california: i Always wanted to live in cali but, i aways hear people say its not really the way people think it is, what do they mean bye that? also if anybody could tell me about california it would be Great|||when i go out of CA people always ask me if i know a movie star...not all of california is hollywood people|||For a number of reasons, we get a bunch of questions asking what it’s really like in Los Angeles. First of all, I'll tell you what it's NOT like: It's not like anything on TV. People watch shows on TV and think that’s what it’s like out here. The “Real OC”, Newport Beach, The Hills, etc. Ever wonder why people in those shows never have to pay bills, do laundry, and are NEVER stuck in traffic? Because it’s FAKE. And the news doesn’t help either, since they know that sex and sensationalism sells. News flash: There aren’t running gun battles in the street. There aren’t shootouts every day. Also, you don’t see celebrities just walking down the street, all glammed up, or sipping a cappuccino at Starbucks waiting to sign autographs. We don't go surfing during lunch hour. Some sections are REALLY nice, others are “ghetto”. Too many people have this vision in their head that LA is one or the other (either Beverly Hills or Compton). They either think LA is a fairy tale fantasy or an apocalyptic ghetto. In fact, most of it is working class and middle class stiffs working to pay the bills. Like me. You NEED a car to live in Southern California. We don’t have an effective public transportation like New York or San Francisco. One reason is that LA is larger in area than either of those, without a central hub where everything is. Back in the 1960’s, we might have done it. But by the time local governments got their act together, it was much more difficult to make a working public transit system. Also, unlike NY, we have earthquakes, which make it a little more difficult to build underground. The freeway traffic is probably the worst thing about living here. The 405 is the worst. Know why they call it the 405? Because you go 4 o' 5 miles per hour, and it takes 4 o' 5 hours to get where you're going. Freeway Traffic is bad from 6-10 AM and bad from 3-7 PM. I don't know why they call it rush hour. It's more than an hour, and nobody's rushing, that's for sure. The gangs are the cause of many rumors. Keep in mind that there are gangs in any large town, in every part of the country. In LA, the gangs aren't really downtown, they are in South LA, East LA, and north Long Beach (an extension of the South LA gangs, actually). And here's the deal: Mostly, they just kill each other. Gas is expensive in California. It’s about 20-30 cents above the national average. Yes, gas and real estate are very expensive in SoCal. However, this would be the best time to BUY a house because it's a buyer's market right now. There are a lot of foreclosures, and too many houses on the market. Yep, freeways are a drag, it's smoggy in summer, and expensive to live here. Yet, if it's so bad, why do we have thousands and thousands of people moving here? Weather, Activities, Plenty of jobs, Beaches, mountains, deserts all within driving distance, and plenty of opportunity for those who have the skills and tenacity. In colder parts of the country, people keep their cars in their garages all winter. Kids get snow toys for Christmas. Here, kids get BIKES, scooters, and skateboards. 10 AM Christmas morning, the streets are FULL of kids on their new bikes, scooters, etc. The job market is good here, mainly because there are SO many people here that it creates its own job market. Then there are MANY industries, including tourism, entertainment, shipping, manufacturing, etc. It’s an incredible economy. However, it is not for everyone. Every time someone posts this question, you get the LA haters who post their bile and venom. A lot of them don’t know what they are talking about. Some people never even visit, and hate it on principle and stereotypes. Some actually visited once, and found out it wasn’t like it was on TV, and it certainly wasn’t Mayberry. And some actually lived here, and couldn’t deal with the expense, the traffic, or the somewhat impersonal nature of living in a large metropolis. To those I would say “good luck” to you wherever you are, but please don’t spew your hatred in this forum. As for lifestyle, it’s rather casual. You work during the week, and then go do something fun on the weekend, so that you can impress your coworkers around the water cooler on Monday. To summarize, LA a HUGE metropolis that really defies easy description. I live in one of the nicer suburbs, but the commute is no fun, often 1-2 hours each way each day. However, 340+ days of sunshine really helps. Yeah, it's expensive. Mrs. Obviousman and I both have to work to pay the mortgage. But is it worth it? You bet!