West Coast not the Best Coast?

[KnuckleBallz]

So, I've decided I need to take a break from New England for a bit. Lived here my whole life & would like to see a bit more of the country before settling in. I'd rather come back than never leave.

Anyway, LA was one of the cities on my radar, and my thinking was that all the traffic would be easily offset by having a bike. I've even heard from friends out there (nonbikers) that its a haven for motorcycles. However, I caught a few recent threads on here where ppl seemed to think otherwise.

I ride around Boston and have heard rants like "owning a bike in a city is awful/I'd never take my bike near there" etc, but this is where I learned to ride so I tend to disagree.

So those of you who live(d)out west- what can you tell me about the LA commute? How does it compare?

[R1]

Wirelessly posted

LA? Fuck that. Commuting on the bike? Fuck that. The roads out here are a Mecca for riding. It's unreal.

With that said the commuting with a bike is downright scary at times. And LA traffic is absolutely terrible everyday of the week. Yes including weekends. The taxes out here are much higher. The cost of living goes up as a result.

With all that said moving here is worth every penny.

Just know it is a huge change from the east coast and don't think for a second riding is "safer" it's not it's just different and still involves the same risks but they are expanded as there are more chances for an incident especially when you double or increase by a factor of ten (like I did) the amount of time you can ride.

Not saying it doesn't work but make sure you come out here with more than a dream of a better life. It's not cheap or easy.

That's all I got. Except that LA itself is not somewhere I would want to live out here at all. Expensive and a pain in the ass.

Keith

[markbvt]

Another thing to consider is that the cultural shift between the Northeast and Southern California is significant. Most (but not all) East Coasters I've known who've spent any length of time in SoCal hated it -- even some who thought they'd be into it. That may not apply to you at all, but it's something to consider.

If you find yourself to be an East Coaster at heart but still feel the need to get away from New England, it might be worth checking out the Asheville, NC, area. Up-and-coming town, and the roads around there are incredible.

--mark

[Stromper]

New York get it done

Boston get it done or at least have a good excuse

LA What?

[Paul_E_D]

New York get it done

Boston get it done or at least have a good excuse

LA What?

Look good doing it.

[KnuckleBallz]

Wirelessly posted

LA? Fuck that. Commuting on the bike? Fuck that. The roads out here are a Mecca for riding. It's unreal.

With that said the commuting with a bike is downright scary at times. And LA traffic is absolutely terrible everyday of the week. Yes including weekends. The taxes out here are much higher. The cost of living goes up as a result.

With all that said moving here is worth every penny.

Just know it is a huge change from the east coast and don't think for a second riding is "safer" it's not it's just different and still involves the same risks but they are expanded as there are more chances for an incident especially when you double or increase by a factor of ten (like I did) the amount of time you can ride.

Not saying it doesn't work but make sure you come out here with more than a dream of a better life. It's not cheap or easy.

That's all I got. Except that LA itself is not somewhere I would want to live out here at all. Expensive and a pain in the ass.

Keith

Appreciate the insight/realistic point of view. Good to hear both pros & cons weighed out. I knew they had heavy taxes but I couldn't imagine it would be that much worse than Boston. That's definitely a pain in the ass. I don't think I'd love LA, but it seems to be where I'd end up. SD was cool when I visited, but doesn't really have what I'm looking for job wise. I'm investigating SF too..

Another thing to consider is that the cultural shift between the Northeast and Southern California is significant. Most (but not all) East Coasters I've known who've spent any length of time in SoCal hated it -- even some who thought they'd be into it. That may not apply to you at all, but it's something to consider.

If you find yourself to be an East Coaster at heart but still feel the need to get away from New England, it might be worth checking out the Asheville, NC, area. Up-and-coming town, and the roads around there are incredible.

--mark

This is something that kept me away this long. Wasn't sure if the Granite & the Sunshine State could mix...I've got some very good friends from Cali, but I'm not very PC & that doesn't always go too well. My thoughts are- I'm still young, so what's a year really in the long run. Still trying to have experiences.

I like NC alot actually- visited Charlotte & Raleigh last year & it sold me on the south. I'm trying to do something related to music/entertainment industry though, so that's pretty much LA, ATL, or NYC. I'm good with NYC, & am going looking into the others.

Appreciate the response so far fellas.

[ThisBitch]

More like look good faking it.

Bay area or San Diego > LA