I live in LA now

[J3FF3R00]

I just moved here last week from Brooklyn, NY. We just rented an apt in the hills just north of Hollywood by the Hollywood Bowl.

It's kinda cool here, but I don't know shit about LA.

It seems like there are a ton of serious fucking douchebags here.

I was hoping some of you guys could inundate me with basic info about what is cool to do here, what LA life is like and little tricks I may need to know.

I know I need to get a car really soon. I'm borrowing a friend's car and have learned that you basically cannot live here without one. Any info on that front is particularly helpful (ie: car strategies, rentals/leasing/used cars/insurance/etc... I literally know nothing about cars other than gas is really really fucking expensive right now.

 

This place is nothing like NYC, which is a bit scary, but I know there is stuff out there that I'll just find in time.

 

Thanks

[Guest Gbiscuit]

I've never been to Cali, but don your fancy technical jackets and khakis for this super duper safari through the depths of lolz.

 

http://www.lagangtours.com/

[QBLA]

how far are you from work? if you're close enough, just get a bike or hoof it. you'll get a lot of excersize that way. just use the car as a recreational tool or on weekends or shopping for groceries. public transportation is pretty cool as well. there are some metro rails that go throughout hollywood, longbeach, pasadena, east L.A., etc.

I don't think the traffic is as bad as in NYC, but it totally sucks none the less. I've came out of a traffic jam once with a broken stereo that I wailed on with a wrench (it ate a tape in the middle of traffic which made my anger more amplified).

 

I don't live in L.A. anymore. When I lived in florida I learned to love the boonies life of living way out in the sticks. I'm like 90 something miles south east of L.A. now.

 

as far as getting a car, maybe get a copy of autotrader from the nearest grocery store. you'd find good deals there.

[Guest yikes]

LA is a drag and is nothing like brooklyn

BUT

there is the medical weed thing

and venice/santa monica

skate/surf culture

and that great weather

lots of pussy too

 

nose dive for the idms/art/culture though

pretty soul-less and sterile compared to gritty ass NYC man

[Guest Malverde]

Congratulations, you now live in the Hollywood Hills, (douchebag central generally).

Again generally, everyone claims to work "in the industry" and lease expensive cars they cannot afford in those parts.

It could be worse though, you could have decided to live in the west side/santa monica area.

Which is quite arguably the most bougie part of Los Angeles County.

 

It would be silly to by a car in LA, the price would be ridiculously inflated.

If you can buy one out of Los Angeles county, it will save you probably 1,000-3,000.

If at all possible, I'd suggest not buying a car altogether.There is an absurd and prevalent car culture here.

It is four dollars a gallon in some parts, probably hit five in the summer.

There are bus lines, subways, streetcars, bike routes, a metrolink rail... etc.

Many people get around without a car here, if you moved closer to a subway station you could get around by using the subway and walking/biking.

You save upwards of 1,000 a month doing this and generally get a much more interesting/realistic glimpse of city life (compared to sitting in a car everyday in horrible traffic, four hours).

 

Go to amoeba records. It will blow your mind. There are also lots of little great independent shops here, but it takes work to find them.

The Fais Do Do (www.yelp.com/biz/cafe-club-fais-do-do-los-angeles) has a great soul/funk night, although it might not be around anymore.

The Smell venue used to have some great electronic nights, now it is mostly hipsters, some good stuff once in a while.

Good radio stations are KPFK (music comes on in the evening) and KCRW (PM hours). Silent movie theatre - www.cinefamily.org

Little Tokyo grocery stores, Korean BBQ, LACMA.

Find an LA Weekly @ amoeba and you can find some other interesting things.

 

Hope this helps, pm me or something. It takes about a year or two to get the swing of it out here.

[halisray]

[delet...]

I live in LA now and need suggestions

 

get out before 2012, heh.

[QBLA]

malverde pretty much nailed it.

[Eggs]

learn to swim

[Guest Malverde]

 

The Los Angeles Central Library is great if you are into reading. Huge selection, six stories if you include the basement and curious architecture.

 

City is cutting staff and hours, no more Sunday access, always good to show support for institutions of learning.

 

My favorite Indian Restaurante - www.gateofindiala.com - excellent curry and a good vegetarian selection

 

Hidden treasure: Cosmopolitan Book Shop www.yelp.com/biz/cosmopolitan-book-shop-los-angeles - great used records/books

 

Near you, Tiago Espresso Bar + Kitchen, www.yelp.com/biz/tiago-espresso-bar-kitchen-los-angeles , good food and coffee

 

Low End Theory www.lowendtheoryclub.com/theclub.html - somewhat losing its focus imo, but Nosaj Thing, Dam-Fun and Strangeloop play once in a while

 

Avoid places like The Groove (terrible strip mall attraction) and being on 101 freeway from 8am-10am and 4pm-9pm.

