My plans are to move to the LA area in under two years.

[Alex.]

I'm tired of WI and my job consists of working outside for practically my entire work day. -30 degree F temps can piss off. I'm able to transfer over to California in a years time and am just curious as to where I should look to live.

My brother is moving to LA and I'd love to be close to him if I'm packing my bags and venturing across the country. I'm single and shit so I don't have to worry about a family or kids. It's always been a dream of mine really to get out to the west coast and start my own thing out there. So any SoCal guys have any insight on cities/areas to look for? I'm currently paying $675 for rent in a 400 sq. ft. studio apartment + electricity and internet. Although my car will be paid off next summer so there's an extra $500 a month to play with, although it'd be nice not to spend all of that $500.

I looked online at some studio apartments in LA and they're close to what I'm payin now, although they are about half the size. Outside of LA is cool but just close to the coast and that part of the state is what I'm after. Let me know!

[Narcoleptic Insomniac]

I don't have anything useful to contribute but the same has been kind of a dream of mine for some time too. Also, San Diego is pretty cool. Good luck.

[Alex.]

I don't have anything useful to contribute but the same has been kind of a dream of mine for some time too. Also, San Diego is pretty cool. Good luck.

Thanks man.

It's always just been a dream of mine. For some reason, growing up in rural Wisconsin... I still haven't grown into the idea of shit living for half the year and hunting for the other half. I love small town and I hate small town. It's going to be really scary and a huge step to just leave my entire family and friends. And I can't predict what will happen in the future but I truly feel this will make me happier.

I feel like I'm growing away from my High School friends and my family. Any girl I try to talk to over here just doesn't work out because "I used to be a punk". So I'm just over it. Wish me luck, fellas. BG lives.

[paranoidmexican]

if you love Cali you might like Austin too, probably cheaper. I have a lot of family in Santa Ana area and it's a really nice place, just really expensive. god speed!!!!

[master]

Talk to Sokolaka about San Diego, he seems to like it down there.

How would cost of living compare to where you are now? Would you get getting a raise to make up for the higher rent/tax/etc?

[KirkShearer]

I live in Redlands, San Bernardino County. 50 miles from L.A., Riverside's even closer. Both super-packed with street spots and parks to ride. SUPER Solid scene in Riverside and L.A., buncha huge jamz n' shit. The west coast is big a network of riders.
Hollywood sucks ass. There's an app for $5 with all the spots, called "SkateSpots". Runs on your phone like google/apple maps based on your current location, and allows you to search for street spots and parks nearby. The train on the weekends is 10$ all day, runs from San Bernardino to LA, or Orange County, to San Diego and back, at multiple times. Plenty of room for bikes on the train always.
The beach is f69ckin' tits, San Diego POPPIN, San Jose POPPIN.

[BonerhasBent]

San Diego is where its at! LA is over priced, waaaaaay over crowded and full of dumbass rich fucks! Now, i know LA has some great offers, but for me, its miserable. I've lived in San Diego my whole life, and its great, although it is getting crowded too. North County San Diego is where its at, and is where i live. If you live a simple, minimal lifestyle its easy to make rent. I pay $700 for a small 450sq.ft. studio. Its 30-mins from the beach. The deals are out there, keep searching and you will find what your looking for.   Plenty to ride, and not crazy expensive depending the the job you have. Although the closer to the coast, the more your going to pay. There is a great BMX community here, a lot of pro riders live here as well. Good skateparks, and some awesome trail spots, plenty of collage pussy too. If your into riding MTB its got some great spots as well.
Overall i wouldn't mess with LA. Riverside/San Bernardino is okay, but hot and haggard.
It all depends on where you can find a place to live. I can tell you right now, any place in California, is gona be better then where your at now. Make the move, see what happens, you can always go back to what you know.

[Alex.]

Talk to Sokolaka about San Diego, he seems to like it down there.

How would cost of living compare to where you are now? Would you get getting a raise to make up for the higher rent/tax/etc?

I'd be making the same hourly rate at like $18 an hour starting off but I don't know if the taxes are different over there and what not.

San Diego is where its at! LA is over priced, waaaaaay over crowded and full of dumbass rich fucks! Now, i know LA has some great offers, but for me, its miserable. I've lived in San Diego my whole life, and its great, although it is getting crowded too. North County San Diego is where its at, and is where i live. If you live a simple, minimal lifestyle its easy to make rent. I pay $700 for a small 450sq.ft. studio. Its 30-mins from the beach. The deals are out there, keep searching and you will find what your looking for.   Plenty to ride, and not crazy expensive depending the the job you have. Although the closer to the coast, the more your going to pay. There is a great BMX community here, a lot of pro riders live here as well. Good skateparks, and some awesome trail spots, plenty of collage pussy too. If your into riding MTB its got some great spots as well.
Overall i wouldn't mess with LA. Riverside/San Bernardino is okay, but hot and haggard.
It all depends on where you can find a place to live. I can tell you right now, any place in California, is gona be better then where your at now. Make the move, see what happens, you can always go back to what you know.

Thanks for the info! I currently pay $675 for a 390 sq. ft. studio apartment so that really isn't out of reach at all. I was expecting all these places to be like $1300 a month or something due to the location. Yeah, I'm not pumped on LA itself but would like to live in SoCal somewhere not to distant from the coast.

[weedbix]

Socal might be jarring if you are used to Wisconsin. Norcal is still hella clement

[blueee]

la is huge. is your job going to be in the cool hollywood part or some shit suburb in the far desert east?

rent is expensive down there, move in a house with people if you don't want to pay more than 1k for rent and you don't suck to live with.

the skateparks down there are plentiful but are kinda whack compared to other parts of Cali. do you wanna ride your bike to work and play and live or do you wanna drive around in shitty la traffic all the time, consider that when you pick somewhere to live. going five fucking miles can take up to 20minutes in some places/time-of-day, now just imagine trying to go 20miles, or even drive across Los Angeles at 4pm on  a weekday.. okay I'm just rambling now. living in a city is awesome

excuse any wierd ass auto corrects by my phone

[blueee]

get a motorcycle and move to slabcity city and the rest of the world

[Alex.]

Socal might be jarring if you are used to Wisconsin. Norcal is still hella clement

How you mean?

[human]

You should visit your brother and feel it out - no use in rushing. San Diego is certainly a bi more mellow than LA but, like anywhere, it’s what you make of it.

Also, whattup BG

[Bunky]

I've been thinking about moving out to LA myself, but it's just so expensive out there...

My wife has been out there for the past 3 months picking up work and trying to get back on a good job in her industry as it's difficult to pick up work anywhere else and she got cut from a pretty big tour mid run by a shit TM.  She's had the good fortune of being able to stay on friends couches and getting lodging/bus bunks when she picks up gigs.  All of that is really just for her, otherwise I would probably already be out there.

I'm gonna talk with a buddy of mine that I used to work with about some potential work out there soon since the company he's working for is expanding and he's got to do a job out there for about a month while the artist he normally works with is not doing shows. 

If I end up finding anything permanent out there I'd probably want to buy a house again, but with the prices I'd probably want to rent out a room or two.  If that pans out, I'd definitely hit you up Alex as having a place to rent might make it easier for you and it would be nice for me to have a renter that rides.

[Alex.]

Flying out to LA next weekend for a few days if anyone near there wants to grab a couple drinks KS or something. I'm just going to be floating around Santa Monica for the most part but haven't booked any hotels yet.