Seasonal Amazing Disorder
June 21, 2010 9:11 AM Subscribe
Wintering in LA / Austin / other? I want to be a 27 year old snowbird!
Hive mind, help me think through voluntary transience. I've been back above the 49th parallel for three full winters and can't handle another one. How can I become a (non-retired) snowbird? I'd like to move away from Toronto for the grossest part of the winter - Dec/Jan through the end of March. Right now I'm looking at either L.A. or Austin, TX, although I would consider other places if they're cool and meet my needs.
Requirements:
- Warm and sunny.
- A reasonable short-term job market, at the very least a steady amount of temp gigs available.
- Short-term housing options - subletting/extended stay, etc.
- A decent comedy scene so I can continue to pursue improv/stand up/sketch.
- A culturally interesting or generally neat place to be for a bit.
- Transportation - rent-a-wreck for a couple months? Transit would be delightful but I understand LA is a nightmare for this.
I'm a dual citizen so I am legally able to work in the US, have a degree from a US school, have U.S. work references etc., so these issues are moot.
I feel like LA would be the easiest place to be 'temporary' as people are always coming and going working in the film/TV and related industries. I'm happy doing mundane temp work and short-term production gigs, as I've done them here, too. My main need is to be able to keep myself afloat without taking on a load of debt.
What other things do I need to take into consideration? Anyone tried this? Any LA or Austin-related advice or other cities to suggest? The southeast isn't off the table yet, either, I just can't do Florida ever ever ever again.
Thanks in advance, MeMail me if you want to!
Hive mind, help me think through voluntary transience. I've been back above the 49th parallel for three full winters and can't handle another one. How can I become a (non-retired) snowbird? I'd like to move away from Toronto for the grossest part of the winter - Dec/Jan through the end of March. Right now I'm looking at either L.A. or Austin, TX, although I would consider other places if they're cool and meet my needs.
Requirements:
- Warm and sunny.
- A reasonable short-term job market, at the very least a steady amount of temp gigs available.
- Short-term housing options - subletting/extended stay, etc.
- A decent comedy scene so I can continue to pursue improv/stand up/sketch.
- A culturally interesting or generally neat place to be for a bit.
- Transportation - rent-a-wreck for a couple months? Transit would be delightful but I understand LA is a nightmare for this.
I'm a dual citizen so I am legally able to work in the US, have a degree from a US school, have U.S. work references etc., so these issues are moot.
I feel like LA would be the easiest place to be 'temporary' as people are always coming and going working in the film/TV and related industries. I'm happy doing mundane temp work and short-term production gigs, as I've done them here, too. My main need is to be able to keep myself afloat without taking on a load of debt.
What other things do I need to take into consideration? Anyone tried this? Any LA or Austin-related advice or other cities to suggest? The southeast isn't off the table yet, either, I just can't do Florida ever ever ever again.
Thanks in advance, MeMail me if you want to!
I hate to rain on your parade, but you're going to have a really tough time of it in LA unless you know people here and have a place to live. The short term, temp-style and low-rung production jobs are highly sought after by every new arrival who wants to work in the biz -- and they're always, always arriving, especially as each new crop graduates from film school -- and people all over town work for nothing, or almost nothing, just to try to make connections and move up to the next rung. In terms of non-production temp-style work, the L.A. economy is in tatters, and I'd say you'd have a hard time finding even fast-food service work. Not to mention the fact that housing is, even with the drop in the real estate market, amongst the most expensive in the nation.
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:24 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:24 AM on June 21, 2010
What do you like to do? What are your hobbies? You mention comedy and sun/warmth, but is that it?
posted by TheBones at 9:44 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by TheBones at 9:44 AM on June 21, 2010
For your comedy career, how could you hope to beat LA? I think it's risky to uproot as you plan to do, and certainly SoCal is expensive in comparison with other parts of the country, but if you're willing to work outside of Metro LA, like in the valley, inland empire, OC, or up here in Ventura, I don't foresee a huge amount of trouble finding work, and you'd be able to drive to comedy events of many types. It would help if you had some specific work experience besides "whatever."
