Moving from NY to LA (Los Angeles, Fremont: apartments, to rent, insurance)

[HmmMocha]

Hello all,
I’m considering moving to L.A from NY in December 2007. I have a possible position (don’t want to jinx myself ) in Los Angeles, 90067 zip code (by Century City).
I’m trying to figure out where to live? I understand LA is an expensive area to live. My income would be about 65 to 70K yearly. I’m single w/no pets or kids. I’m looking to rent a 1 or 2 bedroom, maybe a duplex or rent a small house. I was budgeting max rent at $1,000. Is that possible? Someplace safe, low crime, family oriented (is OK w/me I don’t really care), near social activities (I am single after all ), doesn’t have to be near the beach can be inland and with nearby food shopping, mall etc. On top of that, I’ll need to purchase a car. Whew!! that was a mouthfull. I keep hearing traffic is pretty bad so I need an easy to commute to work. I heard Santa Monica is good & close (approx. 20-30 min) but it’s expensive. People were throwing names at me like Thousand Oaks, New Port, Orange County, Ventura, Irvine (sp?), Whitaker (sp?), Mar Vista, Marina Del Ray, Studio City, Woodland Hills and Foster City to name a few. All of which make no sense to me as I have no idea how close they are to my potential job and I don’t know if they are nice areas. How much is gas? Here in NY, it’s about $3.79 per gal.
This is all pretty overwhelming. Please Help!! Thanks for your time!

[straight outta camden]

I'm afraid $1,000 will not get you a small house or a duplex anywhere near 90067. And by anywhere near I mean within an hour's commute (unless you work very odd hours and can avoid the rush). A one-bedroom, yes. Bear in mind that many Angelenos spend a much higher proportion of their income on rent than you are proposing to do.

Studio City is probably the best suggestion you have had. You might also try the fringes of Los Feliz. West Hollywood is nice, and has lots of single people, but it's more pricey. I would skip Santa Monica, which is very expensive and not such a great singles scene.

Gas in LA is generally at the top end for the US. On the upside, cars are pretty cheap.

[SaintLaurent]

Well shouldn't you be used to high living costs? New York is more expensive than Los Angeles and your budged it quite unrealistic.

[HmmMocha]

Thanks for the info. I'm from a suburb in NY my commute is an hour into the city by public transportation (door to door). By car, in mild traffic, it's about 35-40 mins. I gather NY traffic is not as bad as LA. From reading all the posts on this site, I get LA is can be almost as expensive as NY. Sometimes I get the impression it's even more expensive in some aspects. I did read on this site someone finding a 1 bedroom house (I forget where) and paying $900 rent. Also a member (ShariP) mentioned, like Straight Outta Camden, 1 or 2 bedrooms for about $1,500. Like I said, I'm not sure how far those locations are to where my potential job is. I guess I'm spoiled regarding rent by living out in the burbs. I will keep in mind about Studio City. I was hoping to have no more than an hours commute. I'll have to visit it (Studio City) and see if it works. I'm planning a trip out there shortly to scout the locations I mentioned earlier. It's good to hear cars are cheap. At least that's one thing.

[SaintLaurent]

Originally Posted by HmmMocha

Thanks for the info. I'm from a suburb in NY my commute is an hour into the city by public transportation (door to door). By car, in mild traffic, it's about 35-40 mins. I gather NY traffic is not as bad as LA. From reading all the posts on this site, I get LA is can be almost as expensive as NY. Sometimes I get the impression it's even more expensive in some aspects. I did read on this site someone finding a 1 bedroom house (I forget where) and paying $900 rent. Also a member (ShariP) mentioned, like Straight Outta Camden, 1 or 2 bedrooms for about $1,500. Like I said, I'm not sure how far those locations are to where my potential job is. I guess I'm spoiled regarding rent by living out in the burbs. I will keep in mind about Studio City. I was hoping to have no more than an hours commute. I'll have to visit it (Studio City) and see if it works. I'm planning a trip out there shortly to scout the locations I mentioned earlier. It's good to hear cars are cheap. At least that's one thing.

