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Old 10-12-2007, 11:17 AM
 
136 posts, read 491,773 times
Reputation: 51

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Hey everyone.

I'm a 24 year old South Bay 'native' (well more or less, grew up in the area for well over 10 years) in the process of searching for employment and in the meantime, I find myself living back at home with my folks.

I recently applied for a position in Burbank which pays about $62,000 a year and I'm waiting for an offer.

Now, I was wondering: if I take this job, does commuting from the Torrance area justify the money I save on rent? I'm gong to assume that rent in a half-decent studio apartment in Burbank will cost about 1200-1300/month (I strongly prefer to live alone if that's at all possible).

I'm also in a special situation - my father's business closed recently and he's unemployed, so I need to help them out for a few months until he finds new employment (my mom is working in the meantime, but finds it a strain to be the only one working at the moment). I expect to contribute about 800-1000 per month for rent. Does that change anything? I expect the daily commute to be a strain but if it helps me and my family save some money I'm willing to put up with it for upto a year.

Any opinions? Thanks in advance.
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Old 10-12-2007, 11:18 AM
 
136 posts, read 491,773 times
Reputation: 51
Oh man, I don't know why I said "Long Beach" in the title. Sorry... I'm from Torrance.
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Old 10-13-2007, 12:54 PM
 
136 posts, read 491,773 times
Reputation: 51
Oh come on. Someone help a guy out!
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Old 10-16-2007, 05:33 AM
 
Location: Cincinnati
1,749 posts, read 8,337,824 times
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Jay, rent is cheaper in Burbank. This commute is awful from the South Bay. I just checked Craigslist and saw things like this one for $850/mo:

single on quiet Burbank street (broken link)
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Old 10-17-2007, 10:51 AM
 
Location: Below the fray
422 posts, read 1,818,968 times
Reputation: 337
Jay, I would not commute from Torrance to Burbank five days a week. There are nice, affordable apartments in Burbank. Don't forget to factor in your commuting costs when comparing the two.
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Old 10-17-2007, 12:08 PM
 
1,297 posts, read 5,509,223 times
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Jay, do you own a motorcycle?

Depending on your car, you may spend quite a bit on fuel everyday plus many hours on the road. Its about 30-40 miles and through some pretty heavy traffic.

You should hop in your car and try it out. Then see if you can work out a carpool.
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Old 10-18-2007, 07:11 PM
 
136 posts, read 491,773 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sorcerer68 View Post
Jay, rent is cheaper in Burbank. This commute is awful from the South Bay. I just checked Craigslist and saw things like this one for $850/mo:

single on quiet Burbank street (broken link)

Hey sorcerer, thanks a lot... I never thought to check out Craigslist. Seriously, how crazy is that. The thing is, I just ADORE how close the South Bay is to everything - Los Angeles proper, Long Beach/Orange County, and of course all the BEACHES! From Hermosa all the way down to Laguna, it's always an hour or less from the South Bay on weekends. On the other hand living in the Valley sounds so depressing since it's hot and smoggy, and physically blocked off from the ocean, but I guess you've gotta do what you've gotta do and follow the job. And thoughts on that, fellas? Pros and Cons of the Valley and the South Bay?
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Old 10-18-2007, 07:20 PM
 
136 posts, read 491,773 times
Reputation: 51
Quote:
Originally Posted by greggd View Post
Jay, do you own a motorcycle?

Depending on your car, you may spend quite a bit on fuel everyday plus many hours on the road. Its about 30-40 miles and through some pretty heavy traffic.

You should hop in your car and try it out. Then see if you can work out a carpool.
greggd, I drive a small-size SUV! I know, I know... crappy mileage. I just might try out your suggestion though, a re-con mission to Burbank sounds good. I'll check out some of the neighborhoods too. Any suggestions on what to do there in your downtime? Bars, clubs, movie theatres, shopping, parks, etc.? Or to most people in the southern SFV usually come down to LA/Pasadena/Westside for entertainment?

Cubancoffee, thanks for your reply too. You're definitely onto something there... based on all the advice so far I'm thinking about living there cos the commute sounds killer. We'll see, though.
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Old 10-19-2007, 02:42 AM
 
9,725 posts, read 15,170,027 times
Reputation: 3346
I would never ever even consider the commute. It would be miserable. Think about 2 hours plus maybe getting to work and then another 2 hours to get home -- If you're lucky.

Why not look for a roommate in Burbank? Maybe you can just go home on weekends to South Bay? You should be able to find a place for under $800 with a roommate.

You'll save gas, etc.

Burbank has some nice bars and some nice nightlife (low key but you'll enjoy it -- lots of little starlets, etc.) Go to one and ask about the others. Everyone there is very quiet because a lot of the people work in the industry. Don't be put off if the people seem older because some of the movie folks are older -- but they can hook you up with the younger crowd. Just go and ask... If you seem like a decent sort of person, they'll tell you where to go. Burbank only has like, 10 bars outside of the downtown area -- so hit anyone of them.
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Old 10-20-2007, 10:21 AM
 
9 posts, read 40,817 times
Reputation: 16
Please, for the sake of your sanity, move to the valley!!!! It has taken me 3+ hours to make that drive on some days.

I did commute from Long Beach to Canoga Park for about a month. Lets just, my quality of life drastically decreased.
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