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:05 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 10:05 AM on June 21, 2010
Contrary to what some people will tell you, it is not particularly expensive to rent in Los Angeles. BUYING a house is still very expensive. But you can rent a studio for $700 if you look hard enough, or you can share a 2 bedroom in a good location for that much or less.
posted by drjimmy11 at 10:11 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by drjimmy11 at 10:11 AM on June 21, 2010
Having lived and used public transit in both Austin and LA, trust me on this: Austin's is way worse. You simply can't get to many places in Austin via public transit.
Both cities have improv scenes.
You can find short term housing in both cities thanks to the college students.
Both cities are actually a bit chilly during the months you listed; sometimes it snows briefly in Austin during February, sometimes March depending on the year. LA is the better pick if you want as much warmth as possible.
They're both great culturally, but I generally feel there is a TON more to do in LA.
Short term work isn't going to be easy in either city.
posted by Nattie at 10:28 AM on June 21, 2010
Both cities have improv scenes.
You can find short term housing in both cities thanks to the college students.
Both cities are actually a bit chilly during the months you listed; sometimes it snows briefly in Austin during February, sometimes March depending on the year. LA is the better pick if you want as much warmth as possible.
They're both great culturally, but I generally feel there is a TON more to do in LA.
Short term work isn't going to be easy in either city.
posted by Nattie at 10:28 AM on June 21, 2010
Response by poster: Thanks, everyone! Just a few key points in response to some of the answers:
- BlahLaLa "unless you know people here and have a place to live" - I do. But couch surfing for 3+ months is not an option, so I will need short-term housing.
- TheBones - Comedy is basically my whole life right now. Leaving TO even for a couple months sucks because of projects I'm going to have to take a break from, but I'm not going forever, just the winter. I also enjoy other things but for a three-month spurt I'm not going to branch out too far, likely.
- AV - Heyyyy girl. I'm not looking to "uproot" and stay forever, just a few months. So I'm not looking for permanent solutions. I do have specific work experience in film production, nonprofit development and some more generic admin.
- Nattie "Both cities are actually a bit chilly during the months you listed" - Thanks. I'm not super concerned with having to wear a sweater; more so not suffering from four months of seasonal affective disorder brought on by nearly zero sunlight exposure.
posted by SassHat at 10:39 AM on June 21, 2010
- BlahLaLa "unless you know people here and have a place to live" - I do. But couch surfing for 3+ months is not an option, so I will need short-term housing.
- TheBones - Comedy is basically my whole life right now. Leaving TO even for a couple months sucks because of projects I'm going to have to take a break from, but I'm not going forever, just the winter. I also enjoy other things but for a three-month spurt I'm not going to branch out too far, likely.
- AV - Heyyyy girl. I'm not looking to "uproot" and stay forever, just a few months. So I'm not looking for permanent solutions. I do have specific work experience in film production, nonprofit development and some more generic admin.
- Nattie "Both cities are actually a bit chilly during the months you listed" - Thanks. I'm not super concerned with having to wear a sweater; more so not suffering from four months of seasonal affective disorder brought on by nearly zero sunlight exposure.
posted by SassHat at 10:39 AM on June 21, 2010
Response by poster: Also: I'm doing this for sure, the "should I?" isn't really important so much as "how do I...?" in a logistical sense. I am not staying in either (any) city permanently right now; I am not ruling out coming back to live permanently sometime in the future if I like it.
posted by SassHat at 10:42 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by SassHat at 10:42 AM on June 21, 2010
SassHat: I do have specific work experience in film production, nonprofit development and some more generic admin.
