When to Use
User asks about Los Angeles for any purpose: visiting, moving, working, studying, or pursuing entertainment/creative careers. Agent provides practical guidance with current data.
Quick Reference
| Topic |
File |
| Visitors |
|
| Attractions (must-see vs skip) |
visitor-attractions.md |
| Itineraries (1/3/7 days) |
visitor-itineraries.md |
| Where to stay |
visitor-lodging.md |
| Tips & day trips |
visitor-tips.md |
| Neighborhoods |
|
| Quick comparison |
neighborhoods-index.md |
| Westside (Santa Monica, Venice, etc.) |
neighborhoods-westside.md |
| Hollywood/Central |
neighborhoods-central.md |
| South Bay |
neighborhoods-southbay.md |
| Valley |
neighborhoods-valley.md |
| East/Northeast |
neighborhoods-east.md |
| Food |
|
| Overview & what makes LA special |
food-overview.md |
| Local specialties |
food-local.md |
| By area |
food-areas.md |
| Practical (apps, grocery, dietary) |
food-practical.md |
| Practical |
|
| Moving & settling |
resident.md |
| Transport (car culture reality) |
transport.md |
| Cost of living |
cost.md |
| Safety |
safety.md |
| Weather & microclimates |
climate.md |
| Local services |
local.md |
| Career |
|
| Tech industry (Silicon Beach) |
tech.md |
| Entertainment industry |
entertainment.md |
| Students |
student.md |
| Startups |
startup.md |
Core Rules
1. Identify User Context First
- Role: Tourist, resident, tech worker, student, creative/entertainment
- Timeline: Short visit, planning to move, already there
- Load relevant auxiliary file for details
2. Car Reality is Critical
LA is a car city. Period.
- 95% of life requires a car
- Metro is improving but limited
- Traffic: 405, 101, 10 are brutal at rush hour
- Budget $400-600/month for car costs
See
transport.md for survival guide.
3. Weather Microclimates
| Myth |
Reality |
| "Always sunny" |
Coastal = June Gloom (May-July fog) |
| "Same weather everywhere" |
Valley is 10-15°F HOTTER than coast |
| "Never rains" |
Rainy season Dec-Mar |
Best weather: September-November (warmest, clearest)
4. Current Data
| Item |
Range |
| 1BR rent |
$2,000-3,000 (varies wildly by area) |
| Senior SWE salary |
$180K-350K total comp |
| Car insurance |
$150-300/month (HIGH) |
| Tacos |
$2-4 each |
5. Tourist Traps
- Skip: Hollywood Walk of Fame (dirty, disappointing), Venice Beach boardwalk (sketchy)
- Do: Griffith Observatory (FREE, best views), Getty Center (FREE, world-class)
- Book ahead: Universal Studios, popular restaurants
6. Neighborhood Spread
LA is HUGE. Where you live = your lifestyle.
| Profile |
Best Areas |
| Young tech workers |
Santa Monica, Culver City, Playa Vista |
| Entertainment industry |
West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake |
| Families |
Pasadena, South Bay, Studio City |
| Budget-conscious |
Valley (Sherman Oaks, Burbank), Koreatown |
| Beach lifestyle |
Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Venice |
7. Safety Varies Dramatically
- Generally safe but very block-dependent
- Areas to research carefully: parts of DTLA, Hollywood at night
- Car break-ins: less than SF but still common in tourist areas
See
safety.md for specifics.
LA-Specific Traps
- "I don't need a car" — You do. Metro is improving but not enough.
- Hollywood glamour — Hollywood Blvd is grimy and disappointing.
- "Traffic isn't that bad" — It is. Plan 1.5-2x Google Maps time.
- Valley = undesirable — Actually great value, more space, family-friendly.
- Beach = best living — Coastal fog May-July. Valley is sunnier.
- Everything is close — LA is 50+ miles across. Plan your life by area.
- Universal over Disneyland — Disneyland is better but in Anaheim (1+ hr).
1---2name: los-angeles3description: Navigate Los Angeles as visitor, resident, tech worker, student, or creative with neighborhoods, transport, costs, safety, and local insights.4---5
6## When to Use
7
8User asks about Los Angeles for any purpose: visiting, moving, working, studying, or pursuing entertainment/creative careers. Agent provides practical guidance with current data.
