Living in LA if you’re not in “the biz”

[Anonymous]

I work for an entertainment company and am considering a move to LA. The complaint I hear from my coworkers who have lived there is that it’s a one industry town and everyone is fake because they are just looking for someone to give them their big break. I don’t really give that much thought as I lived in DC and managed to avoid Hill-types and lobbyists. It’s a big city, and I’m sure not EVERYONE has a connection to or aspirations for the industry, but I’m curious what people who live there think. Is that aspect of LA avoidable?

[Anonymous]

Of course. I have several friends in LA. Generally, if my friends are a couple, one of the two is in SOME way in the entertainment business.

Couple 1 - entertainment lawyer who works for Fox, and regular job (I forgot what he does)

Couple 2 - drama teacher, and supervising producer

Couple 3 - math teacher, owner of landscape company

Couple 4 - entertainment lawyer who works for MTV, marketing dude at wine company

Couple 5 - writer of kids tv shows, works for Cablevision or something like that

Couple 6 - artist for Disney, SAHM

None of them are actors and only one (the writer in Couple 5) writes things. I have other couple-friends there, but not close enough that I remember what they do.

[Anonymous]

Your instincts are correct: it’s not an entertainment only town. LA has a huge, diverse economy and people I know work in finance, real estate, high tech, education, manufacturing, engineering, pharma, health care.

There ARE a lot of twenty somethings that move to LA for their “big break” but there are so many other types of people too. Btw, people in entertainment only notice themselves & their industry LOL

[Anonymous]

I dare say the vast majority of people in LA do NOT work in entertainment. I know a schoolteacher, an info tech worker, and lots of people in aerospace there.

[Anonymous]

OP my DH works in Ent and we lived there for 5 years until recently relocating to DC.

LA people are a lot more friendly, everywhere - stores, walking their dogs, parents at school, uber drivers - literally everyone.

Its a much nicer place to live, people wise. And there are as others have said, lots of non-industry folks, particularly on the West side - where major medical facilities are located. Kids in my DC's class had parents who were specialists in urology, arthritis, dentistry, etc.

You do see a lot more plastic surgery out there generally. Even on grandparents.

And you do need to be wary of people making fast friends with you in the hope you'll be their next step on their career ladder but use your instincts, this kind of behavior is usually quite obvious. .And sometimes its even a mutual thing - especially in the real estate world. When we bought and sold property there we quickly realized our young realtor was more focused on impressing his older counter part than looking after our interests.

[Anonymous]

I lived in LA for 4 years and LA / Orange County are big pharma areas. I'm in DC now and miss California so so much, but the cost of living and educating children there makes it unattainable for us to go back.

[Anonymous]

I've lived in various parts of LA for many years. There are many people who do not work for the entertainment industry; LA is vast.

To make a few sweeping generalizations..."The Westside"...some towns in the Westside include Brentwood, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, probably Malibu, also Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey...I'm not sure of the cutoffs of the westside area but you can figure this out...are heavy with people in "the industry" because these neighborhoods are close to the beach, and enjoy better weather than other areas of Los Angeles. The home prices are much higher, and industry people can afford them.

Not sure if this area is still considered the Westside, but in any event, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Hancock Park too. Celebrities tend to live in Bel Air or Malibu--I believe this has to do with that you can get privacy there--high hedges for Bel Air; lots of land on mountain tops for Malibu. But celebrities are just one part of the industry; there are many many people who the public doesn't recognize. For instance, our friend has won a few Oscars now for music in certain movies; you'd not recognize him.

Anyways, my brother lives in the Pasadena area. Altadena, La Canada (with ~ on the "n"), Flintridge, San Marino. Whenever I'm out there, I'm struck with how different the population is. Seems like there are lots of scientist-types, probably due to JPL nearby. (Jet Propulsion Labs). My brother is in Altadena and I've never met anyone from there who works from the industry (not that they aren't there, but seems like per-square-inch, it's a different crowd. A lot less plastic surgery and high-end clothing than where I live, near Malibu)

And back on the Westside, you're going to get the UCLA profs and students around the Westwood area.

The best way we can help you, OP, is if you tell us what area your work is located in. That really should determine where you should live. The traffic here can be unbelievable. I've managed to create a life where I have most of what I need to do close to home. A few years ago, when my DH was switching law firms, he chose his law firm in part by location. He has never regretted that decision, because when he was located in downtown LA, he could never leave the office before 7pm, because even if he had a light day, he'd just be stuck in traffic.

So tell us what neighborhood or give us cross streets and we can really help you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work for an entertainment company and am considering a move to LA. The complaint I hear from my coworkers who have lived there is that it’s a one industry town and everyone is fake because they are just looking for someone to give them their big break. I don’t really give that much thought as I lived in DC and managed to avoid Hill-types and lobbyists. It’s a big city, and I’m sure not EVERYONE has a connection to or aspirations for the industry, but I’m curious what people who live there think. Is that aspect of LA avoidable?

