Guess who is coming to La La Land?

[66andBlue]

...
I'll be moving to LA sometime in the coming year as I just took a job there. If I find a house with a garage, I'll be taking my 280 SL with me so there'll be even more Pagodas in California ...

Hello Cees,
it will tough to find a house with garage, we are all still living in caves here!! 
Do you have an ETA? We'll have to plan a red carpet roll out.
Welcome to La La Land! 

[Cees Klumper]

Hi Alfred,

Thanks for the welcoming words. The problem I have found is that, at least closer to where my work will be (Santa Monica, 12400 Wilshire) house rents are through the roof, and even then oftentimes the garages have been converted into more valuable bedrooms.

Today the plans changed from house to boat: we're looking into buying one 40-50 ft) and living on it in Marina Del Rey, as our long-term retirement plan is to do so in Key West anyway. So unless I can find a separate garage to rent someplace (this is very common in Europe, but perhaps not so in La La Land) the Pagoda may have to stay behind in Europe.

The ETA depends on how long the United States work visa will take, I understand as much as a year; until then I will be based in Split, Croatia, but will be coming to LA headquarters from time to time so can drop in on local events and critique the Pagodas in attendance ... Looking forward to a 'stammtisch' soon!

[stickandrudderman]

I go to Split a couple of times per year as I have a holiday home on the island of Solta. Next time I'm there I'll give you a shout. It's a wonderful city.

[JamesL]

Cees, Make sure you get there before the Mexicans have paid for that wall!

[Cees Klumper]

@ Stick - sounds good, do give me a shout

@ JamesL - I don't follow the elections but I did catch the Mexican (President?) using profanity when asked in an interview how he intended to pay for that wall ...

[suzy]

Cees, love to meet you so also let me know when you arrive.  i live in LA proper but work in Santa Monica.  My husband kayaks in Marina del Rey so we are quite familiar with that area.

[mdsalemi]

...house rents are through the roof, and even then oftentimes the garages have been converted into more valuable bedrooms...

Congratulations on your new position...I think! Now tell me, honestly--rents in Santa Monica can't possibly be any higher than Geneva, where you once lived, right?

[scoot]

I know someone who owned a condo in West Los Angeles - a building full of little old ladies with 2 parking spots and one or no car.  He had lots of cars stored there for $50 to $75 per month.

[Cees Klumper]

@ Suzy: thanks, will do!

@ Michael: well, it does seem rents are higher than in Geneva for comparable places, at least from what I have seen. Hard to believe indeed, as Geneva is known for its very high real estate values. But we're hopeful we can find a liveaboard slip and will be looking around for a nice trawler to put there.

@ Scoot: would it be safe to park a Pagoda in an apartment complex garage you think?

[scoot]

@ Scoot: would it be safe to park a Pagoda in an apartment complex garage you think?

I wouldn't want to give you bad information.  _I_ would park it covered in a parking garage, but I would also have it insured to a value that was fair.  I've heard all of the horror stories about Pagodas being stolen.  If you can't have a car and drive it sometimes then what is the point of owning it.  I just took a look on Craigslist and I see spots from $40 to $160 per month.  I can ask the person who had the condo if he still has contact with those people.  He had some highly collectible cars...

[mdsalemi]

But we're hopeful we can find a liveaboard slip and will be looking around for a nice trawler to put there.

My old business partner lived on his sailboat back in the 80s in SoCal, after having it in Richmond (SF/East Bay) for some years before that. Live-aboards were rare and mostly not really legal but that was then and you'd have to specifically ask each Marina...he only kept it in Marina Del Ray for a short time before moving it to Oceanside. Oceanside didn't have the LA nor San Diego slip rents, at least back then.

A frequent task for him was going from boat to boat and tying up the shackles and pulleys on the halyards which made an awful lot of noise--no, a veritable racket--clanking against the usual aluminum masts--so much so that he often couldn't sleep. I'm sure the owners didn't care for that but they weren't there...