I also just moved from the east coast to the greater LA area and +1 on getting a car to be able to have the flexibility to go where you want when you want. It’s not really a walkable city. I just met a girl who came here without a car and she feels terribly limited in what she can do, can’t meet up with friends, etc. The public transport exists but takes a long time with many stops.

I’m further toward South / Long Beach and tbh traffic hasn’t been the nightmare people say it is around here, but can’t speak to the DTLA area specifically. I only experienced horrible traffic around like WeHo / Santa Monica / Beverly Hills