Millions of people are attracted to the city of Los Angeles. After all, why wouldn’t they be? So many people have made their dreams come true in the city of Angels that it’s only logical for other dreamers to want to do the same.
However, Los Angeles isn’t always as much of a dream as people hope it will turn out to be. For starters, it’s incredibly expensive and can be downright difficult to break into socially. Fear not, however.
Here are some of the most important things that you should have if you hope to successfully live in Los Angeles.
An Air Conditioner
If you’re moving to LA from somewhere with moderate to colder temperatures, then you’re in for a surprise. LA is warm for a large part of the year. In some cases, it can get hot, really hot. In order to stay comfortable, you’ll need an air conditioner. Otherwise, you could find yourself struggling to get a good night’s sleep.
A Car
Cities like Seattle or New York are known for their reliable public transportation systems. However, Los Angeles is not one of the best public transportation cities in the world. If you hope to get around, you’ll need a set of your own wheels.
Not only that, you should be prepared to spend a lot of your time in your car. LA is notorious for traffic jams.
Social Media
As mentioned above, Los Angeles can be difficult to break into socially. A lot of people are very busy or just plain not interested in helping out new residents. Social media is a great way to start building a friend circle and getting involved in your community.
Join groups of other people who have recently moved to the area, or follow venues that may have interesting events. It may take a while; however, you’ll likely start to find your groove within a year of arriving.
A Roommate
Unless your parents happen to live in Los Angeles, you’ll probably need to move into a place with roommates for a while. Even though you might hate the idea of living with someone that you hardly know, the truth is that it’s something a lot of people have to do in Los Angeles.
Roommates make it possible to live somewhere that you could never afford on your own. Since rent can be so high, a lot of people wind up moving outside of the city after a few years. Although commuting into the city for your job every day can be lengthy, it can significantly lower your monthly expenses.
Savings
Once you establish yourself and have a reliable job, it’s important that you put away savings. Even though it may be difficult to save when the cost of living is so high, it’s critical that you do when you can.
Having a nice bit of savings to fall back on is crucial in a cutthroat place like LA, where you never know when you’re going to lose your job to be replaced by someone else.
Feature Photo by Roberto Nickson
