Korean Job Discussion Forums

[DCJames]

I've always wanted to live there?

Any advice for someone who wants to move there???

[ella]

L.A. County is a sprawling metropolis of 10MIL people and more than 2000 square miles. Where specifically are you interested in? I'm from Redondo Beach, on the coast about 20 miles southwest of downtown L.A. I can give you general information about L.A. County. Housing prices are notoriously high, even in bad areas. You'll need a reliable car. Avoid any commute to work longer than 30 minutes. Negotiate flex hours at your job so you can stay off the freeways during rush hour. Air quality is great along the coast but poor inland. There are areas you're going to want to stay away from. What kind of job and living circumstances are you looking for?

[bhog]

I'm sure there are many people who post here who have WAY more knowledge than myself about L.A., but I lived there in the Century City area for awhile after college and worked in Manhattan Beach. Like ella said, it's a HUGE metro area. So when you say you want to live in L.A. you're covering quite a lot of ground, so to speak. Century City was OK for me because it was (somewhat) of a quick drive to work. I think most mornings it only took me about 20 minutes to get there, usually 30-45 to get home. There is basically no public transit in LA, especially for a city its size.

In my opinion, it's a city where it's much better if you have friends or family already there. I moved to L.A. knowing one friend from college and he lived about almost an hour away (on a good traffic day), so it's hard to have any kind of social life unless you live near where you work and/or people you know. It's a little tough to go out for happy hour with co-workers and have much fun when you know you still have a looong voyage to get home.

Anywhere you'd want to live is VERY expensive, I'd say the beach communities are where I'd like to live if I went back. But again, it's expensive.

Other than the traffic and smog issues, it wasn't a bad place. Great weather near the beach, good scenery in many ways, many things to do in LA, also a quick trip to Vegas or San Diego for the weekend, etc.

[sjrm]

[ella]

[sjrm]

[quote="ella"]

[seoulshock]

I was born in LA... and lived in LA my whole life, except for 2 years I spent in Korea. Currently I'm back in LA (more specifically Pacific Palisades, a small city between Santa Monica and Malibu).

It's nice out here in the Palisades, but even if you want to live in a small townhouse it'll cost you close to $1 million. A lot of the homes here are $2 million+... some of them going as high as $10 million+. Kobe Bryant of the LA Lakers used to live here, but I think his parents are staying at his old place here. Chevy Chase used to live across the street from me. Vlade Divac (former Laker) used to live up the street. James Worthy used to live in the area as well. Steve Guttenberg lives about a block away. Ray Liotta lives in the area, and the most recent winner of the World Series of Poker, and my "wing-man" Jamie Gold, who just won $12,000,000 lives in the area as well.

Anyway, I moved here in the early 90's when it wasn't so expensive. But at the end of the year, I'm moving smack dab in the middle of Los Angeles... to central Koreatown! http://www.themercuryla.com/

I say, live in LA, so you're close to everything, but don't choose an area like somewhere near MacArthur Park, or somewhere near Echo Park, or some other shady areas like East LA or something. If you stay in Koreatown you'll be fine. Sure, there's some stabbings or whatever now and then, but it's always gang-related, so as long as you don't act like a complete ass in front of Korean gangster hang-outs, you'll be fine.

I've walked around as late as 4AM in Koreatown and have never been bothered. My friends have been, but they walk around like scared women, so I think they're just easy targets. But as long as you have some friends with you, you'll be okay. But just because you have friends with you doesn't mean you can go around acting wild and stupid and bumping into other peoples' tables at the bar (where the gangsters happen to be sitting). It won't matter if you have 10 guys with you, because they will follow you outside after having called 50 of their guys (a bit of an exaggeration but not really), and will try to do something.

About 2-3 weeks ago, an event happened at "Blink", a well-known Ktown sool-jib. A group of thugs were drinking and having fun and kept bumping into another table... so one of the guys at the other table told them to stop it. Then the thugs took it as a major sign of disrespect. The other guys sensed this and decided to walk out. They left and walked towards their cars which was about a block away. Well, they were followed to their cars, and these few "thugs" had turned into even MORE thugs, some with mace, some with knives. So they had a fight.

One of the guys was stabbed close to 20 times and was killed, the others lived. And the reason they were out in Ktown in the first place was to hold a celebration for one of them who'd just had a son. And... of course... the guy who'd just had a son was the one that was killed.

And guess what? Nobody knows anything, nobody knows who did what. Cops have no clue... which I find hard to believe especially after watching shows like CSI and stuff. But it's f**ed up.

So there are cases like that, but very rare. Koreatown has been a hot night spot for people all over LA. Not a great place for a family, but for a single guy or if you're married w/o children, it's great.

[ella]

There are very liveable middle-class areas of East L.A. I did fine living there as single white woman; I'm a six foot blonde so it's not like I didn't stand out in a Hispanic neighborhood. The real problems were the air quality (I used HEPA filters in my car and home), and the backyard mariachi bands... live, bad ranchero music doesn't make for a particularly enjoyable weekend.

I'm not in California right now and in the past two weeks I've battled inside my home: mosquitos, black widows, tarantulas, and bark scorpions. I'll take a little traffic over that ANY DAY.

[Tiger Beer]

How is the Pasadena area? Seems nicely condensed.

Also Montgomery Park, the strong Chinese ethnic areas might be real interesting.

I haven't been to either of those two areas (although I have been to L.A.). I wouldn't mind hearing about people's impressions of them though.

[swigs]

I have only live in LA for about three months...so take my advise with a grain of salt.

But I personally feel that the Pasadena area is too far east, to far away from the beach. As you know, the closer to the beach the better the weather year round. If you do not mind the hotter weather in the summer, Pasadena looks like a nice area. Cal Tech is there I think, creating some fun youthful activities. And is a short drive to DT LA.

[Tiger Beer]

I'm very interested in the Los Angeles area, but still seems way too expensive for real estate, even now.

How about Monterey Park, Rosemead, Alhambra, San Gabriel, Glendale, and Burbank?

How are those areas? Is it VERY suburban-like? Or do any of those places have their own feel?

[sojourner1]

I took a trip there this past March and could see LA is totally brutal for the working class and those down on their luck financially; the majority. I seen so many wannabe freaks, drug addicts, and loony tunes walking Hollywood Boulevard with terrible attitudes. Only move out there if you have an executive income or have relatives to stay with in giving the job market a shot with your high skills, dreams, and luck. LA is really ultra cool in my opinion, but it's so highly competitive as they come.

[samd]

LA is a strong contender for worst major city in the world.

[aka Dave]

I'm from L.A. Try Venice if you don't mind lots of crime. Santa Monica, I'm not sure they still have rent control (if they do it's nearly impossible to find a place).

Buying a house in L.A. is much easier than it was, but it will still cost nearly half a million dollars for a dump. My dad said today rents are typically 1200 dollars a month (I haven't been back in a few years).

L.A. is all about being west, out of the valley, and by the beach. However, I lived in Silver Lake and Echo Park, and they're not bad. Culver City is quiet but okay and fairly close to the beach.West Hollywood is actually nice if you don't mind the gays. Hollywood itself (I worked their mid 90s) is an adventure. Some people like it.

Actually the best place to live in L.A. is at UCLA in the new dorms they built about 10 years ago. Very nice, clean, good food, and reasonable rents. Catch is, you have to be a UCLA student.

[Yaya]