Moving to L.A. area later this year - Good neighborhoods/towns to live in?

[pure_mercury]

I can't wait to be a homeowner. I am only 25, and I am already sick of renting.

 

[skip]

You're going to need a lot more than $600/mo to buy a home in southern California...

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

For $600 a month? Is this a joke?

No. My brother rents for 900 in Brentwood. My former apt in Pico/Robertson was 850. Renting a house with more people will further drive down the price, too.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

Some advice from someone that moved here 11 years ago from the Philly area, like you...

- If you come here, you have to abandon all dreams of home ownership. Seriously. Unless you wind up getting REALLY lucky, it just won't happen. A one-bedroom condo in a decent area goes for about $400,000.

- You can get a decent two bedroom apartment for $1200-$1300 in the valley. Just for comparison, my completely nondescript one-bedroom place in Sherman Oaks is $1050. At your budget, I would look exclusively in the valley. North Hollywood, Van Nuys, maybe the fringes of Studio City or Sherman Oaks. Glendale is a decent place to look too, but it's a little more removed. Maybe when you're on your feet after a year or two and have a better feel for the city, you can look elsewhere.

- When you first get here, I'd look for "room to let" ads, because without a roommate, you won't be able to find an apartment for $600 a month.

- Despite Wolf's warnings, don't worry too much about overall cost of living as compared with Philly. The two things that are really expensive here are gas and rent. Even with my rent being $1000+ a month, I can get by here on $30,000 a year. Of course, I live pretty frugally. You'll have to evaluate your own spending habits.

Feel free to PM me with any questions, about this or about the industry.

 

[pure_mercury]

Some advice from someone that moved here 11 years ago from the Philly area, like you...

- If you come here, you have to abandon all dreams of home ownership. Seriously. Unless you wind up getting REALLY lucky, it just won't happen. A one-bedroom condo in a decent area goes for about $400,000.

- You can get a decent two bedroom apartment for $1200-$1300 in the valley. Just for comparison, my completely nondescript one-bedroom place in Sherman Oaks is $1050. At your budget, I would look exclusively in the valley. North Hollywood, Van Nuys, maybe the fringes of Studio City or Sherman Oaks. Glendale is a decent place to look too, but it's a little more removed. Maybe when you're on your feet after a year or two and have a better feel for the city, you can look elsewhere.

- When you first get here, I'd look for "room to let" ads, because without a roommate, you won't be able to find an apartment for $600 a month.

- Despite Wolf's warnings, don't worry too much about overall cost of living as compared with Philly. The two things that are really expensive here are gas and rent. Even with my rent being $1000+ a month, I can get by here on $30,000 a year. Of course, I live pretty frugally. You'll have to evaluate your own spending habits.

Feel free to PM me with any questions, about this or about the industry.

I don't plan on owning property until well into my 30s, but I like the idea. And I don't plan on making $400-500 a week for long.

 

[CzeCze]

I wanna jump in here! Pure_Moods (chuckle) check out

California Forum - Relocation, Moving, Local City Discussions - City-Data Forum

It's a moving forum for the metro spots in CA, including LA. Good stuff there!

A former roommate and friend of mine is an LA native (grew up on Miracle Mile, family recently moved to the border of Inglewood) and she recommended neighborhoods to me.

It sounds like Silverlake, Los Feliz, Echo Park or West Hollywood are my first choices? She described Los Feliz as 'wealthy hipsters' and Silverlake as 'not as wealthy hipsters' --and white lesbians! Score! Hahahha. She described Westside as yuppies...but I don't know if she meant the entire west side of LA or just West Hollywood?

She did describe West Hollywood as the equivalent of Dupont in DC and I can see living there. I get the feeling West and East or North (?) Hollywood is kind like the difference between the West and East Village in NYC. The West Village has really been 'developed' and is more yuppified (but still fun) while the East Village remains grittier...though who knows maybe it's just as commercialized now.

I also noticed that K-town (in LA) has lower rents and she thought it might be a good fit?

Honestly, I'm sure I could find some sketchy SRO deal. I stayed with a couple in NYC's Korea town (which is literally just 1 block in Manhattan) and it was like an SRO (single room only) deal with tiny rooms the size of a walk in closet (literally large enough for just 1 single bed and clothes rack), a hot plate, a shared bathroom in the hallway for 6 apartments, and paper thin walls. 7 years ago, it was $600 a month to rent that place.
And yeah, when I stayed there (they were really nice) I slept on the bed 1 night and there was literally only enough room in the place for both of them to sleep on the ground between the bed and the wall.

