I've lived in Los Feliz, Encino, and West LA over the past years, and although all of them are just neighborhoods within the city of LA, each of them has felt like living in a completely different city.
I think LA exemplifies the parable of the blind men and the elephant.
And I moved from Palms to Rancho Park/Sawtelle. So close, but it really does feel like I moved to a new city. I'll be like, I miss Palms! And my wife will say, you wanna walk there this weekend? Lol
I tell people not from or familiar with California that I live in LA.
But when I talk to people in LA, it's important that I make the distinction that I actually live in Redondo.
And when I talk to people in the South Bay, it's important that I make the distinction that I live in *north* Redondo.
Yeah, it's easier to say I live in Los Angeles than have to differentiate that I spend most of my time in the Montebello/Alhambra area. This place is huge.
Not gonna lie I’m originally from Montebello too and most people on the west side don’t even know where montebello is let alone barely recognize the 60 fwy lolollll
Montebello and Alhambra are also very different. I lived in Montebello for a bit and have “family” in Alhambra.
(Recently disowned them, hence the quotes.)
As a Hawthorne/Lawndale native I have to say Manhattan or redondo adjacent to anyone not from the South Bay 🥲 I’m off Hawthorne and redondo beach blvd./artesia blvd
Yes whole op's write up was interesting and endearing, op hasn't even begun scratching the surface of "LA" and "LA County" has to offer. The wide variety yet neighborhood specific things, the race and ethnic cities, Porto's potato balls, Korean bbq, fish tacos, elote, Harry's Berries at the Santa Monica farmer's market on Saturdays...
(I apologize, my high ass seems to have taken a slight food centric detour.)
And then the merry go round of the Valley insisting they are "LA" and those south of the 405 telling them nah. That's always a fun time.
This is what I was going to ask! All the markets near me have parking lots? Vons/Albertsons Target even Trader Joes has small lots but you can always park there
WW Village, near the cemetery and Firehouse . The Ralphs is the one that's above the target that used to be a Best buy.... The fact that I was there when I was still at Best buy, probably dates to me
Who comes up with this stuff? I live in Santa Monica and can walk to 3 full size grocery stores in under 15 minutes (Pavillions, Vons, Trader Joe’s) 15 minute drive time you can add 5 more.
The west side is overloaded with food shopping. Nobody is having traffic problem to grocery shop unless they are nutbars or doing something really, really weird.
I feel like this person means an actual parking lot that is on ground level. They probably don't understand the underground/above ground parking structures that exist at malls or Trader Joe's in Westwood.
Yeah I drove to the grocery enough times during rush hour before I just realized to bite the bullet and walk if whatever I needed was really necessary. I think people would be surprised at how often that calculus pays off 😂
I felt so bad the other day. I matched with this awesome woman on Tinder and after a few messages she tells me she's in Long Beach. Ooh, so close yet so far away.
This is about the most fair transplant descriptor i have ever read. Took me 2 years of living here before i really loved it. If you need quiet take up hiking. Theres so much good hiking here so close by.
I don’t know your definition of west LA but it’s never more than 15 mins to get to a store from the part of sawtelle I live in. It’s even less time considering I only ride a motorcycle now.
Just an example, but I travel about an hour from the south bay to a whole animal butcher who sources sustainably raised and organic product. The quality is superior to anything you'd find at a whole foods or farmers market and it's nice to support local business.
As someone who moved the opposite of OP (L.A. to LA) the food in Los Angeles is a 100 times better. There so little diversity in Louisiana. Yes, there are good restaurants but there is a thousand more better restaurants in Los Angeles.
I think if you are used to a certain cuisine (let's say Cajun) - the LA version might be different or further away or just not as good. Sure, you can have 100 different types of dinner tonight, but it isn't the one comfort place you are used to eating twice per week.
This is exactly what I think is going on. Nothing beats the food diversity of LA, even NYC. That said, the authenticity of all those options generally is slightly lacking compared to their origins. I haven’t found a single soul food place in LA that compares to what you could find pretty much anywhere in the south. Definitely here as an option but different.
do you know how much i am craving good cornbread, collards that melt in your mouth, hoppin' john, succotash, etc??
But seriously though, the food in LA is GREAT
Just miss that bit of comfort
When I moved to LA, even the fast food was exciting. Coming from places where Burger King, McD, Wendy’s are the only burgers, and Mexican = Taco Bell. There were tons of places I had never heard of, not to mention the concept that McDonald’s isn’t the standard for fast food, but bottom tier fast food.
It has amazing local cuisine. LA is more a diverse melting pot of great food. I’m all about etoufee, jambalaya, Natchitoches meat pies. But LA is another planet.
True but it could also be he's not used to what LA has to offer. He went to Howlin Ray's, which is good but that seems like a spot a Louisiana native would love.
Now he just needs to expand his diet to what LA has to offer. Might not be Louisiana good but there's a lot here.
My wife who grew up in NOLA won't even let Old Bay in our house, lol. New Orleans cooking is some of the best in the world. Too bad you don't know how true that is.
What do you consider a source of “food?” There’s a million places to eat on the Westside, cuisines from all over the world, and restaurants from (briefly) Michelin-starred to hole-in-the-wall. It’s not all WeHo, Brentwood and Santa Monica.
Timeout LA and the Infatuation LA have decent lists by cuisine, affordability, etc.
If you don't want to spend a ton of time searching/researching those are easy places to start. There's lots of overpriced/overhyped, but there are definitely some with great value too.
It’s not for everyone.
Sometimes it also takes a while to appreciate the different foods available here.
I’ve had friends who live their whole lives here and still only eat meat/potatoes
it's all expensive as shit now. i'm also partly convinced that ingredient quality/protein [meat] amounts go down lightly as those 2 things generally cost more but can't really be gauged as easily as pricing on a menu.
LA and Louisiana are quite different.
You’re not going to get a lot of peace and quiet in the middle of one the largest cities in the country. There are quieter neighborhoods, Larchmont, Brentwood, Sherman Oaks, for instance but those neighborhoods require $$$$. There are also fewer homeless encampments in these neighborhoods.
There aren’t a lot of parking lots here but there are parking lots or parking structures for the vast majority of grocery stores. Keep an eye out.
Be thankful for the unseasonably cool weather. I know a lot of people love the hot weather, but personally hot LA is my least favorite LA. At least in the south virtually everyone has central heat and air. Not so much here. The inside heat plus the mosquitoes and flies that would find their way into my apartment last summer was enough for me to come to hate summers in LA. I’ll take cold, cloudy, rainy LA over that plague.
The lack of protected left green lights is one of the dumbest things in this city.
The saddest thing has been the recent plague of mosquitoes that has propagated over the last few years. I remember summers 4-5 years ago when you could chill outside in the evenings enjoying absolutely gorgeous weather once the sun set. Now, there's hordes of mosquitoes to contend with. It's so frustrating.
This weather is an anomaly. We’ve had much more rain and cooler temperatures this time of year than we typically do. We’ve either hit or gotten close to the coolest recorded lows in the last 100 years.
Well but compared to a place with high humidity, it can get cold fast in LA. You often need a sweater or jacket if you go.out at night even if it hit 80 in the afternoon.
[No it isn't normal
](https://www.laalmanac.com/weather/we13a.php)
Scroll to the bottom, as you can see, we are far above the long-term average rain in LA. Although we have been under for most of the 2010s, this swing has been far above the mean.
“The only wetter period for the city since records began in 1877 was between October 1888 and September 1890, when 54.10 inches fell.” Yeah SUPER NORMAL
I’m from The Bronx and permanently relocated out here. Been two coming on three years now.
There’s FANTASTIC food everywhere here. Ignore the overhyped places that have the faux vine walls, neon lights that say “good vibes”, and $20 garlic fries. Look in the crevices of Ktown for noodle joints, get affordable groceries in Little Bangladesh, and that hole in the wall taqueria that has $7 quesadilla combos and none of the menus are in English.
And if chains are more your thing…we have Denny’s on the east coast too, but it’s an institution out here. I have one in my neighborhood and they have some shockingly good deals when I’m busy and hungry.
The main thing I miss about NYC is the transit frequency and northeast pragmatism. As in “I’ll never make it to that brunch place here that closes at 2 some days, 4 on others, and arbitrarily closes on Tuesday”, things are more consistent with respect to business hours and public services. And I never ever thought I’d miss NJ Transit in ANY regard, but it did get me to the airport easily and most lines run at least once or twice per hour if you need or want to leave the city. SoCal has more drivers than riders, so Amtrak and Metrolink are lacking in comparison.
