Young, remote worker. Looking for advice and neighborhood suggestions!
Me (24F) and my long-term boyfriend are looking to move to LA next summer (2027) from the Seattle area.
Seattle is way too gloomy for me, and the people here are not my vibe. I either find people my age who are living at home with their parents still, living day-to-day, or I find those who are dedicated to their career, but all they do is work. I'd love to be back in LA where people hustle just as much as they like to have fun.
I lived in the South Bay briefly for a summer internship in 2023 and fell in love with LA. I'm from the Midwest, and throughout high school and college, I'd visit my older brother in Ventura. I was undoubtedly the happiest when I lived in LA, but I'm nervous I'm glamorizing the past too much. Any advice to get over this mental hurdle would be appreciated.
As for finding a neighborhood, this is what I'm looking for:
- I'd love to live somewhere easy to meet young people and close to the beach.
- Walkability is a huge plus. I've heard Venice Beach is good (though I don't know what the safety ratings are); I also enjoyed Lawndale when I lived there. Any other neighborhoods to recommend?
- Pricing-wise, we're hoping to find a 1 bd/1 ba and pay no more than $3k per month so we can save for future endeavors and travel.
- My boyfriend is a bodybuilder, so a high-quality gym/bodybuilding community nearby would also be a plus.
- I'm not opposed to living outside of the city on the coast; however, being young transplants, I don't think that's the move.
- We plan to get a dog sometime after we move.
More context on my financial situation. My salary by the end of the year will be around $120-130k + benefits. I will still be working entirely remote, and my boyfriend will find a new job wherever we move or find a remote job, so commute to work isn't as big of a factor.
Would love it if you could keep general "don't move here" statements to a minimum. Obviously, I'm aware of the main negatives LA has (homeless population, high traffic, HCOL, large wealth disparity, etc.) and have scanned the subreddit for reasons not to move (LA isn't the same as it used to be, the living expenses are too high, the protests, etc.), but I think my love for it outweighs it all.
Please drop any advice; thanks in advance!