Also, as a CA native, and specifically a NorCal native, I'm totally used to traffic and suburban sprawl. I already know I will be in my car a lot in LA and that's actually why I would prefer NYC. I like the idea of freedom of movement and just being able to run around everywhere on a few dollars a day. I'm not really sure I can hang with a continuation of car commuter culture albeit with a SoCal twist.

I've also looked into living at the beach, the commute to many of the studios is apparently pretty bad but who knows where I'd work and living at the beach sounds good to me!

I think I mentioned this elsewhere, but I would totally move to Tampa/Clearwater FL if there was a reason and go to the beach often.

 

[CzeCze]

Oh yeah, I meant to solicit sympathetic responses from folks for advice and input. I think Pure_Moods and I probably have some similar background/goals but woul get different recs for neighborhoods.

And FM -- damn, you are frugal! I made more than that when I branched off into my own places, had a car and gas paid for (company expense), and I still had to live with roommates and never had a surplus of spending money. I am not frugal.

And hey Pure_Moods, if you buy in the near future I can be your selling agent (selling agent helps the buyer, listing agent helps the seller).

 

[Wolf]

You couldn't pay my rent and utilities with 400-500 a week, let alone afford anything else, and it's cheaper to live here than in Los Angeles.

I don't know much about PA, but one positive thing in CA is that food tends to be really cheap and they don't tax it. The downside is that they charge a fee on every bottle of stuff you buy (CRV). However, you almost invariably come out way ahead on food in comparison to inland areas, especially fresh foods.

When I started looking for a new place to live around here, one of my many targets was to live somewhere walkable (everything I generally need is within 3-4 blocks) with good access to public transit (which takes you basically anywhere you really want to go) that is reasonably close to work and will decrease my total weekly driving time. The problem is that good places like that are expensive, and I couldn't really justify paying more than I am now for a place in downtown, which would require a much larger amount of driving, even if the time per mile is lower...

Basically, most places here suck because much of the suburbs surrounding the cities in CA that were built out after the automobile (not San Francisco, which has the worst traffic because it predates the automobile) are designed almost exclusively around the automobile, with low densities and long distances between housing, businesses, and workplaces.

 

[pure_mercury]

You couldn't pay my rent and utilities with 400-500 a week, let alone afford anything else, and it's cheaper to live here than in Los Angeles.

I don't know much about PA, but one positive thing in CA is that food tends to be really cheap and they don't tax it. The downside is that they charge a fee on every bottle of stuff you buy (CRV). However, you almost invariably come out way ahead on food in comparison to inland areas, especially fresh foods.

When I started looking for a new place to live around here, one of my many targets was to live somewhere walkable (everything I generally need is within 3-4 blocks) with good access to public transit (which takes you basically anywhere you really want to go) that is reasonable close to work and will decrease my total weekly driving time. The problem is that good places like that are expensive, and I couldn't really justify paying more than I am now for a place in downtown, which would require a much larger amount of driving, even if the time per mile is lower...

Basically, most places here suck because much of the suburbs surrounding the cities in CA that were built out after the automobile (not San Francisco, which has the worst traffic because it predates the automobile) are designed almost exclusively around the automobile, with low densities and long distances between housing, businesses, and workplaces.

Nothing food-wise except beer, soda, prepared food, etc. is taxed in PA, and our sales tax is less. The food didn't seem outrageous in L.A. Movie tickets, parking, and other things I would need regularly are similar to Center City Philadelphia. Haircuts seemed a little pricier. The gas and rent is pretty brutal, though. I wouldn't need a ton in terms of utilities, and I plan to save approximately $7,000 to take out there, and I am going to have job interviews set up before I leave. I don't want to be unemployed for more than 4-5 weeks.

 

[spartan26]

There's a lot wrong w/LA, I'll be the first admit that but I wouldn't listen to the haters. If you're surviving in LA, you're doing pretty well. Looking for a place this early would be pretty difficult because people's plans change so much out here. Things kinda open up and shift late Aug into Sept as people start school. Craigslist is great, can be a lot of work looking at places, but not so bad once you know what you're looking for. I'd also try roommates.com. I don't know how you are w/roommates but mine were good experiences.

Another place to find listings is Westside Rentals. It's $60 for the membership. Years ago, I used various school's housing boards, actually visiting the schools. Now they are prolly done online.

Careerwise networking is important but following up is prolly even more so. Attitude can do so much for you. I know a lot of people who got biter, mainly out of a sense of entitlement. Cherish even the small ops you get. Not only will people remember this when they're looking to hire but you'll also enjoy life more in general.

I'd be glad to go into specifics if you want to PM.

Break a leg!

