pgolier

Personally, I wouldn't stay up in the Burbank Airport area - it's pretty depressing up there, you'll end up doing alot more driving that you'll want to do, and you'll pay (lots) for parking. The only thing you'll be able to walk to is a depressing cluster of fast-food restaurants.

Another thing to consider - if you become a Producer's asst you likely would not have a permanent office. If/when that Producer is hired to work on a film, his/her offices would usually move to the production office wherever that is. My experience is that the Asst would move with the Producer. This means that your permanent desk might be at Warners in Burbank, for example, but you could end up commuting to the production offices in Downey for a year. So a central location of your home is really important.

If you are a fan of life in NYC, you also should be warned you will be leaving behind much of what you love about city life. LA is a totally different beast. With the exception of just a few very small pockets, you will likely not walk much, if at all. Transit will become non-existent. Your life will be centered on your car, and any connection that you feel towards your city (spontaneous social interaction on the street and the subway, etc) will mostly be gone. The car acts as a social buffer between people in LA and this is, in my opinion, the greatest detriment to life in that city. Angelenos have great private backyards but the city streets are, again with small exceptions, pretty miserable places. Public life is not a focus for Angelenos. In general, people in LA feel very little connection with LA, which is something that I haven't experienced in the other cities I've lived in (NYC, SF, Vancouver).

Of course, this is just my opinion and certainly not meant as an attack on LA - just some food for thought from someone that lived there for more than 12 years as you consider your move. It will likely spark debate, which is good since you should consider a bunch of perspectives.

iapetus

I think a lot of this really depends upon the neighborhood you choose. Many neighborhoods here feel like neighborhoods; others feel like bedroom communities in the middle of a city.

I''m curious, pgolier. Where specifically did you live?

pgolier

Lots of places - I started out in North Hollywood (didn't everyone start out there?), then moved to an apartment in Los Feliz (my favorite neighborhood), then to West LA (b/w Santa Monica Blvd and Wilshire a few blocks east of Bundy), then to the east side of West Hollywood (between SM Blvd and Melrose, a few blocks west of La Brea), and then a house near Beachwood Canyon in the Hills.

I just feel that there is very little public life in LA which left a giant hole in my life after having grown up in NY. Actually I notice you're from Pasadena and I think they do a great job of creating communities - they've got the urban design down, focus on their fantastic architecture, and have really improved the walkability of the city. But the overall urban design of LA and most of its suburbs is focused on movement of cars and not enough on people. As a result, there is that lack of connection between people and the city. The sidewalks aren't where people want to be and, as a result, most people drive from parking lot to parking lot. I think this is why the Grove is so successful - they capitalized on what is sorely missing in LA - a walkable, clean "community." But it's privately owned and operated and didn't provide a satisfying substitute for the elements of a city that I wanted.

Don't get me wrong - many people love LA and would never leave. And there are some great things about the city. I just wanted to throw in my 2 cents because I thought when I moved from NYC to LA that I would find that social connection and I didn't. I guess it depends on people's personal priorities.

Benjh

Thanks to both of you, pgolier, iapetus. It's really interesting to see both your points of view. pgolier, what you're describing (which I had guessed from what my friends told me) is the reason I want to come for a week first and see it first hand before deciding in a move is the right choice.

May I ask, what neighborhood do you consider more like life in NYC? (I understand none are really comparable).

And thanks for the explanation on offices and such for production asst. I don't have an interview yet so let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

West Hollywood seems very central, true. On priceline, there are two 2.5* hotels (in my price range) in this area (bh - west h.) but both are in Beverly Hills, around Pico and Beverly. Is that a good place?

Hotels are Residence Inn and courtyard BH. do you know them?

Thanks again guys.

Lufthomie

I lived 45 years in L.A.
I was a field service tech for lodgenet and know L.A. freeways like the back of my hand.

While its a bit of a ways from where you are planning on doing biz, consider the Hilton Garden inn in Montebello. Golf course right there should you sling.

Its situated by 2 fwys plus 2 others are minutes away.

I know the GM ( a very sweet girl) plus its a clean place.

All the above recommendations are all on point.
Good Luck!

CPMaverick

Hi-

I wanted to chime in about LA Public Transport since you said you enjoyed the subway in NYC.

It's true that the system isn't great in terms of usefulness. A car is pretty much always more efficient.

However, I've made it a point to try many of the options in LA, and I must say, the Metro Red Line is really, really nice. If you like public transport, you might consider trying it out when you are there. If my job was not so far from the metro lines, I would consider trying to live near a station. I don't think I'd use it for a commute, but it would be great to head downtown for a quick trip to Chinatown, to see a Lakers game, or a Dodgers game, without having to go through the driving hell.

The Metro Red also gets you easily from Hollywood area to Union Station, where you can connect to several parts of LA, or San Diego via the Pacific Surfliner.

I find that after all the commuting, I am loathe to drive somewhere for fun. so being near a Metro line might be a nice way to relax when going out for fun in LA.