9
10## Quick Reference
11
12| Topic | File |
13|-------|------|
14| **Visitors** | |
15| Attractions (must-see vs skip) | `visitor-attractions.md` |
16| Itineraries (1/3/7 days) | `visitor-itineraries.md` |
17| Where to stay | `visitor-lodging.md` |
18| Tips & day trips | `visitor-tips.md` |
19| **Neighborhoods** | |
20| Quick comparison | `neighborhoods-index.md` |
21| Westside (Santa Monica, Venice, etc.) | `neighborhoods-westside.md` |
22| Hollywood/Central | `neighborhoods-central.md` |
23| South Bay | `neighborhoods-southbay.md` |
24| Valley | `neighborhoods-valley.md` |
25| East/Northeast | `neighborhoods-east.md` |
26| **Food** | |
27| Overview & what makes LA special | `food-overview.md` |
28| Local specialties | `food-local.md` |
29| By area | `food-areas.md` |
30| Practical (apps, grocery, dietary) | `food-practical.md` |
31| **Practical** | |
32| Moving & settling | `resident.md` |
33| Transport (car culture reality) | `transport.md` |
34| Cost of living | `cost.md` |
35| Safety | `safety.md` |
36| Weather & microclimates | `climate.md` |
37| Local services | `local.md` |
38| **Career** | |
39| Tech industry (Silicon Beach) | `tech.md` |
40| Entertainment industry | `entertainment.md` |
41| Students | `student.md` |
42| Startups | `startup.md` |
43
44## Core Rules
45
46### 1. Identify User Context First
47- **Role**: Tourist, resident, tech worker, student, creative/entertainment
48- **Timeline**: Short visit, planning to move, already there
49- Load relevant auxiliary file for details
50
51### 2. Car Reality is Critical
52LA is a car city. Period.
53- 95% of life requires a car
54- Metro is improving but limited
55- Traffic: 405, 101, 10 are brutal at rush hour
56- Budget $400-600/month for car costs
57See `transport.md` for survival guide.
58
59### 3. Weather Microclimates
60| Myth | Reality |
61|------|---------|
62| "Always sunny" | Coastal = June Gloom (May-July fog) |
63| "Same weather everywhere" | Valley is 10-15°F HOTTER than coast |
64| "Never rains" | Rainy season Dec-Mar |
65
66**Best weather:** September-November (warmest, clearest)
67
68### 4. Current Data
69| Item | Range |
70|------|-------|
71| 1BR rent | $2,000-3,000 (varies wildly by area) |
72| Senior SWE salary | $180K-350K total comp |
73| Car insurance | $150-300/month (HIGH) |
74| Tacos | $2-4 each |
75
76### 5. Tourist Traps
77- Skip: Hollywood Walk of Fame (dirty, disappointing), Venice Beach boardwalk (sketchy)
78- Do: Griffith Observatory (FREE, best views), Getty Center (FREE, world-class)
79- Book ahead: Universal Studios, popular restaurants
80
81### 6. Neighborhood Spread
82LA is HUGE. Where you live = your lifestyle.
83
84| Profile | Best Areas |
85|---------|------------|
86| Young tech workers | Santa Monica, Culver City, Playa Vista |
87| Entertainment industry | West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake |
88| Families | Pasadena, South Bay, Studio City |
89| Budget-conscious | Valley (Sherman Oaks, Burbank), Koreatown |
90| Beach lifestyle | Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Venice |
91
92### 7. Safety Varies Dramatically
93- Generally safe but very block-dependent
94- Areas to research carefully: parts of DTLA, Hollywood at night
95- Car break-ins: less than SF but still common in tourist areas
96See `safety.md` for specifics.
97
98## LA-Specific Traps
99
100- **"I don't need a car"** — You do. Metro is improving but not enough.
101- **Hollywood glamour** — Hollywood Blvd is grimy and disappointing.
102- **"Traffic isn't that bad"** — It is. Plan 1.5-2x Google Maps time.
103- **Valley = undesirable** — Actually great value, more space, family-friendly.
104- **Beach = best living** — Coastal fog May-July. Valley is sunnier.
105- **Everything is close** — LA is 50+ miles across. Plan your life by area.
106- **Universal over Disneyland** — Disneyland is better but in Anaheim (1+ hr).
modbender