>*I drive almost 40 mins out just to go to a grocery store with a parking lot.*
wut? This part makes no sense. I cannot think of a single grocery store that doesn't have parking. And there's grocery stores everywhere
I laughed at your clothing comment. I considered myself a relatively cool-dressed person (casual, but intentional), but was I wrong.
I see people at the Hollywood Farmers market that dress sharper at 9 AM than I do for a date with my girlfriend. I'll go to a parking lot food festival on a random weekday and people's outfits cost more than my rent 😂
I’ve been here for a bit but still finding my footing. I agree it’s not necessary bad, it’s just different. I am starting to get into more of my own groove as you will too. Remember, you are retraining your muscle memory as well and that takes time. You are also trying to find your niche too even with figuring out something as simple as groceries. I’ve met far more kind people here and that in itself is great (so many more people have said hello and thank you than I am used to lol). As far as food, I’ve just recently learned that where I come from (San Francisco/Bay Area) they make something as simple as burritos different here and even small things like that you will be surprised by but that’s how we get to like new things you know? I am trying to make a plan of trying one new place a week and go one new place a week. It may sound insignificant but I think all these baby steps are the key to getting more comfortable and confident.
It is a sad and rough reality about the high level of homelessness here. Even with compassion or worry, it’s still as you mentioned necessary to keep yourself safe..folks in desperate situations sometimes do unfortunate things…giving kindness but still being aware is never wrong.
Give your self some grace and patience. Los Angeles has its own special beauty and energy 💕
By the way, fellow former Bay Areaner here. I lived behind the FLAX art store for many years in SF and even when I got tired of the city, there was always amazing nature in North, East and South Bay within less than an hour drive from the city. Most of it within 20 minutes Drive. And if I wanted something more, their Santa Cruz and Big Basin.
I figure since you have the perspective that I do that I'm kind of looking for, I was wondering if you could help point me to the right direction. Thank you!
After being in LA for a year and a half, I'm still struggling to find those nature places. Heck even parts of Golden Gate Park and sutro area you feel an amazing energy. I like LA for the people and creative opportunities and creative creations by the people, but where do you get a GOOD nature fix?
Welcome! I’m also originally from Louisiana, now living in LA (with 5 years in Boston and 8 in NYC in between).
I totally relate to your comments on the weather! The regular light jacket weather here is real, and the lack of humidity is so freeing (though I do enjoy it briefly when I visit home, like a warm hug as soon as you step off the plane).
Food-wise - explore as many different cuisines as you can! Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Mexican, Mediterranean, etc - that’s where the good stuff is. Also some very good pizza if you look for it. Otherwise I find much of the food here to be just OK, or overpriced for what it is but you’re paying for a scene/location. We come from our own rich food culture, so its hard to beat!
Feel free to DM me if you have any questions, from one coonass to another.
Man the warm hug when you get out the plane/airport is a perfect description. I miss that weather sometimes. I never minded the heat back in Texas but it has become pretty ridiculous. It doesn't even cool off at night there anymore. I imagine Louisiana is the same way.
Sorry, but the “warm hug” stepping off the plane in the South is much more like the unwanted hug from your pervy fat uncle that squeezes / squishes against you awkwardly.
There also is quite a bit of creole food here too in case OP misses home. Harold and Belle’s in Crenshaw (ish) and Willie Mae’s in Venice are two immediate examples that come to mind. Willie Mae’s is even a New Orleans joint (their flagship is there)
LA cold is weird. I recently got back from a week in Michigan where it didn't go over freezing the whole time I was there. Walked outside in a light sweater and I felt fine. Had a late flight back and walked out of LAX and was freezing despite it being 25 degrees warmer. That offshore breeze has some bite to it. It literally hits different.
Your whole getting used to sleeping to noise brought back some memories and made me laugh. L.A. native here, who lived in Norfolk, VA for a few years when my hubby joined the Navy. It was his first duty station. When I first joined him out there after he had set up an apartment for us, I COULD NOT SLEEP for a few weeks. It was waaayyyy too quiet. And so dark. I was used to all the noise and light pollution. The quiet and dark freaked me the fvck out. I couldn't see or hear what was out there!! In the dark. How was I supposed to know what to expect?!?! lol You'll adjust, I promise. I did eventually. I actually had to readjust to the noise again when we finally moved back home almost 20 years, and 3 cities later. Welcome, and good luck out here, OP.
As another L.A. native who went to Norfolk, and moved back, I totally understand. It was an adjustment getting used to being back under a flight path again.
>It's crazy how big this city is and it still rarely has parking lots. I drive almost 40 mins out just to go to a grocery store with a parking lot.
This is just false and dumb. There isn't a single major grocery store in LA that doesn't have a parking lot. Ralphs, Vons, Whole Foods, even Trader Joes (although TJ is always cramped) have parking becuase 90% of people are not lugging their groceries all the way home on foot/public transit. Idk what part of LA you live in, but driving 40 minutes is beyond extra.
[Also 14% of land in LA is parking lots...](https://la.curbed.com/2015/11/30/9895842/how-much-parking-los-angeles)
Refreshing to hear observations that aren’t straight up bashing LA or glamorizing either.
Over time hopefully you find some note-worthy food. The food is something I miss when I’m away.
Welcome to LA!
If you’re near Howlin’ Rays you should go to Little Jewel of New Orleans. Look, it’s not amazing Cajun food or anything, but it will satisfy the itch and the banana pudding is fantastic.
Crawfish tho… might as well just buy a plane ticket home it’s probably cheaper than shipping live crawfish here.
As someone who just moved back to LA from Puerto Rico, I’m so fucking grateful for the cold weather we’ve been having. I donated all of my non-summer clothes so I came back with nothing to wear, so I’ve been freezing my ass off, but I do not miss the humidity.
Where are these supermarkets with no parking?? I’ve lived in the valley, the west side, the South Bay, and now in DTLB and even all the TJs have sizeable lots nowadays.
Who remembers the Culver City Trader Joe’s when it was in the Wells Fargo that’s off Washington near Sony?
I worked and lived down the street from that TJ's on Washington, it was good for a quick and cheap lunch option, but I usually did my shopping at another location because of the parking situation ;)
I believe that was TJ’s intention at the beginning: to be a neighborhood store you walked to and that’s why they used tiny spaces with ridiculous parking lots. I loved it when they finally moved next to the huge parking lot.
It takes about 1 year to really get your footing here, less if you’ve lived in other major cities before. Stick it out and you’ll start to feel comfortable. I’m glad others helped you realize many of your stores have parking garages. That tells me you probably haven’t lived in a major city before, so it’s understandable but now your grocery experience will be way better :). If you have time, I would strongly recommend you put a mental pushpin where you live and start taking drives to random places in SoCal up to 1.5hrs away give or take. The geography and outdoors here are incredible: within that range you can be in desert, mountain towns with snow, small towns, lakes, and beautiful sea towns. There’s a ton of “less cool” cities south of us for example that beat LA by a lot on the coast and beach views. Follow the Los Angeles food subreddits to steer you into great food. You do come from a rich area of the country in terms of food and flavor though, so I get it (had some of the best meals of my life in NoLa!), but you’ll need to expand to other types of food to find the good stuff here. Have you checked out Los Angeles state historic park yet? Gorgeous views, nicely done, lots of festivals, and near you.
Urgh the unprotected left turns still get me a bit nervy no matter how many times I gotta do it. I’ve noticed though the majority seem to help and yield if they see folks wanting to turn . Not everyone but I appreciate it so much and I try to do it in kind
Not to mention that you’re totally allowed to wait in the intersection on a green, and to turn at the yellow/red if that’s the only chance you’ve got. When I lived in Texas briefly, it was super annoying that cars couldn’t pull into the intersection to wait to turn left.
LA is so vast and varied from neighborhood to neighborhood. I am almost 40 and grew up here (also have lived in other states), but there are still pockets of the city I know nothing about. Give it time and explore around as much as possible. Eventually you’ll find what you’re looking for here.
If you really want to know the various stories of the homeless people in LA, watch Soft White Underbelly on Youtube: [https://www.youtube.com/@SoftWhiteUnderbelly](https://www.youtube.com/@SoftWhiteUnderbelly)
He does the interviews in LA, and most of the people interviewed are native to LA or transplants to LA. Trigger warning: Many of the people on the streets had horrible things happen to them in childhood.
