"You'll End Up Homeless AF", A Warning to Artists Moving to Los Angeles
It's not for the weak, the mid-powerful, or the super emotional but it can be home. Here's my take from this Thread's Post.
A luxury realtor based in LA pops up on my Threads Feed. I’m not in the real estate business game, but then again I am because one of our clients Creative Direct is a huge real estate developer in the luxury market. He said people moving to LA should come with a plan, or they’ll be homeless.
My response was adding to his alarm call and I’d like to expand on each one here in a bullet point to help those considering a move to beautiful LA. First, here’s my reply and then the expanded bullet points.
How to Prepare for Your Los Angeles Move
Plan for the Bank Account: You’ll spend more than you thought. You’ll need the first month, the last month, sometimes a different security deposit, a pet deposit, you’ll need money to move in and the movers cost money (more than you think), and you’ll need money to buy everything in your apartment. You’ll be tested with slow times and really fast times. The slow times are hard when you question yourself and your skill levels. The fast times are hard because you’re spending money like a madman because you are too tired to cook. Food is expensive in LA! All of this costs money and you should have a 6 month plan at minimum to feel remotely safe in LA. There are food delivery jobs to hold you over but have some money.
Food is pricey. Plan for the Apartment in the Valley: One of my replies in the threads was from someone asking “What’s wrong with the valley?” - there’s nothing wrong with it in theory but the market does suggest the valley is worth less, which is why people go there first. I’m saying manage your expectations and I’ll explain more in the audio below.
Plan for Parking Tickets: In my first year in LA I was gifted 19 parking tickets, 3 in a single day. I lived in Miracle-Mile, my neighbor was the future wife of Usher and Jesse Williams of Grey’s Anatomy. Parking is expensive in LA. Some buildings don’t even offer you the parking space with your lease. You’ll be paying about $200 a month on top of your rent. Ask the right questions to make sure your parking is covered!
People pay $35 a day to park there and windows are broken every so often Plan for the Gym: You MUST work out, and I would like to pass a law (if I were dictator) that would evict anyone who doesn’t take care of themselves in LA. You need this to survive in a city such as Los Angeles. Go get some sun, some exercise, and meet people!
Plan for your Mental Health: I’m saying it again, Los Angeles is not for the weak. Here are a few rules of life that I stick with and they’ve never proven me wrong. (listen to the audio for explanations on each)
- Double first name
- Someone who wants to be you
- Your first 1/2 of a second mattersPlan for the Event Invites: This is simple and you won’t need much of an explanation. Be reliable so people invite you to more places. Thank people for the opportunity to experience an awesome event, good people, or great food. Be a good guest and aim to invite others as much as you expect them to invite you. Friends are fun. Your first year (or for most) won’t be the best friends. It’s just a bunch of people trying to figure it out but within that first year, you’ll need someone great. Then they’ll introduce you to their other friends. It’s a big city with lots of people and it can get lonely at the same time. Remember this…
Most People are at home thinking everyone else has plans but the “everyone else” they think is booked are sitting at home thinking the same thing.Plan to Move Back: I gotta talk this one out, so please listen to the audio player below but in short, it’s OK to go home after you try.
I see my nieces, parents, or God kids when I need to destress. It works. Plan to Get out of the Valley: You can’t live in all of that smoke, and smog, be that far away. Go elsewhere. You don’t need a passport to travel to Long Beach, Orange County, Pasadena, Whittier, or anywhere else nearby. After a handful of years, you can move further away because people are hiring you for Y-O-U. They don’t need someone nearby, they need you. Do this because it’s good to live somewhere that doesn’t judge you based on how you look, your age, your size, or your portfolio. This is why I love Orange County. OC is brutal for soccer moms but I’m not one and no one cares about what I do. I’m just Walid out there. In LA I’m introduced by what I do.
MY COURSES, CONSULTING, ETC… CLICK HERE
Swimming in Mammoth with the nieces Plan for F*CK YOU Money (Bonus): My English teacher in 10th grade said, “Walid it looks like you want to make it in Hollywood. You need fuck-you money” and then she went back to grading papers, as I walked to 3rd-period class. Let’s chat about Mrs. Penn (RIP) and when I finally realized what that meant.
