I'm thinking about commuting from Pasadena to Santa Monica. Its seems like the commute would be a minimum of 1.5 hrs each way on a good day if not 2 hrs to 2.5 hours on a bad one. When is a commute worth it for us architects. I'm looking at a 15% raise in salary.
i live and work on the thames river (London, UK) bank, on opposite sides. luckily there's a bridge. Commute time 3mins. save the office loads of $$$ on night time taxi fare.
my commute is 8 minutes in traffic. 3 if there isn't traffic and I know how to time the stoplights so I don't even have to stop. So for me Pasadena to Santa Monica would be sooo annoying. The longest part of my commute is from the parking garage to my desk. Ahh the midwest...
jas - so what is your commute now? I have an architect friend in LA and she lives in Burbank, not sure where she works as it's always changing, but she has complained many times of three hour commutes each way. scary. i would be wary.
3-5 hours in a car a day? 150-250 hours a year. on a 40 hour week, that an increase of 38-63% in your time to having a job. if you look at it that way, you just got a pay reduction. i wouldn't do it. i could think of a lot better ways to spend my time.
jas - you do not want to make that commute... unless you love driving and books on tape. I have a friend who commutes from Mt. Washington to Santa Monica right now and she hates it, her quality of life sucks, she gets home at 8pm or later every day. I have another friend who has been commuting from Silverlake to Santa Monica for a few months and they just put their house on the market so they can move closer to the westside.lots of firms are hiring now in LA, I would think you should be able to find something closer, or consider a move to mid-LA...
The opportunity at this firm is really good (i'm being headhunted) but i'm discovering that there are a lot of other opps. I actually work in Pasadena and live in Pasadena so my commute the last two years has been 5-10 min. depending on all the freakin' mixed-use constructions happening in Pasadena right now...so this would be a huge culture shock for me...plus my wife and I are planning to start a family soon...but its seemed like the 10K increase in salary was looking good but the commute is a downer.
I might just stand pat and look for downtown..considering i live a block from the Gold Line.
dood, if you are considering starting a fam, the best thing you can do is not take that job. you owe it to yourself, your wife, and new daughter/son to make better use of that time by spending it with them. don't miss your child growing up.
You don't want to make that commute. I just left my job at a small firm because the commute was killing me--and it was only 1 hour 10 minutes each way. Seriously, that's too long sitting in the car, your body will hate you, and you'll have no time left for anything after work.
I'm going from Downtown to Venice every day, in the time I've been doing this commute my waist size has grown 3 inches and my soul is slowly dying.....
My commute....5-7 minutes...I am so glad I moved closer to our office!
I agree with the above, don't do it if you are going to start a family. 10k does not balance very well against a loss of 3 hours a day....do the math...720+ hours/ 30 days a year x let's say a 30 year career = 2-1/2 years of your life flushed down the toilet!
Their are lot's of Pasadena firms, keep looking. I know at least in the OC Register there is a full column of postitions available nearly every week.
my commute is 15 mins each way, can get to 20..but never more than that...
yes pasadena to santa monica everyday must suck....id suggest move to the westside??? if you worry about the cost of renting etc, pasadena is not the cheapeast place to rent / buy too...
i live in South of LA at Torrance and work in Santa Monica.....18 miles apart! It takes me 40-45 mins time driving to work usually ...
But sometimes when the Traffic is mess up, (I-405 Parking !@#%$#%) I might then get stuck on the Freeway 405 for 1 hour 15 mins.....
So my Total Time spend per day on commute: 80 - 120 mins
Then I learned to stay around my office after work, till 9-10pm or even later time... (staying in the office, working on my "personal" stuff or going to workout at YMCA) and wait till the traffic smoothing out.
When there's no traffic... It takes only 15-20 mins to get back home!! 50% less !!
Echoeching everyones sentiment, don't do it. "e" is right in painting you a more complete picture of what this will do to your time on the job. I am making a 90 minute commute each way on a good day. I hate it and it will be one of the reasons I'm quitting as soon as I get together some good $$$ while getting my IDP over with. I guarantee you I'll never commute endless hours to and from work ever again. It's enough to make you hate your job no matter how interesting the work may be.
