JSLALALAND

CITY & ITS PEOPLE

The truths nobody tells you before you move to LA

Before you move, everyone tells you the weather's amazing. True, but a few things never come up. Not to scare you off, just for you, mid-packing: credit, renting, cars, health insurance, time zones, and weekends alone. Know them now and land ready.

Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.

Key points

Full text

  1. No.01 | Year one, you have no credit

    However stable you were in Taiwan, your US credit history starts at zero, and renting, getting a card, buying a car and getting a phone plan can all hit a wall. Start with a secured credit card and pay it off on time every month; credit is something you grow slowly.

  2. No.02 | Renting: the landlord picks you

    Landlords look at your credit report and income, and a common bar is monthly income of 3x the rent (industry practice, not law). In California, since July 2024, security deposits are mostly capped at one month's rent. 'The rental application is more nerve-racking than a job interview.'

  3. Rent ballpark

    Apartment List's October 2026 medians: one-bedroom $1,861, two-bedroom $2,374; every site calculates it very differently, and popular areas run higher.

  4. No.03 | No car is really, really hard

    Within 10 days of becoming a resident, you need to switch to a California license, and an out-of-state car has to be registered within 20 days; full-coverage insurance in LA averages about $3,000 a year. Short visits can use a Taiwan license, ideally with an International Driving Permit.

  5. No.04 | Health insurance is homework

    With a job, you're usually on your company's insurance; without one, look at Covered California, open enrollment 11/1/2026–1/31/2027. In California, going uninsured means a tax penalty, at least $950 per adult for 2025.

  6. No.05 | Your first-year bills

    Deposit plus first month's rent, a car and car insurance, gas and parking, health insurance, furniture (lots of apartments come unfurnished), and tips. 'Nobody posts their first year's bills.'

  7. No.06 | The loneliness is real

    Friends live 40 minutes away, and 'Let's grab coffee sometime' usually stays at sometime. Find a regular class, coffee shop or club; LA friendships are built by seeing each other every week.

  8. No.07 | Family is fifteen, sixteen hours away

    Taipei is 16 hours ahead of LA (15 during daylight saving time, March to early November). Your morning is their middle of the night; the hardest part isn't the time difference, it's when something happens at home and you can't go back right away.

  9. No.08 | Earthquakes and wildfires are part of life

    In your first week, set up MyShake earthquake alerts and alert.lacounty.gov emergency notifications, then look up your home's evacuation zone at protect.genasys.com. Being prepared isn't being scared; it's just a habit.

  10. No.09 | Good English isn't the hardest part

    'Let's play it by ear,' 'I'll let you know,' 'You're good': the hardest part is the subtext. 'Understanding the words doesn't mean you understood.'

  11. No.10 | LA isn't the LA in the movies

    The Walk of Fame isn't that glamorous, freeway traffic is daily life, and you'll see unhoused people on the street. LA's beauty is in the handful of streets and sunsets you only find after living here a while.

  12. But also the good stuff nobody tells you

    Nobody thinks starting over at 40 is weird, you'll make friends from all over the world, you'll get really good at taking care of yourself, and the light every evening really is beautiful.

  13. Moving checklist (screenshot it)

    Before you go: an International Driving Permit, an immigration lawyer for visa status, and pick your area. First month: open a bank account and get a secured card, switch your license and buy car insurance within 10 days, research health insurance, set up MyShake.

  14. One last line

    Moving takes a day; turning a city into home takes years. LA won't automatically become your home. 'You live it into a home, little by little.'

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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).