What is it like to live in Hollywood/LA(Both Celebrities view AND normal persons)?

I really couldn't tell you about life as a celebrity, since I'm not one, and have no experience in that area. In general, they keep to themselves. Occasionally, you may see one in public. True Angelenos don't gush or make a big deal. The most they say is "I love your work", and leave it at that. Over the years, I've encountered celebrities in public, such as at their child's/granchild's sports game, or dining. Rather than gush or run up and ask for an autograph, I just treated them with the respect I would give to any other person. They aren't out in public just to give you autographs, and be friends with you. They are out to watch a child's soccer game, or just to have a meal. It makes it pretty easy if you remember that they poop just like everybody else. Like the book says, everybody poops. Moving to Hollywood to further your career is a waste of time. Establish yourself in your own area first. There are millions of wannabes here. Establish your career in your own area, in the local music scene. Make contacts in the music industry. Too many people come here, and wonder how to "break in". They have no contacts, and there's really no way to get in without contacts. Check out lalife.com for safe areas. Traffic is horrible. My advice is not to put all your eggs in one basket. Have a career other than singing. You'll need it to survive here in LA. Rent is $1200 per month for a cheap one BR apartment. Moving here is VERY hard, we usually recommend that you save up at least $10,000 before moving.

well being a celebrity myself I dont really worry about prices of homes or gas cuz that's all pocket change to me. I dont mind traffic because its more time that I get to spend inside my half million dollar Lamborghini. I like paparazzi because I love the attention. I usually hang out around Beverly Hills and shop at The Grove so its normal for people like yourself to see someone as famous as me. and only the tourists bother me for a signature.

Most people in LA will leave celebs alone, tourists usually bother the celebs. There are certain restaurants and areas where there are a lot of paparazzi, and the celebs go there knowing they'll be photographed and harassed. They don't have to go to those places, they choose to if they want to be seen. One of my friends is a very respected young actor, but also the teens/young women love him, and he gets some silliness when he's out, which embarrasses him (he's shy), but he smiles and moves on. The celebs who seem to get the most harassment in LA from locals are the big directors or producers, people asking them to read scripts or take a meeting, which really annoys them. It is really tough to make it as a singer in LA. There is a ton of competition, and it's hard to make a living. My son's voice instructor is an amazing singer, you've heard her, because she's sung lead vocals (as a back up singer -- the engineer turns down the lead singer's mic when necessary) on several very well known singers' tracks, and in concert, and she often sings back up on a popular TV show. She's toured with several big singers and sang on their albums. She's college educated, has sold songs she's written, and is extremely attractive. But she still doesn't earn enough to buy a home, and she's married, her dh makes a decent living as a writer/musician. She probably makes more on private voice lessons than on actual performing. My son's previous voice instructor (a friend of the current instructor) was in the same situation, and her mentor is one of Hollywood's biggest instructors -- he let her use his professional studio to teach lessons, she gave his daughter lessons (she's that good), she has a recent album out, she's college educated, but she had to move out of LA to make a living teaching at a music school. My son has several teen friends who have had contracts with major labels, but they never took off. One of his teen friends is doing the mall performance route right now (mostly in kind of boony places outside of LA), and singing at events like minor league baseball games, has a contract with a major label, her songs are on amazon and itunes, and has opened for a very popular singer. But there is no guarantee that it will go much further, and she works full time doing this (homeschooled), and she isn't making any money, but putting out a lot of cash. She thought by now she'd be known, but it hasn't happened and things seem to be stagnant. It is too expensive in LA to start building a singing career, especially with the job situation now. In the past, artists could get jobs like waiter that after a few years, or right away if you were lucky, paid decently with tips, but not anymore. No one is eating out, famous expensive restaurants have closed, people don't tip as well, and they don't drink like they used to (that's when you made the big bucks as a waiter). Now it's mostly professional waiters in the good jobs, the artists who gave up their dreams years ago, with everyone else getting laid off. Start your career locally, get buzz where you are now and build on it, then move out here. If you haven't, why not go to college, many 4 year and community colleges have good music programs, and you might be able to get financial aid to help pay tuition and living expenses. As an artist, you will have higher expenses than a typical person, you'll have to take lessons, good private voice lessons in LA generally cost from $50 - $150 per 45 or 60 minutes. (There are lots of singing instructors out there, but it's tough to find someone really good.) You'll need to pay for studio time, if you get a chance to showcase, you'll have to sell a bunch of tickets and guarantee a certain amount of booze sales, so that means you'll have to know a bunch of people who are willing to pay/drink to see you, so that means networking, going out, having the right clothes to do so, etc. You'll need a reliable car, because you never know where you might have to go for auditions, etc and LA is really spread out. And yep, traffic is bad! Good luck!