Moving to Los Angeles: The Practical Companion to Your New City, from Stepping in to Stepping Out (Moving To... Series)

Rating:
Summary: Moving to Los Angeles
Review: Avoid this book! It is a waste of money. I just moved to LA from the east coast and this book provided very little useful information. For starters, most of the telephone numbers that are provided are either disconnected or wrong. Also, much of the information on setting up utilities is outdated. The grossest errors, however, can be found in the chapter on neighborhoods, where prices are given for different types of apartments and houses. I found all of them to be $200 - $500 a month less than the actual prices of housing out here. I am sure that there must be more accurate moving guides out there somewhere. If not, then go it alone. You will be better off finding the information yourself than trusting this guide!

Rating:
Summary: Too little REAL information
Review: Chapter Two of this book is titled, "Choosing a Neighborhood". The chapter goes from page 18 to page 95. While that may sound like a lot of information, much of it is not as useful as you would think, and is probably out of date since this book was published in 1996. Not all the neighborhoods are listed, and those that are, are clumped together, for instance, "Hollywood, Hollywood Hills and West Hollywood." If you've ever been to LA, you'll know that this covers quite a bit of territory and these areas are related only by their geographical location. The feel of the different neighborhoods is quite different. The author doesn't go into enough detail about the neighborhoods to allow you to make a well-informed decision of where you want to look for a residence. Then, as if to take up space in order to justify charging a higher price for a 220 page book, the author lists where to eat in each neighborhood, and where you can find the police station, libraries, hospitals, landmarks, etc. This is info that is listed in the yellow pages. You'll find that info out when you move. Give us pages filled with information that will really help us choose a neighborhood. Write something helpful like, "If you live in the upper part of the Hollywood Hills, it will probably take you half an hour to get to work if you work in Century City, and 45 minutes to downtown LA." Something useful. Also, since this book was published in 1996, many of the places to eat and grocery stores may not even be there any more. Or there may be better places built since then. Leave that space-wasting info out of the book. If I had been able to review this book in a bookstore before I bought it, I wouldn't have bought it.

Rating:
Summary: Too little REAL information
Review: Chapter Two of this book is titled, "Choosing a Neighborhood". The chapter goes from page 18 to page 95. While that may sound like a lot of information, much of it is not as useful as you would think, and is probably out of date since this book was published in 1996. Not all the neighborhoods are listed, and those that are, are clumped together, for instance, "Hollywood, Hollywood Hills and West Hollywood." If you've ever been to LA, you'll know that this covers quite a bit of territory and these areas are related only by their geographical location. The feel of the different neighborhoods is quite different. The author doesn't go into enough detail about the neighborhoods to allow you to make a well-informed decision of where you want to look for a residence. Then, as if to take up space in order to justify charging a higher price for a 220 page book, the author lists where to eat in each neighborhood, and where you can find the police station, libraries, hospitals, landmarks, etc. This is info that is listed in the yellow pages. You'll find that info out when you move. Give us pages filled with information that will really help us choose a neighborhood. Write something helpful like, "If you live in the upper part of the Hollywood Hills, it will probably take you half an hour to get to work if you work in Century City, and 45 minutes to downtown LA." Something useful. Also, since this book was published in 1996, many of the places to eat and grocery stores may not even be there any more. Or there may be better places built since then. Leave that space-wasting info out of the book. If I had been able to review this book in a bookstore before I bought it, I wouldn't have bought it.

Rating:
Summary: This book gets you in the right place at the right time.
Review: I travel for a living and absolutely need guides to help me navigate. This book is not only the best I've found but the most affordable too. A must for anyone visiting Los Angeles.