What is it like to live in Los Angeles, California?
My dream area to live would be a suburb area in Los Angeles, California. After college in Massachusetts, I plan on living there forever. What is it like to live there? I'm from a very small town in Virginia, so what would it be like for me? The pros and cons.
What are some great places in Los Angeles where I can go safely past midnight to see city lights or stars?
As others have mentioned, seeing stars in the L.A. night sky often isn't possible, other than a handful of the brightest ones. Muholland Drive can offer great views of the city:Griffith Park is obviously great (the Observatory is there), but they close the road up to the top before Midnight, I believe.If you want to see a starry sky and don't mind driving about an hour and a half to 2 hours outside of the city, Joshua Tree/Yucca Valley area is really great for night sky watching as it is away from the smog and also far from city light pollution.
Where is a great place to have a family dinner in Los Angeles?
There are a million places to dine in LA, so it depends on your personal taste budget, and location.From personal experience I can recommend the ‘Cheesecake Factory’. Although a bit busy and loud, it impresses with the largest menu in the world and cheesecakes. It can most easily satisfy the most diverse cravings of a large group of people or a family. They are a chain restaurant and all over the place. Reservation recommended.Another nice family restaurant for high-end Mexican food is El Cholo on Santa Monica Blvd in Santa Monica. For Middle Eastern food, a good place is Darya, a Persian restaurant also on Santa Monica Blvd in West LA.
New York vs Los Angeles?
Which Metro is better? I vote New York; Less Smog Lighter Traffic, even though Long Island has suburbs spanning 80 miles away, and over 2 times the population of L.A. The reason is that most people in the suburbs work within the Suburbs, New York City's main CBD, spans across a large Island. There is also a second CBD, Downtown Brooklyn. The main reason why NY has better traffic is due to it's railroad system. New York isn't nearly as polluted as L.A New York has 3 major skylines, and two across the River, Hackensack and New Jersey. More Jobs, unfortunately due to L.A. close proximaty to the border, illegal imminigrants took a lot of jobs. New York actually has 4 distinct Seasons. More things to do like better entertainment, nightlives, shopping choices. Not as much stuck up people as L.A., if by any chance you like to be around stuck up people, you can go out a few miles east, to the Hamptons. New York's Beaches are good, but not as good as L.A.
What's the best way to meet new people in LA?
It’s easy to meet new people at co-working spaces like WeWork and Cross Campus. There’s a great mix of entrepreneurs, artists, and other professionals. They have regular events & happy hours. Or you can just go up to someone and ask what they’re working on.Go on Facebook groups and Meetup and search for LA or Santa Monica based groups. When I first came out here I signed up for Meetups like Santa Monica New Tech, LA Tech Happy Hour, LA Film & TV Meetup. These are awesome places to meet people.Check out networking groups like Ivy and IVY Plus. They organize mixers and other social events.Airbnb "Experiences" are a great new way to explore and meet people. I signed up for a hike in Griffith Park and loved it.If you have a good Airbnb host (I've been lucky) they can be great resources for local tips & connections. They may even invite you to join them at social gatherings and introduce you to their friends.In Silverlake, Echo Park & Los Feliz it's more of a small-town vibe. I'd suggest going to a cafe and just asking people for local tips, places you should check out etc. Cafes are laid back and friendly. Don’t be afraid to talk to a stranger. That’s how people met in the days before the internet! :)
How did John Williams start his career as a composer?
John’s career probably kicked off when he occasionally sat in with his jazz-drummer father’s quartet that played around town in NY. He was billed as “Little Johnny”. He actually began his arranging career as a U.S. Air Force Airman First Class while stationed in Newfoundland. After military service, I remember him at Disney Studios in Burbank where he worked as a staff arranger with the Sherman Brothers. Walt was not real pleased with John’s shoulder-length hair! He also did quite a bit of studio work, including sessions with Henry Mancini. He did some movie work, as well at that time. Then along came Stephen Spielberg who very nearly rejected John’s iconic “Jaws” theme, but eventually acquiesced, and the rest is history. John’s talent as a composer and orchestrator is legendary.
I would like to become a successful music producer (EDM and Pop). I use ableton live and produce at home while holding down a regular job? If and When should I consider moving to LA or NYC?
You shouldn't need to go to LA in the first place, your skills as a producer has nothing to do with where you are. But, if you really must go... (heavens knows why?) then wait until you have a huge back catalog of proven dance floor killers; you have a 74,000+ social media followers; every famous DJ in the world calls you day and night to work with you, and every single super club in the world wants to private jet your uber cool self to play at their party. Only then can you move to LA. Definitely not before, it doesn't work.