All the big cities in CA (LA/SD/SF) have hostels. They are usually located in grittier parts of the city but not the ghetto. You'll know what I mean if you decide to stay in one. If you are going to spend cash for a private room in a hostel you might as well just spend some more and get a hotel/motel room.
Travelling in California
- Thread starter Tilluin
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BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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The one I know of in San Francisco has very convenient access to multiple strip clubs, peep shows, and sex shops.
Don't forget the discarded syringes on the sidewalks. Nothing like playing syringe hopscotch while drunkenly walking back to your hotel.
BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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I walked through the Tenderloin alone at midnight once. No one bothered me but I did have one totally insane conversation with a guy who alternated between giving me advice on where to find prostitutes and calling me a racist. I got asked for change like 25 times. I wanted to say "If I had any change don't you think I would have given it to someone else by now?" since I had been walking the homeless gauntlet for several blocks by then. My biggest problem was that there are no fucking bathrooms whatsoever. I was struck by a fairly urgent need to shit and there was nowhere to do it. I thought for a while that I was going to be shitting on the sidewalk like the homeless people. I went to a Burger King, no bathrooms, I went to one of those fancy green outhouses, it was out of order. I finally wound up paying the cover charge at a strip club just to shit in their AIDS infested toilet. I did stay and watch the dancers for a bit after that since I had paid $20 to get in. I didn't see any gay rape gangs, just drunk black people sleeping on the sidewalk.
And yeah, gay neighborhoods are the opposite of gritty. Even when the gays move into the ghetto, it stops being the ghetto. A bunch of gay dudes moving into a ghetto area is pretty much the definition of gentrification.
And yeah, gay neighborhoods are the opposite of gritty. Even when the gays move into the ghetto, it stops being the ghetto. A bunch of gay dudes moving into a ghetto area is pretty much the definition of gentrification.
Is LA really that bad? I'm considering moving there. Like, within the next few weeks. How would it compare to a city like Shanghai or Beijing?
BrutulTM
Good, bad, I'm the guy with the gun.
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The weather is nice in LA, there is a lot to do. The problem is just the traffic. Everything is a long ways away from everything else and traffic is shitty all the time. Just realize that you are going to have to spend a lot of time in your car.
No people are just partaking in the usual LA hating. LA is an awesome city but as Brutal stated you will live in traffic most of the time. If you can, I would recommend moving to a place that would allow you to walk to work or easily commute via the metro. Your body and soul will thank you for it.
Whereabouts are you planning to move and what type of work will you be doing?
Alex
Still a Music Elitist
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I've never lived in LA, but I've visited often and have many friends who have lived or do live there. If you live in a decent enough neighborhood, you'll rarely leave your area and find out all the great spots in your hood. I'd stay west of the 405 unless your job location is more inland. If that's the case the daily traffic situation wouldn't make it worth it.
Big Phoenix
Pronouns: zie/zhem/zer
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Gravel
Mr. Poopybutthole
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That's the only advice that matters. One of my coworker's husbands is an LA Sheriff and that's his recommendation. You'll occasionally get some cross-the-405 crime if you live right next to it, but it's a strange insulator.
The perfect example is that Inglewood is right next to Marina Del Ray (which, interestingly, is the area he's working now).
Why move to Los Angeles? Everything is way too expensive here. In other states you can actually live off minimum wage. Here min wage means you are basically homeless. If I didnt have a decent job I would move out in a heartbeat.
Yea and traffic is a total bitch.
Yea and traffic is a total bitch.
Dyvim
Bronze Knight of the Realm
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Yeah LA is great for touristy things and all, but to me it felt way toflatinstead of skyscrapers you more than not have your view limited by all these 1-2 story buildings and you find yourself stuck in the horrific traffic which will suck the life essence outtayou travling.
Not sure i cuold live there, maybe there are nice neighborhoods where it doesnt feel that strange but ive yet come to see them.
Not sure i cuold live there, maybe there are nice neighborhoods where it doesnt feel that strange but ive yet come to see them.
I don't know, I've lived around and to this date I'm in love with LA.
By around I mean: South America (Caracas, very populated high density), middle of nowhere Iowa (Fairfield, IA), King County (Eastside of Seattle) and now LA (southbay, El Segundo).
I work and live in El Segundo, next to the beach; yes, I drive everywhere but I don't spend ALL day in traffic; in fact, I doubt people spend ALL THEIR DAY in traffic unless you are a Fedex driver or something.
If you find a nice job you can find a nice place nearby to rent that is not 'in the ghetto' (south central LA).
If you're looking to buy a place, nice areas are starting 400k (2 bed 1 bath), granted, just like NYC LA wages are higher than the median in the country so it evens out.
By around I mean: South America (Caracas, very populated high density), middle of nowhere Iowa (Fairfield, IA), King County (Eastside of Seattle) and now LA (southbay, El Segundo).
