Moving to LA

[Tomlettegregg]

I've been offered a job in LA which would mean relocating from Sydney with my husband and 1 year old. Anyone have tips on what sites to look for a 2 bed apartment or general areas that are suitable for the office (Alsace / Playa Vista)?

Any other advice to bear in mind for a US relocation very welcome. I moved from London to Australia 5 years ago but that was pre baby and apart from being told the traffic in LA is dreadful and that I need to sort health insurance via work the advice to date has been patchy!

It might be irrelevant to the OP but the comments about no one using public schools is pretty off base. Sure there are inconsistencies but there are also some really excellent public schools that don’t teach anything wacky. My kids are in public school with people who could easily afford a 50k a year school but prefer public. The opportunities available are things I could only have dreamed of at school in the UK. And the people I know who do private are the ones with the weird ideas about rigged elections and covid being a hoax so I’m happy for my kids to be learning whatever crazy things public schools apparently have on their agenda

Thanks guys. Definitely not looking for a bun fight on which city is better. I've been lucky to live in a few cities now and am very much of the belief that each place can be right for each life stage/ personality type. Will PM you for the minessota relocaters details but were unlikely to be moving till Sep which might rule us out. Industry is tech / advertising.

Used to non furnished it would be very handy particularly as we're going to need to shell out for a car and my OH is weird about buying second hand.

When I worked in the USA I had 10 days holidays and wasn’t expected to take them all (I took 9). It was a Jewish firm but I didn’t qualify for the Jewish religious holiday (as not Jewish) but there was also no Boxing Day or Easter off for me.

@britinnyc 100%

it’s the second biggest school district in the country. It’s one of the biggest cities in the country, if not the world. You can’t visit once for a few days or visit one school and make such sweeping generalisations - that’s like going to New Cross Gate in the mid 90’s and saying all of London is gang riddled and shitty, pretty sure you’d get some Hampstead and Highgate residents up in arms.

OP I wouldn’t worry too much about schools yet anyway with a 1yr old, as with any major metropolitan areas specific schools can change drastically within a few years in any case, and there are lots of great public options on the west side without having to go private or to a religious school if you’re not religious, if you want

Yes, I have friends who have their kids in public schools in LA. Don't believe everything you read in the news about American education. Private education in a city like LA will include everything from conservative Christian schools to the sort of hippy-dippy places where children self-educate and don't get vaccines. As I said it's silly to rule it all out with a 1 year old.

Holiday entitlement varies quite a bit. My DH gets 5 weeks total now I think (I've been in and out of work & am now on contract). He is generally not expected to work when he is off. But that varies too, in tech I know many who do, and there are tech firms where "unlimited PTO" is actually a farce designed to get people to take less on their own.

Not worried about school, I'm 90% sure we'll be back in Sydney for her to start here and we deliberately bought in a catchment of a good junior school.

Ironically, they actually have unlimited PTO but I'm convinced people will take less than the 20 days they do in Aus or the 25 days that's standard in the UK.

Depends on the company and management, DH’s company highly encouraged management to role models healthy behaviour and take at least 5 weeks a year but not all companies are created equal that’s for sure

Will you be on a local contract or are you being seconded? If the former, here are some things to consider. It’s usual, at a senior level in some industries, to negotiate your exit package when you accept the job. If they can fire you “at will” you will want to know that the compensation is in place if they decide it’s not working out. Make sure your severance pay can pay out any leases etc and get you back home.

Secondly, “at will” employment in general means the business culture is more cut-throat. People are very reluctant to do/say anything that might be seen as criticism of their immediate boss, particularly in public, no matter how constructive.

We weren’t in CA and I’m sure there is some variation between states but this was our experience.

Thank you, not seconded so need to have a good read of the fine print on a local contract.

We lived in Santa Monica when our kids were little until they were in primary school a few years. Originally from London. Working hours depend on your industry, but if it's entertainment, you'll be expected to be available 7 days / wk if necessary. My DH is a workaholic but would go in for 8 and not be home until 9 most nights during those years. When you look at google maps for the commute time between places you might live and the workplace, you need to literally double the drive time. So bare that in mind too. It is a fantastic place to live and very international.

We'd really like to live in Santa Monica but I think it'll just be too expensive..

Santa Monica is honestly very expensive and very busy with all the tourists, downtown is a constant traffic nightmare especially in the summer

I'd say the same about Santa Monica. On paper it is nice, but it is next door to Venice which has become a huge homeless encampment, so there is some spillover into Santa Monica now. It is expensive and theres a big risk that the homeless get worse there. My parents thought that LA homeless would be like people busking in Italy, playing music for money etc. Completely wrong, they are actual meth heads by and large, so it is something to be very wary of. For that reason alone i'd avoid that area. Maybe others live there though and have good things to say.

Wow, rude. Not trying to suggest I know the place at all, just checking if OP had been. If someone had offered me a move to LA before I had been there I would have jumped right on that chance, but since visiting I know I could never live there and will never visit again. We didn't go to universal or disneyland, not that kind of tourist at all. Just very surprised and disappointed at my experience and would have appreciated someone telling me if I was planning a spontaneous move there. But OP has been so is obviously making an informed decision, fair enough!

In terms of working practices, I get 6 weeks vacation and never take it all. When I’m away I’m always available. I’m called if there is a problem, otherwise they leave me alone. I am able to approve certain things so it is important I’m available. I have two back ups but sometimes they have questions they want to run by me and we operate collectively. If you are in a senior role, this is common globally.

There are lots of mentally ill people who are homeless with massive drug problems linked to their mental illness. It’s a really bad situation and it’s not safe. I would recommend being in a secure complex with security until you have your bearings. Better safe than sorry.

Annual leave - I get 5 weeks plus 9 holidays (Jan 1, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, July 4, Labor Day, thanksgiving plus day after, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). It’s not always as bad as the media wants you to believe.

I prefer my work life here than the one I had in the UK. In fact, I prefer life here than the UK. However un-MNy that may be. It’s not all guns and medical bankruptcy here.