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 starting to investigate what it would take to move to LA (with a job) to help further my daughter's desire to enter the world of acting.
With only a million (tops) to spend on housing, where would one start to look for a home if they wanted to be within an hour of where the majority of the studios are?
I don't have other children in school, but after all the moving around we have done I know that schools are important for resale value.
I realize traffic is an issue. I've lived in NYC, Phoenix, DC and other places so I'm pretty good at figuring things out, but I need a jumping off point.
I'd like to start to research areas so that we can have recruiters start to look for something for us (my husband & myself) professionally speaking.
Unfortunately because I have only visited LA as a tourist and I never really took notice of anything that would be of significant help to me at this time. I am starting from the beginning.
I would like at least 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. We would prefer a single family house as opposed to a townhome or condo.
Also, to complicate matters more, she graduates from college in May and we may have to set her up in an apartment until we are fully vested in a company. Which could take a year.
Which brings me to this question: Where are safe areas for wannabes to live in for around $1200 a month (not including utilities if she lived alone) or $2000 (not including utilities) a month if she had a roommate?
Should she shoot for 2 roommates? I honestly have no idea what is the average rent in a decent apartment or condo within an hours drive to the studios.
Do they even audition at the studios? I would imagine it's all over the place, but are those places near or in LA proper? Would it be a good idea to subscribe to Variety or some other local paper for auditon notices? She already had an agent that has offices in LA, but I would imagine she will need a different one when she arrives. We have friends that know agents in LA but just in case those don't materialize and we (she) have to find one on our (her) own, how do(es) we (she) go about finding out if they are reputable?
As far as her job -- even though she will graduate with a degree in communications and broadcasting (4 years) she is open to schlepping around as a PA, working retail, or even a waitress if it means she will be able to fit in audition time. I don't even know if that is realistic.
She's deadset on going and there is no way we will be able to stop her since she'll be 21. She's our only family so we're perfectly fine with moving (again) and we have no ties to any area as we have moved frequenty over the past 15 years. I've learned that in order to really make a 'go' at the whole acting thing one really needs to put in a good 7-10 years to finally be able to actually make a living at it. Notice I didn't say 'become famous' as I know that's a shot in the dark.
So what areas should we look in for a home, what areas for a young lady (with or without a roommate) and any other advice would be greatly appreciated. Does anyone have any clue as to where to start?
I'm from the Southbay which is 30 miles south of LA and I think most of the major Studios are within 1 hour drive.
So any other city north would be closer.
I live in West LA and work for a payroll and accounting for Media Production and Commercial companies.
Our office is near UCLA and has a cafe / store with ShowBiz info and resources (not sure about housing though). There's also a casting office on the 3rd floor, and I've seen many busy actors and actresses come and go.
I'm from the Southbay which is 30 miles south of LA and I think most of the major Studios are within 1 hour drive.
So any other city north would be closer.
I live in West LA and work for a payroll and accounting for Media Production and Commercial companies.
Our office is near UCLA and has a cafe / store with ShowBiz info and resources (not sure about housing though). There's also a casting office on the 3rd floor, and I've seen many busy actors and actresses come and go.
Thank you Joseph, that information is helpful. I have tried to use Realtor.com and type in "within 20 miles of LA." But that is not always on target because I have no idea if those areas are safe or not.
The obvious would be to contact a realtor, but I am not willing to start that communication because I am unsure as to a target date for the move (other than my daughter's) and do not want to commit to anyone prematurely.
We are taking a trip on to A in January or February for a look-see at areas and possible apartments/condos.
Thanks again!
PS - By the way, she will have a vehicle (a Prius) so driving is not an issue. I mention 'within' an hours drive only to be realistic on price for housing/apartments (for her).
I'll start by saying your daughter is very lucky to have such supportive parents!
Starting with your housing search; Los Feliz sounds like it may be a fit for you. It's nearby Warner Brothers, Paramount, Disney & Universal City and given your housing budget I believe you could find something very comfortable. You can find it on Realtor.com under Los Feliz, Los Angeles, it should just pop up so you at least have a starting point.
Los Feliz wouldn't be a bad location for your daughter too as well as nearby Silverlake, Echo Park, Beachwood Canyon etc. - really would fit her demographic (and yours) very well.
If you haven't already done so have her check out Backstage West on line with good information about agents, casting agents, head shot pros (get good ones) jobs, acting classes etc.
