The first thing you need to know before you move to or visit Los Angeles is that it’s like nowhere else on earth. Los Angeles is nothing like New York, it ain’t no London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney or Berlin so forget all assumptions about visiting or living in a major metropolis – Los Angeles has re-written the book.
The car is king – that doesn’t mean that LA doesn’t have a fabulous public transport network. You can hop on a bus, get on your bike, hail a cab or take the train but Los Angeles was built for the car – LA is big with wide highways just perfect for driving. If you’re looking for a Nissan dealer Los Angelescan help you with some truly fabulous motors. Check out http://metronissanredlands.com and see for yourself. One of the benefits of driving around LA is that you don’t get tempted to call in for coffee as you walk past endless coffee shops on your way to and from work, you won’t get dragged into the shopping mall and tempted to spend any of your hard earned cash. On the down side people in Los Angeles get up to all sorts of things in their cars which they really should not do – brushing their teeth, putting on make-up or even reading the newspaper on the way to work. They spend so much time in their cars it’s a sort of extension of their home or purse.
All you need is a full fridge and tank of gas – this is an extension of the first point about the car. If your house is well stocked with groceries and your car is full of gas then what more do you need? You drive past coffee shops, newsstands and stores which mean that the money in your pocket can stay there longer. Some people actually prefer the spontaneity of a walking city but others prefer to have a little extra cash in their pocket.
There are some terrific flea markets – and they have them every week. Unfortunately this may mean that the cash you’ve saved by not calling in at the coffee shop every morning may be frittered on knick knacks and hidden treasure but there are some truly terrific bargains to be had and it’s great fun.
The farmers markets are out of this world – the produce is bigger, it’s better, it’s tastier and it’s juicier than anywhere else. Everyday there is a farmers market in Los Angeles somewhere but be warned, you can get carried away spending far more money than you intended. On the plus side you’ll enjoy a diet filled with lots of lovely fresh fruit and veggies.
You need to know somebody – Los Angeles is a pretty secret city unlike New York which has everything right there in the open. If you don’t have anyone on the inside and want to know what’s going on check out the radio stations, LA Magazine or The LA Weekly to point you in the right direction.
The LA day starts early – unlike New York which never sleeps in Los Angeles you’ll find that you rise at around 6am (the perfect time to enjoy a run) and be tucked up in bed before 10 pm. This is a real morning city where people like to get up, out and about and enjoy a leisurely breakfast before getting started on a good days work and retiring exhausted well before midnight to recharge their batteries to start again the following morning.
Make no mistake – the City of Angels is unlike any other place on earth.