Why do firms locate themselves where they do?
I voiced my displeasure on commuting to my boss to see what the rationale was to place our offices in the burbs far from where I live. I assumed the reasoning centered on monetary choices. But I was told that the thinking was that by having the offices in the burbs we would lure workers who also lived in the burbs not only because they would be close to work. But based on the belief that people living in the burbs were less likely to flake out on you a year or two into the job and ditch you in pursuit of advancing their position elsewhere. Unfortunately this strategy did not pan out. The majority of the 500 employees here at corporate headquarters do live in the city and commute like I do. Needless to say, turnover rates have been sky-high.
i used to commute from d.c. to baltimore. at least an hour each way. hated it too. i was picked up by a colleague who lived in alexandria. don't understand how my friend did the even longer ride.
when i was walking to work today i was thinking about how some people at my office have to leave their houses an hour before i even get up. and i thought that would suck.
I have 2 jobs. One is very close to home (walking distance), the other is a 2-hour commute each way, twice per week. This can be done by car or train but takes about the same amount of time either way. On the train I notice a lot of regulars doing the same trip. I get a lot done - for both jobs - on the train, and I can sleep or read if I feel like it. I don't like driving much - it just feels like wasted time because there's nothing I can work on while driving. I don't even like doing this once or twice a week - so I wouldn't advise a daily commute.
move to culver city...it's cheaper there than sm and still convenient...or try to look in the ucla apartment area...def can negotiate cheaper rents there...and find a small jewel here and there...
i used to commute from glendale to downtown la...it was like a 15-20min max...and like vado...it was the best part of my day...
now i live in the bay area and take BART to and from work...bout a 45 min commute...but public transportation lets u sleep/read/do other stuff the whole way!!
when i used to ride the el to work in chitown, i would always have a novel with me to let everyone know how intelligent i was. stendahl or flaubert, oh that guy must be so smart and intense they would say to themselves under their breaths as she returned to harry potter or he to tom clancy. what a dope i am.
now I drive 20 min in the morning and 30-1 hour to get home.
It's NOT worth the extra money! you lose so much personal time ..and by the time you fight through traffic you don't feel like a lot of fun!
I find that it's not just home location you should be choosy about....work location can make a huge difference in your quiality of life.
I just gave notice this morning that I'm leaving a job that I really love. A large part of why I'm leaving is that the commute, over an hour each way by commuter rail, was really wearing me out. My new job will take me about 20 minutes door to door via subway.
Eventhough I could read, listen to my iPod, or nap during the train ride, it's two hours of my day (everyday) that I'm not spending with my wife, with my friends, at the gym, working on interesting projects, or doing whatever it is that I really wanted to be doing.
used to walk to work when i lived in virginia...that was a good way to start the day: stop at the coffee shop, maybe read the washington post, and walk 5 minutes to work.
now i drive 10 minutes around santa monica, not as cool, but at least it's not an hour.
whatever happened to people living where they work? or at least near it? it seems like such a good idea.
Commute times for Architects..
I'm thinking about commuting from Pasadena to Santa Monica. Its seems like the commute would be a minimum of 1.5 hrs each way on a good day if not 2 hrs to 2.5 hours on a bad one. When is a commute worth it for us architects. I'm looking at a 15% raise in salary.
i live and work on the thames river (London, UK) bank, on opposite sides. luckily there's a bridge. Commute time 3mins. save the office loads of $$$ on night time taxi fare.
my commute is 8 minutes in traffic. 3 if there isn't traffic and I know how to time the stoplights so I don't even have to stop. So for me Pasadena to Santa Monica would be sooo annoying. The longest part of my commute is from the parking garage to my desk. Ahh the midwest...
jas - so what is your commute now? I have an architect friend in LA and she lives in Burbank, not sure where she works as it's always changing, but she has complained many times of three hour commutes each way. scary. i would be wary.