Absolutely! A lot of tech has moved into the LA area - especially on the west side. And there's always been a large aerospace community in LA as well.

[Anonymous]

We moved from DC to LA (westside). There are a lot of industry people where I live. I agree with the PP that wrote that within a couple usually one person is in the industry. Of course, we've met other people that are not in the industry (business owner, medical, real estate are common). One thing I have noticed is that hardly anybody goes into an office wearing a tie Monday to Friday 9-6. Most people seem to have really flexible hours and a lot of working from home. I actually miss the typical DC types (big law, fed, think tank etc). I havent met any of these types. The only lawyers I met here are entertainment lawyers!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I lived in LA for 4 years and LA / Orange County are big pharma areas. I'm in DC now and miss California so so much, but the cost of living and educating children there makes it unattainable for us to go back.

Are you me? I miss my OC and LA so much, but stuck here to be close to family.

[Anonymous]

I'm from the LA area and indeed, there are a ton of people not in the biz. However, I do think it's a strong presence and sets a tone for things. My sister, visiting me in DC, remarked upon how the people in DC aren't very physically attractive. Physical attractiveness, being fit, appearance overall is very important in LA. My friends who went to Berkeley would tell me how students would roll out of bed and go to class. When I was at UCLA, I remember being surprised by how many students had make-up on (though from what I hear, it can be even worse in the South). The other thing I find strange about LA (after living on the East Coast for so long now) is how everyone hugs each other hello/good-bye, even the second or first time they've met. The Hollywood influence can also be felt in the very yoga/hipster/organic food culture. Just a few initial thoughts...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I lived in LA for 4 years and LA / Orange County are big pharma areas. I'm in DC now and miss California so so much, but the cost of living and educating children there makes it unattainable for us to go back.

Are you me? I miss my OC and LA so much, but stuck here to be close to family.

Born and raised in Silver Spring + Bethesda, now Orange County!

My good friend just migrated out of Bethesda, and is now in LA.

Come on back

[Anonymous]

I live in LA and I’m not in the entertainment business.

Though I know a ton who are. And a ton who are not.

LA is great. While huge, you can find your pocket of friends/experiences/hobbies and just have a blast!!

[Anonymous]

I have lived in LA for four years. We moved several times before arriving here ... including a stint in DC ... so I can compare/contrast various cities. My husband is a Fed and I'm a librarian. You can be my neighbor. I am most definitely not in 'the biz.'

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've lived in various parts of LA for many years. There are many people who do not work for the entertainment industry; LA is vast.

To make a few sweeping generalizations..."The Westside"...some towns in the Westside include Brentwood, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, probably Malibu, also Venice, Marina del Rey, Playa del Rey...I'm not sure of the cutoffs of the westside area but you can figure this out...are heavy with people in "the industry" because these neighborhoods are close to the beach, and enjoy better weather than other areas of Los Angeles. The home prices are much higher, and industry people can afford them.

Not sure if this area is still considered the Westside, but in any event, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Hancock Park too. Celebrities tend to live in Bel Air or Malibu--I believe this has to do with that you can get privacy there--high hedges for Bel Air; lots of land on mountain tops for Malibu. But celebrities are just one part of the industry; there are many many people who the public doesn't recognize. For instance, our friend has won a few Oscars now for music in certain movies; you'd not recognize him.

Anyways, my brother lives in the Pasadena area. Altadena, La Canada (with ~ on the "n"), Flintridge, San Marino. Whenever I'm out there, I'm struck with how different the population is. Seems like there are lots of scientist-types, probably due to JPL nearby. (Jet Propulsion Labs). My brother is in Altadena and I've never met anyone from there who works from the industry (not that they aren't there, but seems like per-square-inch, it's a different crowd. A lot less plastic surgery and high-end clothing than where I live, near Malibu)

And back on the Westside, you're going to get the UCLA profs and students around the Westwood area.

The best way we can help you, OP, is if you tell us what area your work is located in. That really should determine where you should live. The traffic here can be unbelievable. I've managed to create a life where I have most of what I need to do close to home. A few years ago, when my DH was switching law firms, he chose his law firm in part by location. He has never regretted that decision, because when he was located in downtown LA, he could never leave the office before 7pm, because even if he had a light day, he'd just be stuck in traffic.

So tell us what neighborhood or give us cross streets and we can really help you.

Thanks for all the helpful responses. PP, the office is in West Hollywood off Santa Monica and La Brea. I am really committed to living within a 30 minute commute radius as I’m currently in NYC burbs with about an hour and a half, and it’s killing me. DH’s office will be downtown around city hall, but he will only go in 2-3 days per week, so he can handle a slightly longer commute. From what I can gather online, the public schools are pretty terrible in that area so I’m curious about private school costs or if there are any specific elementary schools I should look around.