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Post by christina on May 17, 2016 16:56:06 GMT -5
Thx. I knew it existed but quality of it was my concern. Agree you have to live by your office for sanity purpose. I heard rail system was going to be expanded a few years back which is why I asked. And I thought there was train between downtown and Santa Monica and I remember seeing tracks between Pasadena and points East. I can't remember which highway but maybe it goes out towards san Bernardino. Highway I think was just south of Pasadena and I think it is northernmost east west interstate in greater la area. 1. Map of LA Metro planned expansion - yes, someday it is supposed to connect DTLA and Santa Monica.
2. The Gold Line light rail runs from Union Station to Pasadena and then east along the Foothill Freeway to Azusa (its southern branch runs from Union Station into East LA) - I think that is what you are referencing. (Also, the San Bernardino line of the Metrolink commuter train more or less follows the San Bernardino Freeway (I-10).)
had time to look up interstate, it was 210 where i saw what looked like light rail. but thanks. i thought i i hallucinated this for awhile!!!
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Post by christina on May 17, 2016 17:13:18 GMT -5
the Greater LA Area:
as has been noted, live close to your office. Traffic is a challenge although the further away you get from LA, traffic does become tolerable. Time of day can help too. i did some driving between 10AM to 2pm and on Sunday morning, and those times were ok.
there are two offices, one is is downtown LA and one is between UCLA and Santa Monica, ie the western part of LA. Nice area for the most part for the west la office. if i could afford it, i would not mind living in a high rise in that area. i have heard there are some trendy areas to live near downtown LA too.
long Beach- kind of blech what i saw. but there are likely nicer areas near by, right on orange county border to the south
there is an office se of la(i think it's norwalk). have not seen that part of la but i think it's more or less ok, there is some touristy stuff in that area so i assume it;s east of the notorious east La.
Pasadena- well duh, it's awesome. and got the real estate prices to prove it. Pasadena is barely nw of LA.
San Bernadino and moreno valley are well east of la. in the desert i think.
minuses of LA have been noted earlier, costs and traffic. and oh yeah, the earthquake risk :/
plusses: Culturally rich and diverse city. amazing everywhere i went. lots to do, lots to see, BEST weather in this country imo if you are right in la.
Once you start going east, it gets hotter and hotter though so keep that in mind. i wish the salary cola could keep up with LA costs. if it did, id be twisting hubby's arm harder.
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Post by christina on May 17, 2016 17:15:07 GMT -5
all right, let's do phoenix and Alabama together and wrap this thing up. Yeah, we got this done before offers started!!!
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Post by stevil on May 17, 2016 18:10:08 GMT -5
Phoenix has a lot to offer a broad range of folk. From Native American spiritualism to a major USAF base. Mesa is LDS central - and very conservative. Phoenix is home to Arizona State University Sun Devils, NFL Cardinals, NBA Sun and minor league baseball. Unbelievable sunrises and sunsets over the desert. Very hot and very dry - and lots of allergens. Used to be where air was clear for asthmatics, but since everything will grow there if you water it, folks brought non- native plants from everywhere - including the problems they may cause. Good food abounds, particularly Mexican. Sedona and Tucson are easy drive distance in opposite directions. I personally like Tucson better because of it's smaller town feel, but I'd take Phoenix in a flash.
