Author Archives: Lis in LA

Happy New Year in Los Angeles

Posted on January 2, 2008 | 1 Comment

I have been 15 months in LA now and I each time I leave I feel more and more settled as I return. I can’t put my finger on what beyond time has made me fall in love with this metropolis. It could be the laid back attitude of beach side Venice in the winter sunshine, recent drinks with neighbours or the knowledge that having a new job means I can stay.

LA in winter is a treat, with few cars on the road a batch of awesome new films in the cinemas and the late morning sunshine.

Happy New Year everyone, I hope 2008 is your year.

This photo was taken in our garden on 31 December 2007

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Finding a place to live in Los Angeles

Posted on November 14, 2007 | Leave a comment

It took me a while to work out where I wanted to live in Los Angeles. One of the deciding factors in my choice of Venice (by the beach on the Westside) was that the beach suburbs are 10 – 15 degrees cooler than the Eastside and Valleys. I love Venice as a local cafe says “where art meets crime”. There no sense of it being a cookie cutter Los Angeles suburb there a great mix of people, cafes, second hand shops, bars and all by a fabulous beach.

Now if I was to move again, I would think about Culver City, Mid- Wilshire/ Fairfax area or West Hollywood. I would love to live near Sunset Boulevard in Silverlake but it is just too far from the beach and airport. I am not brave enough to live downtown and the amenities just aren’t there. I don’t get Santa Monica – too many people and too many high street shops.

So down to business- where to find a house:

I found our first house on craigs list I think a lot of agents put houses there as well as other places. Be quick the places go fast. I was lucky to meet the owner and she accepted my application without US references.

We found our current house via  Sabbatical homes  - the advantage of this site is that the houses are often are furnished which meant we could get a bigger joint. It is pretty hit and miss.

Local estate agents are worth speaking to as they can act as a broker and find you a house here is one for Venice.

The other site I like is the multiple listing services which has a watered down version of the site that the agents use. The other advantage is that it is a good way to get to know the rental market in various suburbs.

Good luck!

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Hollywood Forever Cemetery- Day of the Dead

Posted on November 2, 2007 | 1 Comment

Last year I wanted to go but was overwhelmed by the thought of the drive. This happens a lot to me in LA, I think about driving downtown or to Pasadena and then I think about facing the traffic – will it be worth it?

But this year I was determined brave the journey to experience this annual event. I roped in six others and with military planning and hand drawn maps we headed to the Day of the Dead celebrations in Hollywood – and it was most definitely worth the effort.

The Day of the Dead is a Mexican festival to honour and celebrate of the lives of the deceased. The celebration in Los Angeles is one of the bigger ones outside of Mexico. It was one of the most original and vibrant events I have ever seen. I loved the Mexican iconography and I was very moved to see the beautiful altars that had been created to celebrate heroes and family members.

Main Stage

The main stage

Two family members created an altar of all the things their lost ones had loved.

one of the altars

As we left the road was blocked by this car – I am not sure he will be quite so pleased he made the effort. (no one was seriously hurt)

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Escaping Los Angeles to the Joshua Tree

Posted on October 18, 2007 | 1 Comment

One of the best things about living in LA is the number of fabulous places you can escape to on weekends. And boy I need to escape regularly – the longer I stay without a break the more I believe I should do an hour of cardio a day, that carbs after 3pm are a disaster and $10 for a sandwich is the going rate.

Last weekend we went to the desert and stayed in Josuha Tree (‘Josh’ to the locals) . I can throughly recommend Spin and Margie’s hideaway for easy pleasant accommodation near the National Park. On Saturday we took a guided walk though the park with local guide Cal. The guided walk was one of my SoCal highlights.

Here are some of the photos:
The begining of the walk.

The Joshua Trees only grow 10 cm a year

Take the ancient ink blot test – a porpoise?

I see a tortoise here…

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The sun rising over Venice

Posted on October 12, 2007 | 1 Comment

This was the view from my bedroom window this morning.

I have a good feeling about today.

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5 hot tips for moving to Los Angeles (from Australia)

Posted on October 10, 2007 | 7 Comments

Before I moved to Los Angeles last year I had never been here, not even to hang at LAX. So in the three months between being offered a job and turning up I read and spoke to everyone who had lived in or visited the City of Angels.

No amount of advice prepared me for my first freeway interchange. I thought I was going to die as I merged from the 10 west to the 405 south all I could see was a sea of traffic lights with six lanes of traffic and I confess I let out a shriek of terror….

So anyway this advice helped me in my first few weeks:

1. Start driving it is true LA is a car town so get behind the wheel. Mapquest everything (check the box to avoid highways).

2. Listen to KCRW radio station, it makes those miles you will drive so much easier and Nick Harcourt’s morning becomes eclectic is simply the best music selection I have ever heard. If you join the station they have great ticket give aways and local business discounts.

3. Set up a postal address (I used my work address) and start working on your credit history as soon as you can it seems to impact everything – including gas bills, leases and banking. The simplest way to get credit is to apply for an AMEX card in Australia before you leave then call AMEX as you arrive and they will issue you a US one. Also many newcomers swear by Macy’s store cards. They will give them to anyone (and there is a discount on the day you sign up, great for bedding, etc)

4. Sign up for a cell phone. The plans are pretty good, look for lots of minutes and texts included. Watch the rates to OZ. All the plans make you sign up for two years so also check the penalties for breaking a plan.

5. Sit for your driver’s license. Having a license gives you some US identification and significantly reduces your car insurance costs. The handbook has an introduction from our illustrious Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger which gave me a thrill during an otherwise totally uninspiring experience. Nothing like reliving the horror of a driving test in my 30′s.

Good luck!

Next – 5 tips for Finding a place to live.

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An ode to Melbourne

Posted on October 6, 2007 | Leave a comment

Living in LA with its endless sunshine it is easy to forget how an unexpected sunny day can put you in such a good mood.

“I saw you the other day. It was a nice day, I was out and about, walking in the city, getting on and off trams, going into shops, sitting on a bench. It was the kind of day when every face that passed came from somewhere, was going somewhere else, no longer a mask but a personality. It was the kind of day when the light was kind, and the breeze was sugary, and there was time for looking, as I waited for a tram, as I walked in the park, as I passed you in the street.

Here is the full article the journo watches a girl trail through Melbourne in all is ‘superficial’ sunshine-bathed glory. I really miss catching trams. Los Angeles’ streetcars system was torn up by General Motors in the 1950′s.

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Introducing Lis in LA

Posted on October 3, 2007 | 1 Comment

About a year ago I left Melbourne to work and live in a new city – Los Angeles. It has been a fabulous year, there is nothing like uprooting your world to make you re-evaluate what is important in life and to experience the highs of new discoveries.

As I head into the next year of being a Southern Californian I thought it was time to reflect on what it means to be an Australian so far away from home living in the city of angels and blogging seems like the natural progression.

I came to LA to follow a dream (someone else’s dream) to start Moonlight Cinema in ten or so cities across the US. For nearly a year I buzzed around the States taking meetings and speaking in school halls with the aim of securing five or so parks to screen movies in this summer.

I had a ball doing business in a new place, without a doubt the Australian accent helped. At the end of a major presentation in Philly I was asked to ‘say G’day’ to the assembled crowd. I have also been asked by my chiropractor to say ‘a dingo stole my baby’. Often the crowd think I am British.

I love the new vocab I am now peppering my sentences with – “I circle back to you” and the great respect for process in business. I love the openness and curiosity of the people I meet, so quick to offer help and advice. Always keen to know what brought you to the US and what you think.

One of my favourite views of LA the 405 freeway on a Friday night from the Getty.

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