[andyfox]

L.A.'s a big place. It's hard to be specific on cost of living because it varies from area to area. I own a loft in downtown L.A., right opposite Staples Center. It's 1400 square feet or so, two bathrooms, and I get $2,500/month in rent. There are houses near where I live that lease for $30,000 a month.

General cost of living in L.A. would qualify as "high." Gas is more expensive here than most other parts of the country. You need a car, there's simply no other way to get around. A recently published survey confirmed we have the worst traffic in the country. The expensive restaurants are as expensive as anywhere, but since we're a big, spread-out place, you can always find cheap eats if you know where to look.

My advice would be to come out and find an apartment in what seems like a decent, relatively convenient area. Do it for a while and see what you like and what you don't like. Check out other areas to see if you like them better, their affordability, and make a Commerce run a few times at rush hour. There are people who consider L.A. Paradise Found and others who consider it Hell.

You know what to expect in the Commerce 20-40 and 40-80 games since you played them. The 60-120 can sometimes be easier than the 40-80, depending on the day and time or day. The 100-200 is usually tougher. For a pro (I'm not one), I would think the best thing is the game selection. Plus you're very close to The Bike.

It doeesn't seem to me that the games are getting tougher, although it perhaps might be the case from 9AM to 1PM, but that would be the worst time to play in any event.