The 10 Best Places in the World Spend New Year’s Eve!
1. New York City, New York
Well over a million people tend to show up at Times Square for this famous yearly party. You will find yourself counting down the seconds to midnight while a a huge 12-foot glittering ball is slowly dropped down from a flagpole atop the Times Square building and over a ton of confetti is dropped onto party-goers. This is always a televised event, so you might see yourself on TV. You can also expect a fantastic pyrotechnic light show, big celebrity music acts and a New Year’s Eve Wishing Wall where you can write down your resolutions for the year to come.
2. Edinburgh, Scotland
Thousands arrive here for the annual Hoganay celebration, which means a celebration of the last day of the year. You can expect to see world-famous music acts and traditional ceilidh dancing throughout the streets. A fabulous fireworks show is set off at midnight and the party then continues throughout the night. Activities offered the next day include a run down the Royal Mile, a dive in the freezing cold waters of the River Forth, the Loony Dook Parade and a dog-sledding competition.
3. Sydney, Australia
Many events surround this celebration. You can expect to see indigenous smoking ceremonies, aerial flyovers complete with messages in the sky, mini-light shows, a truly huge and spectacular fireworks show and a lighted boat parade. An ultimate dance party is held at Bondi Beach and there are even special events to help the children celebrate at Taronga Zoo.
4. South Lake Tahoe, California
The Snow Globe Music Festival is considered one of the best places to see a great mix of EDM artists on New Year’s Eve. You can dance and party all night, but this event offers something more. Attendees are given lift tickets so they may spend the entire day skiing.
5. Paris, France
At the Eiffel Tower, you will see a truly spectacular light show and fireworks display. However, most all the streets of Paris come alive with hordes of people celebrating, making the rounds of bars and clubs and having a wonderful time with fireworks and lots of champagne. Romantic New Year’s Eve boat cruises along the Seine are also offered for those who wish for a little privacy for their celebration.
6. London, England
Over 250,000 visitors crowd onto the banks of the Thames River and begin the countdown to Big Ben striking the hour of midnight when an elaborate light show and fireworks display takes off. The party usually continues throughout the night with activities planned for the next day including a three-hour parade complete with marching bands, colorful floats, costumed dancers and a fine procession of the Queen’s horses.
7. Vienna, Austria
Those wanting a somewhat more cultured celebration should enjoy a visit here. Dignified balls, classical music concerts and some of the world’s best symphonies are offered on New Year’s Eve as well as a champagne brunch the following day.
8. Miami, Florida
You can expect to find celebrations of all types all over this city. You might like to head over to South Beach for a good old-fashioned all-night dance-a-thon. A family friendly event is Miami’s answer to New York’s famous ball drop which is a 35-foot neon “Big Orange” which descends from the Inter-Continental Miami. There is a grand finale boasting a huge fireworks show at Bayfront Park and there will be family activities, musical entertainment and food available.
9. Las Vegas, Nevada
Always the party town, over 300,000 visitors show up here to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Beginning at 6 p.m., the famous four-mile-long Strip is shut to vehicle traffic and opened up to those who wish to celebrate by walking around, drinking, mingling and watching various fireworks being shot off from surrounding rooftops. Most of the hotels, clubs and bars will be offering special shows and activities.
10. Hawaii
You will find celebrations on the beaches all over Hawaii. Enjoy the spectacular fireworks displays lighting up the beautiful waters. All of the beach-side bars and clubs will have special activities planned for the celebration including theme nights and contests. Outdoor music concerts and boat cruises will be offered into the small hours of the night as well.
Amir Khan son dönemlerin belki de adını en çok bahsettiren oyuncusu, senaristi, yönetmeni. Belki de mucize adam demek bile yetmeyebilir onu tanımlarken. Amir Khan sadece Hindistan'ın gururu değil dünyanın gururu olmalıdır. Tüm filmlerinde insanlığa verdiği mesaj bir çok insanı etkiliyordur eminim.
Gelelim Dangal filmine. Bir insan rolüne verdiği önemi o role gerçekten bürünerek verir. Amir Khan'da tam böyle bir oyuncu aslında. Dangal filmi için yaklaşık 25 kilodan fazla kilo alıp gençlik zamanlarını oynamak için ise bir o kadar kilo vermiş. Rolüne verdiği önemi siz hesap edin.
Dangal bir başarı öyküsü. Hırslar, baba kız ilişkileri, hayaller, çaresizlik hepsini bu filmde bulmanız mümkün. Eğer gerçekten başarmak istiyorsanız ırkın,dilin, dinin, cinsiyetin hiç bir öneminin olmadığını anlayabiliyorsunuz bu filmde. Film yaklaşık iki saat 49 dakika sürüyor. Sıkmıyor aksine her anından tat alabiliyorsunuz.
Filmde Hindistan'ın renkli hayatını gözler önüne sererken bir yandan da bu kadar fakirliğin içerisinde bu başarının gerçek bir öykü olduğunu görmek sizi de imkansızlığın olmadığına inandırıyor. Gerçekten bir başarı öyküsü ve güzel vakit geçirmek istiyorsanız filmi mutlaka izleyin.
Başarıya giden her yolu denemek için elinizden geleni yapmaya başlayacağınıza garanti verebilirim.
