It’s not hard to see why Los Angeles is such an appealing relocation destination. Gorgeous weather year-round, one-of-a-kind local culture, and abundant activities are just a few of the enticements the City of Angels has to offer new residents. Furthermore, if you aspire to work in acting, screenwriting, or virtually any other creative field, there’s no better place to seek your fortune. However, if you’ve never spent time in L.A., you’re liable to go through an adjustment period while getting used to life in Dodger City. Even if you’ve lived in other large cities, you’ll quickly find that Los Angeles is home to its own unique challenges. So, if you’ll soon be packing up your life and charting a course to L.A., the following pointers can make both your relocation and acclimation considerably less arduous.
Have a Comfortable Amount Saved up
As is the case with most large cities, Los Angeles is not an inexpensive place to live. While not as prohibitively pricey as NYC or San Francisco, L.A.’s cost of living is larger than that of most small towns and mid-sized cities. That being the case, if you currently have little to no money in the bank, you might not be able to stay in Los Angeles long, even if you manage to go through with the move.
When determining how much money you’ll need in order to comfortably move to L.A., there are a number of factors you’ll need to consider. Do you already own a car? How quickly do you intend to find a job? What part of the city are you looking to move to? At a minimum, you should have at least $5,000 in the bank before charting a course for Los Angeles. This amount should be able to carry you through for a couple of months and buy you time to search for a job. Alternatively, if you’d describe yourself as risk-averse, it may be a good idea to wait until you have a figure closer to $10,000.
Land a Job Before Moving
If you don’t have much money in the bank but are opposed to putting off your big move, you’d be wise to land a job in advance of moving. When applying for jobs in L.A., make sure to emphasize how committed you are to relocating in your cover letters. Certain companies are hesitant to hire out-of-state applicants, and knowing that you’re serious about moving to Dodger City can help alleviate the reservations of prospective employers. Lining up a good job before moving can provide you with tremendous peace of mind and ensure that you have a steady source of income waiting for you.
Rent Outside Storage
Since rental rates tend to be higher in Los Angeles than in many other parts of the country, there’s a good chance you’ll wind up settling for a smaller place than you’d prefer. If you hail from a smaller area in which spacious apartments can be rented for reasonable rates, downsizing (while paying more in rent) is liable to be a bit of an adjustment. This can be particularly inconvenient for people who own a large number of possessions. If you own a lot of items for which you have no immediate need, seeking outside storage solutions should prove worth your while. Anyone in the market for a secure storage unit should pull up their favorite search engine and enter “storage Los Angeles.”
Make Sure You Have a Dependable Car
Unlike other sprawling metropolises in the U.S., Los Angeles was designed to be driven, not walked. As such, if you don’t own a vehicle, you’re liable to have trouble getting anywhere in a timely manner. If you already own a car, you’ll all set. However, if you don’t, make sure to procure one before your big move. This may entail putting your relocation on hold, but as you’ll quickly find, a dependable vehicle is a necessity for virtually every Angelino.
To say that Los Angeles has a lot to offer new residents would be an understatement. Between perpetually gorgeous weather, access to job opportunities in creative fields and close proximity to all things showbiz-related, the City of Angels is quite the enticing destination. Transplants looking to make a smooth transition to life in Dodger City would do well to heed the pointers discussed above.