First of all Read this post from Derek Sivers on LA, he has a nice outlook ....http://sivers.org/la#comment-33888
Then this was my response as I spent most of my life there.
Nice one Derek!
I have a few things to add as I spent about 15 years in the city and was born just outside. In all honesty, it was a love hate relationship struggle for me for a long time until I turned 30 and moved into a van on the banks of Palisades Park in Santa Monica. Yes, you have to be full of optimism to take that plunge and I was but this is what I learned from the experience ....
1. There is quite a dynamic Metro system mingling throughout the city. There is a bus from the beaches of Santa Monica, right to the heart of downtown LA. There are many busses that run through the lanes of all the major streets and THEY ALLOW YOU TO PUT BIKES ON THE BUS, so you can move around when you get close to a destination. Obviously to paint that whole entire city in Public Transport would be next to impossible, but it has come along way, and there is a great Underground downtown to the valleY. Get a map, get confused and explore, I had a blast and ended up practically mastering it in a few months as I decided I would rather sit in traffic with a book and writing materials in hand then behind the wheel.
2. The Spiritual Smorgasborg. yeah I spelled that wrong, but there is an enormous spiritual community resting on the banks of Santa Monica Venice that will blow your mind! Multiple events every evening, tons of uplifting music and workshops and even more optimism then you can ever imagine! It is lovely. I had a chance to start a small Conscious Community called 4DALOVE.org and had a blast doing it. Get out your yoga mat and mingle with the healthy LIFERS, it completely transformed my life and was a gateway to INDIA, which is where I reside now.
3. Learn to accept EVERYONE as they are. LA has more people more more cultures doing more things then I have ever seen anywhere in the world. If you can walk the city with an open mind and heart like a child, it is an endless display of creation and collaboration. You can learn almost anything, play any style of music, learn any language, play any sport, meet any partner from any place in the world and you can also just take up a lounge chair and watch it all unfold, truly it is magic.
4. More on the VAN. Now, many people may think that living in a van is shameful and ludicrous. But let me tell you how I turned it into the good life, free of rent in multi-million dollar property. First, I parked regularly on the cliffs of Palisades Park. The locals new I was there, but I worked a 9-5 while playing gigs, hosting events and having a social life so I wasn't there much more then the mornings. My front yard was the most beautiful view overlooking Santa Monica Beach. I would host pick nick, Yoga Classes and Play Music when I could. My toilet had the same view and my shower was a 5 star Day Spa with all the mineral baths and extras the I indulged myself in just a few blocks away. Sometimes I would drive up the coast and find another cliff to park on. When I needed to go to the city late and did not feel like driving home, I just got in the back and rested. I had a bike locked to the back for freedom and I just explored like I had just come to town, even though I had been there for the last 30 years. Truly, it was some of the most vibrant days of my life. Full Freedom, full connection, full on life for a fraction of the price as most rentals in the area are about 1500 for a shoe box not much larger then the inside of the van.
Anyways, I could go on and on as I am yearning to go back, but the right time will come. If now is your time, open up and enjoy!
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