It’s the dream of actors, surfers and shopaholics worldwide; the stomping ground for celebrities with too much disposable income and the backdrop of many a sparkly, VFX-filled blockbuster.
But there’s more than meets the eye to Los Angeles’ infamy: a plethora of tranquil day trip spots, quirky shops, cocktails galore, cultural festivals for curious foodies and, most importantly, a full-time job at a vibrant and international recruitment agency, are just some of LA’s fabulous features that await you.
Read on to see why you should apply to work for us in LA in 2016.
1. Oh I do like to be beside the seaside…
LA has some incredible, famous beaches. There’s never a shortage of places to top up your tan or pick up some beach volleyball skills. Here are some of our top picks:
El Porto; a surfer’s paradise, with enormous waves created by an underwater canyon.
County Line beach, which leads into a section of water regularly frequented by dolphins and baby reef sharks. Cuteness factor: 10.
Venice beach. Basketball, skating, paddle tennis and muscle-flexing are just some of the activities on offer at this world-famous beach
2. Vintage stores & thrift shops
If Rodeo Drive doesn’t tickle your pickle, there’s another fashion scene for you: the vintage stores and thrift shops that rival East London’s hipster chic. Some stores of note are:
‘Slow’ – it has an entire room of leather goods! An. Entire. Room.
‘Squaresville’ – all the retro items you could dream of… 60s, 70s, 80s…and more. #YES
‘Jet Rag’ – not so much a store as an outdoor collection of fabulousness. Everything they put out in the parking lot is $1 per item, or so we’ve been told.
3. Las Vegas, Napa Valley & Palm Springs – every weekend you ever dreamed of!
Ever watched The Hangover and wished you could wake up with a tiger? Well now you can (kinda)! Las Vegas is less than four hours away from Los Angeles, so it’s the perfect place for a long weekend of spectacular over-indulgence. If you prefer a more chilled out vibe, the romantic vineyards of Napa Valley, at just a flight away from LA, might be more your scene – wine-tasting, long sunset walks, farmers’ markets, bike tours and even hot air balloon rides are just a few typical Napa Valley activities.
One of our personal favourites is Palm Springs – it’s a desert of glamourous urban tranquillity, and plays host to international film festivals, public art projects, the amazing Coachella music festival, the SNP Paribas tennis Open, and a festive ice rink.
4. Real reasons to use the Panorama setting on your iPhone camera
The Santa Monica Mountains are a nature escape right in our backyard! There are tonnes of different and beautiful hikes in the area to explore on the weekends whenever you need to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Our other favourite nature spots are Solstice Canyon (Malibu), Franklin Canyon (Beverly Hills), and the Ocean Trails by Trump National Golf Course. They’re so picturesque that there’s absolutely no excuse not to exploit all the photo settings on your new iPhone.
5. Let’s get physical
LA’s got a great sporting scene; with the Lakers, Clippers, Dodgers, Kings and LA Galaxy to concern yourself with, after a few years you’ll forget who Tottenham Hotspurs even are!
Plus, many Angelenos (people from Los Angeles) enjoy doing a bit of sport themselves. It’s not uncommon to see runners along the beach at 6.30am, or skaters dash past you as you grab your morning coffee
6. Star-spotting
Cheesy but true. Not only will you potentially bump into Ryan Gosling (oh my) but you could also find yourself sipping some kind of dodgy-coloured health drink at the next table to Gwyneth Paltrow.
7. Mexico
No plans for Saturday? It takes less than three hours to get to Mexico from LA. Replace day trips to Bicester Village with day trips to Ensenada. Let the free-flowing shrimp tacos tickle your pickle while you gaze across the rippling waves or get sip happy at the Wine Harvest Festival.
8. (Too many) Opportunities to meet your soulmate or #1 BFF
With tourists, travellers, temporary residents, ex-pats and Angelenos (Los Angeles’ born and bred) making up the city’s dense population, there are so many potential BFFs to choose from. There are also a million ways to meet them; bars like Santa Monica’s Bungalow Bar will have you rubbing shoulders with the edgy but laid-back partially rich and famous, while the city is home to thousands upon thousands of Meetup groups – from web development to sewing, Japanese LGBT clubs to horse-riding, there are plenty of ways to meet someone who is right up your street – literally.
9. Music
Some of the greats hail from LA – just think Dr. Dre’s Compton-Long Beach-Inglewood crew.
Also, at any given point in the year, it is pretty much a guarantee that your favourite band will be making a stop through LA. Some of the best music venues in the entire world, such as the Greek Theatre, The Wiltern, and The House of Blues, call Los Angeles their home – not to mention all the free concerts and shows happening every night of the week!
10. You’re in 40 countries at the same time… and so are your tastebuds
According to UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles), 224 languages are spoken in Greater Los Angeles. People say it’s the Culture Capital of the USA, with the largest variety of foreign influences, and it’s like you’re travelling around the world in your own city.
And it’s not just the people who are diverse – the Los Angeles cuisine is so varied and so intriguing that you’ll see almost every type of every tasty thing that ever existed. From Mexican to Korean, Swedish to Azerbaijani… there’s rarely a street corner where you won’t find something to tantalise those tastebuds. Try researching some great eateries at http://la.eater.com/.
11. Hakuna Matata
No worries for the rest of your days: no exams on American culture, no stress and no scraping the depths of your overdraft to buy one of those delicious tacos we mentioned. Moving to LA for ConSol Partners means a FREE working Visa, a full-time job, and guaranteed drinks evenings with your new (and amazingly fun) colleagues!
Some of us have already been through the relocation process, so we can help you with where to live, where to shop, where to go out – the lot. So allyouhave to think about is when to buy your one-way ticket!
What are you waiting for?
COME TO LOS ANGELES WITH US. Click here.
And if you don’t believe us, ask this guy.