Locating a room mate may be dicey unless you know someone but if you can afford up to $1200.00 a month she should be able to find a place just for her in the areas I described. Might be a studio apartment but 1 bedroom wouldn't be out of the questions.
Keep in mind; the more west you go (toward the beach, the more expensive housing becomes. The areas above are about 20 miles inland and in addition to being well located to studios aren't far from a popular locale for agents offices too. Hope this is helpful.
I'll start by saying your daughter is very lucky to have such supportive parents!
Starting with your housing search; Los Feliz sounds like it may be a fit for you. It's nearby Warner Brothers, Paramount, Disney & Universal City and given your housing budget I believe you could find something very comfortable. You can find it on Realtor.com under Los Feliz, Los Angeles, it should just pop up so you at least have a starting point.
Los Feliz wouldn't be a bad location for your daughter too as well as nearby Silverlake, Echo Park, Beachwood Canyon etc. - really would fit her demographic (and yours) very well.
If you haven't already done so have her check out Backstage West on line with good information about agents, casting agents, head shot pros (get good ones) jobs, acting classes etc.
Locating a room mate may be dicey unless you know someone but if you can afford up to $1200.00 a month she should be able to find a place just for her in the areas I described. Might be a studio apartment but 1 bedroom wouldn't be out of the questions.
Keep in mind; the more west you go (toward the beach, the more expensive housing becomes. The areas above are about 20 miles inland and in addition to being well located to studios aren't far from a popular locale for agents offices too. Hope this is helpful.
Yes, your information is helpful. Thank you, I'll give Los Feliz a try on the real estate sites.
She does have headshots (She recently had them done in NYC by Leslie Hassler) and has a reel. We have names of agents, and they are pretty good. It's all a matter of whether they are going to want to represent her or not. It's a wait and see thing until she gets there.
She has representation in Miami, Nashville and NYC. But actually going to LA, and working the scene is completely different. It is different than NYC (which has me freaked out quite honestly.)
She may know about Backstage West already but I'll be sure to alert her to it just in case. She's Way more aware of what needs to be done and who is who than I am. I'm the mom...
I know everyone has their favorite, but I'd love names of acting coaches that have a proven record. It's tough to tell from the websites. It's easy to have a great website but it's a different story when it comes down to actually meeting the people.
We support her because she's going to do it anyway. We might as well help her as much as we can without fully supporting her financially. We've been nomads for years so moving is no big deal (except the whole selling of the house thing and the actual moving bit. Ha ha ha). We know the west coast area enough to know we'd survive and have no ties here. If we can nail down a great position in or around LA - great! If we can't - then our back-up plan comes into play which is to immerse ourselves as deep as possible from afar to give her all the assistance she needs.
It's a dicey business and there are no guarantees. I've been in advertising and corporate marketing my whole life, I've produced my share of commericals and such. I'm trying to look at the worst case scenario so we are well prepared. No time like the present!
I'll start by saying your daughter is very lucky to have such supportive parents!
Starting with your housing search; Los Feliz sounds like it may be a fit for you. It's nearby Warner Brothers, Paramount, Disney & Universal City and given your housing budget I believe you could find something very comfortable. You can find it on Realtor.com under Los Feliz, Los Angeles, it should just pop up so you at least have a starting point.
Los Feliz wouldn't be a bad location for your daughter too as well as nearby Silverlake, Echo Park, Beachwood Canyon etc. - really would fit her demographic (and yours) very well.
If you haven't already done so have her check out Backstage West on line with good information about agents, casting agents, head shot pros (get good ones) jobs, acting classes etc.
Locating a room mate may be dicey unless you know someone but if you can afford up to $1200.00 a month she should be able to find a place just for her in the areas I described. Might be a studio apartment but 1 bedroom wouldn't be out of the questions.
Keep in mind; the more west you go (toward the beach, the more expensive housing becomes. The areas above are about 20 miles inland and in addition to being well located to studios aren't far from a popular locale for agents offices too. Hope this is helpful.
Any other places that would be good to look in for a nice, safe, suburban home nearby the studios?
I should probably stress that we are looking for a suburban area. =)
Last edited by CanWeTalk?; 09-21-2011 at 02:22 PM..
I'm from the Southbay which is 30 miles south of LA and I think most of the major Studios are within 1 hour drive.
So any other city north would be closer.