İyi seyirler..
Retail Trade Area Analysis: Concepts and New Approaches
Choosing a retail site in the absence of sound trade area analysis is a lot like flying an airplane with blinders: It forces a business to commit itself to a course in the absence of vital information such as store patronage, local market opportunities, competing businesses, and barriers that would dissuade consumers from visiting the site.
Geographic Information System technology is a fundamental tool for analyzing retail trade areas today. This technology removes site selection "blinders" because it identifies and illustrates the crucial factors for site selection within a geographic framework.
Essentially, trade area analysis is a methodology, process or technique that provides a basis for understanding, visualizing and quantifying the extent and characteristics of known or approximated trade areas.
Trade area analysis provides the foundation for:
Understanding the geographic extent and characteristics of store patronage.
Spatially assessing performance.
Performing competitive analysis.
Evaluating market penetration and market gap analysis.
Target marketing.
Merchandising.
Identifying/quantifying effects of cannibalization.
Developing and exploiting demographic profiles.
Site suitability and site selection studies.
Trade area analysis also employs theoretical techniques that are used to approximate the potential patronage area. These techniques are used in cases where customer level data is not available. Three types of theoretical approaches are commonly employed in trade area analysis, including:
Radial (ring) studies
Gravity models
Drive time analyses
Radial Studies:
Radial or ring based analysis is performed by selecting and evaluating demographic variables that fall within a pre-defined distance from a store location. This technique assumes that the trade area is circular, with the store at its center. Ring analysis does not account for barriers such as rivers or railroad tracks that may cross through a trade area and restrict access to a retail site. Consequently, radial studies are a simplistic approach that can result in an incorrect delineation of the trade area and errors of omission or commission.
Figure 1. Location of store, showing 1, 3, and 5 mile radii. The dots indicate the locations of demographic samples. Red colored dots fall within the 5-mile radius. Note that samples located across the river would be included in the 5-mile demographic summaries for this site.
Gravity Models:
Gravity models, or spatial interaction models, define a trade area based on its attractiveness relative to other trade areas. These models provide an approximation of store trade area by putting the distribution of all locations (including competitors) into a geographical context and evaluating each location's relative attractiveness. Typically, a distance decay curve is used to model the spatial interaction of individual locations. Often size of the store, or store sales if available, is used to drive the attractiveness parameter.
Gravity models are more sophisticated than simple radial approximations, but they still do not account for logistical barriers and they are limited by the availability and accuracy of competitor data. Moreover, gravity models basically are sophisticated algorithms, which may not be appropriate for non-technical analysts.
Figure 2a. Gravity based patronage probability model showing the theoretical store trade area. The blue – green – yellow – red progression represents zones of increasing patronage probability.
Figure 2b. Gravity based patronage probability model showing the locations of demographic sample sites. Blue colored dots fall within the patronage probability zones. Green colored dots indicate the locations of sample sites that fall within the 5-mile radius but are not within the patronage probability zones.
Drive Time Analyses:
Recently, GIS based tools for modeling the drive time or drive distance from a location have become available. These tools use digitized roadway systems that indicate the type of road such as a city street or a divided highway. Speed limits are assigned based on the type of road, the mode of transportation (car, truck, motorcycle, etc.), congestion parameters, and the time of day. These parameters are used to dictate the ease of traveling along road segments. Through this process, a polygon is generated to represent the extent to which a vehicle can travel outward from the site in all directions along the existing roadway system. Unlike the radial distance or gravity model-based trade area approximations, GIS based drive time analyses account for logistical barriers.
Drive time analyses are generally considered to be valid for “convenience” store scenarios, where patrons are expected to go to the closest or most logistically convenient location. Since this analysis is governed by the presence of properly located and attributed roadway systems, the accuracy of the drive time analysis can be limited by the availability of accurate and up-to-date digitized road data.
Figure 3a. Drive time analysis showing areas that can be reached within 5, 10 and 15-minute drive times.
Figure 3b. Drive time analysis showing the location of demographic samples. The blue colored dots represent the demographic sample sites that fall within a 10-minute drive time. Green colored dots represent demographic sample sites that fall within the 5-mile radius, but fall outside of the 10-minute drive time polygon. Conversely, red colored dots that fall within the 15-minute drive time polygon represent demographics that would not be included using a traditional 5-mile radius approach.
Customer Level Data Drives Radial Filter Analysis Technique
The recent availability in-house customer-level, point-of-sale data is creating new ways for retail organizations to explore and evaluate the spatial characteristics of their customer base and the marketplace. Customer point-of-sale data is collected via in store surveys, “courtesy card” programs, license plate surveys, credit card transactions or through raffles or business card collections. Typical point-of-sale data contains a record of what was purchased, when it was purchased, where it was purchased and the name and address of the purchaser. This address-based data can be geocoded to provide a geographically referenced position for each customer.
Historically, analysts were forced to take address-level data and aggregate it into existing postal or census boundaries in order to summarize and map customer counts or revenue. In many cases, this level of aggregation would "smooth out" or homogenize important subtle variations in the geographic distribution and characteristics of a trade area. This is particularly troublesome in cases where the trade area is small and clustered around an area near the store, as is the case in most convenience stores.
