Beaches in and near Los Angeles, California: What do you need to know?

First, Los Angeles is EXPENSIVE! Nice hotel rooms here average around $250/night. More permanent accommodations cost so much that you will need a spouse, partner, or other person to help pay rent. If you want to buy a house, even a tiny one in a terrible neighborhood, will cost at least $400,000 (nearly half a million US dollars), and a decent house will cost anywhere from $1 to $20 or $30 million. There is an extremely large population of homeless people here as a result. Los Angeles natives like me are rare because of massive immigration from around the country and the world. You will meet people of every persuasion from every country you can imagine, but especially Mexico, our neighbor to the south. So many people from Mexico and Latin America have moved here illegally to grab low-wage jobs at even lower wages than the legal minimum that employment can be difficult to find for low or no-skilled people who are here legally and seek at least the minimum wage. The minimum wage here is $15.50 per hour, which is not enough to live on, so if you don’t have top education and skills you will probably need to have at least two jobs to survive. If you do have excellent knowledge and skills, such as a doctor or Ph.D., high tech guru, computer systems engineer, or developer, big business executive, movie/TV production professional, or entertainment superstar, then you can do quite well and live lavishly with easy access to virtually anything your heart desires.

The shopping and dining options here are unlimited and absolutely top tier for those who can afford it. There are also limitless things to do: movie theaters, live theater, concerts, clubs, and bars, live tapings for various television shows, famous and magnificent university campuses such as UCLA, USC, Loyola Marymount, and Occidental College where President Obama attended, along with dozens of other such institutions of higher education, museums, libraries, huge open spaces such as Will Rogers State Park and massive Griffith Park, the Observatory, Gene Autry Western Museum, California Science Center, casinos, professional sports games such as basketball, football (American), baseball, and hockey. Soccer is steadily growing in popularity, but it is nowhere near as popular as in other countries. There is fabulous, beautiful, and interesting architecture all around to roam about and admire. There’s beautiful Marina del Rey, where the luxurious yachts of the wealthy are docked, and where you will find even more restaurants, shopping, and entertainment. There’re world-famous Hollywood Blvd., the Sunset Strip, Beverly Hills, and Bel Air, Disneyland (the original one), Universal Studios (the original one), and other theme parks to explore and lose yourself in! And then, there are the GLORIOUS beaches where sun and fun abound. Santa Monica may be the most famous of them, and the most fun with rides (including a huge Ferris wheel), dining, shopping, and other entertainments. You can enjoy all this and much more IF you can afford it, which is a big if.

But despite the high cost of everything here, Los Angeles is relatively safe considering there are likely 20 or 30 million people here from all over the globe, with probably a third of them being illegal immigrants who have not been vetted by any official immigration agency. There is rampant crime, to be sure, so you have to keep your wits about you and use common sense (such as not strolling the streets at 2:00 in the morning or wandering around the wrong neighborhood), but much of that crime is of the type you don’t really see if you’re not looking for it. Drugs and alcohol, unfortunately, are everywhere. There are horrible people here and absolutely beautiful ones, both in and out. There are followers of pretty much every Faith on earth, with a church, temple, or mosque on nearly every block, as well as many people who believe in nothing.

I hope you can see from this that Los Angeles is as big and diverse as you can imagine, and it can be an absolute heaven on earth for those who can afford it. I forgot to mention the main attraction, L.A.’s unparalleled weather, which is generally mild year-round with magnificent sunshine and ocean breezes most days. The city is dense, intense, and highly urbanized, but simultaneously laid back and very relaxed largely due to its horizontal, rather than vertical development over the decades, giving it a spread-out, low-density feel. Traffic can be horrendous, especially on the 405 Freeway, of course, parking is problematic and EXPENSIVE, and public transportation is the pits — slow, unpredictable, and unpleasant. There are Uber, Lyft, taxis, and many other private transport options, but these are also very EXPENSIVE. It’s best to have access to a car because the land area of Greater L.A. is IMMENSE. From the northern Valley area to the Port of L.A. in the south, it will take an hour to drive the distance at high speeds on the freeway! It’s the same going from the beaches in the west of the city to its eastern expanses.

Some people complain that Angelinos are not friendly nor welcoming, and that may be true, but it may be because we are witnessing our hometown explode from a sleepy “country village” of a city into a gigantic mega-metropolis virtually overnight, which has totally changed EVERYTHING. But, in all, it’s a wonderful place to visit for rich tourists, and can still be a nice place to live even for those of us who struggle to afford it.

Terrible traffic and terrible pollution. The only good things are the food and the beaches. Otherwise, too hard to live here.

If you move to Los Angeles you will experience beautiful weather, you will get to know people from all over the world and you will have access to the ocean, forest and desserts, unfortunately you’ll have to pay for all of that. The cost of living is extremely expensive.

Los Angeles is a sprawling, diverse city with something to do for anyone. Any type of food and dining experience you’d like to try, we’ve got it. Want to learn to surf? The beach is only 30 minutes away. Museums more your speed? We have world renowned art, history, science, and genre museums. Movie stars more your speed? Take a walk down the Walk of Fame, check out Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, and then go for a quick ride around the hills to see your favorite celebrity’s home.

Anyone moving to Los Angeles should know it is a liberal and diverse city. People are allowed to be themselves without fearing the judgement faced in some other areas of the country. In addition to that freedom, there are some fantastic opportunities to experience cultural events. There are different landscapes to be seen with mountains, beaches, and desert areas all within a reasonable driving distance.

Los Angeles is a vibrant city, full of talented artists, actors, creators and dreamers. From the Hollywood buzz of movie premieres, to the to lush hills, palm trees and beachside sunsets, it’s seemingly impossible to go wrong with L. A. living. Waking up every morning to bright sunshine, endless possibilities and bustling streets makes me endlessly grateful to live in this city.

If moving to Los Angeles, California, don’t forget to bring your sunscreen! You can look forward to relaxing days at the beach and a vibrant nightlife. This diverse and multicultural city has so many things to offer and you can experience history, art, theme parks, and most importantly, amazing cuisine!

Someone moving to Los Angeles should know about the beautiful beaches, the hustle and bustle of Hollywood, and the delicious food trucks around town. Our well known areas of town are Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Downtown LA. In Los Angeles, we have a lot to offer.

Los Angeles is a bustling, melting pot, much like New York, but without the complex subway system. There is plenty to keep a visitor’s interest piqued including eclectic food, art, museums, beaches, mountains, and festivals. There will always be traffic so it is important to account for at least 20 extra minutes of travel time for your estimated time of arrival. Enjoy the hidden gems within the city!