 

All odd numbered freeways go north/south and all even numbered freeways go east/west.

 

The Tiki Ti bar is good - tiki-ti.com - a 60s themed tiki bar, cash only and you can still smoke.

 

The Egyptian Theatre has some nice independent things from time to time.

 

There is a Hollywood farmers market on Sunday mornings.

 

If you are ever in Burbank, Tomo's sushi is probably the best sushi in LA - www.yelp.com/biz/tomo-sushi-burbank#query:tomos%20sushi.

 

Taco Tuesday bike ride if you are a biker, it is a critical mass type ride.

 

etc... etc... etc...

[Guest cardan]

Information for visitors to Los Angeles, but first a word from our sponsor.

 

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[J3FF3R00]

Many many thanks guys!

Keep the tips rolling!

 

I will be freelancing and my wife is an actress so it makes a lot of sense for us to live where we are (centrally located with easy access to Studio City)... I think?

I've been to Amoeba before. It is certainly the shit.

I'm always down to find more record shops.

At some point, I would also love to try to get a DJ gig someplace, spinning old skool jungle... if that is possible. Highly doubtful that would ever happen.

We are probably going to need some new furniture because our apartment is bigger than the one we had in NYC (go figure). Anyone have thoughts on where we can find quality, cheap furniture?

[keltoi]

your wife is an acwaitress?

[jules]

learn to swim

 

I approve these lyrics

[baph]

Malverde is giving some good advice. I fucking hate the West Side, so 'grats on avoiding that. And don't go to Venice/Santa Monica for the beaches either, unless you want your feet covered in tar and god knows what. The West Side is everything bad about LA: pollution, rich d-bags with entitlement complexes and huge trust funds and not enough talent to match the egos, incredible traffic, and a thin veneer of privilege and luxury barely covering a seedy, rotting core.

 

Depending on your job, though, you will need a car. The public transportation coverage is spotty out here (especially coming from New York or Boston or sommat). If you're lucky enough to live right by a subway stop great, but don't count on it.

 

+1 stay away from the Grove (or Americana, the Glendale equivalent). The Farmers Market next to the Grove is pretty good though (not a real farmers market, but there are some fantastic not-too-expensive restaurants and shops).

 

My gf's mom is part of the farmers market scene, I can point you to some real local-goods farmers markets if you ever want. There are actually quite a few.

 

Honestly, all the bad shit you hear about LA is true, but the thing is there are a huge number of hidden gems. You need to dig for them, but when you find them you realize the good often far outweighs the bad. If you're looking for something, anything, you'll find it eventually.

 

Edit: add'l advice: Avoid LA County restaurants with a B Health rating (you'll see it plastered on the entrance or thereabouts) . Go for the A's as much as you can. If you find a place that you trust and it eventually slips to a B, you can probably keep on trusting them. They'll probably bounce back (health inspector probably found an unrefrigerated dairy something or other on the counter that was meant to be thrown out, and would have been, had the inspector not barged in). But the perpetual B's-- those places have some nasty going on. If you're a white man, you will probably die if you eat at a C.

 

Paradoxically, throw all health concerns out the window and take in some taco trucks.

[QBLA]

OH! and stay away from Down Town L.A. during the NBA Championship! whether or not the Lakers lose, there will still be a riot as usual!

[baph]

(The reason I bring up the above re: restaurant health safety ratings is because what it takes to get a "b" varies from relatively minor food safety issues to some seriously disgusting lapses in responsible food preparation). I've had a few... incidents.

 

You can look up a restaurant here: http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov/rating/

And see what went wrong. If it's usually in the As with the odd B thrown in, go for it.

 

If it says something like 'employee poop on food preparation surface', you should probably avoid it.

 

Edit: holy fuck yes, stay away from DTLA if the Lakers are in the Championship, because there are insane riots and Kobe will rape you. TRUST ME I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE

[QBLA]

Paradoxically, throw all health concerns out the window and take in some taco trucks.

 

and the ladies that sell bacon wrapped hotdogs... so good but oh so unhealthy! I guess they wouldn't hurt once in a while!

[QBLA]

I remember a restaurant in south pasadena that got a "B" rating because the only restroom they had, the customers had to walk through the kitchen. They had the best mexican omlettes ever!

 

I got in an argument with a friend who wanted to eat at a "C" rated restaurant in China Town and I told him... "A C rated restaurant is one thing. But A C rated restaurant in China Town? FUCK THAT!"

