I grew up in LA...in the Valley, as a matter of fact.
-- Should I bring a car? Right now mine is dead. I don't want to buy a new one, and my friend said I could ride there with him. I'm thinking that, because it's a big city, I could find a job within walking (or bus-ride) distance. If I can avoid owning a car all togeather, that would be a tremendous money-saver.
You will definitely need a car- preferably one with good gas mileage, an automatic tranny (LA traffic will kill your clutch in nothing flat) and AC since you're in a desert. Public transit in LA is slowly getting better but it's maddening if you're used to being able to actually get places via bus/train in a timely fashion.
-- How hard is it to get a job? A tech job or minimum-wage, it doesn't really matter, but you can probably guess which one I'd prefer. I also plan on taking college courses (possibly online), will that help?
Jobs are tough to come by all over CA right now (I'm in the Bay Area), so I'd start looking at Craigslist now and try to get in where you fit in. As far as schools, there's a ton of them to choose from. Will it help you get a job? No clue.
-- Any areas I should avoid? I think we'll be moving in the San Fernando Valley region, pretty close to Universal City. Is that a bad or a good place to live? Also... Are there any gang-related colors I should avoid wearing? Am I being too paranoid? 
Common sense applies. If you look like you don't belong where you're at and/or act shook about it, then there's the chance someone MIGHT say something. If you dress like a hood around hoods, they'll probably say something. As far as getting jacked in broad daylight, it's pretty unlikely unless you hang out in bad parts of town. Universal City is not too bad, but the Valley in general kind of sucks. Disclaimer- I'm biased since I lived there for most of my childhood. The Valley is hot, flat, smoggy, and very prefab looking. There's not a lot of character to speak of, but it's cheap and there's some good Mexican restaurants there.
Unless you're Mexican or black I wouldn't worry about the color thing. Just avoid wearing red or blue bandannas in sketchy areas.
-- And on a lighter note: What are some fun things to do while I'm there? Besides gawk at the celebrities and the shiny lights, that is.
Let's see...anywhere in Hollywood, the Getty Museum, Venice Beach for people watching and Malibu for the beach, Griffith Park for the zoo, observatory and scenery, the Angeles National Forest for hiking, Olvera Street, Chinatown, the La Brea tar pits, Beverly Hills and Westwood are all good starting points. LA is HUGE, and there's a whole lot of nothing out there (tract houses and strip malls) in between the good stuff. The best thing to do is make friends or get a native to tote you around.
Thanks! 
No sweat.