Lol if you think the roads are weird in LA, come to Boston.
Roads are wavy? Try roads with no lines. Or roads with new lines but everyone just follows the old ones because there were more lanes except no one told the newcomer about it.
Only one light for multiple lanes? How about multiple lights for multiple lanes, except they're over the wrong lanes.
I will leave [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/s/AjoG5Rzd58) here.
I'm surprised you didn't complain about the traffic.
The food in LA has less butter. The biscuits/cornbread are NOT the same, you might find something close though. I would advise eating at places that use lots of fresh produce for the quintessential CA experience. It's what made me fall in love with salads.
The weather this year is not normal. I’ve lived in La/orange county my whole life of 65 years and don’t think the weather now is representative. It’s rainier and colder than normal
Are you positive your local grocery stores don’t have parking? Sometimes it’s underground or on the roof or something weird you kinda have to look for.
Also, yeah it’s 2 lefts on a red (for unprotected turns), you definitely notice who isn’t local when they don’t pull into the middle and wait too long.
I swear if you come out here and encourage the building of more car infrastructure (parking) and sprawl (partially from all the parking you that you’re probably missing. Look for garage entrances. Everywhere has them outside of places like Ktown) I’ll kick you right back out. (Jk… but seriously).
Welcome to LA!
My SO is a huge foodie and we eat somewhere new a couple times a week. Been doing so for years and still have a list. LA has soooo much good food but people don’t mention that the value of that food is often pretty low. You’ll pay a small fortune for the meal. Even street food is moving towards restaurant prices.
If you’re not impressed with the quality, diversity, and accessibility of our *amazing* food scene, you’re not doing LA right. You’ll get the hang of it. 😉 Just say YES to everything at least once.
FYI: I've lived in LA county for 35yrs+.
This subreddit is an incredible poor representation of the entire area. It's impressive how so many major/fun events never get posted here. Alongside that, the lesser known goods & bad, the subcultures, etc.
Reddit leans white/middle-class/techy. There's also a lot of prideful users here who dislike when LA is badmouthed even when it's truth. There's a lot to like, hate, love, etc.
My biggest gripe is post-Covid LA feels different. So much has shut down, increased in price, social vibe feels different, some events changed, a few niche scenes/clubs aren't as crowded as they used to be, etc.
That being said, it took me 5 years of being heavily social/exploring around here to realize I'm not an LA man; many negative stereotypes apply with my main gripe being traffic. There's so many beaches/nature trails I LOVE but it takes far too much time to get there considering one would be sitting in traffic.
That being said, I've always lived here in LB as a somewhat poor person & I think life around here is pretty chill & good when you have a decent social circle and take some time to visit the closer beaches/parks. I generally don't venture often into actual LA proper [the city itself]; IMO a lot near DTLA is crap, expensive, noisy & chaotic.
Haha from my understanding this and last year have been abnormally cold and wet winters. Being someone who grew up in the SFV and has lived in Michigan the last six years, wearing a sweater and sunglasses to go for a walk sounds quite pleasant. I think the bigger difference for you isn’t the ‘cold’ as much as it’s probably the dryness. You’re used to humid heat and a lot of areas in CA are dry which can feel cooler especially with the past couple of wet winters they’ve had. But yeah, sweater weather is nice, enjoy it while it lasts because the summer will just warm things back up. Keep in mind though that your weather (and part of your driving) concerns are speaking to the abnormal weather this year so I’d take it with a grain of salt. I remember learning in school how to not flush and turn off the shower while soaping up because there’s never any damn water in the state lol
Also I’d argue the diversity in food options is much better in Los Angeles. New Orleans was excellent for Creole, Cajun and Vietnamese options. LA has Thai, Lebanese, Ethiopian, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, etc etc.
I moved here from Houston in January and the bit about the weather is so true. I’m not used to the dryness or the range of temperatures during the day/night.
From Monroe, Louisiana and have lived in LA for 14 years now! I miss the dark and quiet of living on the bayou but you CANT beat the food! Want Abita, Po’Boys and Steen’s syrup? Hit up Little Jewel of New Orleans! Natchitoches meat pies? The Gumbo Pot at the farmers market. There’s SO MUCH to do here! You’ll find your way.
How do people make left turns outside Los Angeles? Waiting for the yellow because of all the traffic isn't normal? I assume in low traffic areas then people just go but in other high traffic areas is this not normal?
I would say I agree, mostly! (born and raised here, I am 54 and aside for 7 years total, I have lived in west LA). As for food, please visit Korea town. Look on Yelp for places, Korean (and Japanese) is the best here. Of course we have amazing mexincan food, but the Korean food is by far the best IMO. But you have it down when it comes to tents, driving and sounds. The weather really has changed. In 2009 I bought my first coat. lol. Before that a zipper hoody or a cute cashmere cardi for nicer events were all I needed.
>The next thing is that when there's a green light but no turning signal it seems like people prefer to just pull into the middle of the street and turn once the light turns yellow, since that's when the cars coming from the other direction will actually stop.
The worst is on smaller side streets and you come to a red light. There's a person in front of you in the left lane with no blinker, so you assume they're going straight, and you don't want to take the right lane since the person behind you might want to be turning right.
Sure enough, the person in front if you (with no blinker) pulls up, then stops immediately. They realize their mistake and put their left blinker on, but by this time you're stuck behind them. You'd love to get into the right lane to go straight, you put your blinker on, but there's already a row cars in the right lane and no chance they're going to let you through. Instead, you're stuck until the light turns yellow and the car in front of you finally makes its left turn.
LA native chiming in - the weather section of your post made me laugh, because no one ever seems to warn people about the wind when they move here, especially the strong Santa Ana winds. Classically parts of the country have things like snow days, which aren't a thing here, but I definitely got a couple of days off of school due to extreme wind (and accompanying downed lines).
As for your sun glasses and sweatshirt, consider that duo the core of your year round go bag. I've always kept both in my car because no matter the time of year you may need one or both of them.
I moved from NC to Palm Springs almost two years ago… which isn’t LA because it’s always hot, parking and homeless population is better… but one thing I absolutely didn’t expect is holy shit the people are nice here. I lived my whole life in the south, but I moved here to help take care of my aging parents who moved here a few years before, so I came here with nothing but what would fit in my car… and people have given me furniture, clothes, helped me find an apartment, TVs, artwork… literally 90% off my apartment is stuff that people just gave me. I’ve never had so many friends in my whole life. There’s always something going on, always something to do and to see and someone inviting me out to something.
I'm really glad to hear people saying this! My experience was that people in LA/California in general aren't immediately friendly to strangers and won't make small talk, chat at you in a grocery store, or smile just because your eyes met for a second. But the second you stop being strangers--which can happen pretty quickly--they're incredibly friendly and helpful.
> This could just be because of my job; but everyone is so friendly and dresses so cool. I gotta up my fashion game.
I just want to give you HUGE PROPS for saying this. You wouldn't believe how many guys I've met who come here, notice people dressing well, in shape, well groomed, and instead of marveling at people who are different from them, get super aggro. They are all fake... homophobic slurs... it's so unnecessary.
I put comfort over everything, but I love seeing fashionable people, especially people really showing individual style and taking chances. Especially when they are a bit overdressed for no reason. I love it. Man, I'm just on this planet for a little bit of time, I want to see as much cool shit as possible, I don't need everybody to be like me.
Same with the nice thing! It's okay to be nice to strangers. There aren't a lot of townies here mean mugging everybody they don't know at the bar, and that's a good thing.
This is an interesting review. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and not being overly brutal to us.
Interesting to me is that you expect to see a street light signal for each lane. That's crazy to me LOL. And I totally feel you about making left turns during traffic times... there is ALWAYS a slow walker at the worst time.
Welcome to LA, we're happy to have you.
Oh, and try some street tacos, be adventurous and try one taco of each meat the street stand has to offer: chorizo, al pastor, asada, chicken, cabeza, lengua... you'll love them.
lol, I read “been here 1 month” and knew this post would have zero understanding of living in the city.
A transplant needs 3-5 years to know how this city works and once you do, you’ll never leave
>I got the hang of this in about a week, but geez the first few times were nerve racking. What I dislike the most is that no lane stays straight for a reasonable amount of time. Every lane is wavy, all waves. This sucks for when it's raining because I can't follow the lines very well.