[Guest maus]

i live in venice (on the much-maligned west side), and i happen to think it's FAR less entitled, douchey, and business-y than hollywood and the godforsaken hole that is silverlake.

 

most of the folks in my hood (and venice in general) seem to be people who ACTUALLY work in the "business" (that is production, show running, the nuts-and-bolts stuff), as opposed to those trying to "make it" and be stars. the west side, in my experience, is much more laid back, less traffic-y, less stuck up and "hip" (shorts and sandals are standard attire at most restaurants, etc.), but others would seem to feel differently about the area.

 

having said that, hollywood is pretty oppressive at times. i work not too far from where you're now living, down by hollywood blvd. and western ave. lots of good thai restaurants 'round this way.

 

learn to surf. check out malibu from time to time. enjoy the getty center (preferably during the week.) drive out to palm springs / the salton sea for a break. head up to big bear for some snow.

 

most of all, enjoy the weather, and try not to take anyone too seriously. in my opinion, it's the people that make LA unpleasant. so the key is to find some good folks who are on your level and spend some time with them.

[Guest KY]

four words: museum of jurassic technology

[Guest abracadabra]

WELCOME TO CALIFORNIA

 

ms-dos and I both live in LA as well. I used to live in Koreatown but am kind of homeless at the moment living between places from Westwood to Echo Park.

 

Anyway, I think you should get a car. However, I was car-less for a while living out here and I got by just fine with the rails and buses. But you should get a car anyway dude.

 

Wurstküche has bomb sausages and beer.

 

The Airliner has Low End Theory every Wednesday night.

 

The Smell has cheap shows mostly of noise, ambient and punk. But it's riddled with children.

 

I like the bars in Echo Park, particularly The Gold Room and The Short Stop.

 

LACMA and the Getty are cool. LACMA is free after 5pm and you only gotta pay for parking at the Getty.

 

There are a lot of other music venues around the city: Troubadour in WeHo, The Echo and Echoplex in Echo Park are some that come to mind.

 

I think cops in WeHo are corrupt.

 

*Medical Marijuana* It's pretty easy to get a prescription/recommendation/whatever they call it and there are dispensaries all over. My girlfriend just recently got hers but was creeped out by the doctor who gave her a massage and asked her "Does that feel good?" If you do get one, some clinics will try to sell you an "identification card" that you apparently don't need. You just need the certification. Also most dispensaries give ya free shit if you're a first time customer or even if you buy an 1/8th or more.

 

You should probably eat at an In-N-Out if you like burgers and haven't already.

 

Cinefamily aka The Silent Movie Theater is cool : http://www.cinefamily.org/, I saw Johann Johannsson perform there, it was fuckin beautiful.

 

The Natural History Museum at USC has some shows I think every first Friday or somethin.

 

Visit Griffith Park and the Observatory really baked.

 

Maybe take a trip out to Valencia to go to Six Flags, or Anaheim for Disneyland while goomin' or somethin.

[QBLA]

 

The Airliner has Low End Theory every Wednesday night.

 

I like the bars in Echo Park, particularly The Gold Room and The Short Stop.

 

 

 

are you familiar with a monthly event at the Airliner called "Heart On"? I think my friend Bizzart and his wife have something to do with it, they're always promoting it and the girl on the current flyer is his wife. They've invited me to play there in the past, but I didn't have adequate equipment and taking care of kids all the time. I am ready to take them up though for something in the future. I couldn't find a site but I found their face book: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Heart-On-Production/128413050521075?sk=info

 

I've hung out at the Short Stop before, the DJs were terrible everytime. there's this place down the street from there where most my friends would go to after hours called "the bright spot" for breakfast. but everytime I went, there was always a line and I'd say "FUCK IT!" and leave.

[QBLA]

oh... and don't look at the pics of that facebook page if you're offended by hipsters (since a lot of watmmers seem like they are).

[baph]

Wurstkuche is really, really good, but you should go before 1pm because it gets fucking crowded fast. There are also a few really good restaurants right near Wurstkuche, but I'm not going to name them because I don't want them to get as crowded as Wurstkuche (and I have that much influence, lol).

 

If I say I liked Wurstkuche more before it got really crowded with hipsters and nobody knew about it, does that make me some uber-meta-doucey-hipster? Honestly, it's just very loud in there.

 

In-N-Out is shit. There are actual good burgers in LA that aren't just glorified fast food burgers. Find an Umami or The Counter. If you want a fast food burger, In-N-Out is fine, but don't expect a revelation (you might get some Book of Revelations from the bottom of the cup, though)