In order to alleviate this limitation, leading GIS companies use a radial filter-based trend surface modeling application that analyzes trade areas directly from customer level point-of-sale data. This type of analysis provides a very accurate and precise measure of the spatial distribution and characteristics of store trade areas. Moreover, because customer-level point of sale data is used, the effects of logistical barriers are automatically accounted for.
Figure 4. Map showing the location of customers.
Figure 5. Color thematic trade area map showing concentration of revenue. This map was produced by summarizing the customer revenue data according to the block groups within which the customer locations fall. Colors ranging from blue – green – yellow – red represent the progression from low to high revenue.
Figure 6a. Revenue based trade area map produced using radial filter based application. Colors ranging from blue – green – yellow – red represent the progression from low to high revenue. This analysis clearly shows discrete pockets of customer/revenue strength. Note how the “hotspots” identified using radial filter analysis are small and discrete, and are not constrained by pre-existing census geographic boundaries.
Figure 6b. Radial Filter trade area map showing the location of demographic sample sites. Note that blue colored dots represent demographic sample sites that fall within the actual store trade area. Green colored dots represent those demographic samples that fall within a 5-mile radius, but do not fall with the stores’ trade area.
Comparative Demographic Analysis:
Median
Population
White
Black
Asian
AmerInd
Other
Hispanic
Income
1 Mile
Total
9,217
7,798
191
1,156
10
62
562
$98,909
Percent
100.0
84.6
2.1
12.5
0.1
0.7
6.1
3 Miles
Total
73,098
62,616
2,033
7,276
133
1,040
5,548
$102,970
Percent
100.0
85.7
2.8
10.0
0.2
1.4
7.6
5 Miles
Total
235,832
192,884
12,877
23,994
458
5,619
22,232
$93,448
Percent
100.0
81.8
5.5
10.2
0.2
2.4
9.4
5 Min Drive Time
Total
27,359
23,280
671
3,180
30
198
1,743
$105,625
Percent
100.0
85.1
2.5
11.6
0.1
0.7
7.8
10 Min Drive Time
Total
127,220
107,174
5,450
12,225
243
2,128
9,929
$94,993
Percent
100.0
84.2
4.3
9.6
0.2
1.7
7.8
15 Min Drive Time
Total
396,437
311,225
31,587
38,628
845
14,152
47,148
$85,948
Percent
100.0
78.5
8.0
9.7
0.2
3.6
11.9
Gravity Model
Total
36,386
31,045
781
4,124
49
287
2,070
Percent
100.0
85.3
2.1
11.3
0.1
0.8
5.7
Radial Filter
Total
225,055
177,201
23,151
18,497
512
5,694
20,624
Percent
100.0
78.7
10.3
8.2
0.2
2.5
9.2
The table above shows basic demographic summaries that were obtained using radial distance, drive time, gravity modeling, and radial filter analysis methods. Note the large differences between both the summary counts and the relative percentages depending on which method was used. For example, compared with the 3-mile radius, the actual trade area demographics indicate that a store is pulling from a much larger area with over three times the total population. Similarly, the median household income measured using the 3-mile radius shows income that is more than 15% higher than the trade area based income.
Similar differences are apparent when comparing the relative distribution of population by ethnicity. For example, the radial, drive time and gravity model based estimation of the percent black population is consistently lower than the 10.3% that comprises the actual trade area demographics
Trade area analyses that are based on point of sale data have some specific advantages over the three traditional methods. For example, the radial ring method assumes that a store trade area is circular and it does not account for logistical barriers or the effects of competitors. Trade areas based on drive time analysis offer a more realistic view, particularly for a convenience store scenario. However, the availability and accuracy of road networks upon which drive time analysis is based may limit drive time analysis. Drive time analysis is of limited utility when attempting to model trade areas of destination stores that draw from specific demographic groups. Gravity modeling is a more sophisticated technique that can account for the impact of competitors and is appropriate for convenience scenarios. Small differences in the gravity model parameters can have a large effect on the resulting trade area.
In comparison, the radial filter based trade area analysis generated from customer based point of sale data accurately and precisely delineates the trade area extent and characteristics. The inherent advantages of point of sale data will undoubtedly create opportunities for software vendors and hopefully, for retail businesses that employ these techniques.
TEOG sınavı kaldırıldı! TEOG yerine hangi sistem gelecek?
TEOG sınavının kaldırıldığı Milli Eğitim Bakanı, İsmet Yılmaz tarafından bugün duyuruldu. Bu yıl TEOG sınavının yapılmayacağını söyleyen Yılmaz, 'bize güvenin kimsenin kaygılanmasına gerek yok dedi'. Peki TEOG yerine hangi sistem gelecek?
TEOG sistemi kaldırılmalı sözünün ardından Cumhurbaşkanı Erdoğan yaptığı açıklamada Başbakan Binali Yıldırım ile bu konuda mutabık oldukları ve kısa süre içerisinde yeni sistemin hayata geçirileceğinden şüphesinin olmadığını dile getirmişti. Erdoğan'ın açıklamalarının ardından TEOG için bir açıklamada MEB müsteşarı Yusuf Tekin'den geldi. TEOG sisteminin kaldırılmasının ardından yeni sistem ne olacak sorusuna bu konuda farklı alternatiflerin değerlendirildiğini sınavsız model uygulamasının da değerlendirilmeler arasında olduğunu dile getirdi. Peki Kasım ayında TEOG sınavı yapılacak mı? TEOG yerine hangi sistem gelecek?