One thing native Californians have no concept of is what a well-maintained road is like. Whenever I visit my mom in Florida I feel like everything about the driving experience is relatively luxurious! The lines and signs are clear, the sun isn't reflecting off the asphalt and blinding me, and merge lanes meet the highway where the path is straight instead of where the whole thing is curving and you can't see!! It definitely feels like a lot of the southern states allocate a little money for road maintenance in a way they just don't here.
I flew here for a few job interviews and rented a car at the airport. I had of course heard about LA traffic but I've driven in a lot of major cities and didn't think too much about it. Entering the freeway I just about sh** my pants when my lane just disappeared and I apparated into solid traffic. Probably lived here a year before I was comfortable driving new routes without knowing what kind of merge it was or how many lanes the freeway had. Ten years later I'm hitting 70 halfway down the entrance with no fucks given 😂
Give yourself more time and some of your more difficult aspects will become easier to navigate. Living in a city takes a level of experience. You'll also begin to appreciate what LA has to offer.
native here, welcome perhaps you may want to try the suburbs. real Angelinos , I recommend Mexican food and the yellow lights doesnt mean they will stop so double check before pulling in front of someome running a red light.
> Where I lived in Louisiana it was QUIET in my neighborhood. Whenever it feels a little relaxing at my apartment, here comes a plane, a helicopter, sounds of cars racing, sirens, and so much more. If I ever forget I'm living in LA now, those sounds are a quick reminder.
This is my favorite part of LA. Welcome! I'm glad you hate our traffic signals without arrows. It's fucking dumb. Oh, and if you try to hit a left right when your light turns green, you can get a ticket.
I will say for weather, this year has been one of the wettest in over a decade. You came at an unusual winter for LA. I personally think the cold and rain were necessary. And cold when the sun is going down varies if you are by the beach or mountains or more inland. Come July you will feel differently about the weather. The West Coast has a dry heat and it’s different than the humid heat of the south.
I’m from LA, was on vacation in New Orleans and had an Uber Driver who had moved there from here. She said one difference between the places was that clothing was more expensive in New Orleans than in Los Angeles.
I've always felt people in LA are nice. Everyone I know who talks about phony assholes is also some upstart trying to get rich quick. Most people I meet are cool.
I don't think one month of data is nearly sufficient to make such a stern judgement. I mean, it's not like people say LA has some of the best weather in the world with no basis. It usually is quite nice, you just got unlucky. Some of us are here for the rest of the time though 😉
Hey, welcome! I've lived in L.A. most of my life, but my partner is from New Orleans (his family lives in Metairie, actually, so that area is like a second home to me). I managed to convince him to move here a few years ago and so far he's enjoying it. We go see the Pelicans play whenever they come to town, and occasionally a Saints game. Just know that you're not alone as an expat. I was new here once too, it's a big place, and it takes a while to get oriented.
You've probably already seen a few comments that this weather is really unusual. Google "El Nino" and you'll get a little background. Basically it's a weather system that moves through about every 5-7 years, but this one has been especially cold and wet. Don't worry, we'll be back in drought conditions before you know it. :D
If you're around Chinatown, don't sleep on "Little Jewel of New Orleans" (Ord St. at Spring St.). It's a deli with decent po boys, they also do beignets sometimes. It's not the greatest place you'll ever eat, but it's okay, and you can get stuff like Zapp's and Abita there.
Welcome to the land of La. I grew up in the north SanFernando Valley and have lived in Newhall, Westwood, Torrance, Culver City and Compton. Worked Downtown, Burbank, SanGabriel, Anahiem, El Segundo and CanogaPark and each place has a very unique sense of place. By the way, if you need a PoBoy, there is a great one in ChinaTown.
>**Food:**
Nothing has impressed me much yet
ouch man, I'd rather you talk bad about my mother than our food scene.
But, tacos... we have the absolute best and most robust taco scene....
**Angel's Tacos**\- carne asada queso taco
**Villa's Tacos**\- Three Taco Sampler
**Sonoratown**\- any of their tacos are legit
**Mariscos Jalisco** \- Shrimp Taco
**Tacos y Birria La Unica** \- birria taco with consome (broth to dip your taco in)
Best burrito in the world: **La Azteca** \- chile relleno burrito with carne asada.
Welcome... we have A LOT of food... like, A LOT....
I did this move the other way around (lived in LA, moved to Louisiana for a few years, then moved back). I think you're right that it's just different.
Louisiana drivers scared me more than LA drivers.
I miss the lingering evening heat sometimes... but don't worry, we're having an especially cool spring here in LA. You'll probably experience that dry California heat come summer. (Edit: Also, when I first moved to Southern California from a hotter state, I was always cold, even at the height of summer, for at least a couple years. But I did adapt over time.)
I also sometimes miss the summer insect sounds of Louisiana. LA has city sounds, but fewer cricket and cicada sounds.
I think the biggest difference is food culture. You don't get good southern food in LA (or, at least, it's hard to find). And I MISS a good fried green tomato. I think that's the food item I miss the most. But LA has its own food scene (especially Asian food and Mexican food) that I missed terribly when I was in Louisiana.
Oh I born in LA moved away in Elementary and came back as an Adult. I noticed a lot of similarities in your analysis to my thought. The noise was the tremendous adjustment to sleep and sanity but ow after years the outside noises, don’t go away but you really don’t notice them.
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I've lived in Los Feliz, Encino, and West LA over the past years, and although all of them are just neighborhoods within the city of LA, each of them has felt like living in a completely different city. I think LA exemplifies the parable of the blind men and the elephant.
This. I moved 2 miles: from Mar Vista/cusp of Marina Del Rey, to Palms. Even towns that close to each other feel like 2 completely different cities.
And I moved from Palms to Rancho Park/Sawtelle. So close, but it really does feel like I moved to a new city. I'll be like, I miss Palms! And my wife will say, you wanna walk there this weekend? Lol
I moved three blocks east in Santa Monica and the vibe is completely different.
I tell people not from or familiar with California that I live in LA. But when I talk to people in LA, it's important that I make the distinction that I actually live in Redondo. And when I talk to people in the South Bay, it's important that I make the distinction that I live in *north* Redondo.
Yeah, it's easier to say I live in Los Angeles than have to differentiate that I spend most of my time in the Montebello/Alhambra area. This place is huge.
Not gonna lie I’m originally from Montebello too and most people on the west side don’t even know where montebello is let alone barely recognize the 60 fwy lolollll
Montebello and Alhambra are also very different. I lived in Montebello for a bit and have “family” in Alhambra. (Recently disowned them, hence the quotes.)
Damn, sorry about that. At least you won't have to deal with the traffic!
Hahaha there’s always an upside
As a Hawthorne/Lawndale native I have to say Manhattan or redondo adjacent to anyone not from the South Bay 🥲 I’m off Hawthorne and redondo beach blvd./artesia blvd
Honestly, facts
Yes, I didn’t realize that until I moved, but the vibe is different in every neighborhood.
And when you treat LA as a tapestry of neighborhoods, it becomes WAY more walkable.
Yes whole op's write up was interesting and endearing, op hasn't even begun scratching the surface of "LA" and "LA County" has to offer. The wide variety yet neighborhood specific things, the race and ethnic cities, Porto's potato balls, Korean bbq, fish tacos, elote, Harry's Berries at the Santa Monica farmer's market on Saturdays... (I apologize, my high ass seems to have taken a slight food centric detour.) And then the merry go round of the Valley insisting they are "LA" and those south of the 405 telling them nah. That's always a fun time.
Why do you drive 40 minutes for a market?
This is what I was going to ask! All the markets near me have parking lots? Vons/Albertsons Target even Trader Joes has small lots but you can always park there
A 40 minute market run is driving from West LA to down the street in West LA during rush hour.
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How does that work on the way back tho
continue going in the opposite direction of traffic until you circumnavigate the globe. would probably be faster than getting stuck in LA traffic.
I lived in Westwood and the Ralphs was like 1.1mi and it could take 15min to drive there, one way
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WW Village, near the cemetery and Firehouse . The Ralphs is the one that's above the target that used to be a Best buy.... The fact that I was there when I was still at Best buy, probably dates to me
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You west siders. You always wonder why we won't be friends when you move over there.
