Any artsy, liberal place I could live that's CHEAP? (Sacramento: apartment complexes, for rent)

[Hubcap_halo]

Hello all,

I grew up in Minneapolis, and now live in NYC. But I cannot afford it. I need to find another very liberal, funky place in the states that is tolerant, where I can find a woman who likes a sensitive guy, and where I can rent a studio or 1br for less than $800 a month. Or to make it even harder, where I can live without a car. Maybe a motorcycle.

Big bonus if there are some ad agencies or marketing firms nearby as I'm an ad writer. Though I'd like to make a career change into the healing arts.

Does this even exist in California? My sister who has lived there says no. One friend recommended Sacramento, but my sister said it was very conservative and I would hate it.

I even found Minneapolis conservative.

I don't know how I'm going to survive outside of NYC or SF, neither of which I can afford.

I'm considering Louisville KY which I've heard is very funky.

Please advise.

Thank you!

[humboldtrat]

Originally Posted by Hubcap_halo

Does this even exist in California? My sister who has lived there says no.

Your sister is right. And paying less than $800 for an apartment won't get you much. Try double that for anything decent.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Dude, Boulder Co. Nuff said.

Check it out.

[NYSD1995]

You won't find what you are looking for in California. There is nothing cheap here.

Boulder CO is great, but as expensive as CA.

Ann Arbor MI?
Yellow Springs OH?
Ithaca, NY?

[Freelancer]

If I were you, I would try looking around where notable universities are (mainly the UCs or the CSUs). Cities containing such schools tend to be more liberal, but you are going to get wakos on both sides no matter where you go. Also since there would be a large population of students, you might be able to find relatively cheaper housing (keyword relatively), but also be realistic about it. For instance, areas around UCLA or UCSD is definitely going to cost more than...say...UC Merced or UC Davis. It would probably be easier to get around without a car as lots of businesses would cater to college students, but you really need to actually take a look for yourself to decide what is acceptable. What is acceptable walking distance for me, might not be for you...or look at a map at the very least.

I think you shouldn't dismiss Sacramento so quickly. People there may be a bit on the conservative side in CA, but I don't think you'd actually hate it there. People in CA typically are very tolerant so I really don't think it'll be an issue in my opinion. Davis is actually located about 20 minutes to the west by car. You'd have no problems getting around without a vehicle there as long as you've a bike. There is a huge bike culture there. I actually graduated this June from UC Davis so I know too well what it's like there. You should be able to find studios (or "no bedroom apartments" as us students would call them) for around 800 dollars/month, but the last time I was looking for an apartment in Davis was 2.5 years ago so prices may have changed. There are some surrounding cities like Vacaville and Dixon which might also fit what you are looking for, but I can't really say for sure.

If "funky" is also really a necessity you can try looking around Berzerkely...I mean Berkeley . Definitely liberal also haha. They are about 1.5 hours to the west of Davis by car, pretty close to the coast. I can't speak for the housing prices though.

[DawnW]

Asheville, NC would fit the bill.

Dawn

[ElleBebe]

Originally Posted by Freelancer

For instance, areas around UCLA or UCSD is definitely going to cost more than...say...UC Merced or UC Davis.

Davis is probably cheaper than that section of LA, but it should not be considered cheap by any means; I think the student-friendly apartment complexes charge more just because they think your parents are going to pay for it and are willing to pay more. It's getting hard to find a 1bdr under $1000, and 2bdrs are usually $1300 and up. Again, much cheaper than certain parts of LA, but compared to other parts of the country, not as affordable.

[ConsideringLA]

There are some places in So Cal that have artsy districts, but they aren't as well known. One example is North Hollywood (link to the A.D. website), which is relatively affordable by local standards. You might look for rooms/apts for rent in Topanga, which is very bohemian, Venice (more pricey but plenty of multi-tenant housing), and potentially Pasadena, which again has lots of multi-tenant housing. The more common artsy areas in Cal (Laguna, WeHo, SanFran, Santa Cruz) are all extremely pricey.

[bigdave01]

I think Arcata or Eureka would be a great fit for you, as long as you are ok with a smaller town. Arcata is a college town on the north coast, that is very liberal and artsy. It has a great downtown, but keep in mind it is a small town.

If you are definitely looking for a big city midtown Sacramento could be possibility. But I think you are looking in the wrong state. If you want a cheaper more liberal city go with Portland or Seattle.

[orangeapple]

Originally Posted by Hubcap_halo

where I can rent a studio or 1br for less than $800 a month.

In California?! hahahaha!
I live in a boring suburb and I pay over $800 and it's a DEAL!!!