3-5 hours in a car a day? 150-250 hours a year. on a 40 hour week, that an increase of 38-63% in your time to having a job. if you look at it that way, you just got a pay reduction. i wouldn't do it. i could think of a lot better ways to spend my time.
jas - you do not want to make that commute... unless you love driving and books on tape. I have a friend who commutes from Mt. Washington to Santa Monica right now and she hates it, her quality of life sucks, she gets home at 8pm or later every day. I have another friend who has been commuting from Silverlake to Santa Monica for a few months and they just put their house on the market so they can move closer to the westside.lots of firms are hiring now in LA, I would think you should be able to find something closer, or consider a move to mid-LA...
The opportunity at this firm is really good (i'm being headhunted) but i'm discovering that there are a lot of other opps. I actually work in Pasadena and live in Pasadena so my commute the last two years has been 5-10 min. depending on all the freakin' mixed-use constructions happening in Pasadena right now...so this would be a huge culture shock for me...plus my wife and I are planning to start a family soon...but its seemed like the 10K increase in salary was looking good but the commute is a downer.
I might just stand pat and look for downtown..considering i live a block from the Gold Line.
dood, if you are considering starting a fam, the best thing you can do is not take that job. you owe it to yourself, your wife, and new daughter/son to make better use of that time by spending it with them. don't miss your child growing up.
^ yes
How bout you ask for more money and move to Santa Monica?
I meant 'yes' to e
don't do it man. I did Long Beach to downtown for two years, and it seriously depressed me. Just say no.
You don't want to make that commute. I just left my job at a small firm because the commute was killing me--and it was only 1 hour 10 minutes each way. Seriously, that's too long sitting in the car, your body will hate you, and you'll have no time left for anything after work.
i drive 45 minutes each way to work and it is the best part of my day.
Have to agree with the not doing it.
I'm going from Downtown to Venice every day, in the time I've been doing this commute my waist size has grown 3 inches and my soul is slowly dying.....
My commute....5-7 minutes...I am so glad I moved closer to our office!
I agree with the above, don't do it if you are going to start a family. 10k does not balance very well against a loss of 3 hours a day....do the math...720+ hours/ 30 days a year x let's say a 30 year career = 2-1/2 years of your life flushed down the toilet!
Their are lot's of Pasadena firms, keep looking. I know at least in the OC Register there is a full column of postitions available nearly every week.
my commute is 15 mins each way, can get to 20..but never more than that...
yes pasadena to santa monica everyday must suck....id suggest move to the westside??? if you worry about the cost of renting etc, pasadena is not the cheapeast place to rent / buy too...
My 1/2 mile "commute" takes about 5 minutes by car, a few minutes more by foot.
Save some and move to Santa Monica later with the family.
I take 10 minutes bus rides to work.
If you enjoy the office you're currently working at, why not re-negotiate your salary at your current job?
my commute take about 15 seconds. i just need to walk downstairs.
i live in South of LA at Torrance and work in Santa Monica.....18 miles apart! It takes me 40-45 mins time driving to work usually ...
But sometimes when the Traffic is mess up, (I-405 Parking !@#%$#%) I might then get stuck on the Freeway 405 for 1 hour 15 mins.....
So my Total Time spend per day on commute: 80 - 120 mins
Then I learned to stay around my office after work, till 9-10pm or even later time... (staying in the office, working on my "personal" stuff or going to workout at YMCA) and wait till the traffic smoothing out.
When there's no traffic... It takes only 15-20 mins to get back home!! 50% less !!
Echoeching everyones sentiment, don't do it. "e" is right in painting you a more complete picture of what this will do to your time on the job. I am making a 90 minute commute each way on a good day. I hate it and it will be one of the reasons I'm quitting as soon as I get together some good $$$ while getting my IDP over with. I guarantee you I'll never commute endless hours to and from work ever again. It's enough to make you hate your job no matter how interesting the work may be.
Why do firms locate themselves where they do?
