What are transportation options and challenges in Los Angeles, California?

Before relocating to Los Angeles, it’s essential to consider the city’s sprawling geographical expanse, which can lead to lengthy and often congested commutes. The cost of living is notably high, with median home prices well above the national average, and rental costs on the rise. Researching neighborhoods thoroughly is advised, as the city’s cultural and socioeconomic diversity means that each area offers a unique living experience. Additionally, job opportunities, particularly in the entertainment, tech, and healthcare sectors, should be explored beforehand.

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.

Be cautious of the homeless and traffic. Since cars are slow sometimes they walk up to them. If you have a family, I’d go live outside of LA honestly and choose a suburb like Pasadena or south to OC.

If you’re moving to Los Angeles you need to be comfortable driving and getting around the city in a car, but keep your eyes open because the city has many things to offer that some might not expect. For instance, there are *many* quiet, distinct neighborhoods, some of which are even walkable. You just have to be on the lookout for them. (Some of these include Los Feliz, Miracle Mile, Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Central Culver City, Leimert Park, Montana & Ocean Park [Santa Monica], Eagle Rock, Echo Park, Silverlake, Highland Park, etc.) It has just about everything, but you have to know where to go to get what you want.

Before moving to Los Angeles, it is important to know about what mode of transportation is best suited for you. Another thing to take into consideration is Los Angeles traffic. Without traffic, you can get anywhere in 15 minutes. However, with traffic, that same distance could take up to an hour.

A firm grasp of reality is necessary to survive LA. You should have a stylish wardrobe well-suited for warm weather. It is also helpful to have a driver’s license. “Dream” is a buzzword out here. Many people will use that to attempt to exploit you, if you are not careful. Some folks, however, are sincere and kind. Those are the ones you should associate with as true companions.

Los Angeles is a wonderful city. The weather is beautiful for most of the year as well. However, be aware that you will be sitting in traffic from time to time. Living in Los Angeles has many perks, but the cost of living is high and traffic is crazy.

Living in Los Angeles is extremely tiring and trying. It can take several years to gain a foothold here, and many are put off enough to leave before then. Additionally, traffic is so intense it can take an hour or more to get to a location less than five miles from your place of departure.

Los Angeles is an extremely spread out city that requires one to have a willingness to commute. That being said, the gorgeous weather and mesmerizing landscapes make any commute worthwhile. Los Angeles is a beautiful city that offers myriad opportunities and activities to its residents; it is difficult to experience boredom living in a city with so much to offer.

Someone moving to Los Angeles should know the high price of real estate. Despite the cost of living here, the weather is fantastic and it is quite beautiful. Prior to moving to Los Angeles, I recommend doing extensive research on the different neighborhoods. Someone new to the area should aim to find a home not far from their office because we have heavy traffic here.

Los Angeles is an amazing city, but it is important to realize that prices here are expensive. The price of fuel is not cheap in Los Angeles. One must not forget that there is a lot of traffic on the highways. It is important to drive a vehicle or to be prepared to spend money on a rideshare app multiple times. Rent is also expensive here, one can expect to pay multiple 1,000s of dollars on a relatively small aparapartment.

Los Angeles is a beautiful city, full of interesting people, cultures, and sights. The weather is warm throughout the year and one does not usually have to wear winter clothing. The biggest drawback is the amount of traffic; it often seems as if every resident owns a vehicle.

Los Angeles is a large city well-known for its diverse population and technology industry, but living there isn’t ideal for everyone. Los Angeles has a remarkably high cost of living. Many residents also complain of traffic, pollution, and noise. However, there are many jobs available in various fields, and Los Angeles is home to dozens of beautiful landmarks and parks.

When moving to Los Angeles, one should consider the cost of owning a car. Traffic in LA is notoriously horrible and, coupled with high gasoline prices in the state of California, can make the cost of owning a car much higher than other states. Second, one should consider the cost of living in LA, where rent, food, taxes and many other daily expenses are also higher than most other states. And third, one should consider the weather of the city they are relocating to. In the case of LA, which sees very high temperatures in summer, perhaps it would be advisable to seek air conditioned accommodations.

Anyone moving to Los Angeles should know cars are crucial here. People who do not drive are often looked at suspiciously. It is often assumed that people who do not drive have been arrested for drunk driving or are simply unable to pass the driving test. If you are headed this way, bring a vehicle!

If moving to Los Angeles, you must consider the heavy traffic, the rising housing costs, and the often volatile homeless population. I recommend visiting the city first to decide whether or not it will be a good fit for you. However, it is a beautiful place, laden with opportunity and culture.

If someone moves to Los Angeles, they need to consider the awful traffic on the freeways and how that will impact their commute. Public transit is not as well developed as in New York City, which drives many people to rely on their car. I recommend moving to a neighborhood close to the Metro Expo Line if your job is near that track.