Congratulations on making the decision to move to one of the most exciting places in the world! Besides being the entertainment capital of the world, it’s also known for beautiful city landscapes, bursting businesses, and plenty of culture. However, it isn’t always all that it’s cracked up to be. LA may be the ideal place to move for some people, but is it for you? Take a look at some of the most important things to know before moving to LA.
Housing is Expensive
If you dreamed of moving to LA and buying a home right off the bat, you can forget about it. Unless you have a considerable amount of income, then chances are you’ll have to live with roommates for a while.
Not only is housing incredibly expensive, but it’s also challenging to find anything available.
In many cases, you won’t find housing by finding it online or in the wanted ads, but rather through word of mouth. Since so many people are looking for a place to live, properties usually get swooped up quickly.
Work is Competitive
Equally as competitive as the housing is also the job market. Since LA is the “land of dreams” where people come to pursue their goals of being a star, everyone is looking for a job to pay for living here.
Although it’s possible to find a job before you arrive, chances are you’ll probably have to already be in the city to snag work. There are always exceptions; however, most jobs in LA will probably require a face to face interview. So, plan on moving to the city before starting applying for jobs.
You Will Need a Car
If you are moving to the city of angels from somewhere that didn’t require a car, like New York, you can kiss that life goodbye in Los Angeles. The public transportation system, although it exists, is not known for being the most efficient.
A car is critical if you hope to be able to get from one point of the city to the other.
Traffic is a Part of Life
With over four million people living in Los Angeles, it’s no wonder why there are traffic jams at just about any time of day. Even people who work irregular hours in the middle of the night are still faced with daily traffic struggles.
Everyone in LA knows that you have to leave for your appointments with plenty of time to spare since you never know what kind of traffic you’re going to run into. If you hate waiting in traffic, then LA will be your worst nightmare. Unless you can manage to find housing that’s walking distance from your work, you’ll need to brave the commutes.
Feature photo by Daniel Semenov on Pexels