I voiced my displeasure on commuting to my boss to see what the rationale was to place our offices in the burbs far from where I live. I assumed the reasoning centered on monetary choices. But I was told that the thinking was that by having the offices in the burbs we would lure workers who also lived in the burbs not only because they would be close to work. But based on the belief that people living in the burbs were less likely to flake out on you a year or two into the job and ditch you in pursuit of advancing their position elsewhere. Unfortunately this strategy did not pan out. The majority of the 500 employees here at corporate headquarters do live in the city and commute like I do. Needless to say, turnover rates have been sky-high.
I was doing a long haul commute from Hollywood to Irvine.
I did it for about 3-4 weeks and it sucked every day, I left at 5 in the morning and worked from 7-4, didn't get get home until 7:30-8.
I hated that fucking commute so much I quit the job and was much happier after that.
Unless you love living in your car it is not worth it....
i used to commute from d.c. to baltimore. at least an hour each way. hated it too. i was picked up by a colleague who lived in alexandria. don't understand how my friend did the even longer ride.
when i was walking to work today i was thinking about how some people at my office have to leave their houses an hour before i even get up. and i thought that would suck.
even in idaho!
i like living in my car, but the 1-1.5 hour drive is still not worth it
I have 2 jobs. One is very close to home (walking distance), the other is a 2-hour commute each way, twice per week. This can be done by car or train but takes about the same amount of time either way. On the train I notice a lot of regulars doing the same trip. I get a lot done - for both jobs - on the train, and I can sleep or read if I feel like it. I don't like driving much - it just feels like wasted time because there's nothing I can work on while driving. I don't even like doing this once or twice a week - so I wouldn't advise a daily commute.
move to culver city...it's cheaper there than sm and still convenient...or try to look in the ucla apartment area...def can negotiate cheaper rents there...and find a small jewel here and there...
i used to commute from glendale to downtown la...it was like a 15-20min max...and like vado...it was the best part of my day...
now i live in the bay area and take BART to and from work...bout a 45 min commute...but public transportation lets u sleep/read/do other stuff the whole way!!
i miss getting to read in the bus
when i used to ride the el to work in chitown, i would always have a novel with me to let everyone know how intelligent i was. stendahl or flaubert, oh that guy must be so smart and intense they would say to themselves under their breaths as she returned to harry potter or he to tom clancy. what a dope i am.
my commute is 30 minutes max, 15 if there is no traffic. i wouldn't want to drive much further...
mine is 45 to 60 mins each way, from downtown to santa monica, but i take wilshire and olympic instead of 10
planning to move to westside soon, the traffic is killing me..
West LA / Westwood -> Santa Monica
4 miles, 15 min drive surface streets no traffic, 1hr 15 min in worst possible rain storm traffic, 6 minutes at 3 am, and around 20-30 min by bicycle
see. what you need is a jetpack.
Santa Monica Airport landing pattern interferes with that. It's hell to line up in the holding pattern at rush hour.
3-5 minutes...mostly because I'm looking out the window at the sea
no commute is worth the money!
I used to walk or bike to work 3-5 min. each way.
now I drive 20 min in the morning and 30-1 hour to get home.
It's NOT worth the extra money! you lose so much personal time ..and by the time you fight through traffic you don't feel like a lot of fun!
I find that it's not just home location you should be choosy about....work location can make a huge difference in your quiality of life.
I just gave notice this morning that I'm leaving a job that I really love. A large part of why I'm leaving is that the commute, over an hour each way by commuter rail, was really wearing me out. My new job will take me about 20 minutes door to door via subway.
Eventhough I could read, listen to my iPod, or nap during the train ride, it's two hours of my day (everyday) that I'm not spending with my wife, with my friends, at the gym, working on interesting projects, or doing whatever it is that I really wanted to be doing.
used to walk to work when i lived in virginia...that was a good way to start the day: stop at the coffee shop, maybe read the washington post, and walk 5 minutes to work.
now i drive 10 minutes around santa monica, not as cool, but at least it's not an hour.
whatever happened to people living where they work? or at least near it? it seems like such a good idea.
54 degrees sunroof open tunes pumpin the kinda commute i like except regular unleaded 2.21 a gallon wtf?
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