Soon to be Graduate Thinking of Moving to California.... (Los Angeles: appointed, real estate)
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I'm a 22 year old Computer Science major who is about to graduate with my Bachelors and I'm trying to decide where I would like to relocate to after graduation. The biggest concern I have of course is affording a nice apartment, townhouse or condo since I have no interest of buying a house at this point in my life.
Looking at salaries out there, it seems for my degree the pay is somewhere around the 50-65k range. Since I'll be a new graduate though I'm sure it'll be on the lower end of that range. Soooo that's probably in the range of bringing home 3k+ after taxes and what not.
Most of the apartments I've looked at in LA, San Diego (2 areas i'm more interested in) seem to run about $1500 a month for something halfway nice. San Diego seems to be just a little bit cheaper and you get a little bit more out of what you would pay if you lived in the LA area.
Just wondering if this would be feasible for me to do. I figure since I am a young single guy, this is probably going to be my only chance of doing my own thing before I have to "settle down".
Also I'm St.Louis grown. I've heard that the people are alot different than in the midwest. And of course I've heard traffic blows.
Sure it's feasible. Especially at this stage of your life when you're unencumbered, it's the great adventure!
A couple of tips, though:
If a deal on an apartment looks too good to be true, it usually is. Try to see the neighborhood at different times of the day and night. L.A. is the car theft capital, so you should try to find an apartment that offers secure, gated parking.
Your best bet, other than Craig's List, is to come out here, find an area you think you'd like to live in, and then walk around writing down phone numbers of the management companies from the vacancy signs.
If you can, try to live close to where you work. This can't be stressed enough, as the traffic will wear you down otherwise.
Since I haven't spent a lot of time in the midwest, I can't speak to whether people out here are "different" or not. The truth is, L.A. is a huge area filled with many different kinds of people. Yes, you will find the industry types hustling for their next big deal. You'll also find down to earth, relatively normal people. It just depends what you want, because believe me, L.A. has it all.
Also, welcome to City-Data! If you ask more specific questions we'll be able to give you better answers.
I'm a 22 year old Computer Science major who is about to graduate with my Bachelors and I'm trying to decide where I would like to relocate to after graduation. The biggest concern I have of course is affording a nice apartment, townhouse or condo since I have no interest of buying a house at this point in my life.
Looking at salaries out there, it seems for my degree the pay is somewhere around the 50-65k range. Since I'll be a new graduate though I'm sure it'll be on the lower end of that range. Soooo that's probably in the range of bringing home 3k+ after taxes and what not.
Most of the apartments I've looked at in LA, San Diego (2 areas i'm more interested in) seem to run about $1500 a month for something halfway nice. San Diego seems to be just a little bit cheaper and you get a little bit more out of what you would pay if you lived in the LA area.
Just wondering if this would be feasible for me to do. I figure since I am a young single guy, this is probably going to be my only chance of doing my own thing before I have to "settle down".
Also I'm St.Louis grown. I've heard that the people are alot different than in the midwest. And of course I've heard traffic blows.
The standard housing affordability measure is to triple whatever your rent is to determine what income you need to be able to afford it. That is the "maximum" you should realistically spend on rent. Remember that you'll have other responsibilities as well. Maybe student loans. Credit card debt. Car loans. Emergencies. Etc. Some of the larger, professionally managed apartment complexes actually require their tenants to prove they make at least three times their rent rate. For a $1,500 apartment, you need to make about $54,000 per year.
But if you can find something cheaper, I would encourage that. It will give you more money to enjoy being single. LA isn't cheap, so you'll need it. The average alcoholic drink will cost you about $9 in LA, plus tip. Not sure about San Diego. The average beer is going to run you about $5, plus tip. In some places it can be $7-$8. So if you're the average single guy, you'll be spending a lot on drinks. Figure a regular night out is going to cost you $50-$100.
As far as people go, I am originally from Dallas and I think the people in LA are far nicer than Dallasites. And I've heard San Diego folks are even nicer. The good thing about LA is the diversity. You get people from all walks of life. So I think for the most part people learn to tolerate others much better than more homogeneous areas. You get used to the "abnormal".
Traffic does blow, but if you plan well, like living close to where you work, shift your commute schedule a little, etc., you can manage it just fine. I wouldn't let that keep you from coming out here.
I think LA is a GREAT place for a single guy. There is SO much to do out here. Places to go. So many different people to meet. You won't be disappointed unless it just isn't your thing.
1500 is not going to get you much I wouldnt want to live in an area like that you get what you pay for!!!! Iam getting the hell out of Cali for that same reason there are fees for everything over here dmv fees alone make you want to hurl good luck with your dive into debt....
Looking at salaries out there, it seems for my degree the pay is somewhere around the 50-65k range. Since I'll be a new graduate though I'm sure it'll be on the lower end of that range. Soooo that's probably in the range of bringing home 3k+ after taxes and what not.
What field will you be working in? Often times programmers make way more than 65k/yr...
CA is awesome btw... Lots of money to be made here with the right skills, and some hard work.
Oldshoegal00 seems to really have an axe to grind about this at present, but what she says is more or less the truth about SoCal/LA.
First off, you indicate (unless I'm mistaken) that you are not filthy rich. Therefore, beware, (I ignored this advice and you can too but you WILL learn the lesson if you move to the LA area) IF YOU ARE NOT RICH, yeah RICH, IT WILL BE HARD TO ENJOY LIFE HERE. Now wacky people on this site make arguments such as: "hey my sister is 35 and makes 18k/yr and shares a small house with 5 other people and she loves her life in Santa Monica !" GIVE ME A BREAK, puhleeze....