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Post by mikeinthehills on May 17, 2016 20:56:52 GMT -5
the Greater LA Area: as has been noted, live close to your office. Traffic is a challenge although the further away you get from LA, traffic does become tolerable. Time of day can help too. i did some driving between 10AM to 2pm and on Sunday morning, and those times were ok. there are two offices, one is is downtown LA and one is between UCLA and Santa Monica, ie the western part of LA. Nice area for the most part for the west la office. if i could afford it, i would not mind living in a high rise in that area. i have heard there are some trendy areas to live near downtown LA too. long Beach- kind of blech what i saw. but there are likely nicer areas near by, right on orange county border to the south there is an office se of la(i think it's norwalk). have not seen that part of la but i think it's more or less ok, there is some touristy stuff in that area so i assume it;s east of the notorious east La. Pasadena- well duh, it's awesome. and got the real estate prices to prove it. Pasadena is barely nw of LA. San Bernadino and moreno valley are well east of la. in the desert i think. minuses of LA have been noted earlier, costs and traffic. and oh yeah, the earthquake risk :/ plusses: Culturally rich and diverse city. amazing everywhere i went. lots to do, lots to see, BEST weather in this country imo if you are right in la. Once you start going east, it gets hotter and hotter though so keep that in mind. i wish the salary cola could keep up with LA costs. if it did, id be twisting hubby's arm harder. This is a good succinct summary of the LA area offices for those who are interested. If you are fortunate enough to accept an offer in LA, the best thing you can do is live close to the office. It is a quality of life issue. 20 miles on google maps may translate into an hour (or longer) commute daily to and from work. 20 miles is just different here during peak travel times (meaning any time outside Sunday morning from 5 to 9 ![:)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/smiley.png) ). You need to avoid a commute on the freeways. And housing is expensive. Be prepared for that. The weather is amazing. The food and cultural scenes are terrific and the ocean is a short trip from any of these offices (but see driving, above). I don't include the San Bernadino and Moreno Valley offices here. They are far enough east to be hotter weather wise than "LA" and far enough away to make enjoying "LA" more difficult on a regular basis. Someone there may disagree.
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Post by 71stretch on May 17, 2016 23:59:06 GMT -5
Phoenix has a lot to offer a broad range of folk. From Native American spiritualism to a major USAF base. Mesa is LDS central - and very conservative. Phoenix is home to Arizona State University Sun Devils, NFL Cardinals, NBA Sun and minor league baseball. Unbelievable sunrises and sunsets over the desert. Very hot and very dry - and lots of allergens. Used to be where air was clear for asthmatics, but since everything will grow there if you water it, folks brought non- native plants from everywhere - including the problems they may cause. Good food abounds, particularly Mexican. Sedona and Tucson are easy drive distance in opposite directions. I personally like Tucson better because of it's smaller town feel, but I'd take Phoenix in a flash. Ahem. The Arizona Diamondbacks are not "minor league baseball". Phoenix has all four major league sports, in fact, including the NHL Coyotes..
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Post by stevil on May 18, 2016 5:48:26 GMT -5
71stretch, nice Phoenix additions - not my intent to exclude anything! There's a reason Phoenix made top-5 on my GAL.
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Post by cowboy on May 18, 2016 11:36:51 GMT -5
Phoenix has a lot to offer a broad range of folk. From Native American spiritualism to a major USAF base. Mesa is LDS central - and very conservative. Phoenix is home to Arizona State University Sun Devils, NFL Cardinals, NBA Sun and minor league baseball. Unbelievable sunrises and sunsets over the desert. Very hot and very dry - and lots of allergens. Used to be where air was clear for asthmatics, but since everything will grow there if you water it, folks brought non- native plants from everywhere - including the problems they may cause. Good food abounds, particularly Mexican. Sedona and Tucson are easy drive distance in opposite directions. I personally like Tucson better because of it's smaller town feel, but I'd take Phoenix in a flash. Ahem. The Arizona Diamondbacks are not "minor league baseball". Phoenix has all four major league sports, in fact, including the NHL Coyotes.. I think he may have been referring to Spring Training or the Cactus League in February and March, prime time for Phoenix and used to be Tucson, but the teams abandoned the training centers there. Other pluses for the Grand Canyon State are far better traffic conditions than LA. Phoenix and Tucson definitely has cornered the market on Urban Sprawl. Without natural barriers to restrict the towns, other than mountains which they simply wrap around, the two towns have spread in all directions, but have no serious gridlock such as their western neighbor. The cost of living is far less than in California as well. When gas prices in LA are $3.70, they are $2.19 in Phoenix and $1.89 in Tucson. Real estate and rental costs are also about half of California. Yes, its a dry heat and the real drag isn't so much how hot it gets, but that temperatures will go above 100° in early May (it's already there) and won't go below 100° until late October. It gets a bit old by September, but the payoff is a very mild winter. Lots of golf, tennis and other outdoor activities. Northern Arizona is where most people like to escape in the summer because towns range from 4,000 feet in Sedona and Oak Creek to 7,000 feet in Flagstaff where summer temperatures rarely go above 80°. Yes there is skiing there and in the White Mountains and Mt. Lemmon near Tucson (at 9,000 feet). The real interesting thing about Southern Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson) is that they seem to operate in the reverse of most other US cities. In October when most places are preparing for winter, Tucson and Phoenix begin having festivals and other outdoor activities that really take off after Christmas. February and March are the prime times (and hotel costs reflect that). By the end of April, the snow birds leave and things start to shut down for the summer heat. Locals enjoy the many fabulous resorts at bargain prices during the summer for "staycations." I once played at La Paloma in Tucson for $25 with a cart (normally $200+ in the winter). Yes it was 105°, but I put on lots of sunblock and brought a bucket of water and virtually played the course alone. Tucson has one of the best book festivals in the country in March that spreads all across the campus of the University of Arizona and the Tour de Tucson in November is one of the most respected. Phoenix has various races including the Rock N' Roll Marathon in January as well as major golf and tennis tournaments for professionals. There's one in Tucson in February as well. There are many National and State parks that will fill weekends for years to come. Kartchner Caverns is one of the best protected underground cavern complexes. Tombstone still feels like it did when Wyatt Earp and his brothers were there. There is no equal to the Grand Canyon. I could go on and on....