I work and live in El Segundo, next to the beach; yes, I drive everywhere but I don't spend ALL day in traffic; in fact, I doubt people spend ALL THEIR DAY in traffic unless you are a Fedex driver or something.
If you find a nice job you can find a nice place nearby to rent that is not 'in the ghetto' (south central LA).
If you're looking to buy a place, nice areas are starting 400k (2 bed 1 bath), granted, just like NYC LA wages are higher than the median in the country so it evens out.
LA is the definition of urban wasteland. Southern California sucks in general so if you absolutely have to live in California, look for a place in the Bay Area.
Void
BAU BAU
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I'm not a fan of LA traffic either, but I've never understood the attraction to the Bay Area either. Unless you're way on the outskirts you're going to be paying even more than LA rates for rent/mortgage, which also means you'll probably be driving into work, and if you don't think that traffic is insane then I don't know what to tell you.
Sure, if you make a shitload of money and live right in the city and don't mind walking/public transportation everywhere, it is probably pretty cool, assuming you don't need very many days over 80 degrees in your life. But for the average person with an average job it is even worse than LA. And if you aren't talking about living right in the city, it quickly turns into that "urban wasteland" you mentioned anyway, so what's the difference? It isn't like San Jose is some beautiful garden spot, for example.
All that being said, I wouldn't want to live in LA either, for obvious reasons. But San Diego is pretty much the best weather I've ever experienced anywhere, and all the little towns/suburbs around it have slightly less traffic than SD proper, so I'd live anywhere around there in a heartbeat. And there are plenty of places around the state that are pretty decent to live, they just aren't in the two areas everyone from out of state has heard of.
I live in Sacramento, and it definitely doesn't have anything "metropolitan" to offer, and it gets pretty damn hot during the summer, but as far as somewhere to live it really isn't bad at all if you can handle hot summers. The rest of the year it is much milder than most other places, not nearly as expensive as LA or SF, and overall just pretty generic. I'm not saying come live here, but if your only two choices in California are LA and SF, you're really ruling out a ton of area. I mean, it's a big fucking state! Except for humidity or frozen tundra (although plenty of places do get snow), you can pretty much find any North American climate you want to live in if you look hard enough. And another climate could be just a few hours away.
So if you don't have to live in SF or LA, don't limit yourself to just those places.
EDIT: But don't consider Stockton or Fresno! Or pretty much any of those "central valley" cities south of Stockton. They are soul-crushingly boring. If you're in that area of the state, your best bet is sticking to the coast. But Stockton and Fresno in particular suck balls. Ask anyone, they'll say the same thing.
Alex
Still a Music Elitist
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The central valley is terrible unless you're a farmer. The 99 is California's Hall of Shame.
And when it comes to the Bay Area, Vvoid is mostly right. SF proper is badass. You'll likely work in the city and traffic isn't really a problem unless you're trying to take a bus 4:30-5:45 on a weekday. But like Vvoid, it's really fucking expensive. If I didn't have rent control at my current apartment, I doubt I would move into the city now. My place is probably $2,000/month by now and it's a 1BR about 850 square feet. Granted, I live in the northeastern corner of the city which is the most expensive part. You can find more affordable places by the beach but the weather is quite a bit worse and the sun isn't around as much.
Oakland is getting nicer and nicer. It's also much more affordable compared to SF, but still pretty damn expensive compared to the rest of California. North of the city, Marin gets away from the urban sprawl but your commute can suffer since there aren't nearly as many jobs up there. Beyond those spots, I wouldn't want to live anywhere in the Bay Area. The Peninsula isn't that great and is as expensive as the city without the benefits, San Jose is trash, and the East Bay outside of Oakland and Berkeley (and even in parts of these places) is either dangerously ghetto or LA-style sprawl.
And when it comes to the Bay Area, Vvoid is mostly right. SF proper is badass. You'll likely work in the city and traffic isn't really a problem unless you're trying to take a bus 4:30-5:45 on a weekday. But like Vvoid, it's really fucking expensive. If I didn't have rent control at my current apartment, I doubt I would move into the city now. My place is probably $2,000/month by now and it's a 1BR about 850 square feet. Granted, I live in the northeastern corner of the city which is the most expensive part. You can find more affordable places by the beach but the weather is quite a bit worse and the sun isn't around as much.
Oakland is getting nicer and nicer. It's also much more affordable compared to SF, but still pretty damn expensive compared to the rest of California. North of the city, Marin gets away from the urban sprawl but your commute can suffer since there aren't nearly as many jobs up there. Beyond those spots, I wouldn't want to live anywhere in the Bay Area. The Peninsula isn't that great and is as expensive as the city without the benefits, San Jose is trash, and the East Bay outside of Oakland and Berkeley (and even in parts of these places) is either dangerously ghetto or LA-style sprawl.