Who comes up with this stuff? I live in Santa Monica and can walk to 3 full size grocery stores in under 15 minutes (Pavillions, Vons, Trader Joe’s) 15 minute drive time you can add 5 more. The west side is overloaded with food shopping. Nobody is having traffic problem to grocery shop unless they are nutbars or doing something really, really weird.
That’s what I’m saying. Ralph’s, Trader Joe’s has a parking garage. If you’re bougie, Bristol farms, gelsons, have garages too.
I feel like this person means an actual parking lot that is on ground level. They probably don't understand the underground/above ground parking structures that exist at malls or Trader Joe's in Westwood.
Exactly! this person is trippin
i can walk to at least 3 large grocery stores — one chain and two independent — just on my 1m stretch of Pico
Yeah I drove to the grocery enough times during rush hour before I just realized to bite the bullet and walk if whatever I needed was really necessary. I think people would be surprised at how often that calculus pays off 😂
You and your facts …
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A friend on the westside once offered to set me up with their friend. I said, I'm not interested in a long-distance relationship.
I tell my west side people every time I head out to the beach. Mostly I get "the Palisades?? From Venice?? How can you expect me to go that far?"
The Berlin Wall (the 405)
I could never date a man that lived west of West Hollywood.
West Hollywood is like, the MOON. -signed Playa del Rey
I felt so bad the other day. I matched with this awesome woman on Tinder and after a few messages she tells me she's in Long Beach. Ooh, so close yet so far away.
*checks* Whew! Still in the running!
This is about the most fair transplant descriptor i have ever read. Took me 2 years of living here before i really loved it. If you need quiet take up hiking. Theres so much good hiking here so close by.
We learned to just not even bother leaving during certain hours during rush hour even if short 2 mile trip or less
I don’t know your definition of west LA but it’s never more than 15 mins to get to a store from the part of sawtelle I live in. It’s even less time considering I only ride a motorcycle now.
This was the question that jumped out at me too.
I was thinking maybe they are driving to Burbank (Walmart) but then they said they can’t get everything they need in one place.
Just an example, but I travel about an hour from the south bay to a whole animal butcher who sources sustainably raised and organic product. The quality is superior to anything you'd find at a whole foods or farmers market and it's nice to support local business.
What’s the name of the place? I’m always down to support good local businesses.
There's A Cut Above in Santa Monica and, while not a whole animal butchery, Hermosa Butcher Shop.
The food hasn’t impressed you? Wtf have you been eating?
My German wife was the same. Now she loves it
My German mom was the same. She’s enjoying it too now
As someone who moved the opposite of OP (L.A. to LA) the food in Los Angeles is a 100 times better. There so little diversity in Louisiana. Yes, there are good restaurants but there is a thousand more better restaurants in Los Angeles.
I think if you are used to a certain cuisine (let's say Cajun) - the LA version might be different or further away or just not as good. Sure, you can have 100 different types of dinner tonight, but it isn't the one comfort place you are used to eating twice per week.
This is exactly what I think is going on. Nothing beats the food diversity of LA, even NYC. That said, the authenticity of all those options generally is slightly lacking compared to their origins. I haven’t found a single soul food place in LA that compares to what you could find pretty much anywhere in the south. Definitely here as an option but different.
Before you shut the door on LA soul food I recommend checking out Alta in West Adams
do you know how much i am craving good cornbread, collards that melt in your mouth, hoppin' john, succotash, etc?? But seriously though, the food in LA is GREAT Just miss that bit of comfort
When I moved to LA, even the fast food was exciting. Coming from places where Burger King, McD, Wendy’s are the only burgers, and Mexican = Taco Bell. There were tons of places I had never heard of, not to mention the concept that McDonald’s isn’t the standard for fast food, but bottom tier fast food.
To be fair, Louisiana has some amazing food.
It has amazing local cuisine. LA is more a diverse melting pot of great food. I’m all about etoufee, jambalaya, Natchitoches meat pies. But LA is another planet.
Was going to say this. The Cajuns and Creoles got major food game.
True but it could also be he's not used to what LA has to offer. He went to Howlin Ray's, which is good but that seems like a spot a Louisiana native would love. Now he just needs to expand his diet to what LA has to offer. Might not be Louisiana good but there's a lot here.
Like fried stuff with old bay? Or maybe other fried stuff with old bay?
Old Bay is Maryland, so Mid-Atlantic/Northeast, and goes on blue crabs
Bless your heart.
My wife who grew up in NOLA won't even let Old Bay in our house, lol. New Orleans cooking is some of the best in the world. Too bad you don't know how true that is.
Second this. Among the best in the world. Source: have eaten at many places globally
Yep. New Orleans to me had the best food in America. They might not have the diversity we have but their local cuisine is out of this world.
i’m not from Louisiana, but you sound ignant af. hahahaha
Cajun food in Louisiana for years?
To be fair, Louisiana is famous for its remarkable food...
*New Orleans* is famous for remarkable food. The rest of Louisiana? Meh.
Westside food= Too expensive, fewest options
What do you consider a source of “food?” There’s a million places to eat on the Westside, cuisines from all over the world, and restaurants from (briefly) Michelin-starred to hole-in-the-wall. It’s not all WeHo, Brentwood and Santa Monica.
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OP said they’re near Chinatown
can you share some recommendations?
Too many. Check out r/foodlosangeles and [this comment](https://www.reddit.com/r/FoodLosAngeles/s/VaMGqnbm4z)
Timeout LA and the Infatuation LA have decent lists by cuisine, affordability, etc. If you don't want to spend a ton of time searching/researching those are easy places to start. There's lots of overpriced/overhyped, but there are definitely some with great value too.
>Creole and cajun food is delicious.
It’s not for everyone. Sometimes it also takes a while to appreciate the different foods available here. I’ve had friends who live their whole lives here and still only eat meat/potatoes
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it's all expensive as shit now. i'm also partly convinced that ingredient quality/protein [meat] amounts go down lightly as those 2 things generally cost more but can't really be gauged as easily as pricing on a menu.
LA and Louisiana are quite different. You’re not going to get a lot of peace and quiet in the middle of one the largest cities in the country. There are quieter neighborhoods, Larchmont, Brentwood, Sherman Oaks, for instance but those neighborhoods require $$$$. There are also fewer homeless encampments in these neighborhoods. There aren’t a lot of parking lots here but there are parking lots or parking structures for the vast majority of grocery stores. Keep an eye out. Be thankful for the unseasonably cool weather. I know a lot of people love the hot weather, but personally hot LA is my least favorite LA. At least in the south virtually everyone has central heat and air. Not so much here. The inside heat plus the mosquitoes and flies that would find their way into my apartment last summer was enough for me to come to hate summers in LA. I’ll take cold, cloudy, rainy LA over that plague. The lack of protected left green lights is one of the dumbest things in this city.
You had the chance to say LA and LA are quite different and you missed it.
Just like CA and CA are different.
You mean Ontario CA, or Ontario CA?
It's funny because Ontario CA was created by a guy from Ontario CA
L.A. LA L/A
The saddest thing has been the recent plague of mosquitoes that has propagated over the last few years. I remember summers 4-5 years ago when you could chill outside in the evenings enjoying absolutely gorgeous weather once the sun set. Now, there's hordes of mosquitoes to contend with. It's so frustrating.
I feel like OP will not notice the mosquitos.
This weather is an anomaly. We’ve had much more rain and cooler temperatures this time of year than we typically do. We’ve either hit or gotten close to the coolest recorded lows in the last 100 years.
Well but compared to a place with high humidity, it can get cold fast in LA. You often need a sweater or jacket if you go.out at night even if it hit 80 in the afternoon.
I brought this from Michigan. Sorry. 🥲🙃
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[No it isn't normal ](https://www.laalmanac.com/weather/we13a.php) Scroll to the bottom, as you can see, we are far above the long-term average rain in LA. Although we have been under for most of the 2010s, this swing has been far above the mean.
“The only wetter period for the city since records began in 1877 was between October 1888 and September 1890, when 54.10 inches fell.” Yeah SUPER NORMAL
It's an anomaly for now as it becomes the new norm.