When I researched moving here and took a week-long exploratory trip out here (way to short, btw, try a visit of 3 weeks minimum to sniff THIS place out), it really seemed that rents were a few hundred dollars higher than where I'd been living (Boulder, CO) and other than that Cost of Living was pretty much the same. Well, I found out that is not true at all. SoCal was WAY more expensive than Boulder, CO (not a cheap area itself). It's a lot of small things that really add up to a VERY expensive COL unless you really don't mind living like a total poverty-stricken loser.
Really the only reason to live here if you're not rich is because you have your heart and soul set on a career in an industry or niche that exists in LA and doesn't really exist much somewhere else, e.g. film, prime-time TV, porn, etc.
Especially don't move to SoCal for any of the following reasons:
1. A vague notion that SoCal is hip, happening, and glamorous. That was 40 years ago. No, it's a rank nasty dried-out polluted noisy super-overcrowded hell-hole with a super-high COL.
2. SoCal is where the babe-licious babes are. Uh, there are hot girls everywhere, maybe just a couple more in SoCal but definitely not enough to make this a factor at all.
3. It's a place with a real athletic, active sun-worshipping lifestyle....NOT !! I can see how this used to be true, not anymore for 95% of the population there.
What I wrote here will **** some LA denizens off, oh well. If I was filthy rich, I would definitely have a house close to LA and spend a lot of time living in the area. But only if I was filthy rich ! (Why can't some people understand this distinction ?)
realistically...you will work 40+ hrs a week......have a 1-2hr commute unless you live where you work and by the time you can get some food and maybe relax it will seem like an endless cycle M-F where you are trying to catch up on the weekend in the "rat race" because you couldnt get much done during the week. Then you sit in traffic on the weekends and think "wtf am I doing here"...
meaning you never actually get to experience the nice things on Los Angeles.
When I researched moving here and took a week-long exploratory trip out here (way to short, btw, try a visit of 3 weeks minimum to sniff THIS place out), it really seemed that rents were a few hundred dollars higher than where I'd been living (Boulder, CO) and other than that Cost of Living was pretty much the same. Well, I found out that is not true at all. SoCal was WAY more expensive than Boulder, CO (not a cheap area itself). It's a lot of small things that really add up to a VERY expensive COL unless you really don't mind living like a total poverty-stricken loser.
Really the only reason to live here if you're not rich is because you have your heart and soul set on a career in an industry or niche that exists in LA and doesn't really exist much somewhere else, e.g. film, prime-time TV, porn, etc.
Especially don't move to SoCal for any of the following reasons:
1. A vague notion that SoCal is hip, happening, and glamorous. That was 40 years ago. No, it's a rank nasty dried-out polluted noisy super-overcrowded hell-hole with a super-high COL.
2. SoCal is where the babe-licious babes are. Uh, there are hot girls everywhere, maybe just a couple more in SoCal but definitely not enough to make this a factor at all.
3. It's a place with a real athletic, active sun-worshipping lifestyle....NOT !! I can see how this used to be true, not anymore for 95% of the population there.
What I wrote here will **** some LA denizens off, oh well. If I was filthy rich, I would definitely have a house close to LA and spend a lot of time living in the area. But only if I was filthy rich ! (Why can't some people understand this distinction ?)
I know people that live in LA (westwood) and own real estate, purchased in the past 5 years and they are very happy making about 40k a year.
I know people who rent in west la just a block south of santa monica blvd that make about $35k and they are very happy.
Also know some people that live in a unit 1 block from the beach in manhattan making in the 30k range. He is very pleased with his life.
Happiness is not found through wealth. Wealth provides added conveniences and some opportunities.
realistically...you will work 40+ hrs a week......have a 1-2hr commute unless you live where you work and by the time you can get some food and maybe relax it will seem like an endless cycle M-F where you are trying to catch up on the weekend in the "rat race" because you couldnt get much done during the week. Then you sit in traffic on the weekends and think "wtf am I doing here"...
meaning you never actually get to experience the nice things on Los Angeles.
I don't necessarily agree with the last couple of posts, but I will say that LA really isn't the place for a relaxed life, unless you have enough money to not have to worry about working.
Obviously it depends on your job and what is expected of you, but you do have to take into consideration those things mentioned.
For example, if you work just 40 hours per week, with an hour for lunch, so really 45 hours per week, and you spend just an hour per day commuting, which is on the low side, and you take into consideration getting ready in the morning (say 30 minutes), relaxing a bit in the evening (say 30 minutes), etc., your 40 hour work week suddenly becomes 55 hours.
Assuming you are gung ho and work longer than normal hours, and don't have a short 30 minute commute, you could easily spend 60+ hours per week related to work. That is 12 hours per day.
And for that you will spend most of what you make unless you don't plan on doing much.
HOWEVER, it's a great place. There is more to do here than you can imagine. I have been here 3 years and I feel like I just moved here. Not only is there much opportunity in LA, but all of California has some great things. San Diego, San Francisco, wine country, etc. And you'll get to do and see things here that you will never do or see anywhere else. You just have to be adventurous enough to get out and experience it all. And you also have to be realistic about the time it will take and how much it will cost. As long as you have realistic expectations you will be fine.
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Especially at this stage of your life when you're unencumbered, it's the great adventure!
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