learned that not the friendliest people live LA, either. I'm not saying everyone is rude because there are some pretty awesome people here. But just be prepared for some not so nice people!
It's bigger than you'd expect.
How do I even begin to explain how big LA is?! If you're not familiar with Los Angeles at all, you're in for a treat. The Greater Los Angeles area itself includes cities like - West Hollywood, Culver City, Santa Monica, Pasadena, and the list goes on and on. There are cities within 5 minutes of each other. People that live within the Greater Los Angeles area, just say they are from "LA" because it's honestly easier to say to someone without having to explain to them exactly where you live. If you don't like driving far distances, you're in bad luck. In order to get to where you want to go, it's something you're going to have to get used to. Plus traffic. Ouch! I can't even or want to explain how painful the traffic here in Los Angeles. Let's just summarize it by saying it's really, really bad!
Not everything is glamorous.
Have you ever seen a reality TV show set in Los Angeles? Maybe like Keeping Up with the Kardashians or even the Hills? Well, those shows do a really great job at making Los Angeles look much more glamorous than it actually is! No doubt there are areas in LA that are beautiful! But most areas are highly expensive (which I will get into). Most of the 'glamorous' places you see on tv are filmed in Beverly Hills or West Hollywood. But surrounding these areas are cities with a high crime rate such as Inglewood, South LA, and Compton. I wasn't disappointed by my expectations when first moving to LA, I just wasn't expecting the LA area to be so real if that makes sense? Turn on the news when you're in Los Angeles, and it's very much like an episode of CSI. There are some crazy stories and things that happen in this city, so it's always safe to be mindful of that.
Very expensive.
For all the amazing stuff that comes with LA, you're going to have to pay a price. A big one at that. Rent alone is priced very high. I would always look at websites like trulia.com, to really see what you're getting yourself into when it comes to renting a home or an apartment. The prices are crazy high, let's be real! Also, be prepared to pay and park wherever you go. This was something I WAS NOT PREPARED for. I've gotten a total of 4 parking tickets because, well, I suck at remembering to pay before I park - something I've learned to get used to!