I think your answer is right there -- you've got contacts in LA, which is a huge economy compared to Austin, with loads of opportunities (and competition as well, of course) but lots of work in those areas. That's enough to work with. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about dropping into LA.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:07 AM on June 21, 2010
I think your answer is right there -- you've got contacts in LA, which is a huge economy compared to Austin, with loads of opportunities (and competition as well, of course) but lots of work in those areas. That's enough to work with. If I were you, I wouldn't worry about dropping into LA.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:07 AM on June 21, 2010
As mentioned above, "winter" in L.A. certainly isn't a traditional winter, but it's not necessarily warm and sunny all the time (it's actually referred to as "the rainy season" for good reason). It can be overcast and wet for good chunks of time, though it's certainly true that you can get nice spells of warm sunny weather during the season, too. (Example: I recall one January, about eight years back, in which we had a weeklong 90-degree heatwave followed by two solid weeks of heavy rain.)
I don't say this to discourage you (I think L.A. fits your purposes fine), but just to prepare you for the fact that you're actually going to need more than a sweater or jacket to deal with winter here, and that there will be stretches of time -- not as bad as Seattle, say, but stretches of time nonetheless -- where you will not be getting daily sun.
Some practical tips: cool temps, fog, and chill will be a lot more pronounced in beach areas, such as Santa Monica and Venice; it's warmer and sunnier in the "inland" neighborhoods. Also, every house and apartment I've ever lived in since I moved here 10 years ago has had shockingly pathetic insulation and heating, which is fine eight months of the year, but sucks for the four months of the year when it's drafty and damp. Be prepared to utilize flannel sheets and space heaters.
posted by scody at 11:14 AM on June 21, 2010
I don't say this to discourage you (I think L.A. fits your purposes fine), but just to prepare you for the fact that you're actually going to need more than a sweater or jacket to deal with winter here, and that there will be stretches of time -- not as bad as Seattle, say, but stretches of time nonetheless -- where you will not be getting daily sun.
Some practical tips: cool temps, fog, and chill will be a lot more pronounced in beach areas, such as Santa Monica and Venice; it's warmer and sunnier in the "inland" neighborhoods. Also, every house and apartment I've ever lived in since I moved here 10 years ago has had shockingly pathetic insulation and heating, which is fine eight months of the year, but sucks for the four months of the year when it's drafty and damp. Be prepared to utilize flannel sheets and space heaters.
posted by scody at 11:14 AM on June 21, 2010
You don't need a car to live here--live near major public transportation routes (plenty of interesting neighborhoods!) and you'll be fine. I live near the red line subway and it means never needing to deal with the clusterfuck that is driving/parking Hollywood. The weather in LA also makes it really easy to get around on a bike once you figure out what streets you're ok with riding on to get from point a to point b. There's also zipcar in a few places. Emphasis on few. However, my impression of most production jobs is that you pretty much *have* to have a car.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:21 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 11:21 AM on June 21, 2010
Some thoughts on Austin:
December to February are the coldest months in Austin. Think highs in the 40s-50s and lows in the 30s. Yes, to you that may seem warm for winter, but to us it's freezing and there will be less people out and about. You also won't find it convenient when there is a small amount of precipitation in freezing weather and the city shuts down for a day, which happens at least once a year. The flip side of that is in between cold fronts, it may be pleasant and 70. It may be sunny for a few days at a time. But it won't be consistently warm.
Public transportation in Austin is abysmal unless you live on a bus route and want to only go to and from the University of Texas/downtown. You will probably need a car.
I can't comment on the short-term job market specifically, but Austin is a college town and I see a lot of overqualified people (PhDs) working as temps, bartenders, etc.
Renting is cheap in Austin, and fairly easy. Again, I don't know specifically about 3 month stays, but go look at craigslist--there are a lot of options for rent/sublet. Two things to keep in mind: if you are thinking of doing this next year (2011), the Texas Legislature will be in session from January to May, so extended-stay places tighten up in the downtown area. Also, if you will be in town during SXSW (the week of March 13), finding a hotel/sublet for that week can be a nightmare, so get something arranged early.
posted by donajo at 11:26 AM on June 21, 2010
December to February are the coldest months in Austin. Think highs in the 40s-50s and lows in the 30s. Yes, to you that may seem warm for winter, but to us it's freezing and there will be less people out and about. You also won't find it convenient when there is a small amount of precipitation in freezing weather and the city shuts down for a day, which happens at least once a year. The flip side of that is in between cold fronts, it may be pleasant and 70. It may be sunny for a few days at a time. But it won't be consistently warm.
