I’m getting nervous about my move from Tinsel Town to the Big Apple, so it’s a good thing I ran into DJ Qualls (Road Trip and The New Guy), who gave me some important tips about surviving in New York.
Laura: I’m moving to New York in August.
DJ Qualls: You’ve been of course many times?
Nope.
You’ve never been to New York!
I’ve only been there once and it was in high school so I don’t even think that counts.
It’s such a different city. It’s such a different vibe. I personally couldn’t live there, because it’s a city you have to be on all the time. Like if you get sick, the city piles on top of you. You have to have resolve. You have to be strong and in L.A. you really don’t have to that much strength. You have to have a stylist and an agent in Los Angeles. They do everything for you.
I know, right? I’ll have to do it all on my own.
Yes, it’s much more difficult. And also just daily things like getting groceries. Like here you load up your car and you go to Ralph’s.
Yeah, so what do I do?
You drag a cart down the street.
No!
Yeah.
What if I don’t want people seeing all the groceries I bought? Like what if one day I want to buy some junk food? I don’t want people thinking that’s all I eat.
I’m super paranoid to buy toilet paper, deodorant and underwear.
Yes! Oh my god, me too. I’ll put the food on top.
I hate buying it. I get it online.
That’s so smart. They deliver it to your door?
Yup. I buy all the things that I’m embarrassed to buy online.
This is genius. Do you have any more tips? How else will I survive in the city?
Well it’s really hard to make friends but I have two great friends who are New Yorkers. It’s just a different mentality. You have to put yourself out there. L.A.’s very cat like. You stand at a party and you pose and you expect people to come over and talk to you. You really just have to make the effort and put yourself out there.
Be proactive.
Yes, and plus we’re all human no madder where you’re from and if you have a good heart people are going to see that and they’re going to gravitate toward you. You’ll do fine.
I’m glad we had this talk.
Laura: I’m moving to New York in August.
DJ Qualls: You’ve been of course many times?
Nope.
You’ve never been to New York!
I’ve only been there once and it was in high school so I don’t even think that counts.
It’s such a different city. It’s such a different vibe. I personally couldn’t live there, because it’s a city you have to be on all the time. Like if you get sick, the city piles on top of you. You have to have resolve. You have to be strong and in L.A. you really don’t have to that much strength. You have to have a stylist and an agent in Los Angeles. They do everything for you.
I know, right? I’ll have to do it all on my own.
Yes, it’s much more difficult. And also just daily things like getting groceries. Like here you load up your car and you go to Ralph’s.
Yeah, so what do I do?
You drag a cart down the street.
No!
Yeah.
What if I don’t want people seeing all the groceries I bought? Like what if one day I want to buy some junk food? I don’t want people thinking that’s all I eat.
I’m super paranoid to buy toilet paper, deodorant and underwear.
Yes! Oh my god, me too. I’ll put the food on top.
I hate buying it. I get it online.
That’s so smart. They deliver it to your door?
Yup. I buy all the things that I’m embarrassed to buy online.
This is genius. Do you have any more tips? How else will I survive in the city?
Well it’s really hard to make friends but I have two great friends who are New Yorkers. It’s just a different mentality. You have to put yourself out there. L.A.’s very cat like. You stand at a party and you pose and you expect people to come over and talk to you. You really just have to make the effort and put yourself out there.
Be proactive.
Yes, and plus we’re all human no madder where you’re from and if you have a good heart people are going to see that and they’re going to gravitate toward you. You’ll do fine.
I’m glad we had this talk.