MEB Müsteşarı Tekin: Sınavsız model seçeneği değerlendiriliyor
Milli eğitim Bakanlığı Müsteşarı Yusuf Tekin, TEOG'un kaldırılmasıyla ilgili olarak "Sınavsız model seçeneği değerlendiriliyor" dedi. Tekin, kasım ayında sınav yapılıp yapılmayacağının kısa sürede açıklanacağını anlattı.
Cumhurbaşkanı Recep Tayyip Erdoğan'ın TEOG kaldırılacak açıklaması sonrası yeni model tartışılmayı başlandı. MEB Müsteşarı Yusuf Tekin 24 TV'de yeni modele ilişkin konuştu. Yeni modelle ilgili masada çok fazla seçenek olduğunu söyleyen Tekin, "Çalışma grubu oluşturuldu. Sınavsı model seçeneği değerlendiriliyor. Hepsini çalışıyoruz arkadaşlarımızla. Neticesini sayın Bakanımız, Başbakanımız komuoyu ile paylaşır. Sınavsız bir model olmalı. Sınavsız modelin alt yapısı oluşturulacak. 2013'den beri bizim masamızda sınavsız geçişle alakalı değişik alternatifler mevcut" dedi.
Milli Eğitim Bakanı İsmet Yılmaz: TEOG sınavı bu sene yapılmayacak
Milli Eğitim Bakanı İsmet Yılmaz,TEOG sınavının bu sene yapılmayacağını açıkladı.
Milli eğitim Bakanı İsmet Yılmaz,gazetecilerin TEOg ile ilgili sorularını yanıtladı. TEOG sınavının kaldırıldığını anlatan Bakan Yılmaz, sınav nedeniyle çocukların yarış atına döndüğünü dile getirdi. Binlerce kişinin merak ettiği "Bu sene TEOG sınavı yapılıp yapılmayacağına ilişki soruya da yanıt veren Bakan Yılmaz, "Uygulanmayacak. Bu sene TEOG yapılmayacak" dedi.
Kaynak : http://www.milliyet.com.tr/teog-kalkti-mi-meb-mustesari--gundem-2521550/
2017/2018 Eğitim öğretim yılı yarın itibariyle başlıyor. Çocukları olan bir çok ailenin uzun bir yaz tatili sonrasında evlerinde heyecanlı bir bekleyiş hakimdir muhtemelen. Defterler, kitaplar kaplanacak, kalem kutusu yerleştirilecek, okul çantası hazırlanacak, okul kıyafetleri (mevcut okulunda okul kıyafet zorunluluğu varsa) ütülenecek ve buna benzer bir çok hazırlık bugün evlerde yoğun bir şekilde kendini gösteriyordur. Bunun dışında uzun tatillerin sonunda okula adapte olması gereken öğrencilerin stresini de atlamamak gerekir.
Okul fobisi oluşturmamak için bu stresin iyi yönetilmesi çok büyük önem taşımaktadır. Okul, aile ve öğrenci üçgeninde sınırların belirgin konulması şarttır. Okula gitmek istemeyen öğrencilerin velilerinin bir iki günden bir şey olmaz diyerek çocuklarını okula gönderme zamanlarını uzatmaları, çocuğu stresten anlık kurtarırken bir iki gün sonra daha büyük bir stresle başa çıkmak zorunda olacaklarını da hatırlamalılardır. Okulu sevilebilir kılmak için ailedeki fertlerin okul yaşantılarından olumlu kesitler vermesi önem taşımaktadır. Olumsuz örnekler vermek mesela; bizim zamanımızda öğretmenlerden korkardık, okullar açıldı mı gitmemekte neymiş öyle şey olur muymuş, sen bilirsin sınıfta kalırsın o zaman adam olamazsın, gibi cümleler yerine; okulumda kendimi çok huzurlu hissederdim, öğretmenimiz bizim hep iyi olmamız için çalıştı, bak ben öğretmenim ve okulum sayesinde .............(mesleğiniz neyse) oldum, emin ol yeni arkadaşlar tanıdıkça evde olduğundan daha çok eğleneceksin, vb... gibi cümleler kurulmalı.
Okula ilk başladığı gün öğrenciden ayrılamama gibi bir durumunuz olmamalı. Askere, gurbete göndermiyorsunuz çocuğunuzu. Uzun zaman göremeyeceğiniz bir bilinmezliğe de gitmiyor. Sadece eğitim almak için günün belli kısmında yanınızda olmayacaklar. Bu durumu basite indirgemeniz hem sizin hem de çocuğunuzun ruh sağlığı için en iyisi olacaktır. Okul fobisini kendinizde de oluşturmamanız gerekiyor. En önemlisi böyle bir fobiniz varsa bile belli etmemelisiniz. Okul sınırları içerisinde ailenizdeki kuralların geçerli olmadığını hem kendinize hem de çocuğunuza hatırlatmalısınız. Okul koridorlarında gezip çocuğunuzun sosyalleşmesini engelleyecek hiç bir tavırda bulunmamanız hem okul yönetiminin hem de öğretmenlerin iş yükünü hafifletecektir.