Public transportation in Austin is abysmal unless you live on a bus route and want to only go to and from the University of Texas/downtown. You will probably need a car.
I can't comment on the short-term job market specifically, but Austin is a college town and I see a lot of overqualified people (PhDs) working as temps, bartenders, etc.
Renting is cheap in Austin, and fairly easy. Again, I don't know specifically about 3 month stays, but go look at craigslist--there are a lot of options for rent/sublet. Two things to keep in mind: if you are thinking of doing this next year (2011), the Texas Legislature will be in session from January to May, so extended-stay places tighten up in the downtown area. Also, if you will be in town during SXSW (the week of March 13), finding a hotel/sublet for that week can be a nightmare, so get something arranged early.
posted by donajo at 11:26 AM on June 21, 2010
Response by poster: Scody - thanks for the reality check on the weather side of things. I should have been clearer that I'm only trying tp get away from the type of winter where it is essentially still nighttime when I wake upand dark again by the time I get off the subway after work. Even in South FL we would get very cold, icky winter weather, but this is more of a latitudinal issue than a "can I wear shorts and a tank top" kind of thing. As long as I'm not knee deep in garbage encrusted slush I will do ok.
posted by SassHat at 11:41 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by SassHat at 11:41 AM on June 21, 2010
One more thing -- the majority of low-level entertainment jobs require a car. If you're a PA, you're running errands, or you're reporting -- very early in the morning to late at night -- to sets whose locations may change daily.
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:57 AM on June 21, 2010
posted by BlahLaLa at 11:57 AM on June 21, 2010
Response by poster: BlahLaLa - yeah, that's one sticking point for sure. A friend suggested finding some kind of rent-a-wreck place, do they even have that sort of thing there?
posted by SassHat at 12:18 PM on June 21, 2010
posted by SassHat at 12:18 PM on June 21, 2010
As long as I'm not knee deep in garbage encrusted slush I will do ok.
Oh yeah, then you'll be fine. You'll also be primed to laugh hysterically the first time they have a "frost warning" on the local weather, in which they advise people to bring in their tomato plants and pets.
posted by scody at 1:05 PM on June 21, 2010
Oh yeah, then you'll be fine. You'll also be primed to laugh hysterically the first time they have a "frost warning" on the local weather, in which they advise people to bring in their tomato plants and pets.
posted by scody at 1:05 PM on June 21, 2010
Yes, in LA we have the actual Rent-a-Wreck, and other similar companies. You do get wrecks, but usually they're acceptable. If you already have insurance and a credit card, do internet research -- it can sometimes be cheaper at Enterprise or other mainstream car rental places for the long-term rentals. (Rent-a-wreck, aside from being cheap, also will deal with folks who don't have credit cards, which is more difficult at the mainstream companies.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:49 PM on June 21, 2010
posted by BlahLaLa at 1:49 PM on June 21, 2010
Have you considered Vegas?
I've never lived there, but I know there are a lot of hospitality type jobs (not necessarily any available) and the weather is hot year round. Plus, I've heard there are some pretty good comedy clubs.
All of this is second or third hand, I'm just trying to give you another avenue to consider.
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:02 PM on June 21, 2010
I've never lived there, but I know there are a lot of hospitality type jobs (not necessarily any available) and the weather is hot year round. Plus, I've heard there are some pretty good comedy clubs.
All of this is second or third hand, I'm just trying to give you another avenue to consider.
posted by TooFewShoes at 5:02 PM on June 21, 2010
Las Vegas has the nation's highest unemployment rate, fyi. (I'm actually not trying to shit all over your thread, it's just that I think it's ultra-important to think rationally about these things.)
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:08 PM on June 21, 2010
posted by BlahLaLa at 9:08 PM on June 21, 2010
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posted by ejoey at 9:24 AM on June 21, 2010