Jay-Z is to New York like… Oprah is to Chicago. You know? Some people are synonymous with their cities. Jay could travel the world, he could live for years in the middle of nowhere and he would still be a New Yorker, he would still rap about Brooklyn and New York would still be in his blood. I always thought he was probably pretty happy calling Manhattan his homebase, but as it turns out, Jay-Z and Beyonce have already relocated to the West Coast. For months now, TMZ has been tracking Bey and Jay’s attempts to purchase major real estate in LA, and now TMZ says that they’re already living out of a hotel in LA and have been for a month or so. And they already enrolled Blue Ivy in pre-school!

Beyonce and Jay Z are moving to L.A. and they’ve already enrolled Blue Ivy in school … TMZ has learned. We’ve learned … Beyonce and Jay Z are currently living in a hotel in Beverly Hills and actively looking for an estate to buy on the westside of L.A., which includes Beverly Hills, Holmby Hills and Bel-Air. We’re told they have already discreetly looked at a number of homes, but so far none fit the bill.

We’ve also learned the famous couple enrolled their 3-year-old into a toddler program at an elite private school — we know which one but we’re not naming it. But we will tell you, the tuition is $15,080 a year. We’re told Blue Ivy was admitted halfway through the school year, which is unusual. The school generally only accepts students at the beginning of the school year.

As for why they’re moving, sources connected with the couple tell us they want “a change in lifestyle.” You’ll re recall, Bey and Jay spent the summer in a $200K a month rental near Bev Hills. We do not know but assume they will keep their New York digs.

[From TMZ]

This is just… weird. Right? I mean, Beyonce and Jay-Z are the Queen and King of New York. Blue Ivy is a New York baby! Is this all part of the sketchiness that went down between Bey and Jay last year? Is this part of the deal? Like, we’ll stay together and try for another baby but only if we move to a city so I don’t have to keep running into all of your New York side-pieces?

According to Us Weekly, it wasn’t about the side-pieces though. Their sources say Gwyneth Paltrow “heavily influenced” the move. A source says:

“Beyonce and Jay Z are making L.A. their permanent home based a lot on the advice of their friends. The friend that really influenced them to move was Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwyneth was telling Jay and Bey about the quality of life for her kids in L.A. and really swayed Beyonce and Jay to make the move. It’s all for Blue Ivy.”

[From Us Weekly]

The source also says that Bey and Jay will keep their New York property (properties, I believe) but LA will become their homebase. I can sort of understand moving to LA for a change of pace, and being able to move around with more freedom. What I don’t understand is moving to LA because Goop suggested it. I know Gwyneth likes to name-drop her friendship with Beyonce, but I really doubt that they’re close enough for Beyonce to uproot her family to be closer to Goop, you know?

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.