Şimdiden tüm öğrencilere başarılar dilerim. Umarım her yıl bir öncekinden daha başarılı olur...
Moving to Los Angeles? 13 Reasons You’ll Love Living Here!
Thinking of moving to Los Angeles? If the city’s population is any measure of how much people like it, then there’s substantial evidence that living in Los Angeles is pretty great. It’s home to 3.9 million people, and 18.7 million people reside in the L.A. metro area. But what is living in Los Angeles really like: the people, attitudes, culture and economic opportunity? Can you hack big city living? Do you like warm, sunny weather? Then here are 13 reasons moving to Los Angeles may be good for you!
For anyone moving to Los Angeles, or considering the move, you can also jump in and join the conversation on Facebook with some local Angelenos.
People You’ll Meet in Los Angeles
L.A. is a melting pot on a grand scale. Southern California is ethnically and culturally diverse; the people who live here come from everywhere. To be precise, they come from 180 countries and speak 140 languages. If you move to Los Angeles, your neighbors might be from half-way around the world or the next state over.
Richard Wyatt’s “City of Dreams/River of History” at Union Station.
Being a newcomer to Los Angeles is nothing new. Starting with contact between the area’s First Peoples and Spanish explorers in 1542, to the first settlement in 1781, and all the way up to present day, L.A. has consistently grown via an influx of immigrants.
That’s why there are as many versions of Los Angeles as there are Angelinos. Each have their reasons for coming here and perspectives on why it’s a great place to call home. The West Coast has always been a place for dreamers and entrepreneurs. Los Angeles is still that way today, the modern American frontier.
Quick fact: Los Angeles does not have a majority population.
47.9% Hispanic or Latino
27.5% White, non-Hispanic
13.7% Asian/Pacific Islander
8.1% African-American
2.8% American Indian/Others
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – 2013 American Community Survey
Los Angeles Lifestyle
First Impressions, Living in Los Angeles
One of the first things you’ll notice, after moving to Los Angeles, is the alarming number of people hanging out in cafes during business hours. You might ask yourself, “Why are so many people out-and-about on a Monday at 11:00 am? Does anyone work in this town?”
Many jobs in Los Angeles – from entertainment to fashion – aren’t typical, year-round, 9-to-5 gigs. For example, people involved with theater plays, films and television shows work seasonally. The production side of the entertainment business has stretches of downtime (weeks or even months), giving folks a lot of freedom. You’ll see a lot of people roaming around L.A. when you’d normally expect a city’s inhabitants to be hidden away in an office building.
Plus, not every occupation even requires an office; you’ll see a lot of writers pecking away at their laptop keyboards in cafes. Actors tend to move around during the day, too, going to auditions and then earning their rent money waiting tables at night.
You’ll also come to realize that not everyone here works in “the industry” (synonym for the entertainment business). There are plenty of other employers and job opportunities in town, covered below.
Casual Attitudes
If you’re moving to Los Angeles, no doubt you’ll notice the laid back West Coast style. The chill attitude prevails everywhere, regardless of position or profession.
The dress code here is casual. People go to work and go out in jeans. T-shirts and flip flops are commonplace. You might even say the casual dress code here is a form of camouflage. You never know who that guy sitting next to you in the dive bar — with a scruffy beard, wearing the jean jacket — might be. He’s probably big-time producer. Watch him when he leaves. He’ll be the guy in the valet line picking up his Range Rover.
You think I’m kidding about valet parking at a dive bar? We even have complimentary valet atDenny’s!
In spite of the laid back attitude, people here do manage to dress nicely. After all, L.A. is home to very influential fashion designers and apparel manufacturers. The city is rife with fashionistas.
Being laid back has a few drawbacks. Angelinos are known to be flaky. It’s normal for people show up late to parties or not show up at all, even if they’ve RSVP’d. “Hey, man, I was going to show up to your party but the swells at Zuma Beach were epic and we surfed past sunset.”
Healthy Living
Swing your yoga mat in any direction and you will hit a yogi or yoga studio. They are everywhere! If it’s healthy or trendy, you’ll find it in Los Angeles. Need an organic juice fix? There’s a juice bar right around the corner. Want to join a Crossfit gym? Which one?
L.A. is the kind of place that encourages anything new and healthy, a mindset that is fairly typical for the entire West Coast. Depending upon your tolerance for trendiness, you might find the constant introduction of the latest diet and exercise fads as a small, regular annoyance. People here love to try and talk about “what’s new.” Here’s a re-usable joke; one to keep in your quiver and pull out whenever you need it. Just substitute any “healthy lifestyle” word below:
Q: How do you know your friend is [vegan/paleo/loves kale/does Crossfit]? A: They’ll tell you.
Fads aside, one thing everyone can agree upon is the value of a farmer’s market. L.A. has a ton of them. In fact, there are so many, the Los Angeles Times created a searchable database.
Given the combination of healthy lifestyles and a production mindset in this town, one would have to believe the parody video “Yoga Girl” was inevitable. Watching it is worth every second, and a few laughs.