|||You always wanted to live in Cali or California? There's a difference between the two!! I HONESTLY don't know why you want to come to CA. Here's a little detail of what's going on in LA. As of right now, because of the economy, a job opening in Los Angeles is almost non existent. With the closings of Shoe Pavilion, Linens-N-Things, Mervyns, and Circuit City, it's going to be EVEN MORE difficult. Just recently the unemployment rate went from 9.4% to 10.1%!! You will also need about $10,000 to start off. Decent prices start at $1000 mo. for either an extremely small studio or a 1bd/1ba apartment if you're lucky. There is no such thing as $550 mo. here. A minimum waged job alone will barely pay the rent. Remember, you need to eat, you need water, gas, electric, personal hygiene, etc. Bottom Line: Look elsewhere. In 3 months, you'll be back in your hometown with no improvement whatsoever.|||since everyone seems to be talking only about LA, ill ignore talking about it. Its really just a large city like any other. personally im not a fan at all. Orange County is not like the OC. and they hate it when you call it that. there are parts in the southern part of the county like it but for the most part, its a nice place to live. there are lots of things to do and its pretty much in the middle of everything-not too far from the social events of LA but nice to live with alot of resources and things to do. primarily middle class. As you travel up the north coast,its absolutely gorgeous, and its definitely a laid back style. People say that Californians have a really casual style and its pretty much true. I didnt really notice this until i visited elsewhere. On a usual day, we dress wayyy more casual than say the east coast tends to. we do wear flip flops alot and as much as people dont want to admit it here, surf culture is around more than we realize. especially in san diego. californians think its cool to be "green" but in reality we arent all tree huggers. With the exception of the orange county bubble, most of the state is prettty liberal. Californians are extremely active in general. why wouldnt we be?theres so much to do and the weather is always nice. and in places in ca, it does snow. we border the sierra nevadas, which are really tall and get lots of snow. it rains in norcal and its sunny in socal but that doesnt mean either of those are always like that. the state side bordering az and nv is pretty much the armpit of the state,in my opinion. its barren and dry and there isnt much out there. i love living in california, it is so different depending on where you go in the state. we arent hippie tree huggers that surf after work or school, but we tend to embrace the beauty of where we live. i dunno if its true for the rest of the country as well, but in general, alot of the younger californians say "dude" and "like" way way way too much. i catch myself doing it all the time.|||Life in California is different from other places. But that is part of it's charm. It is true, that you should not base your conceptions of California on what you see on TV or in the movies. The OC for exapmle isn't anything like they portray it in the show. The Hills simply shows one tiny subculture in Laguna full of spoiled rich kids. Your best bet is to visit. Live here for the summer. See if you like it, and then decide. Our weather is generally good. About 73 to 80 degrees most of the year. Sunny and warm. However we do have wet times of year or days where it is "cold". (It snows in higher elevations) I have lived in California most of my life. (I lived in Japan for 2 years) I find that there are a LOT of superficial, materialistic and shallow people. But there are also a lot that aren't. When it boils down to it, it isn't what you expect.....but it is a nice place to live. Lots of variety, lots to do....and VERY expensive. We have one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation right now, the pay isn't all that wonderful in most jobs, the cost of living is insanely high (right now home prices for a decent neighborhood in a decent school district will run you at LEAST 300K....and a 2 bedroom apartment will not cost you less than 1000/month) and don't get me started on Traffic! I live in Orange County (about 10 miles from Disneyland) and it takes me 45 minutes to drive the 7.2 miles to my mother's house every day to pick up my children. If I get lucky and I don't hit too much traffic it will take me 20 - 30 minutes. Life here isn't for everyone......California really is the land of fruits and nuts. LOL And I find that most people can't drive. They think they are the only ones on the road. Forget it if you don't have a BMW, Lexus or a Mercedes....apparently THEY ALWAYS have the right of way. I ahve driven in MANY states and cities....I have NEVER enountered worse drivers than I have in California....and to live here you HAVE to have a car.|||try googling um "california"|||Cali people think that you that about it wrong like it's the land of silk and honey or something like that...|||send me an email and ill tell you what cali is about