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Old 08-18-2010, 08:13 AM
 
58 posts, read 241,773 times
Reputation: 27

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Hello,

I was wondering how bad the cost of living really is in the Long Beach or L.A. area? I will be attending graduate school at California State Long Beach as an out of state resident. This school is one of the few that has my degree program offered for the Spring semester, which is what I need. What is the cheapest price I could get for a one bedroom apartment in a safe area? Are there any cities near Long Beach which would be cheaper?

I am just looking for an idea of how much apartments cost. I looked on Craigs List and they all look really high around $900 and up for a very small studio. Is this really how much they are? I am used to a high cost living where I currently reside, but not this high! I figure I will save some money on not having to pay for heat and air, which is normally around $300/month where I am at now, but it still seems a lot to pay over $900 for a studio.

Any information would be great.
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Old 08-18-2010, 09:58 AM
 
Location: SCW, AZ
8,263 posts, read 13,350,140 times
Reputation: 7910
It really depends on the location and the features.amenities of the place but I'd say, in spite of the recession and all, be prepared to pay close to $900.

During my apartment search last year, I have seen some as low as $700 but as most, with street parking and it is an older building.
You are right, you will probably not need the heater or even AC. Mine is a newer building with a closed parking space (shared parking area)under the building and it is pretty close to a grand. My utilities is below $100 including the $30 Verizon DSL Internet service so I am happy. I never used the heater, I actually have the pilot light turned off, majority of the building like mine will not have AC but try to find one with a ceiling fan (if you can) for those seldom really hot Summer evenings/days but things cool down after sunset anyhow.

I have not seen a huge price difference between a studio and a single bedroom apartment and I looked at mostly nicer, safer looking areas (South/East of Termino). Belmont Shores area is really nice but also very pricey. If you are OK with a roommate that might work for you. If not, concentrate around the Circle/PCH area and you will be happy.

I really like Long Beach, more interesting and exciting than Orange County and a lot more mellower and safer than most areas of LA, imho.

Good Luck!
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Old 08-18-2010, 08:49 PM
 
Location: RSM
5,113 posts, read 19,712,212 times
Reputation: 1927
900 for a studio sounds about right. You'd be better off renting a room, you can get those in the 500-700$ range.
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Old 08-19-2010, 03:29 PM
 
171 posts, read 529,325 times
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This is a good and reliable rental agency that has some less expensive apartments. The other day I saw a 2 bedroom for $1100 downtown, a few blocks from where I live so I know it's a nice bulding in a decent area. So, you should be able to find a 1 bedroom for less than $900, or at least a studio.

Long Beach, CA Rental Properties (http://www.ernstandhaas.com/properties/index.php - broken link)
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Old 08-20-2010, 11:12 AM
 
4,868 posts, read 8,394,842 times
Reputation: 3161
I tried that link, for some reason, when I submit my search criteria, it doesn't work.
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Old 08-20-2010, 11:55 AM
 
58 posts, read 241,773 times
Reputation: 27
Quote:
Originally Posted by linden52 View Post
This is a good and reliable rental agency that has some less expensive apartments. The other day I saw a 2 bedroom for $1100 downtown, a few blocks from where I live so I know it's a nice bulding in a decent area. So, you should be able to find a 1 bedroom for less than $900, or at least a studio.

Long Beach, CA Rental Properties (http://www.ernstandhaas.com/properties/index.php - broken link)
Thanks I tried that site. The rentals do seem a lot cheaper than on Craigs list.
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Old 08-20-2010, 11:59 AM
 
58 posts, read 241,773 times
Reputation: 27
Quote:
Originally Posted by TurcoLoco View Post
It really depends on the location and the features.amenities of the place but I'd say, in spite of the recession and all, be prepared to pay close to $900.

During my apartment search last year, I have seen some as low as $700 but as most, with street parking and it is an older building.
You are right, you will probably not need the heater or even AC. Mine is a newer building with a closed parking space (shared parking area)under the building and it is pretty close to a grand. My utilities is below $100 including the $30 Verizon DSL Internet service so I am happy. I never used the heater, I actually have the pilot light turned off, majority of the building like mine will not have AC but try to find one with a ceiling fan (if you can) for those seldom really hot Summer evenings/days but things cool down after sunset anyhow.

I have not seen a huge price difference between a studio and a single bedroom apartment and I looked at mostly nicer, safer looking areas (South/East of Termino). Belmont Shores area is really nice but also very pricey. If you are OK with a roommate that might work for you. If not, concentrate around the Circle/PCH area and you will be happy.

I really like Long Beach, more interesting and exciting than Orange County and a lot more mellower and safer than most areas of LA, imho.

Good Luck!
Thanks for the information. I will keep looking into the safer areas you listed. I noticed that apartments in Orange County are more expensive than Long Beach,even though some areas like Huntington Beach show up as a lower cost of living on the statistics on his site. The last time I visited California to run the Long Beach Half Marathon we stayed in Huntington Beach. It looked like a pretty nice area, as did most areas of Long Beach.
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