L.A. Traffic
Sitting in traffic is a big, unfortunate part of living in Los Angeles. Public transportation here is barely serviceable. While the City of Los Angeles is increasing the number of subway lines and ridership slowly increases, cars are still the modi operandi.
“Traffic” falls under the “lifestyle” section of this article is because you will spend a lot of your life in your car, stuck on the 101, 405, 605, 110 or 210 to name a few. Oh! That’s another thing: people here refer to freeways by number, not by name.
Living in Los Angeles means dealing with congested traffic all the time. Freeways are jammed with normal Monday thru Friday commuters but don’t expect any relief on weekends. People drive everywhere, every day. You can easily get stuck on the Southbound 101 on a Saturday morning. Here’s traffic for a typical evening commute. For perspective, the scale for the image below is about 50 miles wide.
Gnarly traffic makes getting together with friends for a drink or dinner harder than it would be in San Francisco or New York. Los Angeles is very spread out, which affects everything. Want good food and a place to hang with your pals? You can have it, but you will work for it. In New York or San Francisco, you’re never more than a short walk or a couple of subway stops from a great, casual neighborhood restaurant or bar. In Los Angeles, you will get in your car and drive for a night out. Going anywhere takes effort.
Now that you know the kind of effort it takes for a night out on the town, let’s talk about the food itself. Every major city in the United States has expensive restaurants you can go to for special occasions. Los Angeles has no shortage of places to throw around money on fine dining.
But a better measure of a city’s food scene are the “everyday” places you meet friends or co-workers to relax. Even though going out in Los Angeles requires travel, don’t fret. Your efforts are rewarded by L.A.’s best neighborhoods — where you’ll find pockets of ethnic and mom ‘n pops restaurants — that blow other cities out of the water.
Some neighborhoods are the cultural focal point for certain ethnic groups, while other areas are where people live. To clarify which is which, the list below includes both where appropriate. Here are some must-visit neighborhoods, rich in gastronomic opportunity.
Thai Town – Thai
Koreatown – Korean
Boyle Heights – Hispanic
Little Ethiopia – Ethiopian
Tehrangeles – Persian (Tehran + Los Angeles = Tehrangeles)
Koreatown is home to many Korean BBQ joints. Many are All You Can Eat (AYCE).
There are a couple more things you need to know about the Los Angeles food scene that set this city apart from all others.
Sushi? No other city in the United States compares to the availability and quality of sushi found in Los Angeles. You will not find better sushi outside of Tokyo. Period. While differing opinions on sushi are your constitutional right, no intellectually honest person would dare waiver from the thought that LA is not sushi heaven.
Pizza? New Yorkers living in L.A. complain about the paucity of good pizza here. Getting a slice in Los Angeles is not the same experience as it is in NYC. New Yorkers frequently and repeatedly air their pizza grievances. Yet if they leave for any period of time, they’ll admit how much they miss L.A.’s amazing sushi, Thai food, tacos or Korean barbecue. If you’re moving to Los Angeles from New York, you’re trading away good pizza but getting many other culinary treats in exchange. It’s a very good trade. Your East Coast pizza isn’t going anywhere; you can get a slice on your next trip home for the holidays.
Burgers? What’s the first stop an Angelino or savvy tourist makes when they fly into BUR or LAX? In-N-Out Burger! Even vegetarians living in Los Angeles admit their #1 Kryptonite is stuffing one’s face with a “Double-Double, animal style.” Check out In-N-Out’s not-so-secret menu that lets you modify an order to your liking.
Working in Los Angeles
When you think of Los Angeles, show business might be the first thing that comes to mind, but the city is economically diverse like its people. This is the place where technology and fashion entrepreneurs grow their businesses from scratch into global brands. Big brands you know and love have deep roots and are headquartered here, ones you know and love like Tesla, Nestle, Honda and Dole Foods.
Here are the major sectors of economic activity in L.A.:
Entertainment
Information Technology
Aerospace & Defense
Fashion
Bioscience
Hospitality & Tourism
Trade
Marketing, Design & Publishing
The Entertainment Business
When you peel back the most visible, outward facing layers of the entertainment business, you’ll realize most jobs in “the industry” are behind-the-scenes.
Motion picture studios and theme parks have all the familiar big-company departments like accounting, human resources, facilities management, fleet management, etc. These are the everyday occupations that make LA’s entertainment industry fire on all cylinders. Studios are staffed like any other large enterprise.
After living in Los Angeles a few months, you’ll start to realize how massive the entertainment industry really is. It employs a lot of people, not just the entertainers you see in the spotlight. Your neighbor to the left might be a music composer and the neighbor to the right might be a studio electrician.
Information Technology and Sciences
The tech scene in LA is another driver of economic activity. It is home to thousands of internet startups and large, long-time technology powerhouses. Biotech and aerospace companies employ thousands of scientists and technologists. New era space travel company, SpaceX, employs over 4,000 people.
SpaceX is redefining how we think about space travel and privatization.
Fashion
Los Angeles is a major hub for fashion.The downtown Los Angeles Fashion District is home to 100 blocks of independently owned retail and wholesale businesses. You will find designer showrooms, boutique stores, all the way up to the campuses of large apparel companies like GUESS and American Apparel.
