Newcomer's Handbook for Los Angeles [Paperback]

Joan Wai (Author), Stacey Ravel Abarbanel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

When I first arrived in Los Angeles over ten years ago, what surprised me and a lot of newcomers is that there’s no central area where people congregate. Instead, Los Angeles is comprised of many different communities and centralized hangouts exist within those communities. Downtown here is primarily a collection of high rises and various industries where blue and white collar workers congregate during the day before scattering throughout town after work. So the best way to sample the different flavors of LA neighborhoods is to drive, drive, drive.

This city is so huge that you can fit St. Louis, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Minneapolis, San Francisco, Boston, Pittsburgh and Manhattan together inside the city borders. You will need a car to get around.

No wonder the guidebook took a year to put together! Most neighborhoods within the county, from Long Beach to Santa Clarita are profiled. There’s also plenty of resources needed to settle yourself in: local banks, utilities, cable, mail, publications, public transportation options, child care and public school districts, etc. And there's a thorough discussion of fun things to do, including museums, public parks, shopping districts, and even a section on annual public events within the city.

I hope the information makes your move a smooth one. Thanks for checking out my guidebook and welcome to L.A.!

-joan

Product Details

• Paperback: 289 pages
• Publisher: First Books Inc; 3 edition (April 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0912301430
• ISBN-13: 978-0912301433
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,124,570 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Relocation Book on the Market, October 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Newcomer's Handbook for Los Angeles (Paperback)

I recently decided to relocate to L.A. from the Midwest, and of the three or four books I bought on the area, this was the one I kept referring back to. The neighborhood descriptions are invaluable, and unlike "Relocating to Los Angeles and Orange County," the book provides helpful tips that are specific to L.A. ("Relocating to..." has a huge section that's generic moving information repeated verbatim in the other books in their series.) The authors of the Newcomer's Handbook tell you what you need to know. They also list a service I didn't see listed anywhere else -- Personalized Relocation Management (...) which helped me find a great place in Santa Monica within 24 hours of landing at LAX. I highly recommend both the book and the service they list. Armed with both of these tools, and a Thomas Guide, you're sure to find what you're looking for with ease.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Relocation Book, May 5, 2000

By 

Abel Cervantes (San Diego, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Newcomer's Handbook for Los Angeles (Paperback)

My Uncle and I read this book in assisting my Uncle for his move from El Paso Texas to Los Angeles, CA. It was perfect for his move it help make the whole move one trip and easy. That book was more helpful than me and I live in San Diego, CA thats only 60 miles away!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Moving? Read this book., May 15, 2000

By 

Michael Stevens (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Newcomer's Handbook for Los Angeles (Paperback)

The Newcomer's Handbook for Los Angeles not only gives helpful advice and tips for people relocating to LA, but is also an invaluable resource for people already native to this wild and crazy city. The Handbook gives wonderful infomation about the different section of LA, the nightlife, places to go just to relax and enjoy nature (yes, LA does have natural resources), and lists the popular annual events of LA. The Newcomer's Handbook for Los Angeles covers everything from where to move in LA, what to do in LA, and how to accomplish all this and not stick out as tourist looking for movie stars.