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No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Old Oct 11th 2016, 4:29 pm
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by Chrisdc
Some areas to look at -
Pacific Palisades, Brentwood, The peninsula on Marina Del Rey (Speedway,) Playa Del Rey and the east side of Santa Monica away from the tourists...

Brentwood is really nice, but the eastbound traffic to the 405 is a huge concern right now.
Thanks. I've spent some time this week looking up the highly rated public school districts
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Old Oct 11th 2016, 4:36 pm
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by weeziewoozles
Thanks. I've spent some time this week looking up the highly rated public school districts
Unfortunately driving is a part of life in LA - and hard to avoid. I would recommend de-prioritizing the cycling to work thing. Find a community where the schools are good, the neighbors don't all hate each other, the kids can play in the street, and some stores are within walking distance. That's my advice!
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Old Oct 11th 2016, 7:13 pm
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by Chrisdc
Unfortunately driving is a part of life in LA - and hard to avoid. I would recommend de-prioritizing the cycling to work thing. Find a community where the schools are good, the neighbors don't all hate each other, the kids can play in the street, and some stores are within walking distance. That's my advice!
Thanks. I agree but given that my husband has a hard commute at the moment, one thing we'd be looking for is a good one!
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Old Oct 13th 2016, 4:49 pm
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by robin1234
Maybe there's a reason for that
Originally Posted by Wintersong
If the relocation isn't an absolute requirement, but simply a request that you and your hubby can decline without fear of him losing his job, I'd really think very, very carefully about whether or not you want to do this.

While your kids will no doubt cope with the change, as it seems they are all still primary school level, it does sound as though you are very happy where you are. Your husband will undoubtedly enter into a whirlwind of work, setting up a new office and so on. Unless you have a very outgoing personality, you may find that you're on your own a lot and it's difficult to make new friends. Adding pregnancy hormones into the mix, followed by coping with a newborn in a new country without a support network could leave you struggling, to be honest.

Obviously it very much depends on your personality, your ability to make new friends, your comfort zone etc. but don't underestimate the effect that uprooting and moving halfway across the world will have on you. It took me a very long time (7 years) before I truly settled in.
I have spent quite a while trying to think how to say "don't do it" more diplomatically. But couldn't.

(Lived in Calabasas for 9 years and my son lives in Marina Del Rey)
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Old Oct 14th 2016, 5:41 am
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by weeziewoozles
Thanks. Yes the office is going to be in Santa Monica itself and we're determined that my husband won't spend hours in the car. So we'll need to look at rentals within cycling distance of the office which will therefore be expensive. I'm hoping therefore that it will be paid for by the company. Ideally we'd find areas outside the tourist traps but within an easy commute.

RE private schools, there's no way we could afford them so if the company aren't up for footing the bill for three children, it'd have to be public school.
Topanga Canyon. Rural feel, complete with hiking trails, coyote packs and the odd mountain lion, but very commutable for Santa Monica. 20 mins or so, always depending on traffic on PCH. Good sense of community, quite artsy/alternative/neo-hippy. Rent not as expensive as Santa Monica or Venice, although the market is tight right now. Schools are LAUSD, and the local elementary is a great community school, with intense parent involvement. Feeds into Paul Revere for middle school and then Palisades High School, in the neighboring (very) upscale neighborhood of Pacific Palisades. Quite a few Brits in Topanga, if that matters to you.
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Old Oct 16th 2016, 12:20 am
  #36  
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by N1cky
Cycling in Santa Monica is fine, there are bike paths everywhere, and people cycle to work in CA all the time
N1cky is absolutely right

Pay no attention to someone's idiotic warning that cycling to work in Santa Monica would be suicidal.
The "hysterical" smiley accompanying that post would be better applied to its poster - someone who has likely never been to Santa Monica - or California.

I have no idea what your budget is, but you might want to look at rentals in Ocean Park. It's located between Venice and Santa Monica (actually considered part of SM) and very family oriented.
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Old Oct 16th 2016, 8:19 am
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by N1cky
Cycling in Santa Monica is fine, there are bike paths everywhere, and people cycle to work in CA all the time
My son is off to California for his new job in a couple of weeks - he was going to sell his bicycles in England, but fortunately his new employers are paying him a decent relocation allowance, so he's shipping them. I can't imagine why people wouldn't cycle to work in Southern California if they wished, there seems to be a decent network of cycle paths, certainly better than Trumpington Rd into Cambridge which is his commute now. And probably fewer rainy, slushy & frigid days than Cambridge, too.
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Old Oct 16th 2016, 11:56 am
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by robin1234
My son is off to California for his new job in a couple of weeks - he was going to sell his bicycles in England, but fortunately his new employers are paying him a decent relocation allowance, so he's shipping them. I can't imagine why people wouldn't cycle to work in Southern California if they wished, there seems to be a decent network of cycle paths, certainly better than Trumpington Rd into Cambridge which is his commute now. And probably fewer rainy, slushy & frigid days than Cambridge, too.
If there are dedicated cycle paths and traffic is kept away from cyclists then he should be fine, but as is often noted the standard of driving in the US is appalling, drivers are often distracted, and often don't seem to give a §h!t about people on bicycles.