Trade
Los Angeles is an international city for both cultural diversity and trade. The Port of Los Angeles and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) move billions of dollars in products and millions of passengers through the area each year.
Quick facts:
The Port of Los Angeles imports and exports $1.2B worth of goods each day.
The adjoining Port of Long Beach, second in the nation only to the Port of Los Angeles, moves $100B in annual trade.
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) moves 75M passengers each year.
Los Angeles Weather
Los Angeles is known around the world as warm, sunny place. The weather here is factor that contributes to the area’s natural beauty. Hardly a day will pass where you won’t spot native exotic flowers such as Bird of Paradise, Jacaranda, Hibiscus and Bougainvillea. Here’s a look at the average monthly temperatures in L.A, high and low.
What a lot of folks don’t know is that it’s a sprawling metropolis built on a desert basin. Without an aqueduct piping millions of gallons of water into the area, Los Angeles would most certainly be uninhabitable to millions of its residents. We don’t get much rain.
The L.A. Basin also happens to border an ocean, which gives it a unique climate. Where deserts and oceans collide, weather systems mashup to create a Mediterranean Climate.
The climate in Los Angeles is characterized by warm days and cool nights. That’s because cooler ocean air moves across the L.A. Basin when the sun goes down, providing a bit of welcome relief during the hotter summer months. Los Angeles is one of the only major cities in the world where you can enjoy a comfortable Mediterranean climate year-round.
There are several microclimates, too. Ocean communities are generally cooler than inland areas. The San Fernando Valley is hotter and drier. Neighborhoods that are 5 miles apart can vary in temperature by 10 degrees or more. It could be 65 degrees in Santa Monica, 75 degrees downtown and 85 degrees in the inland valleys.
Occasionally, Santa Ana winds kick in and push the area’s prevailing winds in the opposite direction, moving air masses from drier inland areas across the L.A. Basin to the Pacific Ocean. Santa Ana winds are active mostly in the fall months and bring drier air (i.e. very low humidity) to the city. Fall here is dry and comfortable.
Quick facts:
292 annual days of sunshine
35 annual days of rain
72 degrees average daily temperature
Fog and Smog
Angelinos sometimes wake up to foggy skies, created by ocean air that moves inland and settles over the basin at night. Fog typically burns off by mid-day, depending on how near or far you live from the ocean. The extra moisture in the air combines with car exhaust to produce the region’s infamous smog.
Due to aggressive California emission standards, there’s a lot less smog here than the 1960s and 70s. Days of thick, brown smog layers are fewer and farther between. In fact, they are now rare. While low to medium air quality is a fact of life here, the former era of itching and tearing eyes are mostly a thing of the past.
Things to Do in Los Angeles
The always-sunny weather in Los Angeles inspires people to get outside. As a world-class city, living in Los Angeles means you can also get your fill of art, music and culture. Whatever you’re into, indoor or outdoor activities, you can find them here. Any day or night of the week you will find something to do in Los Angeles.
Southern California Beaches
One of the first things people take advantage of, after moving to Los Angeles, is venturing to a local beach. Beaches here are perfect for running, walking, cycling, volleyball, surfing or rollerblading. If you just want to pull up a lawn chair and read a book or get a tan, that’s okay, too. Malibu Beach is great for celebrity sightings, Venice Beach for people watching and Manhattan Beach for surfing.
Mountain Ranges
The Los Angeles Basin is surrounded and divided by mountain ranges. The Santa Monica Mountains split L.A. County into sections north and south while the San Gabriel Range borders the Eastern edge. You can go from 9 feet below sea level to heights of 10,800 feet with a short drive and little hiking.
Angelinos love hiking. Runyon Canyon is perfect for a quick glute workout but can get crowded. You’ll find more space, fewer crowds and 53 miles of trails in Griffith Park. No matter where you hike, trails in Los Angeles reward you with incredible views. There are over 300 public parks in the Santa Monica Mountains so no one is going to run out of room to roam anytime soon. People new to the area are often surprised at the amount of land that is open and available for public use. The image below shows the Santa Monica Mountains from the Pacific Palisades to Glendale.
Hiking in Los Angeles is a popular activity. There are many hills and trails to explore.
Griffith Park is 4,310 acres of fun. It’s home to Los Angeles Zoo, Greek Theatre, Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood Sign. Much of the park is untamed, and you can cross paths with wild quail, rodents, spiders, foxes, coyotes, rattlesnakes and deer. You might even see a mountain lion. If hiking isn’t your cup of tea, horseback tours are available daily.
Nightlife
Each neighborhood has its flavor of fun, from West Hollywood and The Sunset Strip to the recently revitalized Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA).
Music fans might get lucky and catch big, well-known national bands playing smaller clubs on “The Strip” made famous in the 1960s. Rock out at clubs like Whisky A Go Go, The Rainbow and Troubadour. If you don’t catch your favorite band ripping up a small club, just know that every artist plays L.A. Whether they play a small club or the Hollywood Bowl, if your favorite band is on tour, they’re coming here.
Or maybe you’d rather take things into your own hands and sing your heart out at a karaoke bar in Koreatown?
