The Good Life in Los Angeles

A very cute story that one of the customers wrote about us 🙂

I must confess, I am one of “those people.” A native New Yorker who moved out to LA for the weather the beach and the lifestyle and I must say, I am loving it. I could say I don’t remember the last time it rained but in fact, I do- it’s so rare that it stood out and even bummed me out a little bit. I’ve only been here for a couple of years, but I guess I am becoming a local, because it wasn’t that long ago that if a snow storm (or even, yes, a blizzard) didn’t block my car in for a couple days, I took it as a win. Ah yes, Los Angeles hasn’t disappointed. 

My Car & Me

One of the most noticeable improvements in my lifestyle out here in LA is in the important relationship between my car and me. You see, in New York I was the only one among my friends who even had a car. After all,  with all the hassle, who would want one? But I worked in production and I often had to transport heavy equipment to and from shoots, so I had no choice. For those who have driven in Manhattan, you will recall that the parking rules are totally unintelligible. I think New York City is the origin of the phrase “parking is a nightmare.” Of course, you could park in a garage—if you are willing to sacrifice something precious to the parking gods. And if you have to park every day, well, get ready to either add an hour to your commute just encircling your block until a spot frees up, or, as I did eventually, bite the bullet and rent a spot. I paid more for mine (upward of $1,000) than friends in some other cities paid for their own rent. So yes, it was, a nightmare. 

Car Life in LA

Now I know what the Los Angelenos will say—you think driving in LA is FUN?!? Listen, I sit in the traffic every day too, and I feel your pain. But one thing that I think we can all agree on is the huge relief in coming home to park in your very own garage. I mean, what a dream, I used to salivate at the thought. No more driving loops in the neighborhood. No more parallel parking and “kissing” the car in front and behind you, at least one of which is a Mercedes. Yikes. Yes, driving home is still a struggle, but the bliss of arriving to your door and putting your car in its own little house? A dream come true. 

My Garage & Me

Now as a New Yorker, “garage” for me always involved a sort of private club with a membership. Almost like a golf club. You pay the immense fee and you sort of get to know the guys you see nearly every day, at least enough for a quick greeting on your way in and out. And they get to know you too, getting a sense of your routine and asking something like “same time tomorrow?” Until the question becomes irrelevant because they already know the answer. They may make a joke here or there. New Yorkers know the drill. 

As such, I didn’t know the first thing about having MY OWN garage. I mean, where do I begin? I figured a good place to start was making sure the door opens and closes. As it turned out, that wasn’t a bad idea.

BR Garage Doors & Gates

I remember the first time I clicked the button and…nothing. Must be a fluke. Clicked again…nope. This time I pointed with intention and clicked the button extra hard as if that would help. Shockingly, no. I remember first being upset that I was stuck outside, and then realizing that I guessed that was better than getting stuck inside. One thing was sure, I needed professional help. I asked a friend and got the name of BR. I called, and it’s a good thing I did. I was able to get through to them right away, and they actually sent a technician to assess the problem on the spot. He managed to get the door open, and it turned out there were some structural issues with my garage door, as can happen with older equipment. In the short term, they gave me the kind of patchwork immediate solution I needed just to function. Ultimately, I ended up deciding that as an official LA guy my car was worth investing in, and I upgraded to a new door. In both cases BR was a perfect partner, treating me kindly, charging me fairly, and doing top quality work. Now my car, my garage and I make the perfect team for my sunny life here in LA. I think we all know there is no going back to New York. I threw on a jacket the other day when it was 70 degrees out.