advice on a good place to live? (Los Angeles, Oxnard: apartments, school)

[Colombian_scientist]

Hi, I used to live in the coast but moved to take a job in a biotech company in Thousand Oaks, for that reason I decided to live nearby in Camarillo. I'm single 32 year old and was used to a the big city, needless to say I feel like I'm wasting my time here. I also agree with some other people in that is hard to meet people, specially cultured down to earth people.

I always wanted to live close to my work but now I'm thinking of moving to a place in between L.A and Ventura C. maybe Agoura Hills (however I would prefer to be a little closer to L.A.). I thought about Calabazas as well but I've heard is pretty expensive. I'm not planning to stay in CA for the rest of my life but at least get to enjoy the city life (or at least what is made up to be).

I have a decent job but I'm not looking to spend more than $1700 for a single Bedroom apartment.

Let me know if you have any ideas, I'll appreciate them,

thanks,

Mauricio

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Colombian_scientist

....I decided to live nearby in Camarillo. I'm single 32 year old a

.....now I'm thinking of moving to a place in between L.A and Ventura C. maybe Agoura Hills (however I would prefer to be a little closer to L.A.). I thought about Calabazas....

Most of those places including Calabasas aren't the best for single people. (It could be worse; you could be working at Point Mugu, a Navy base, like I did for ten years while I was single. It is probably easier to meet chicks in prison than it was to meet them on a navy base.)

Do you have friends of that have friends to hook you up with? Always worked for me. I had lots of female friends who I'd ask to set me up.

Also, I hung out with a catholic young adult singles crowd - it paid off...

When I was in engineering school (another female Siberia), I took art history classes, art 2D and art 3D classes. Nice, like fishing in a barrel.

Those were the days, like a kid in a candy store. Now that I am married it's like I'm a diabetic kid in a candy store.

Agoura Hills will be no improvement over Camarillo.

Ventura might be better.

Calabasas won't be better. Neither will Moorpark, Simi, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard, Newbury Park, West Hills, or anywhere within decent driving of Thousand Oaks.


If I were you, I'd stick to Thousand Oaks or Camarillo. You'll have to make it work there or go over the hill on the weekends.

Of course, you are 32; You should be hitting the first round of divorcers soon; Or the seven year itchers (which I got six years and 51 weeks early....)

[Colombian_scientist]

Hey Charles thanks for the comments very insightful, so how about going all the way and moving to L.A. or Santa Monica? I know driving would be a drag but maybe I could wake up really early (I tend to be an early bird). I know people from work mostly but is pretty much a dead end, I'm the youngest in my group so the other folks are in a different place I guess. At the end I will probably marry a Colombian girl, but in the meantime I'm looking to meet other people and just have fun.

thanks again,

[Actinup]

Commutin g is a drag especially with gas prices so high, but you could probably get away with getting a place in Woodland Hills or even Encino.

[Colombian_scientist]

Yes, I was thinking maybe Woodland Hills, I'll check Encino as well... thanks

[JonathanLB]

Woodland Hills seems pretty cool. It's like the Persian capitol of the L.A. area, though, hehe. It seems nice.

I live in Downtown Los Angeles, I really like it, but I also don't meet many single people really. I've never been good at figuring out how exactly you meet hot, young, single girls. The main way I meet them is through casting actresses for my projects, but I'm too professional to hit on my actresses. It's just low.

[ConsideringLA]

Originally Posted by Colombian_scientist

Hey Charles thanks for the comments very insightful, so how about going all the way and moving to L.A. or Santa Monica? I know driving would be a drag but maybe I could wake up really early (I tend to be an early bird). I know people from work mostly but is pretty much a dead end, I'm the youngest in my group so the other folks are in a different place I guess. At the end I will probably marry a Colombian girl, but in the meantime I'm looking to meet other people and just have fun.

thanks again,

There are some great apartments around Warner Center with tons of singles. I was in a corp apartment for 6 weeks when we first moved this way and was completely out of place (married w/ 2 kids). Plenty of single women in the complex gym and at the pool. The new plexes are at Trillium / Triana, The Mont, & Bella Vista. There's also a brand new complex just built on De Soto / Victory. These are good options in your range. It's borderline light industrial, though, so check it all out.

I'd also look closely at Sherman Oaks - the west end right near the 405/101. That would be a reverse commute to Thousand Oaks, though 101 traffic coming back is always a crap shoot. More happening than Encino and great weekend access to Santa Monica, West LA, etc. Also about 7-10 degrees cooler than Woodland Hills. The galleria, restaurants, ventura blvd scene is all pretty chic (for the valley...) and you will run into stars all the time. All of this keeps the single crowd coming back. Plenty of apts on Dickens south of the blvd. that should be in your range. Stumble to morning weekend coffee on Ventura Blvd and you'll make small talk with folks like yourself. I commuted to Warner Center from this area -- it took 15 minutes door to door in the morning, about 20-25 to get home; add the time to TO accordingly.

[Winston Smith]

Originally Posted by Colombian_scientist

Hi, I used to live in the coast but moved to take a job in a biotech company in Thousand Oaks, for that reason I decided to live nearby in Camarillo. I'm single 32 year old and was used to a the big city, needless to say I feel like I'm wasting my time here. I also agree with some other people in that is hard to meet people, specially cultured down to earth people.

I always wanted to live close to my work but now I'm thinking of moving to a place in between L.A and Ventura C. maybe Agoura Hills (however I would prefer to be a little closer to L.A.). I thought about Calabazas as well but I've heard is pretty expensive. I'm not planning to stay in CA for the rest of my life but at least get to enjoy the city life (or at least what is made up to be).

I have a decent job but I'm not looking to spend more than $1700 for a single Bedroom apartment.

Let me know if you have any ideas, I'll appreciate them,

thanks,

Mauricio

From scanning this thread, it looks like you're already resigned to dealing with more than a small commute for the sake of your job in TO and a place to live with the social characteristics you describe. Have you considered Santa Barbara? It would be around 50 miles one way to work, most of it a reverse commute (until Ventura). A 1 bedroom is still doable for $1,700/mo in SB. Just a thought. I agree with others here that anything between Ventura and Calabasas is unlikely to fit the bill for you.

[Colombian_scientist]

Thanks guys, good info in here. Yes at some point I considered S.B, but is just too far from work and the traffic can be brutal. On the other hand for example Woodland Hills is less than 20 miles from thousand oaks and about 20 miles to West Hollywood.

Keep'em coming, thanks again!