If you’re a fan of classic cocktails (e.g. a properly made Manhattan or Old Fashioned) and dimly lit art deco rooms, moving to Los Angeles could make you very happy. DTLA is where the best bartenders in the city ply their craft. If you’re really lucky, someone might let you into a modern speakeasy.
Art & Culture
L.A. County is home to 100 museums and range from those that specialize in fine art to La Brea Tar Pits, where you can see fossilized dinosaur bones.
Large music venues include Disney Concert Hall (home to L.A. Phil) as well as the very popular Hollywood Bowl and Greek Theatre.
Getty Center (“The Getty”) is one of the world’s largest art organizations a favorite museum for many Anglinos. Housed on a 24-acre hilltop campus, overlooking the L.A. Basin, The Getty is home to two things: 1) One of the best views of Los Angeles, and 2) A world-class art collection. Best of all, it’s free! The Getty is funded by a very large trust. All you have to do is pay for parking, then hop on a tram ride up the hill. People spend the whole day taking in amazing art and city views.
You can also catch major plays and musical productions at Pantages Theater, Ahmanson Theatre and Geffen Playhouse. Smaller theaters dot the city where you can see up-and-coming performers as well.
Spend an evening perusing local art galleries and rubbing elbows with artists at any one of 16 art walks in the area.
Sports Teams in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is home to collegiate and professional sports teams. If you love attending live sporting events, you’ll have plenty of choices living in Los Angeles.
Football Do you like tailgating and spending a Saturday afternoon watching college football? Catch Pac-12 Conference powerhouses USC Trojans or UCLA Bruins tear up the turf in the L.A. Coliseum or Rose Bowl, their respective home fields. If NFL is more your style, you can cheer for the Los Angeles Rams, who recently returned to L.A after a 20-year absence.
The Rose Bowl is home to the UCLA Bruins and the annual Rose Bowl Game.
Baseball Los Angeles has been home to the Dodgers since 1957. Baseball games are a relaxing way to enjoy a warm summer night, cold beer and a Dodger Dog, the official team hot dog, and a decades-long tradition.
Basketball Los Angeles is home to three professional basketball teams. NBA teams Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers are crosstown rivals, both competing in the NBA’s Western Conference, Pacific Division. They share the same home court, Staples Center, along with WNBA team, Los Angeles Sparks. Staples Center is a modern, comfortable arena with several VIP amenities for both sporting events and concerts.
Hockey L.A. Kings is another hometown team that calls Staples Center home ice. If you’re moving to Los Angeles from the East Coast, you won’t have to give up live hockey. West Coast fans are die hard supporters.
Soccer If professional soccer is your cup of tea, L.A. Galaxy is the area’s MLS team, chartered in 1996. They play at StubHub Center in Carson.
Los Angeles is so big and diverse; you might even find yourself checking out Polo or Roller Derby!
World-Class Education
Moving to Los Angeles gives you access to exceptional postsecondary academic institutions. L.A. is home to world-class universities and colleges. Schools here lead the way in research and academic disciplines. L.A. is a great place to earn your college degree or beef up your curriculum vitae with a masters or Ph.D. Here are the big-time postsecondary schools in Los Angeles:
When L.A. throws a party, the whole world watches. Even before moving to Los Angeles, you’ll know many of the city’s annual events by name. L.A is host to major entertainment award shows, like the Oscars, no doubt you’ve watched on TV.
But did you know L.A. is home to the largest Halloween party in the world? West Hollywood’s Halloween Carnaval draws an estimated 500,000 revelers to Santa Monica Boulevard in West Hollywood. Get decked out in your Halloween costume and join the party!!
Here’s a rundown for some of the large annual events in Los Angeles:
More Interesting Facts About Living in Los Angeles
From 1901 and 1963, before LA became known for huge freeways jammed with cars, it had a complete streetcar system, the Los Angeles Railway.
Built in 1901 and billed as the “shortest railway in the world,” the 298-foot Angels Flight still operates today. You can even use your Metro pass to pay for the short ride up the hill from L.A.’s Historic Core to Bunker Hill.
Capital Records is located in the world’s first circular office building, designed to look like a stack of LP records. The topmost light on its rooftop blinks in Morse code and spells “H-O-L-L-Y-W-O-O-D.”
The Hollywood Sign was originally an advertisement for a real estate development in the Hollywood Hills from 1923 to 1949. The L-A-N-D letters are obviously no longer there but the neighborhood below in Beachwood Canyon still bears the name Hollywoodland. A trust maintains the sign.
Griffith Park is one of the largest municipal parks in North America, sporting 53 miles of hiking trails and even has a horse ranch. You can take a horseback tour seven days a week.
Griffith Observatory has working telescopes. After the sun goes down, visitors can take a turn viewing the rings of Saturn. It’s also where the Apollo astronauts learned how to navigate the stars.
L.A.’s steepest street has a 33% grade. It should remain the steepest for a very long time because the city has limited street grades to about 15% since the 1950s.
Final Thoughts: Moving to Los Angeles
Hopefully after reading this, you’ll conclude that Los Angeles neither monolithic in terms of the people who live here or the work they do. Nor is the landscape a barren urban jungle of concrete and cars. In fact, this city is quite livable and downright fun and interesting. There are so many museums, activities, sights, sounds and foods to discover and enjoy. Living in Los Angeles is never dull.
