Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm a single female, Las Vegas native who is looking to relocate to Los Angeles in August. I have no job, no prospects for a job, and no degree but I do have $7,000 saved. I'm leaving Las Vegas because I friggin' hate this city, the unemployment rate is the highest in the country at 14.7%, and UNLV just cut my major that I was working towards for the past 3 years. Soooo, I've decided to move to L.A. because the unemployment rate is slightly lower, the area is much bigger which means more places to look for a job that pays at least $13 hourly, and once I've established residency I can transfer my credits to either UCLA, USC, or any other college in the L.A. area that has an Informatics department so that I can finish my degree. Also, L.A. is a short distance to drive to from Vegas since I have 2 small dogs and 1 cat that I cannot fly with. All I need is a safe, pet-friendly rental for no more than $700 a month. Doesn't have to be fancy, doesn't have to be big, doesn't even have to have a friggin' window! I just need a safe place for me and my pets. That being said, any suggestions for areas to live, what I can expect when looking for a job, and do I really need to live in Cali for at least a year before I can claim residency and not have to pay out-of-state tuition? Any and all input will be greatly appreciated. I need the good, the bad, the ugly, and the realistic.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Azure Ray Here are the MUST HAVES that I am looking for in a city:
-near a major university and city (within at least a half hour)
-have good hiking/outdoor activities nearby
-have water (lake, ocean) within a half hour
-nice people who are nonjudgmental. Not TOO hipster, but not TOO conservative
- a decent singles scene (which usually comes with the above qualities)
-a GREAT live music scene of ALL genres
-a clean city with nice shopping and cute neighborhoods
Things that I like about climate, etc.:
-Not too extreme in terms of temps – not below freezing in winter, and not hot and humid all summer
- I would like there to be nice rural areas just outside of the city
- A safe city would be nice. I grew up around Cleveland and Akron, and those are not places that I would ever walk around after dark (or even drive around after dark)
- A nice city that I could eventually move out to a more rural/suburban area around, but still have access to the culture in the city.
I would like to find people that have similar interests:
- People with positive dispositions, hiking, kayaking, going to see rock shows, jazz shows, and blues shows, studying and going back to college to get advanced degrees, traveling, and taking an interest and accepting people.
Do any cities come to mind when you read the above “criteria?” I would tell you where I have been thinking, but I don’t want to influence anyone’s thoughts....I’d love to see where your expertise will take this!
Thank you SO much for input! I know that was a lot to read. Haha.
PS - I'm a 27 year old, single female and a high school teacher. I've toyed with the idea of going back to school full time to get a doctorate in English Lit so I can teach at the college level, or just get a teaching job. I'm pretty flexible and feel like I want to go wherever the current may take me (as long as I am getting paid or am able to get school loans and some sort of health insurance...haha.)
Whew! That was some tough criteria
All in all I think Washington DC/Northern Virginia could be a good fit for you. It hits pretty much all of the criteria you're looking for except the 30 minutes to a beach/lake and your climate requirements. There are many safe/walkable areas. I would recommend the NW section of DC, most specifically Upper NW which includes the neighborhoods of Dupont Circle, Woodley Park, Cleveland Park (top choice), Van Ness, Tenleytown and Friendship Heights. Across the river in Northern Virginia you might check out Arlington's Courthouse and Clarendon neighborhoods, as well as Old Town in Alexandria. Suburban Maryland offers some good choices in Bethesda and Rockville.
Also very importantly, there are jobs. The DC area has the lowest unemployment rate of any major metropolitan area, at 5.9%. The national average is at 9.8%. The area has a reputation as being an expensive place to live but bear in mind salaries are reflective of that for the most part. The public transit system is excellent and many live without cars as a result, which can save you a ton of money and headaches. Metro - Rail - Maps - Rail/Google Map
You'll be fine. You have determination. Don't let others on here scare you away.
You can probably find something for the price range with roomates (try craigslist). It's a little low for a studio or 1bd, even in a crappy neighborhood. If you can increase your monthly rent to $900/month, look in the Silver Lake area. I know a few friends that pay $900 for a 1 bed there.
You'll be fine. You have determination. Don't let others on here scare you away.
You can probably find something for the price range with roomates (try craigslist). It's a little low for a studio or 1bd, even in a crappy neighborhood. If you can increase your monthly rent to $900/month, look in the Silver Lake area. I know a few friends that pay $900 for a 1 bed there.
Thanks yoyoma02! I really appreciate the info. I had no idea about the Silver Lake area. I'll see what I can do to bump my rent up to $900. I know I can find the extra $200 somewhere. At least now I have an area to focus on. Thanks again, I really appreciate it!
I'm a single female, Las Vegas native who is looking to relocate to Los Angeles in August. I have no job, no prospects for a job, and no degree but I do have $7,000 saved. I'm leaving Las Vegas because I friggin' hate this city, the unemployment rate is the highest in the country at 14.7%, and UNLV just cut my major that I was working towards for the past 3 years. Soooo, I've decided to move to L.A. because the unemployment rate is slightly lower, the area is much bigger which means more places to look for a job that pays at least $13 hourly, and once I've established residency I can transfer my credits to either UCLA, USC, or any other college in the L.A. area that has an Informatics department so that I can finish my degree. Also, L.A. is a short distance to drive to from Vegas since I have 2 small dogs and 1 cat that I cannot fly with. All I need is a safe, pet-friendly rental for no more than $700 a month. Doesn't have to be fancy, doesn't have to be big, doesn't even have to have a friggin' window! I just need a safe place for me and my pets. That being said, any suggestions for areas to live, what I can expect when looking for a job, and do I really need to live in Cali for at least a year before I can claim residency and not have to pay out-of-state tuition? Any and all input will be greatly appreciated. I need the good, the bad, the ugly, and the realistic.