I moved to LA a bit over 3 years ago from a much less populated place. , so I am still getting used to it. But thought you might find that information useful.

SkiAdcock

Residence Inn Bev Hills gets good reviews in the Marriott forum. Also it's a decent location for commuting/checking out a lot of areas you're interested in during your week-long trip.

BTW - as of July 1st, hands-free cell phone driving law took effect. Bring a headset w/ you if you plan on talking on your cell whilst driving around.

Cheers.

iapetus

No! Ugh.

I do enjoy Pasadena, California, for precisely those reasons. I like the community feel and I like being on the edge of the metropolitan area; all I have to do is ride my bike to the north and very soon I'm cycling on roads going through the wilderness.

Interesting take on the Grove. And, I think you're spot on. It has a very comfortable and relaxed feel about it (though it can get too crowded for my taste), but it's hard to shake the feeling that you're in a corporate environment. That said, it's still popular and a similar thing just opened up in Glendale, California, recently.

I'm sure you weren't addressing me, but I'll pipe up nonethelesss (). IMHO, from a lifestyle point of view, I'd have to say Los Feliz is reminiscent of life in New York City, New York ... depending upon the part of New York in question.

IMHO, the Metro is a really good public transportation system, yet it is probably the most maligned. I think it becomes most useful when you put yourself in a position to use it. I take the bus in to work most days (when my wife doesn't drop me off ). I can do that because of where I've chosen to live. I use to get to concerts sometimes, as well as LAX.

People complain about the length of time it takes to get places on the Metro. But, what they forget is that public transportation is always slower than driving. From Pasadena, it takes me between 45 minutes to an hour to get to Hollywood on Metro trains -- a distance of roughly 10 miles. When I used to commute daily from eastern Queens to Manhattan during high school via public transportation, it would take me about an hour and a half to travel the same 10 miles. Granted, part of that was on a bus, but even if I discount that, it still took me at least an hour.

Excellent point! ^

Benjh

You guys are outstanding! More information than I could wish for. Yet I still have questions!

- If landing in SNA... How long of a drive to Beverly Hills?
- Anyone knows deluxe car rental out of LAX? Their price is half of everybody else, but not sure of their reputation.

I'm still debating between a NYC-LA-SFO (or OAK)-NYC and booking a R/T NYC-LA now, then a R/T LA-SFO last minute when I know when (and if) I have meetings. One of the issue with the latter is that LA-SFO is cheaper out of Long Beach with Jetblue or southwest, but if I have a car with priceline, I might not be able to change the drop-off airport last minute. Thoughts?

I've had 4 recommendations for Los Feliz, from 4 different, unconcerted sources. I'll be sure to check it out.

(Update on my job search: Called about 10 production companies, never got passed the front desk. Dam it, why am I in this business??? - no don't answer that :-) ).

Non-NonRev

Just to the west, you might also take a look a Beachwood Canyon. It has a VERY strong sense of community; it is semi-isolated, but is still only a few minutes from all of the hustle and bustle. I lived here in the late 1970s and greatly enjoyed it. Not cheap, though.

http://gridskipper.com/65342/los-ang...-is-so-awesome


I would think that your language skills would give you a leg up in your search in this very competitive field. I'd be looking for companies with links to Francophone projects and interests. etc. Best of luck!

Craig6z

With a SAG strike looming, a lot of production companies are sitting on the sidelines. Other companies are doing the total opposite, working 24/7 to complete projects.

This would be an extraordinarily tough time to find a job. You have to focus on something unique you can offer, to even get someone's attention. The "French" suggestion is a good example of standing out.

SkiAdcock

What Craig6z said. Also you might want to contact the French counsulate (sp?) in LA to see if they've got any input. I know they're active in trying to promote all things French, & sometimes the dif counsulates have networking get-togethers for industry folk. I've attended a couple of others.

SNA to Bev Hills is a solid hour drive non-rush hour. 90-minute/2hours if you add in rush hour.

Cheers.

mlshanks

Roughly 50 miles, vs. 10 miles for LAX or 15 miles for BUR. It could take as long as 2 hours at rush hour. The other two airports would take less than half the time regardless of the hour.


I dealt with them when they were "Ace" car rentals. They are one of the furthest out of the "airport" car rental places...and technically not entitled for their p/u vans to cruise the airport, you'll have to call for p/u. Service was not bad, car did have a few more dings/miles than the usual rental, but it worked fine. YMMV

Most MAJOR (& mid-major) car rental companies will allow you to interchangably drop off cars at LAX - LGB - BUR without paying a drop-off fee...but call any specific company you plan to book w/ to confirm this.

Non-NonRev

Also the Alliance Française in Los Angeles:


http://www.learnhowtospeakfrench.org...osangeles.html

wingless

West Hollywood or Studio City are good suggestions.



FYI I like the Metro too. I use it to go to Staples Center in Downtown. It is a bit of a long ride since we take the Green Line from Redondo Beach to the Blue Line which takes you to Staples Center and Union Station. It ends up taking about an hour but it beats driving.