I'm sooo confused... (San Diego, Pasadena, Santa Monica: lease, school, college)

[jeweloflight]

Thanks everybody for your posts, it's really helping me. If I do an interal transfer with the VA Medical Center, I will transfer to the one in L.A. that's on Wilshire Blvd. What areas are good to live in around there without a huge commute??

[CESpeed]

When I read your first post I kind of thought you might be heading in that direction. I will tell you that the area surrounding the VA is one of the nicest areas in L.A., thus the most expensive. You can find a two bedroom apartment within walking distance for aroiund $2500 per month. Or a three bedroom house for around 1 million. You will be near UCLA and Westwood Village (almost walking). That area is pretty compact so you won't have to travel far to get the necessities. The beach (Santa Monica, for God's sake don't do Venice, it's slightly cheaper but it's filthy and you'll have to travel at least a mile to get the necessities) is about 15-20 min down the street and costs about the same. Though in Santa Monica you will see homeless people but they'll only beg for they won't bother you.

[bhcompy]

If by Veterans hospital you mean the VA hospitals, there is one in Long Beach, CA near Cal State Long Beach(CSULB). There are a lot of very nice neighborhoods there and a lot of fun things to do in downtown Long Beach, the coastal cities/areas(Belmont Shore, Seal Beach), and you aren't too far from LA or Orange County to find other things to do if you want to go out on Friday night or something.

The area would be very affordable to you as well, moreso than LA I would say

[CESpeed]

If you go to Long Beach, stay near the beach (Downtown or Belmont shore only) the rest of Long Beach is very crime infested, especially North Long Beach. (I'm a social worker and that's where most of my clients are)

[JackSparrow]

Originally Posted by jeweloflight

Thanks everybody for your posts, it's really helping me. If I do an interal transfer with the VA Medical Center, I will transfer to the one in L.A. that's on Wilshire Blvd. What areas are good to live in around there without a huge commute??

I live a few blocks from that VA hospital.

Westwood is a great area. If you can afford it, move to Brentwood or Westwood.

[Sorcerer68]

You can have a great life here on 80-90k a year and don't listen to the "you have to make 100k a year to live in L.A." people because it isn't true. If you don't want to live in San Diego because it's boring, avoid Calabasas, Thousand Oaks and their ilk for the same reasons. You can live in a quiet neighborhood here and be close to plenty to do. I can give Los Feliz the thumbs up. I'm close to everything and it's pretty quiet and safe. Check Hollywood Hills neighborhoods, you may like them. Burbank is quiet and right over the hill from the action. Pasadena near the Old Pasadena area has PLENTY for you to do and has the most gorgeous architecture in the L.A. area. I'm still not quite sure what you want...maybe this will get you started.

People: Compared to L.A., Durham is the boonies. People in large cities tend to move quicker and don't linger and chit-chat as much. I moved back here from Hawaii which is supposed to be the friendliest place on earth. I was surprised how helpful and friendly everyone was here. I hadn't been here in 2 years. You'll find whatever you look for here. I'm real and down to earth and so are my friends. Certain parts of town are friendlier than others. I find people on the west side a little more uptight and definitely hear more horns but I think L.A. people are pretty friendly compared to other large cities.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by CESpeed

If you go to Long Beach, stay near the beach (Downtown or Belmont shore only) the rest of Long Beach is very crime infested, especially North Long Beach. (I'm a social worker and that's where most of my clients are)

thats not true at all.

Eastern Long Beach(pretty much areas east of the Traffic Circle/Airport) is a great place to raise a family with good schools and crime as low as any other suburban area. The coastal areas(Belmont Shore, Naples, Alamitos Bay), College Park West, and Bixby Knolls are other nice areas as well. Anyways, the VA is in eastern Long Beach and also near the coast. Nice areas all around for the most part, the biggest problems in that area stem from the college students living in the apartments around CSULB

[jeweloflight]

I think I saw that there was a VA in Long Beach when I went to their website. But I had heard so much negative, crime-ridden stories about Long Beach, I hadn't even considered it. I was watching that show on either VH1 or MTV "Snoop Dogg's Fatherhood" and he went back to his old neighborhood in Long Beach, and I thought, God, is that what Long Beach looks like?! But I guess every city has good and bad parts, so I don't want to generalize.

I probably will stick to the one in L.A. if I don't end up in San Diego. I also saw there was one in Loma Linda area, but I don't know what that's like. If I do go to the one L.A., hopefully I can afford the area.

I think more than money, I just want to get in where I fit in in L.A. if that's possible. People in the South and on the East Coast just have this realness about them that didn't find in SoCal when I came to visit a few years ago.

[Sorcerer68]

Long Beach is a city of 500,000 people. It has good parts, crappy parts and in between parts. Ferris Bueller's Day Off and the American Pie movies were shot in a particular neighborhood in Long Beach. Belmont Shores/Heights are really, really nice.

I didn't read the post saying you were thinking of the VA on Wilshire. Yes, Westwood and Brentwood are nice and you'll spend more on rent. You'll be able to afford it with your salary.

[bhcompy]

Sorcerer is correct, Long Beach is a huge city, just like Los Angeles, and it's going to have bad parts, poor parts, nice parts, and rich parts, just like any other major metropolitan city.