I’m being offered a role in La moving from London. Is there anything about the city I should be aware of before committing to relocating ?

Any chance you can visit? There are a ton of British expats here btw.

You would love LA! In terms of things to know before moving is the homeless population. It will shock you to see so many people living in the streets especially in DTLA

Let me preface this by saying despite everything I will list (and they are all major negatives), I will still not leave LA - the rent is too damn high and buying is incredibly difficult - the city is big and a car is a must - gas is expensive - crime is up - homelessness is rampant - lots of dense shallow and superficial people call LA home Positives - culturally and ethnically diverse - food is amazing - weather - there’s good people here but hard to find. Blessed to have found friends that are now family. - proximity to beaches and mountains - lots of events almost all the time

I’ve recently did the move from London to LA. First, you have to drive or get an uber everywhere. Finding a place was tricky because I had no credit history in the US, so I ended up paying a few months rent upfront. Finding the right area is important, either you live close to your office (because traffic is a nightmare here) or if wfh is allowed, I’d say you rarely leave your neighbourhood during weekdays.

How are you getting sponsorship to work in America? I want to go in the other direction!

One thing to note is that your commute pretty much dictates where you live due to traffic patterns. Where are you going to be working and how many days a week are you in the office?

Try your best to live close to where you’ll work because the long commutes are soul-sucking. I am someone who has lived a few months in other major cities and loves using public transportation when possible on travels so I feel like I can properly say that LA has an awful public transportation system.

LA does have a small metro, and DTLA is a major stop called Union Station (it’s historic and beautiful), so check out the lines that go there and how far your office is from that station. Both MetroLink and Amtrak trains go thru it. Maybe you can live near one of their stations. Honestly, I’d recommend not committing to a place yet and staying with a friend or at an Airbnb for a few weeks while you scope out neighborhoods. Some sketchy places are just a couple blocks away from nicer areas so it helps to see it during day and night.