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Post by Gaidin on May 18, 2016 12:57:36 GMT -5
All the discussion of LA traffic had reminded me of a song and then yesterday Guy Clark died and this seems even more appropriate.
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Post by Gaidin on May 18, 2016 13:01:12 GMT -5
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Post by rusty on May 18, 2016 14:22:05 GMT -5
Update: The Speaker of the House's trial has begun. Chief Justice Roy Moore has been suspended again pending charges before the Judicial Inquiry Commission for Ethics Charges relating to his refusal to obey a Federal Court order (again). Forecasts for Birmingham and Montgomery include thunderstorms this week and highs approaching 90 next week. One of the top stories this week on the online news site AL.com was about the ten most popular handguns sold in Alabama.
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Post by jagvet on May 18, 2016 17:01:57 GMT -5
Ahem. The Arizona Diamondbacks are not "minor league baseball". Phoenix has all four major league sports, in fact, including the NHL Coyotes.. Tombstone still feels like it did when Wyatt Earp and his brothers were there. There is no equal to the Grand Canyon. I could go on and on.... ![](//storage.proboards.com/2477491/thumbnailer/56wCEOL9ws0OvZcWAg7K.jpg) Ah, yes, cowboy--Tombstone. That is a most amazing place. About an hour plus out of Tucson, it is possibly the most authentic western town with a tourist kitsch overlay. Mrs. JagVet and I stayed in a "bordello" two years ago (really a B&B, but originally a bordello) and strolled down the main street (Allen Street) which still looks like 140 years ago, with the wooden sidewalks and dusty streets and lots of original buildings. OK Corral is there, too, and they reenact the Gunfight every day. For us lawyers out there, there are some great books about the gunfight, including about the coroner's inquest and grand jury indictments of Wyatt Earp alleging murder (the only reason he was the hero in the movies is because he ended up in L.A. and was hired by studios as a western consultant). If you get to Arizona and are a fan of American history, go see Tombstone!
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Post by Pixie on May 18, 2016 20:15:08 GMT -5
Remember posters, paragraphs are a reader's best friend. Without them, we only see a wall of words (not talking about you Jagvet, although I would have broken it up just before "For us lawyers out there . . . ."). Pixie.