The good: I don't know. but change is good? is that cliche?
The rest: LA is hard to get jobs too. $13 an hour is not much, but surprisingly hard to land. I'm not saying its impossible but do you have a college degree? I think you said not, so you have expeirence working/ Maybe try waitressing or hostessing?
USC/UCLA are very very hard schools to get into. It's not casual like hey I'm going moving to LA I'll go to UCLA. Everyone at UCLA these days is valedictorian of their high school class and has a very high SAT score. More likely you'll be going to a community college and if you do well there you may be able to transfer into UCLA. If you get an A- average at SMC, for example, you can almost certainly get into UCLA.
Or you can go to a Cal State. Still get a four year degree. Cal State LA or Cal State Northridge are the local ones here.
The good: I don't know. but change is good? is that cliche?
The rest: LA is hard to get jobs too. $13 an hour is not much, but surprisingly hard to land. I'm not saying its impossible but do you have a college degree? I think you said not, so you have expeirence working/ Maybe try waitressing or hostessing?
USC/UCLA are very very hard schools to get into. It's not casual like hey I'm going moving to LA I'll go to UCLA. Everyone at UCLA these days is valedictorian of their high school class and has a very high SAT score. More likely you'll be going to a community college and if you do well there you may be able to transfer into UCLA. If you get an A- average at SMC, for example, you can almost certainly get into UCLA.
Or you can go to a Cal State. Still get a four year degree. Cal State LA or Cal State Northridge are the local ones here.
Thanks for the input! I really appreciate the honesty. With regards to UCLA, my transfer was already accepted but I have to defer because I can't afford the non-resident fee added to tuition. Once I've established residency I'll be attending either UCLA, USC, or any other 4 year university in the L.A. area that has an Informatics department. No worries with acceptance since I've already crossed that bridge, I just don't want to pay out-of-state tuition. As of now, my top concerns are areas to live and the job market while I establish residency in order to attend school without the inflated cost. I'm not sure if I could get a waitressing job since I've never worked in the service field. My experience has been in the office arena as a Marketing Coordinator at Zappos for 4 years, a Business Operations Specialist at KVBC-TV 3 for 2 years, and property management for a total of 6 years. Something in the clerical field is what I have experience in, not the service field. But I'll take anything that I can get, whether it's working at Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Target, cleaning floors, whatever as long it makes ends meet while I finish my education. Any input regarding the best approach/tactics/expectations with work in the clerical field? How about areas to live? Silver Lakes was one suggestion and definitely on the list. Do you have any?
I'm a single female, Las Vegas native who is looking to relocate to Los Angeles in August. I have no job, no prospects for a job, and no degree but I do have $7,000 saved. I'm leaving Las Vegas because I friggin' hate this city, the unemployment rate is the highest in the country at 14.7%, and UNLV just cut my major that I was working towards for the past 3 years. Soooo, I've decided to move to L.A. because the unemployment rate is slightly lower, the area is much bigger which means more places to look for a job that pays at least $13 hourly, and once I've established residency I can transfer my credits to either UCLA, USC, or any other college in the L.A. area that has an Informatics department so that I can finish my degree. Also, L.A. is a short distance to drive to from Vegas since I have 2 small dogs and 1 cat that I cannot fly with. All I need is a safe, pet-friendly rental for no more than $700 a month. Doesn't have to be fancy, doesn't have to be big, doesn't even have to have a friggin' window! I just need a safe place for me and my pets. That being said, any suggestions for areas to live, what I can expect when looking for a job, and do I really need to live in Cali for at least a year before I can claim residency and not have to pay out-of-state tuition? Any and all input will be greatly appreciated. I need the good, the bad, the ugly, and the realistic.
Good luck, it won't be easy, especially when you are looking for something for $700 a month and have 3 little pets. Even though $13 an hour doesn't sound like a lot to some people, it will still not be easy to find a job. Yes, it is better than NV, but not much. Good luck. BTW, you may want to consentrate more on the Cal state university system.
Good luck, it won't be easy, especially when you are looking for something for $700 a month and have 3 little pets. Even though $13 an hour doesn't sound like a lot to some people, it will still not be easy to find a job. Yes, it is better than NV, but not much. Good luck. BTW, you may want to consentrate more on the Cal state university system.
Nita
Thanks, nmnita! This is the second time I've heard about Cal State. Maybe I should change my deferment of UCLA to a denial and just go with Cal State. I've heard they're less expensive with both resident and non-resident tuition. Unfortunately they don't have an Informatics department but maybe they will in a later term. That's how it was at UNLV but then they ended up dropping the department three years later due to budget cuts. Anyhoo, I've also heard that I should just pass on L.A. and focus on Long Beach since it's not as expensive. Is that true? I've never been to Long Beach so I'm not familiar with the area. I've also heard that Lancaster is inexpensive but that seems to be in the middle of nowhere. Something like a 2 hour train ride to downtown L.A.? I'd like to live as close to downtown as possible but without being raped, robbed, and murdered. LOL. But with my budget I'm willing to live anywhere on the outskirts of L.A. and just drive in further for social events and so forth.
Lancaster is off the beaten path, you will feel isolated out there.
Downtown Los Angeles and Hollywood have a lot going for it, entertainment-wise. However, finding a place to live there with pets will be hard, especially at $700/month. But if you find a place near the Red Line or Purple Line you can get to those places easily. That opens your range. North Hollywood will likely be cheaper but more suburban than Wilshire. I think you are looking at roommates, at least initially.
In the meantime, I would be socking away as much money as you can. It may take a bit to get established
You can get a 1 bedroom for $850 in Encino and Tarzana. Those are safe areas.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
