Around Los Angeles (Long Beach, Anaheim, Burbank: house, restaurants, price)

[miranda104]

Hey city forum dudes! I want to know if it is hard to navigate ones way all around Los Angeles. I will be moving there in a year being a person who is from Manhattan I never drive anywhere here I just take the subway everywhere. I will learn how to drive soon and I already have a car waiting for me when I get there. How do you think it would be for an average New Yorker who never used to drive to take a step in driving everywhere. I personally want to take this step because I am tired of taking the subway and I would never want to drive here in New York because it is too crazy. My uncle told me that traffic was insane in Los Angeles I am pretty sure I will enjoy it though especially when I visited the August that just passed I got so used to being driven around everywhere that when I returned to New York it felt weird not driving anymore. Is it hard to navigate ones way around the following areas Bell, Santa Monica, Long Beach, Burbank, Anaheim, ok dudes thanks!

Oh my God! I seriously cannot wait to move I have been posting tons of questions on these forums about life in California!

[CESpeed]

Once you get your bearings, getting around LA is easy. When you first get here, stick to the main thoroughfares until you become more familiar with the area.

[Charles]

Freeways are pretty forgiving compared to a lot of highways back east. There are exits every mile or two; if you miss an exit, it's pretty easy to turn around. Back east, you miss an exit, you're could be heading over a bridge and saying good bye to 90 minutes. The freeways and most roads are well marked, with signs indicating streets ahead.

Yes, the traffic is bad.

[LaoTzuMindFu]

Originally Posted by miranda104

Oh my God! I seriously cannot wait to move I have been posting tons of questions on these forums about life in California!

We know. You've been posting a ton of questions but you rarely engage in any interaction with the other posters. Be careful as you may end up being labled as a loon by posting started 6-7 different threads on pretty much the same subject each day.

If you have a question or ask for advice you should engage with others dont just go and start another thread.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Get a portable GPS. It'll save TONS of headaches. The problem I've found with LA's freeways (compared to the one's in OC) is that since the city was built first, they had to shoehorn the freeways in afterward. So you get weird stuff like an exit ramp that drops you off literally in front of someone's house and there's no apparent way how to get back on the freeway unless you're looking at a map.

[amc760]

Amazon.com: The Thomas Guide 2008 Los Angeles County Street Guide (Thomas Guide Los Angeles County Street Guide & Directory): Books

Portable GPS sounds great, but never experienced it. I've used my sidekick to use Google Maps, and that's worked great when I'm in an unfamiliar area.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by amc760

Amazon.com: The Thomas Guide 2008 Los Angeles County Street Guide (Thomas Guide Los Angeles County Street Guide & Directory): Books

Portable GPS sounds great, but never experienced it. I've used my sidekick to use Google Maps, and that's worked great when I'm in an unfamiliar area.

A phone works too but has its limitations. On the plus side, its one less device to carry if you're traveling and its always updated which comes in handy when searching for things like restaurants. On the down side, it depends on a data connection which can be slow or spotty if your provider's network coverage is bad and there may be a monthly fee for using it. A dedicated GPS usually has a bigger screen than a phone.

[amc760]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

A phone works too but has its limitations. On the plus side, its one less device to carry if you're traveling and its always updated which comes in handy when searching for things like restaurants. On the down side, it depends on a data connection which can be slow or spotty if your provider's network coverage is bad and there may be a monthly fee for using it. A dedicated GPS usually has a bigger screen than a phone.

Yeah, a phone isnt the greatest. Its really slow, the maps arent too detailed, but I just meant if you happen to have one handy.

If possible, I'd definitely go with a dedicated GPS. I always assumed they were pretty pricey though.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by amc760

Yeah, a phone isnt the greatest. Its really slow, the maps arent too detailed, but I just meant if you happen to have one handy.

If possible, I'd definitely go with a dedicated GPS. I always assumed they were pretty pricey though.

They've really come down in price, especially if you pick up a used one. I just sold a 1.5 year old Tom Tom on Craig's List for I think $70. I have an in-dash GPS in my car so I only used the Tom Tom when I flew to Denver. Now I have a Blackberry with GPS built in and I can enable Verizon's VZ Navigator on my account just for the week I need it and wind up paying maybe $3. VZ Navigator works pretty well but I wouldn't rely on it for a cross country trip or anywhere else that good data coverage wasn't assured. But for use in a big city, its great and its one less gadget to pack and keep charged.

[amc760]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

They've really come down in price, especially if you pick up a used one. I just sold a 1.5 year old Tom Tom on Craig's List for I think $70. I have an in-dash GPS in my car so I only used the Tom Tom when I flew to Denver. Now I have a Blackberry with GPS built in and I can enable Verizon's VZ Navigator on my account just for the week I need it and wind up paying maybe $3. VZ Navigator works pretty well but I wouldn't rely on it for a cross country trip or anywhere else that good data coverage wasn't assured. But for use in a big city, its great and its one less gadget to pack and keep charged.

No kidding? I'm going to look into that.