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Post by 71stretch on May 18, 2016 20:19:06 GMT -5
Ahem. The Arizona Diamondbacks are not "minor league baseball". Phoenix has all four major league sports, in fact, including the NHL Coyotes.. I think he may have been referring to Spring Training or the Cactus League in February and March, prime time for Phoenix and used to be Tucson, but the teams abandoned the training centers there. Other pluses for the Grand Canyon State are far better traffic conditions than LA. Phoenix and Tucson definitely has cornered the market on Urban Sprawl. Without natural barriers to restrict the towns, other than mountains which they simply wrap around, the two towns have spread in all directions, but have no serious gridlock such as their western neighbor. The cost of living is far less than in California as well. When gas prices in LA are $3.70, they are $2.19 in Phoenix and $1.89 in Tucson. Real estate and rental costs are also about half of California. Yes, its a dry heat and the real drag isn't so much how hot it gets, but that temperatures will go above 100° in early May (it's already there) and won't go below 100° until late October. It gets a bit old by September, but the payoff is a very mild winter. Lots of golf, tennis and other outdoor activities. Northern Arizona is where most people like to escape in the summer because towns range from 4,000 feet in Sedona and Oak Creek to 7,000 feet in Flagstaff where summer temperatures rarely go above 80°. Yes there is skiing there and in the White Mountains and Mt. Lemmon near Tucson (at 9,000 feet). The real interesting thing about Southern Arizona (Phoenix and Tucson) is that they seem to operate in the reverse of most other US cities. In October when most places are preparing for winter, Tucson and Phoenix begin having festivals and other outdoor activities that really take off after Christmas. February and March are the prime times (and hotel costs reflect that). By the end of April, the snow birds leave and things start to shut down for the summer heat. Locals enjoy the many fabulous resorts at bargain prices during the summer for "staycations." I once played at La Paloma in Tucson for $25 with a cart (normally $200+ in the winter). Yes it was 105°, but I put on lots of sunblock and brought a bucket of water and virtually played the course alone. Tucson has one of the best book festivals in the country in March that spreads all across the campus of the University of Arizona and the Tour de Tucson in November is one of the most respected. Phoenix has various races including the Rock N' Roll Marathon in January as well as major golf and tennis tournaments for professionals. There's one in Tucson in February as well. There are many National and State parks that will fill weekends for years to come. Kartchner Caverns is one of the best protected underground cavern complexes. Tombstone still feels like it did when Wyatt Earp and his brothers were there. There is no equal to the Grand Canyon. I could go on and on.... Nice summary! But I don't call spring training minor league baseball either. ![:D](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/grin.png)
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Post by jagvet on May 18, 2016 21:54:41 GMT -5
Remember posters, paragraphs are a reader's best friend. Without them, we only see a wall of words (not talking about you Jagvet, although I would have broken it up just before "For us lawyers out there . . . ."). Pixie. Thank you, your honor. I edited it!
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Post by cowboy on May 19, 2016 14:20:00 GMT -5
Remember posters, paragraphs are a reader's best friend. Without them, we only see a wall of words (not talking about you Jagvet, although I would have broken it up just before "For us lawyers out there . . . ."). Pixie. Sorry Pixie, I'll do a better job editing next time. I just get excited discussing my home state. ![8-)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/cool.png)
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Post by christina on May 19, 2016 14:29:37 GMT -5
An Arizona cowboy...hmmm in a good way
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Post by cowboy on May 19, 2016 14:32:17 GMT -5
Tombstone still feels like it did when Wyatt Earp and his brothers were there. There is no equal to the Grand Canyon. I could go on and on.... View AttachmentAh, yes, cowboy--Tombstone. That is a most amazing place. About an hour plus out of Tucson, it is possibly the most authentic western town with a tourist kitsch overlay. Mrs. JagVet and I stayed in a "bordello" two years ago (really a B&B, but originally a bordello) and strolled down the main street (Allen Street) which still looks like 140 years ago, with the wooden sidewalks and dusty streets and lots of original buildings. OK Corral is there, too, and they reenact the Gunfight every day. For us lawyers out there, there are some great books about the gunfight, including about the coroner's inquest and grand jury indictments of Wyatt Earp alleging murder (the only reason he was the hero in the movies is because he ended up in L.A. and was hired by studios as a western consultant). If you get to Arizona and are a fan of American history, go see Tombstone! Thanks for the addition Jag. I believe I have read those books. The fight at the OK Corral (which actually happened in an alley nearby) would never have been told but Mr. Earp describing his story to a writer in LA years later. His is a fascinating life that many western books, movies and TV shows have been based on for their unique stories. John Wayne was very much influenced by him and his manner of speaking in westerns is based on Wyatt Earp.
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Post by cowboy on May 19, 2016 14:35:06 GMT -5
An Arizona cowboy...hmmm in a good way How could you tell? That picture is from the Tucson area (not mine). It does snow from time to time and presents a great scene, but lasts all for about 2 hours. I could add trivia about Arizona as well.
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Post by christina on May 19, 2016 14:40:44 GMT -5
An Arizona cowboy...hmmm in a good way How could you tell? That picture is from the Tucson area (not mine). It does snow from time to time and presents a great scene, but lasts all for about 2 hours. I could add trivia about Arizona as well. you gave a detailed talk on Aza and then said later it was your home state. hubby's all right with us ending up in phoenix. you know Az a lot better than he or I but we know Tuscon some and like it out there ourselves. heard good things about Phoenix as well.
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