Safe neighborhoods in LA?

I'm moving from NY to LA for grad school at AFI - I need advice for the move! Neighborhoods, cars, tips, etc.?

• First things first - I don't drive. I grew up in cities that have great public transportation where driving was not the norm, so I've never even sat behind the front wheel before. I'm trying to figure out what the smartest thing to do is in terms of getting a license - should I take driving lessons in New York, get my license here, and then reapply when I get to LA? How would I even get around before I get my license in California? Would it be smarter just to learn the driving on the East Coast, and then apply for a license in California? (Any general advice on cars, car insurance, or anything to do with what I can expect on the road is also supremely helpful...) Secondly, I know nothing about LA neighborhoods. From what I've been told, LA is the sort of place where I can expect to drive to a grocery store - not a concept I relish. Is there an area that's safe, not too far of a commute from Hollywood, that has most of the things I would need in walking distance? What are the connotations of the different neighborhoods in the greater LA area? I've been looking at Pasadena, as I've been told that it's quiet, safe, and compact, but if there's an area that's a little closer to where I need to be that fits the same criteria, I'd be pleased as punch. Obviously nowhere that's too pricey - I won't be earning income these next two years! My final query is about the quirks of LA - what can I expect to be different? Are any simple processes (such as setting up my phone and internet access) particularly different from how things work in New York? What's the truth about public transportation in LA? Is it really as bad as they say? Are the people hospitable there? Any information at all would be so incredibly helpful. I want to say thanks in advance for any advice you can offer! I'm normally not too daunted by moving but I hear it's a very significant change to go from New York to LA.

• Answer:

  alright I'm going to try to answer your question as best as I can. I live in Los Angeles and know the city very well. You're right on the money. In Los Angeles it's almost a necessity to get a car. You could use public transpo but to be honest with you, it's not that efficient and with the traffic in Los Angeles, even on surface streets getting to your destination on a surface street would take forever. The best thing to do, is to get your license in NY. That way once you get to LA all you have to do is take the driving test. I believe that since you have your license you will not have to take the written test. At least that's what my friend from Texas said. You should probably learn to drive before you come to LA but driving in LA is a different beast from almost anywhere. You have really bad and slow drivers and really aggressive drivers. The freeways can be a nightmare especially during rush hour where some freeways merge from two lanes into one. As for getting around before you get a license. the DASH bus system runs all throughout LA with less stops than regular MTA buses so that should suffice until you get a car. Best advice on a car is to get a small fuel efficient car. Since there's lots of traffic you can save on fuel by getting a smaller car. Insurance is a bit expensive especially if you are under 25 and have any previous violations. You can get quotes. I've heard Geico offers the cheapest insurance rates. I have Farmers myself and they are expensive! Neighborhood wise, you'd be best served staying in the Hollywood area seeing as you don't know how to drive yet. Pasadena, although nice is too far and inconvenient from AFI, which i believe is located on Western & Los Feliz Blvd. As for groceries stores they are all over Hollywood though if you use the bus, I would say you'd have to make multiple trips to the store without a car. It's tough in LA w/o a car and w/o quality public transpo. Safe neighborhoods around Hollywood are Los Feliz (although that is a bit expensive, celebs tend to live there) Silver Lake which might be in your price range, Hollywood itself, Echo Park, West Hollywood, Hancock Park (Which is also quite expensive) are the best areas surrounding Hollywood. Beware East Hollywood though, MS13 has a nice presence there as does Armenian Power another street gang. You can always try living in the Cahuenga area, although it's a bit expensive ther too. The closest to Pasadena in that area would be in Studio City but that is over the hill and congestion to get into Hollywood is tough! Within your price range, if you won't be working try Silver Lake and Echo Park the most cost efficient and both those neighborhoods are gentrifying rapidly. I would recommend Silver Lake. Lots of shops, good walking area and fairly safe. The quirks of LA, there are a lot of them. People tend to keep to themselves but most are kind people if you acknowledge them. You won't see movie stars everywhere as they tend to keep to themselves but coffee beans and frozen yogurt shops seem to have a higher volume of them. There are lots of cars, surface streets can get real crowded, some areas can be quite shady at night. There's a lot of different types of cable and internet you can get. Public Transpo is alright but nowhere near as efficient as NY. No Los Angeles is not as bad as they say, don't believe the stereotypes. There are a lot of wannabe actors and actresses stay out of that crowd, you'll be considered "douchey" if you join them. There's lots to do out here, the people are good looking, food is great, weather is incredible when it isn't smoggy. All in all it's going to be a drastic change but I'm sure you'll love LA. If you have any further questions feel free to holler at me.