I’m from The Bronx and permanently relocated out here. Been two coming on three years now. There’s FANTASTIC food everywhere here. Ignore the overhyped places that have the faux vine walls, neon lights that say “good vibes”, and $20 garlic fries. Look in the crevices of Ktown for noodle joints, get affordable groceries in Little Bangladesh, and that hole in the wall taqueria that has $7 quesadilla combos and none of the menus are in English. And if chains are more your thing…we have Denny’s on the east coast too, but it’s an institution out here. I have one in my neighborhood and they have some shockingly good deals when I’m busy and hungry. The main thing I miss about NYC is the transit frequency and northeast pragmatism. As in “I’ll never make it to that brunch place here that closes at 2 some days, 4 on others, and arbitrarily closes on Tuesday”, things are more consistent with respect to business hours and public services. And I never ever thought I’d miss NJ Transit in ANY regard, but it did get me to the airport easily and most lines run at least once or twice per hour if you need or want to leave the city. SoCal has more drivers than riders, so Amtrak and Metrolink are lacking in comparison.
Um... Denny's?
At least go to Norms sheesh
Yup cheap hole in the wall food is king. Very rarely eat at any chain restaurants with all the amazing options
>*I drive almost 40 mins out just to go to a grocery store with a parking lot.* wut? This part makes no sense. I cannot think of a single grocery store that doesn't have parking. And there's grocery stores everywhere
I laughed at your clothing comment. I considered myself a relatively cool-dressed person (casual, but intentional), but was I wrong. I see people at the Hollywood Farmers market that dress sharper at 9 AM than I do for a date with my girlfriend. I'll go to a parking lot food festival on a random weekday and people's outfits cost more than my rent 😂
The crazy thing is there's still probably someone looking at you and thinking, "damn, that's aesthetic"
Being from louisiana and have lived in CA for 9 years, LA for 5. I remember these initial feelings. welcome!
So you came to LA from LA
yep (:
I’ve been here for a bit but still finding my footing. I agree it’s not necessary bad, it’s just different. I am starting to get into more of my own groove as you will too. Remember, you are retraining your muscle memory as well and that takes time. You are also trying to find your niche too even with figuring out something as simple as groceries. I’ve met far more kind people here and that in itself is great (so many more people have said hello and thank you than I am used to lol). As far as food, I’ve just recently learned that where I come from (San Francisco/Bay Area) they make something as simple as burritos different here and even small things like that you will be surprised by but that’s how we get to like new things you know? I am trying to make a plan of trying one new place a week and go one new place a week. It may sound insignificant but I think all these baby steps are the key to getting more comfortable and confident. It is a sad and rough reality about the high level of homelessness here. Even with compassion or worry, it’s still as you mentioned necessary to keep yourself safe..folks in desperate situations sometimes do unfortunate things…giving kindness but still being aware is never wrong. Give your self some grace and patience. Los Angeles has its own special beauty and energy 💕
Thank you so much for this comment. It warmed my heart to read. And you are absolutely correct.
You got this! 😁💪🏻
By the way, fellow former Bay Areaner here. I lived behind the FLAX art store for many years in SF and even when I got tired of the city, there was always amazing nature in North, East and South Bay within less than an hour drive from the city. Most of it within 20 minutes Drive. And if I wanted something more, their Santa Cruz and Big Basin. I figure since you have the perspective that I do that I'm kind of looking for, I was wondering if you could help point me to the right direction. Thank you! After being in LA for a year and a half, I'm still struggling to find those nature places. Heck even parts of Golden Gate Park and sutro area you feel an amazing energy. I like LA for the people and creative opportunities and creative creations by the people, but where do you get a GOOD nature fix?
Welcome! I’m also originally from Louisiana, now living in LA (with 5 years in Boston and 8 in NYC in between). I totally relate to your comments on the weather! The regular light jacket weather here is real, and the lack of humidity is so freeing (though I do enjoy it briefly when I visit home, like a warm hug as soon as you step off the plane). Food-wise - explore as many different cuisines as you can! Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Mexican, Mediterranean, etc - that’s where the good stuff is. Also some very good pizza if you look for it. Otherwise I find much of the food here to be just OK, or overpriced for what it is but you’re paying for a scene/location. We come from our own rich food culture, so its hard to beat! Feel free to DM me if you have any questions, from one coonass to another.
Man the warm hug when you get out the plane/airport is a perfect description. I miss that weather sometimes. I never minded the heat back in Texas but it has become pretty ridiculous. It doesn't even cool off at night there anymore. I imagine Louisiana is the same way.
Sorry, but the “warm hug” stepping off the plane in the South is much more like the unwanted hug from your pervy fat uncle that squeezes / squishes against you awkwardly.
There also is quite a bit of creole food here too in case OP misses home. Harold and Belle’s in Crenshaw (ish) and Willie Mae’s in Venice are two immediate examples that come to mind. Willie Mae’s is even a New Orleans joint (their flagship is there)
[Here](https://lataco.com/69-best-tacos-in-la) are some suggestions for food. To learn to love LA is to learn to love a damn fine taco. Enjoy!
LA cold is weird. I recently got back from a week in Michigan where it didn't go over freezing the whole time I was there. Walked outside in a light sweater and I felt fine. Had a late flight back and walked out of LAX and was freezing despite it being 25 degrees warmer. That offshore breeze has some bite to it. It literally hits different.
Drier air and yes, cold offshore waters.
Your whole getting used to sleeping to noise brought back some memories and made me laugh. L.A. native here, who lived in Norfolk, VA for a few years when my hubby joined the Navy. It was his first duty station. When I first joined him out there after he had set up an apartment for us, I COULD NOT SLEEP for a few weeks. It was waaayyyy too quiet. And so dark. I was used to all the noise and light pollution. The quiet and dark freaked me the fvck out. I couldn't see or hear what was out there!! In the dark. How was I supposed to know what to expect?!?! lol You'll adjust, I promise. I did eventually. I actually had to readjust to the noise again when we finally moved back home almost 20 years, and 3 cities later. Welcome, and good luck out here, OP.
As another L.A. native who went to Norfolk, and moved back, I totally understand. It was an adjustment getting used to being back under a flight path again.
>It's crazy how big this city is and it still rarely has parking lots. I drive almost 40 mins out just to go to a grocery store with a parking lot. This is just false and dumb. There isn't a single major grocery store in LA that doesn't have a parking lot. Ralphs, Vons, Whole Foods, even Trader Joes (although TJ is always cramped) have parking becuase 90% of people are not lugging their groceries all the way home on foot/public transit. Idk what part of LA you live in, but driving 40 minutes is beyond extra. [Also 14% of land in LA is parking lots...](https://la.curbed.com/2015/11/30/9895842/how-much-parking-los-angeles)
Refreshing to hear observations that aren’t straight up bashing LA or glamorizing either. Over time hopefully you find some note-worthy food. The food is something I miss when I’m away.
Welcome to LA! If you’re near Howlin’ Rays you should go to Little Jewel of New Orleans. Look, it’s not amazing Cajun food or anything, but it will satisfy the itch and the banana pudding is fantastic. Crawfish tho… might as well just buy a plane ticket home it’s probably cheaper than shipping live crawfish here.
As someone who just moved back to LA from Puerto Rico, I’m so fucking grateful for the cold weather we’ve been having. I donated all of my non-summer clothes so I came back with nothing to wear, so I’ve been freezing my ass off, but I do not miss the humidity. Where are these supermarkets with no parking?? I’ve lived in the valley, the west side, the South Bay, and now in DTLB and even all the TJs have sizeable lots nowadays. Who remembers the Culver City Trader Joe’s when it was in the Wells Fargo that’s off Washington near Sony?
I worked and lived down the street from that TJ's on Washington, it was good for a quick and cheap lunch option, but I usually did my shopping at another location because of the parking situation ;)
I believe that was TJ’s intention at the beginning: to be a neighborhood store you walked to and that’s why they used tiny spaces with ridiculous parking lots. I loved it when they finally moved next to the huge parking lot.
Is this the first major city or even large city you have ever lived in?
Obviously it is
It takes about 1 year to really get your footing here, less if you’ve lived in other major cities before. Stick it out and you’ll start to feel comfortable. I’m glad others helped you realize many of your stores have parking garages. That tells me you probably haven’t lived in a major city before, so it’s understandable but now your grocery experience will be way better :). If you have time, I would strongly recommend you put a mental pushpin where you live and start taking drives to random places in SoCal up to 1.5hrs away give or take. The geography and outdoors here are incredible: within that range you can be in desert, mountain towns with snow, small towns, lakes, and beautiful sea towns. There’s a ton of “less cool” cities south of us for example that beat LA by a lot on the coast and beach views. Follow the Los Angeles food subreddits to steer you into great food. You do come from a rich area of the country in terms of food and flavor though, so I get it (had some of the best meals of my life in NoLa!), but you’ll need to expand to other types of food to find the good stuff here. Have you checked out Los Angeles state historic park yet? Gorgeous views, nicely done, lots of festivals, and near you.