 

[pure_mercury]

OK, a more important question: what are some good places to drink? And don't say "Saddle Ranch, The Standard, etc." I've done the Strip, and it's OK for what it is (some decent restaurants, and lots of places to catch concerts). What are some great corner bars, beer bars, maybe even a (gasp) cigar bar in L.A.? I already know about The Shack, which I imagine is where I will catch Eagles games on Sundays, if I am not more than like an hour away from Santa Monica.

 

[ThatsWhatHeSaid]

What kinda places do you like to drink at, and where exactly are you?

I like to hang out at Rene's in Santa Monica occasionally. It's semi-outdoors, the dress is casual but semi-artsy, but not so artsy that you feel like you're being judged in a pair of jeans, the alcohol is well-priced, and the music is rock/indie. It's dead on weekedays (except Tuesday which is 2 for 1) but pretty happening on Friday and Saturday. Sunday is live music.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

Good luck at the Shack. That place is harder to get into than Fort Knox during an Eagles game. I tried going when I moved here and discovered that most tables are reserved for regulars. I managed to get in twice, but I was tired of the hit/miss ratio so I moved on.

Some bars I like are:

Hollywood -
The Well (great jukebox, strong drinks, looks scene-y but doesn't feel it)
The Frolic Room (dive that's had the same bartenders for 40 years...one of those places where you'll see guys in suits, college kids and used up alkies all at the same time)
Cat And Fiddle (great English pub with an awesome patio...also the occasional Ron Wood sighting)
The Rainbow (closest thing to a normal bar on the Sunset Strip...cool and funky, and lots of history if you like rock)

The Valley -
Firefly (cool Studio City bar that's like some rich guy's leather and dark wood covered private library)
Cozy's (totally pedestrian for the most part, but live blues every night and I can walk to it)

West LA -
The Daily Pint (best selection of English beers and Scotch I've seen in the US...too bad I don't drink Scotch)
Molly Malone's ("Irish" bar where it's all about Guinness on tap and local bands)
Cinema Bar (Culver City dive with good bands, cheap beer and a decent patio)

 

[spartan26]

Yankee Doodles on the 3rd St Promenade in Santa Monica is some place I'm sure would show Eagles games. It's big and has tons of TV's. Q's on Wilshire in Westwood has pool tables and lots of screens. A small place in Culver City that has multi screens and multi dishes is Joxer Daily's. Great place to go to watch whatever otherwise obscure sporting event. Not a bad neighborhood bar. One place I love is Busby's. I actually think there's two but I go to the one in Santa Monica. Besides lots and lots of screens, they have free games. Yes, free pool! After 10 PM on Saturdays, prolly Fridays too, they do have dancing. I think there's a $5 cover, which is nothing comparitively, after 10 PM weekends. It does get super packed. I generally have a good time there.

 

[CzeCze]

Not about drinking but still on topic for LA -- I get the feeling that 'the valley' gets a bad rap. Why is that? I also live an a valley (yeah, silicon valley, har har, but it really is a valley -- I'm basically at the base of the Santa Cruz mountains) but that doesn't help. I once heard from an LA dude that the valley "is tacky". I'm not sure what eveb constitutes The Valley to be honest.

 

[EffEmDoubleyou]

^
The valley gets a bad rap because it's browner and poorer. That means "tacky" to some people. People with enough money want to move out of the valley and be nearer to the ocean. It's just fine with me. I don't have to share my neighborhood with brittle trophy bitches and their yippy little rat dogs, plus I pay hundreds of dollars a month less in rent for a nicer place

 

[skip]

Air quality is worse in the valleys.

 

[spartan26]

It's too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. It's not as soulless as Orange County, but there's draining homogenized feel in the valley. Particularly west valley. I spent about a year living out in Reseda and it might as well have been Siberia. Of course it'll be different for everyone but I'd rather not plan my whole life around "having to go over the hill," like for work or social events. It seriously becomes the green monster. I talk to co-workers and there's so much they won't attempt just out of the inconvenience of living in 818land.

Rent may be cheaper there, but I continue to hear prices that are close to that of the westside. There's a certain amount of savings of wear and tear on your car and body that comes with being in LA as opposed to the valley. The extra hour or two you can gain each day not having to fight traffic starts to become invaluable. Of course, living on the same side of the hill as your place of employment is no guarantee you'll have a short commute but not having to fight the sludge of the 405 or canyons or 101 reduces so much stress from your life.

 

[skip]

That's what I was saying earlier. In L.A. rent (or a mortgage) isn't just a display of how much money you have, it's about how much health and safety you can afford.

 

[swordpath]

It's too cold in the winter.

No offense but dude you really gotta be a wuss to make a statement like that. lol