In my neck of the woods (not CA), the police/ DA often seem to treat a collision resulting in the death of a cyclist as "just an accident", and won't even try to prosecute a driver for the death.

Last edited by Pulaski; Oct 16th 2016 at 12:00 pm.
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Old Oct 16th 2016, 1:50 pm
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by Pulaski
If there are dedicated cycle paths and traffic is kept away from cyclists then he should be fine, but as is often noted the standard of driving in the US is appalling, drivers are often distracted, and often don't seem to give a §h!t about people on bicycles.

In my neck of the woods (not CA), the police/ DA often seem to treat a collision resulting in the death of a cyclist as "just an accident", and won't even try to prosecute a driver for the death.
All true on occasion, unfortunately.

British cyclists have very poor road infrastructure, though, and lots of cyclists are killed & injured on the road in the UK, mostly as a result of motor vehicle collisions. And, roads are so crowded in much of the UK that drivers give cyclists very little space. In New York State and MA, the two parts of the U.S. that I cycle & drive in, motorists (including truck drivers) are usually very considerate of cyclists and give them plenty of space.

Last edited by robin1234; Oct 16th 2016 at 1:51 pm. Reason: Typo
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Old Oct 16th 2016, 2:15 pm
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by robin1234
British cyclists have very poor road infrastructure, though, and lots of cyclists are killed & injured on the road in the UK, mostly as a result of motor vehicle collisions. And, roads are so crowded in much of the UK that drivers give cyclists very little space. In New York State and MA, the two parts of the U.S. that I cycle & drive in, motorists (including truck drivers) are usually very considerate of cyclists and give them plenty of space.
Although that's changing hugely in the UK - dedicated cycle paths are springing up all over the place (including our tiny local town, a new cycle path is being built across town and to local schools during the next year). My husband cycles in London and rarely has to be on a road with cars thanks to the cycle paths there.
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Old Oct 16th 2016, 6:24 pm
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by Pulaski
If there are dedicated cycle paths and traffic is kept away from cyclists then he should be fine, but as is often noted the standard of driving in the US is appalling, drivers are often distracted, and often don't seem to give a §h!t about people on bicycles.

In my neck of the woods (not CA), the police/ DA often seem to treat a collision resulting in the death of a cyclist as "just an accident", and won't even try to prosecute a driver for the death.
There are plenty of bike paths in many of the larger CA urban areas. The two that I've lived in are set up for commuting by bikes. I've not lived in LA but people do bike there all the time. I ride my bike all the time here in NorCal and have found most drivers to be overly cautious and courteous of me. Of course, you as a bike rider need to be hyper aware and not ride like a tw*t (my pet peeve when behind the wheel) either. That said people do drive appallingly and drink/drug driving seems to be very common. The OP's OH will have to weigh up the risks when he arrives.
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Old Oct 16th 2016, 8:07 pm
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by robin1234
I can't imagine why people wouldn't cycle to work in Southern California if they wished, there seems to be a decent network of cycle paths, certainly better than Trumpington Rd into Cambridge
Cyclist or not - navigating the Trumpington Rd now crisscrossing, and ensnaring America's psyche - that's the real challenge.....
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Old Oct 17th 2016, 12:33 am
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Who said regarding cycling in Santa Monica?

To the contrary, it's so popular it even has its own web page:
Santa Monica Biking | Santa Monica Bike Rental
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Old Oct 17th 2016, 7:58 am
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by MMcD
Cyclist or not - navigating the Trumpington Rd now crisscrossing, and ensnaring America's psyche - that's the real challenge.....
The art of the wheel: Remembering Donald Trump’s unconventional foray into American cycling | CyclingTips

Tour de Trump, which rivalled the Tour de France.
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Old Oct 17th 2016, 10:26 am
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Default Re: No idea where to start - moving from UK to coastal California

Originally Posted by MMcD
Who said regarding cycling in Santa Monica?

To the contrary, it's so popular it even has its own web page:
Santa Monica Biking | Santa Monica Bike Rental
There's plenty of cycling here in NC too, it's very popular with a large number of trails and paths suitable for cycling, and also with a website, which I subscribe to and get e-mail updates from, and you can even rent a bike to ride around downtown Charlotte. But I still think you'd have to be mad to cycle to work, and cycled in London (not to work) including around the Hammersmith gyratory, Marble Arch, and Hyde Park Corner, so I know what "mad" is like in the context of cycling!

Last edited by Pulaski; Oct 17th 2016 at 12:11 pm.
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