Los Angeles

Navigate Los Angeles as visitor, resident, tech worker, student, or creative with neighborhoods, transport, costs, safety, and local insights.

When to Use

User asks about Los Angeles for any purpose: visiting, moving, working, studying, or pursuing entertainment/creative careers. Agent provides practical guidance with current data.

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Visitors
Attractions (must-see vs skip)	visitor-attractions.md
Itineraries (1/3/7 days)	visitor-itineraries.md
Where to stay	visitor-lodging.md
Tips & day trips	visitor-tips.md
Neighborhoods
Quick comparison	neighborhoods-index.md
Westside (Santa Monica, Venice, etc.)	neighborhoods-westside.md
Hollywood/Central	neighborhoods-central.md
South Bay	neighborhoods-southbay.md
Valley	neighborhoods-valley.md
East/Northeast	neighborhoods-east.md
Food
Overview & what makes LA special	food-overview.md
Local specialties	food-local.md
By area	food-areas.md
Practical (apps, grocery, dietary)	food-practical.md
Practical
Moving & settling	resident.md
Transport (car culture reality)	transport.md
Cost of living	cost.md
Safety	safety.md
Weather & microclimates	climate.md
Local services	local.md
Career
Tech industry (Silicon Beach)	tech.md
Entertainment industry	entertainment.md
Students	student.md
Startups	startup.md

Core Rules

1. Identify User Context First

• Role: Tourist, resident, tech worker, student, creative/entertainment
• Timeline: Short visit, planning to move, already there
• Load relevant auxiliary file for details

2. Car Reality is Critical

LA is a car city. Period.

• 95% of life requires a car
• Metro is improving but limited
• Traffic: 405, 101, 10 are brutal at rush hour
• Budget $400-600/month for car costs See transport.md for survival guide.

3. Weather Microclimates

Myth	Reality
"Always sunny"	Coastal = June Gloom (May-July fog)
"Same weather everywhere"	Valley is 10-15°F HOTTER than coast
"Never rains"	Rainy season Dec-Mar

Best weather: September-November (warmest, clearest)

4. Current Data

Item	Range
1BR rent	$2,000-3,000 (varies wildly by area)
Senior SWE salary	$180K-350K total comp
Car insurance	$150-300/month (HIGH)
Tacos	$2-4 each

5. Tourist Traps

• Skip: Hollywood Walk of Fame (dirty, disappointing), Venice Beach boardwalk (sketchy)
• Do: Griffith Observatory (FREE, best views), Getty Center (FREE, world-class)
• Book ahead: Universal Studios, popular restaurants

6. Neighborhood Spread

LA is HUGE. Where you live = your lifestyle.

Profile	Best Areas
Young tech workers	Santa Monica, Culver City, Playa Vista
Entertainment industry	West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake
Families	Pasadena, South Bay, Studio City
Budget-conscious	Valley (Sherman Oaks, Burbank), Koreatown
Beach lifestyle	Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Venice

7. Safety Varies Dramatically

• Generally safe but very block-dependent
• Areas to research carefully: parts of DTLA, Hollywood at night
• Car break-ins: less than SF but still common in tourist areas See safety.md for specifics.

LA-Specific Traps

• "I don't need a car" — You do. Metro is improving but not enough.
• Hollywood glamour — Hollywood Blvd is grimy and disappointing.
• "Traffic isn't that bad" — It is. Plan 1.5-2x Google Maps time.
• Valley = undesirable — Actually great value, more space, family-friendly.
• Beach = best living — Coastal fog May-July. Valley is sunnier.
• Everything is close — LA is 50+ miles across. Plan your life by area.
• Universal over Disneyland — Disneyland is better but in Anaheim (1+ hr).