Cars are cheap? Well, compared to New York, car ownership is very cheap. I pay $750 per month for my Manhattan garage and the insurance is quite pricey compared to my other vehicle registered in Los Angeles. Certainly quite costly to the average person.

But the actually cost of vehicles are the same and you better dare not enter the nicer parts of West Los Angeles with anything less than a Mercedes-Benz or BMW. Oh, the horror!

But anywho, I second the suggested Studio City, you can definitely find something in your price range in that area but I would check out West Hollywood before settling on Studio City.

[UB50]

First off, if you are going to be working in Century City, YOU DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN STUDIO CITY!! It's really far away! You want to look for something in Culver City or Palms or Midtown LA or West Hollywood. Studio City is in the San Fernando Valley and that would be a miserable commute for you! Look for something along the 405 or along Wilshire Blvd. Forget the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys -- too much traffic congestion and it will take **FOREVER** to get to work.

Second thing -- housing in LA is going to be smaller and older than what you want. $1000 probably will get you a 1 bedroom or a studio in a decent area. $1500 might get you a two bedroom, if you get lucky.

[katenik]

it's a good thing that you stopped listening to those people "throwing names" at you, because that's all they were doing. with the exception of santa monica, mar vista, and (possibly) marina del rey, none of the places you mentioned are anywhere near century city. foster city is a suburb of san francisco, and the rest are in the correct part of the state, but 30-50 miles away from your place of employment. studio city isn't quite that far, but it's a tricky overhill commute that could be tolerable if you already lived there, but i see no reason to volunteer for it when you have more convenient places from which to choose.

my suggestion: add another $300-500/mo to your housing budget and look in culver city. you'll have a large selection of one bedrooom apartments to rent, and 20-minute drive to work.

[leongaus]

It is in quiet neighborhood, bright inside with open layout floor plan. Separate family room and living room - Rom Air Conditioner in family room and hardwood flooring in living room. Master Bedroom has own bath and full length mirrored closet doors. It has fire place with gorgeous kitchen. Approximately 1,700 sq. ft of living area.
-New shingle Roof, new energy saver central Heater, and dual pain windows through out the house to keep you warm and save energy in winter.
“HUGE” Spacious and low maintenance back yard with automatic sprinkler system. It has covered backyard patio, a place for BBQ and great for entertaining. …there are several grown fruit trees and roses.
-Washer / Dryer, Refrigerator, Microwave, dishwasher and lawn-mower are included for the tenant’s convenience (we can keep these aside if you already have your own). Tenants are responsible for PG&E, Water and BFI.
-Easy access to 680/880- Cross street, Grimmer and Blacow Rd. Close to Park, shopping, YMCA and Community Center.
-I am looking for clean, responsible people who can pay rent on time.
Please call me @206-309-7039 or email me leongaus@yahoo.com
Pet: cat ok (dog case to case)
Rent: $2295
Lease: One Year
Deposit: $2,500 (can pay installment of $2,000+$500)
Address: Bryce Canyon Pk Dr, Fremont CA 94538
VACANT AND READY TO MOVE IN.
No smoking, no drug!
If you are seriously interest, please bring....
-Proof of income (2 paycheck stubs & 2 W2)
-Credit Report
-Rental history

[milquetoast]

Try Pacoima!

[marilyn220]

Originally Posted by UB50

First off, if you are going to be working in Century City, YOU DO NOT WANT TO LIVE IN STUDIO CITY!! It's really far away! You want to look for something in Culver City or Palms or Midtown LA or West Hollywood. Studio City is in the San Fernando Valley and that would be a miserable commute for you! Look for something along the 405 or along Wilshire Blvd. Forget the San Fernando and San Gabriel Valleys -- too much traffic congestion and it will take **FOREVER** to get to work.

Second thing -- housing in LA is going to be smaller and older than what you want. $1000 probably will get you a 1 bedroom or a studio in a decent area. $1500 might get you a two bedroom, if you get lucky.

I agree. I live in the valley and it takes forever to get to Century City. The farthest I'm willing to travel is Beverly Hills and even that's a stretch.

Yes, you want to stay in West LA, Culver City, Westwood, West Hollywood areas if possible. Santa Monica might not be too bad either.