I live in West LA and work for a payroll and accounting for Media Production and Commercial companies.
Our office is near UCLA and has a cafe / store with ShowBiz info and resources (not sure about housing though). There's also a casting office on the 3rd floor, and I've seen many busy actors and actresses come and go.
Hey!
I'm moving to La in the next couple of months and as someone who works in accounting/finance do you find that its hard to find jobs in this field. I am only asking because my wife has a background in this field and we are wondering what the job out look is.
You may want to look in the valley (San Fernando Valley) at Studio City and Encino as they have some really nice areas and still not too far from the studios. Going further out (west) to Calabasas or Thousand Oaks is nice too but then you would be getting away from the studios - of course for you that may be ok. Toluca Lake is nice and so are some parts of Burbank. Have to say, it gets hotter out there but little or no humidity.
Here's a link to a blog started by Jenna Fischer of "The Office" fame your daughter may want to look at: The Acting Advice Blog - by: Jenna Fischer from The Office by Pam Beesley (Pam/Jenna) on Myspace
I posted this as I worked briefly with her at an office (for real!) in downtown LA just before she joined the cast of The Office. She was a temp and I chatted with her now and then about getting into acting (her, not me) and she basically told me what she posted on this blog. She does have high praise for an acting coach she mentions so your daughter may want to look into his classes. I think it's very insightful and makes it very clear her success was not overnight but having benefit of her experience and thoughts I believe are very valuable. Pam moved on abruptly when her boss was laid off and the next thing I know she's on TV, so one never knows how it works out.
Another acting coach I hear of with high praise is Michael Merton so she may want to check hikm out too.
Take a close look at Burbank. it is suburban, home to many studios, and quite safe. Its a great location for someone new to the L.A. area. Your daughter is truly blessed to have such a supportive family.
You may want to look in the valley (San Fernando Valley) at Studio City and Encino as they have some really nice areas and still not too far from the studios. Going further out (west) to Calabasas or Thousand Oaks is nice too but then you would be getting away from the studios - of course for you that may be ok. Toluca Lake is nice and so are some parts of Burbank. Have to say, it gets hotter out there but little or no humidity.
Here's a link to a blog started by Jenna Fischer of "The Office" fame your daughter may want to look at: The Acting Advice Blog - by: Jenna Fischer from The Office by Pam Beesley (Pam/Jenna) on Myspace
I posted this as I worked briefly with her at an office (for real!) in downtown LA just before she joined the cast of The Office. She was a temp and I chatted with her now and then about getting into acting (her, not me) and she basically told me what she posted on this blog. She does have high praise for an acting coach she mentions so your daughter may want to look into his classes. I think it's very insightful and makes it very clear her success was not overnight but having benefit of her experience and thoughts I believe are very valuable. Pam moved on abruptly when her boss was laid off and the next thing I know she's on TV, so one never knows how it works out.
Another acting coach I hear of with high praise is Michael Merton so she may want to check hikm out too.
Thanks. One reason I was inquiring about locations near the studios is because when my darling daughter gets to LA, is that she can live with us so she can be free to pursue her career. You know I feel like such an idiot saying that. I've heard so many wild LA crash stories that I am completely freaked out about her going to LA. She's in Miami now finishing school and has lived on her own in Miami for nearly 4 years. It's not like she can't handle it -- she's most likely handling it much better than I am!
I don't think the prospect of her going to LA is what bothers me, it's the whole career choice thing and her being a girl that freaks me out! I've worked with many directors from LA (Dan Duchovny, Rob Rodriguez, etc.) and I've heard the horror stories. It's different when it's your kid.
So for the sake of us both, I'm digging as deep as I can so I can micro-manage from afar until I can live with her - literally. (I'm only half joking here...)
So I do have a jumping off point and if anyone wants to add their two cents as to how to parent a young adult trying to break into the business, where to live if your kid is trying to break into the business, how to break into the busniess, etc. I'll listen to each of your thoughts.
I realilze I probably have it a little easier from a financial aspect and from an experience aspect, but this isn't about me, it's about her. I know I have a lot to learn and I do need as much advice from people who actually live in and around LA to get a feel for the area. After our trip out there I will have a better feel for areas that will be comfortable for us. It's going to be a big wake up call (if and) when we actually move there as I am not looking forward to having a small house again! =)
But what are you gonna do eh?
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.