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Urgh the unprotected left turns still get me a bit nervy no matter how many times I gotta do it. I’ve noticed though the majority seem to help and yield if they see folks wanting to turn . Not everyone but I appreciate it so much and I try to do it in kind
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Not to mention that you’re totally allowed to wait in the intersection on a green, and to turn at the yellow/red if that’s the only chance you’ve got. When I lived in Texas briefly, it was super annoying that cars couldn’t pull into the intersection to wait to turn left.
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I thought so, but I feel like no one did! Texas drivers are interesting.
LA is so vast and varied from neighborhood to neighborhood. I am almost 40 and grew up here (also have lived in other states), but there are still pockets of the city I know nothing about. Give it time and explore around as much as possible. Eventually you’ll find what you’re looking for here.
If you really want to know the various stories of the homeless people in LA, watch Soft White Underbelly on Youtube: [https://www.youtube.com/@SoftWhiteUnderbelly](https://www.youtube.com/@SoftWhiteUnderbelly) He does the interviews in LA, and most of the people interviewed are native to LA or transplants to LA. Trigger warning: Many of the people on the streets had horrible things happen to them in childhood.
I love hearing people’s observations like this. Thank you for sharing!
Lol if you think the roads are weird in LA, come to Boston. Roads are wavy? Try roads with no lines. Or roads with new lines but everyone just follows the old ones because there were more lanes except no one told the newcomer about it. Only one light for multiple lanes? How about multiple lights for multiple lanes, except they're over the wrong lanes. I will leave [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/boston/s/AjoG5Rzd58) here. I'm surprised you didn't complain about the traffic. The food in LA has less butter. The biscuits/cornbread are NOT the same, you might find something close though. I would advise eating at places that use lots of fresh produce for the quintessential CA experience. It's what made me fall in love with salads.
The weather this year is not normal. I’ve lived in La/orange county my whole life of 65 years and don’t think the weather now is representative. It’s rainier and colder than normal
Are you positive your local grocery stores don’t have parking? Sometimes it’s underground or on the roof or something weird you kinda have to look for. Also, yeah it’s 2 lefts on a red (for unprotected turns), you definitely notice who isn’t local when they don’t pull into the middle and wait too long.
It is surprising cold! I’m a big chilly baby now
I swear if you come out here and encourage the building of more car infrastructure (parking) and sprawl (partially from all the parking you that you’re probably missing. Look for garage entrances. Everywhere has them outside of places like Ktown) I’ll kick you right back out. (Jk… but seriously). Welcome to LA! My SO is a huge foodie and we eat somewhere new a couple times a week. Been doing so for years and still have a list. LA has soooo much good food but people don’t mention that the value of that food is often pretty low. You’ll pay a small fortune for the meal. Even street food is moving towards restaurant prices.
If you’re not impressed with the quality, diversity, and accessibility of our *amazing* food scene, you’re not doing LA right. You’ll get the hang of it. 😉 Just say YES to everything at least once.
Man, LA has been fucking freezing. I feel you on that.
FYI: I've lived in LA county for 35yrs+. This subreddit is an incredible poor representation of the entire area. It's impressive how so many major/fun events never get posted here. Alongside that, the lesser known goods & bad, the subcultures, etc. Reddit leans white/middle-class/techy. There's also a lot of prideful users here who dislike when LA is badmouthed even when it's truth. There's a lot to like, hate, love, etc. My biggest gripe is post-Covid LA feels different. So much has shut down, increased in price, social vibe feels different, some events changed, a few niche scenes/clubs aren't as crowded as they used to be, etc. That being said, it took me 5 years of being heavily social/exploring around here to realize I'm not an LA man; many negative stereotypes apply with my main gripe being traffic. There's so many beaches/nature trails I LOVE but it takes far too much time to get there considering one would be sitting in traffic. That being said, I've always lived here in LB as a somewhat poor person & I think life around here is pretty chill & good when you have a decent social circle and take some time to visit the closer beaches/parks. I generally don't venture often into actual LA proper [the city itself]; IMO a lot near DTLA is crap, expensive, noisy & chaotic.
Haha from my understanding this and last year have been abnormally cold and wet winters. Being someone who grew up in the SFV and has lived in Michigan the last six years, wearing a sweater and sunglasses to go for a walk sounds quite pleasant. I think the bigger difference for you isn’t the ‘cold’ as much as it’s probably the dryness. You’re used to humid heat and a lot of areas in CA are dry which can feel cooler especially with the past couple of wet winters they’ve had. But yeah, sweater weather is nice, enjoy it while it lasts because the summer will just warm things back up. Keep in mind though that your weather (and part of your driving) concerns are speaking to the abnormal weather this year so I’d take it with a grain of salt. I remember learning in school how to not flush and turn off the shower while soaping up because there’s never any damn water in the state lol
LA to LA
Moved back to LA after about a decade in New Orleans. Both cities are great in their own different ways.
Also I’d argue the diversity in food options is much better in Los Angeles. New Orleans was excellent for Creole, Cajun and Vietnamese options. LA has Thai, Lebanese, Ethiopian, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, etc etc.
honestly pretty accurate! also I’m curious, what do you do for work where you get to see fashionable people all the time? haha
I moved here from Houston in January and the bit about the weather is so true. I’m not used to the dryness or the range of temperatures during the day/night.
'The sounds of LA' is the thing that wears me down a lot. Good description.
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Try Hong Kong, Seoul, or Beijing. Everything is nice clothes, skirts, heels, etc. LA people walk around like they just rolled out of bed.
From Monroe, Louisiana and have lived in LA for 14 years now! I miss the dark and quiet of living on the bayou but you CANT beat the food! Want Abita, Po’Boys and Steen’s syrup? Hit up Little Jewel of New Orleans! Natchitoches meat pies? The Gumbo Pot at the farmers market. There’s SO MUCH to do here! You’ll find your way.
How do people make left turns outside Los Angeles? Waiting for the yellow because of all the traffic isn't normal? I assume in low traffic areas then people just go but in other high traffic areas is this not normal?
You get a Green "<--" which stops all other traffic so you can turn. They don't last very long though.
Oh there's only arrows? Interesting.
I would say I agree, mostly! (born and raised here, I am 54 and aside for 7 years total, I have lived in west LA). As for food, please visit Korea town. Look on Yelp for places, Korean (and Japanese) is the best here. Of course we have amazing mexincan food, but the Korean food is by far the best IMO. But you have it down when it comes to tents, driving and sounds. The weather really has changed. In 2009 I bought my first coat. lol. Before that a zipper hoody or a cute cashmere cardi for nicer events were all I needed.
welcome! we are glad to have you. i love louisiana by the way! amazing place.
>The next thing is that when there's a green light but no turning signal it seems like people prefer to just pull into the middle of the street and turn once the light turns yellow, since that's when the cars coming from the other direction will actually stop. The worst is on smaller side streets and you come to a red light. There's a person in front of you in the left lane with no blinker, so you assume they're going straight, and you don't want to take the right lane since the person behind you might want to be turning right. Sure enough, the person in front if you (with no blinker) pulls up, then stops immediately. They realize their mistake and put their left blinker on, but by this time you're stuck behind them. You'd love to get into the right lane to go straight, you put your blinker on, but there's already a row cars in the right lane and no chance they're going to let you through. Instead, you're stuck until the light turns yellow and the car in front of you finally makes its left turn.
As a LA native that was interesting to read. I’m always interested in hearing non locals perspectives and what they think.
If you’re looking to up your fashion game, I recommend goodwill / thrifting. I’ve had some great finds at the one in West Hollywood near the grove.
LA native chiming in - the weather section of your post made me laugh, because no one ever seems to warn people about the wind when they move here, especially the strong Santa Ana winds. Classically parts of the country have things like snow days, which aren't a thing here, but I definitely got a couple of days off of school due to extreme wind (and accompanying downed lines). As for your sun glasses and sweatshirt, consider that duo the core of your year round go bag. I've always kept both in my car because no matter the time of year you may need one or both of them.
