Working in Burbank, where should I live? (Torrance, Nice: apartments, rentals)

[jsoibam]

Hi everyone

I am a single working IT professional girl, living in Torrance now, and commuting to Burbank everyday for work. I like the south bay region and the area in Torrance where I am living in right now is nice and convenient and crowded. Its just a couple miles from redondo beach and hermosa beach with a lot of singles and events happening. The commute through 110 gets so stressful I have been forced to think about moving somewhere close to where my workplace is. (The commute take anywhere between 55-120 min).
I want to move to a similar area which is nice and crowded and happeneing with multiple cultures mixed in, and also kinda safe and not very expensive. (I am looking to rent a 1 Br by myslef, can I ask for something costing around $1100 to rent??)
I dont want to stay in Burbank, I feel its boring but somewhere in between so I could get the commute done easier. I dont mind 20-30 minutes of driving.

P.S: I am new to LA !!!

[altoidboy]

Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Toluca Lake are all good compromises. The latter two will generally be more expensive than Burbank -you might spend more than $1100. If you want it more vibey, go south to Echo Park or similar, however, it's somewhat less safe so be careful since you're living alone.

I love Sherman Oaks and Studio City especially if you can get around Ventura Blvd (not sure if you can do it for that price...) that area has a lot of vibe.

[Lazer22]

I agree with the poster above. Sherman Oaks is a good compromise. I'm considering moving there so I've been looking at apts on Craigslist and I have seen many in your price range.

[Magisan]

Also check out the Arts District area in North Hollywood (NoHo to us locals) which is not too far from Toluca and may be more in your price range. They have made much improvements in the area by Lankershim & Magnolia and there is a young professional working scene in your industry being so close to the studios. Hollywood, Silver Lake or Los Feliz would be other options for a more colorful/vibrant scene. $1100 might be tough for a 1 bedroom but there are some nice & larger studios for that price as an option.

[SomeBodyUK]

Originally Posted by Magisan

Also check out the Arts District area in North Hollywood (NoHo to us locals) which is not too far from Toluca and may be more in your price range. They have made much improvements in the area by Lankershim & Magnolia and there is a young professional working scene in your industry being so close to the studios. Hollywood, Silver Lake or Los Feliz would be other options for a more colorful/vibrant scene. $1100 might be tough for a 1 bedroom but there are some nice & larger studios for that price as an option.

I pay $1150 for a 2 bed in NoHo, so it can be done if you're willing to go slightly north of Burbank Blvd

[Cabguy]

burbank.theres good rentals on the west side.the further east and up the hill you look,the higher the rents.imo id live in burbank for just one reason TRAFFIC is horrible

[altoidboy]

Good thought about the NoHo Arts district. I totally forgot about that. That's an area of town that was thoroughly torn down and rebuilt. So everything is new (and, accordingly, expensive). Nice place to live though. No idea what 1br apartments would go for, but it's worth some searching.

The tricky thing is that, IMHO, the rest of NoHo is EXTREMELY hit and miss. One street can be OK and the next can be a ghetto I wouldn't want my worst enemy living in. Be very careful of this, and visit before you make your final decision.

+1 on Cabguy's thoughts about Burbank. +1 on if you want vibe, you can also see Hollywood (very hit and miss), Silverlake, and Los Feliz, but traffic will be a concern.

Try all this on for size before you buy.

[David in the City]

I third the motion for NoHo Arts District. Like one of the poster above mentioned, you can get some decent 2 bedroom apartments if you do some searching. There's a lot of apartment stock in that area, so there's plenty of competition and that is one of the areas that is up and coming, so the rents haven't caught up with Studio City and Sherman Oaks just yet. Get in before it does. You'll likely want to find a place close to Lankershim Blvd so you can take advantage of the nightlife.