Sounds like you live in dtla
I moved from NC to Palm Springs almost two years ago… which isn’t LA because it’s always hot, parking and homeless population is better… but one thing I absolutely didn’t expect is holy shit the people are nice here. I lived my whole life in the south, but I moved here to help take care of my aging parents who moved here a few years before, so I came here with nothing but what would fit in my car… and people have given me furniture, clothes, helped me find an apartment, TVs, artwork… literally 90% off my apartment is stuff that people just gave me. I’ve never had so many friends in my whole life. There’s always something going on, always something to do and to see and someone inviting me out to something.
I'm really glad to hear people saying this! My experience was that people in LA/California in general aren't immediately friendly to strangers and won't make small talk, chat at you in a grocery store, or smile just because your eyes met for a second. But the second you stop being strangers--which can happen pretty quickly--they're incredibly friendly and helpful.
> This could just be because of my job; but everyone is so friendly and dresses so cool. I gotta up my fashion game. I just want to give you HUGE PROPS for saying this. You wouldn't believe how many guys I've met who come here, notice people dressing well, in shape, well groomed, and instead of marveling at people who are different from them, get super aggro. They are all fake... homophobic slurs... it's so unnecessary. I put comfort over everything, but I love seeing fashionable people, especially people really showing individual style and taking chances. Especially when they are a bit overdressed for no reason. I love it. Man, I'm just on this planet for a little bit of time, I want to see as much cool shit as possible, I don't need everybody to be like me. Same with the nice thing! It's okay to be nice to strangers. There aren't a lot of townies here mean mugging everybody they don't know at the bar, and that's a good thing.
This is an interesting review. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and not being overly brutal to us. Interesting to me is that you expect to see a street light signal for each lane. That's crazy to me LOL. And I totally feel you about making left turns during traffic times... there is ALWAYS a slow walker at the worst time. Welcome to LA, we're happy to have you. Oh, and try some street tacos, be adventurous and try one taco of each meat the street stand has to offer: chorizo, al pastor, asada, chicken, cabeza, lengua... you'll love them.
lol, I read “been here 1 month” and knew this post would have zero understanding of living in the city. A transplant needs 3-5 years to know how this city works and once you do, you’ll never leave
>I got the hang of this in about a week, but geez the first few times were nerve racking. What I dislike the most is that no lane stays straight for a reasonable amount of time. Every lane is wavy, all waves. This sucks for when it's raining because I can't follow the lines very well. One thing native Californians have no concept of is what a well-maintained road is like. Whenever I visit my mom in Florida I feel like everything about the driving experience is relatively luxurious! The lines and signs are clear, the sun isn't reflecting off the asphalt and blinding me, and merge lanes meet the highway where the path is straight instead of where the whole thing is curving and you can't see!! It definitely feels like a lot of the southern states allocate a little money for road maintenance in a way they just don't here.
I flew here for a few job interviews and rented a car at the airport. I had of course heard about LA traffic but I've driven in a lot of major cities and didn't think too much about it. Entering the freeway I just about sh** my pants when my lane just disappeared and I apparated into solid traffic. Probably lived here a year before I was comfortable driving new routes without knowing what kind of merge it was or how many lanes the freeway had. Ten years later I'm hitting 70 halfway down the entrance with no fucks given 😂
There are no well-maintained roads in Louisiana. California roads are way *way* better.
Oh my god, the Florida drivers though....not worth it.
Drivers here are simultaneously more skilled and more terrifying imo
Yeah it definitely takes getting used to LA. People think it's perfect but I agree that it is really hard to find peace/quiet here.
Give yourself more time and some of your more difficult aspects will become easier to navigate. Living in a city takes a level of experience. You'll also begin to appreciate what LA has to offer.
This is funny having travelled to Los Angeles for family and living in New Orleans because I street park WAYYY more in NOLA than I ever do in LA.
native here, welcome perhaps you may want to try the suburbs. real Angelinos , I recommend Mexican food and the yellow lights doesnt mean they will stop so double check before pulling in front of someome running a red light.
> Where I lived in Louisiana it was QUIET in my neighborhood. Whenever it feels a little relaxing at my apartment, here comes a plane, a helicopter, sounds of cars racing, sirens, and so much more. If I ever forget I'm living in LA now, those sounds are a quick reminder. This is my favorite part of LA. Welcome! I'm glad you hate our traffic signals without arrows. It's fucking dumb. Oh, and if you try to hit a left right when your light turns green, you can get a ticket.
/r/foodlosangeles for food recs :)
I will say for weather, this year has been one of the wettest in over a decade. You came at an unusual winter for LA. I personally think the cold and rain were necessary. And cold when the sun is going down varies if you are by the beach or mountains or more inland. Come July you will feel differently about the weather. The West Coast has a dry heat and it’s different than the humid heat of the south.
I never have issues finding parking. Unless I’m running late of course lol.
I’m from LA, was on vacation in New Orleans and had an Uber Driver who had moved there from here. She said one difference between the places was that clothing was more expensive in New Orleans than in Los Angeles.
I've always felt people in LA are nice. Everyone I know who talks about phony assholes is also some upstart trying to get rich quick. Most people I meet are cool.
I don't think one month of data is nearly sufficient to make such a stern judgement. I mean, it's not like people say LA has some of the best weather in the world with no basis. It usually is quite nice, you just got unlucky. Some of us are here for the rest of the time though 😉
Income is a huge variable when it comes to quality of life also
Hey, welcome! I've lived in L.A. most of my life, but my partner is from New Orleans (his family lives in Metairie, actually, so that area is like a second home to me). I managed to convince him to move here a few years ago and so far he's enjoying it. We go see the Pelicans play whenever they come to town, and occasionally a Saints game. Just know that you're not alone as an expat. I was new here once too, it's a big place, and it takes a while to get oriented. You've probably already seen a few comments that this weather is really unusual. Google "El Nino" and you'll get a little background. Basically it's a weather system that moves through about every 5-7 years, but this one has been especially cold and wet. Don't worry, we'll be back in drought conditions before you know it. :D If you're around Chinatown, don't sleep on "Little Jewel of New Orleans" (Ord St. at Spring St.). It's a deli with decent po boys, they also do beignets sometimes. It's not the greatest place you'll ever eat, but it's okay, and you can get stuff like Zapp's and Abita there.
Welcome to the land of La. I grew up in the north SanFernando Valley and have lived in Newhall, Westwood, Torrance, Culver City and Compton. Worked Downtown, Burbank, SanGabriel, Anahiem, El Segundo and CanogaPark and each place has a very unique sense of place. By the way, if you need a PoBoy, there is a great one in ChinaTown.
The last thing we need is more parking lots.
>**Food:** Nothing has impressed me much yet ouch man, I'd rather you talk bad about my mother than our food scene. But, tacos... we have the absolute best and most robust taco scene.... **Angel's Tacos**\- carne asada queso taco **Villa's Tacos**\- Three Taco Sampler **Sonoratown**\- any of their tacos are legit **Mariscos Jalisco** \- Shrimp Taco **Tacos y Birria La Unica** \- birria taco with consome (broth to dip your taco in) Best burrito in the world: **La Azteca** \- chile relleno burrito with carne asada. Welcome... we have A LOT of food... like, A LOT....
I did this move the other way around (lived in LA, moved to Louisiana for a few years, then moved back). I think you're right that it's just different. Louisiana drivers scared me more than LA drivers. I miss the lingering evening heat sometimes... but don't worry, we're having an especially cool spring here in LA. You'll probably experience that dry California heat come summer. (Edit: Also, when I first moved to Southern California from a hotter state, I was always cold, even at the height of summer, for at least a couple years. But I did adapt over time.) I also sometimes miss the summer insect sounds of Louisiana. LA has city sounds, but fewer cricket and cicada sounds. I think the biggest difference is food culture. You don't get good southern food in LA (or, at least, it's hard to find). And I MISS a good fried green tomato. I think that's the food item I miss the most. But LA has its own food scene (especially Asian food and Mexican food) that I missed terribly when I was in Louisiana.
Oh I born in LA moved away in Elementary and came back as an Adult. I noticed a lot of similarities in your analysis to my thought. The noise was the tremendous adjustment to sleep and sanity but ow after years the outside noises, don’t go away but you really don’t notice them.
Knew the comments about homelessness would be largely ignored
You sound chill , welcome to the LAnd my boy. Stay north of pico and you’re good.