Whats so great about Los Angeles on $40,000? (Orange, Burbank: sublets, apartments)

[Cost oF Living]

American Dream #1-Owning A Home-Not possible in Los Angeles
American Dream #2-Becoming Rich-Limited Possiblity


Whats so great about Los Angeles on $40,000?

[JMP]

Weather!, Weather, Weather

[Angel Bear]

Ditto regarding the weather

Culture, recreation, open-minded people, etc., etc.

[fastfilm]

Don't forget the quality of housing for $40K a year:

(these are $1,000.00 a month 1-bedroom apartments in an area of $600 - 800K homes.)

[TriciaK57]

Hmmmmmm... a picture truly is worth a thousand words. And, I bet, most tenants of these "Los Angeles condominiums" live paycheck to -check into cash- paycheck. "The weather" is not enough reason to compromise your quality of life.
Newscast: California is not "all that". People need to broaden their horizons, spread out, explore other parts of the country. If you're not George Clooney or Magic Johnson... Los Angeles might not be your niche. I be damned if I'd pay $1,000.00 a month for anybody's rent when I can purchase a home with a lesser mortgage than that in hundreds of other cities. There is nothing attractive about being scared to death to walk around outside because you may become a statistic. I'm not trying to navigate a "war zone" when I need to conduct business downtown. Why subject yourself to RR (road rage) in suffocating traffic just to get back and forth to work or go to the grocery? For every one person who is breaking their neck to come to Cali, there should be two people getting the heck out. If you're stuck due to Circumstances BYC, get out as soon as you can. Finish school and leave. Retire and leave. Sell your house, line up employment, and leave. Sometimes it's hard to see the forest.... but the weather can be nice and the grass greener on the other side. On chilly days... put on a sweater.

[Angel Bear]

I don't live in California yet, but working on it

I'm looking more into moving to Orange County versus Los Angeles...'cause I can

[Blondie]

Originally Posted by TriciaK57

Hmmmmmm... a picture truly is worth a thousand words. And, I bet, most tenants of these "Los Angeles condominiums" live paycheck to -check into cash- paycheck. "The weather" is not enough reason to compromise your quality of life.
Newscast: California is not "all that". People need to broaden their horizons, spread out, explore other parts of the country. If you're not George Clooney or Magic Johnson... Los Angeles might not be your niche. I be damned if I'd pay $1,000.00 a month for anybody's rent when I can purchase a home with a lesser mortgage than that in hundreds of other cities. There is nothing attractive about being scared to death to walk around outside because you may become a statistic. I'm not trying to navigate a "war zone" when I need to conduct business downtown. Why subject yourself to RR (road rage) in suffocating traffic just to get back and forth to work or go to the grocery? For every one person who is breaking their neck to come to Cali, there should be two people getting the heck out. If you're stuck due to Circumstances BYC, get out as soon as you can. Finish school and leave. Retire and leave. Sell your house, line up employment, and leave. Sometimes it's hard to see the forest.... but the weather can be nice and the grass greener on the other side. On chilly days... put on a sweater.

You are so right. Six years ago I just couldn't wait to get the hell out of Nashville and move to Los Angeles. The man in my life at that time waxed poetic about L.A. and told me that "life in Southern California is unlike life elsewhere." Man, he got that right! Of course, he lives in a house high atop a hill in Pacific Palisades - bit of a difference from living in Sherman Oaks and then Venice. Less than four miserable years later, I came back to Nashville and never looked back. I'd been deluded by the fantasy of L.A. and discovered the reality was totally different. But it was a very valuable lesson; I'd had no idea how good I had it here all along.

[Sonrise]

AngelBear,
If you're not moving here for acting may I suggest you think twice. Trust me Cali is so over rated. The weather is nice but when an awful brown film is concealing the mountains 5 out of 7 days a week and the ocean is cold and the beaches are scummy what good is nice weather? Also, traffic is atrocious and I'm not exagerrating. I do work in the entertainment business and I was on a tv show last year for 8 months. I live in Burbank and we were shooting in Culver City/Marina Del Ray. About 26 miles give or take. Honest to God, on a bad day it took me 1 1/2 hours each way. What kind of quality of life is that?

Honestly, it sucks here. It's not even that pretty, it is desert after all and the housing and taxes are sky high. We make a good living and can't afford to buy. Graffitti, crazy radical idealogy, crime. I'm sorry that I sound like such a pessimist, I'm actually a half full kinda guy but the truth is the truth. Trying to be objective the thing I do love about LA is all the different types of food here. YUMMY!

Don't want you to think I'm a hypocrite. We're planning on moving to Greenville, SC(wanna talk beautiful,wow!) by April. Can't wait. It was my #1 on removed. Take the quiz yourself, it's fun.

So, in summation, if your not going for the "biz" please think twice about moving here. Any ?'s feel free to ask.

[jlrobe]

Originally Posted by TriciaK57

Hmmmmmm... a picture truly is worth a thousand words. And, I bet, most tenants of these "Los Angeles condominiums" live paycheck to -check into cash- paycheck. "The weather" is not enough reason to compromise your quality of life.
Newscast: California is not "all that". People need to broaden their horizons, spread out, explore other parts of the country. If you're not George Clooney or Magic Johnson... Los Angeles might not be your niche. I be damned if I'd pay $1,000.00 a month for anybody's rent when I can purchase a home with a lesser mortgage than that in hundreds of other cities. There is nothing attractive about being scared to death to walk around outside because you may become a statistic. I'm not trying to navigate a "war zone" when I need to conduct business downtown. Why subject yourself to RR (road rage) in suffocating traffic just to get back and forth to work or go to the grocery? For every one person who is breaking their neck to come to Cali, there should be two people getting the heck out. If you're stuck due to Circumstances BYC, get out as soon as you can. Finish school and leave. Retire and leave. Sell your house, line up employment, and leave. Sometimes it's hard to see the forest.... but the weather can be nice and the grass greener on the other side. On chilly days... put on a sweater.

Los Angeles can be bad and have bad rent situations, but you need to be smart. I dont doubt what fastflm has showed me, but i have seen one bedrooms in old pasadena (a fantastic arwea) go for 1000 in jan 2006. If you are smart enough to get roomates, you can live with 3 other people, and move to gorgoues manhattan beach for 900 a month. If you dont want roomates, and are single, then you are just *****ed and need to re-evaluate or leave the city. dont be fooled by dilapidated places renting for outrageous prices. Just laugh at them and keep searching. There are sublets and good deals all over if you look hard enough. I saw a two bedroom in palos verdes for 1550. It wasnt a great apartment, but it wasnt close to bad either.

You are right though. No matter how you slice it, you can get much more for your money in other states. FAR more. I may be moving in the future, but LA is not all that bad, even for young professionals who dont make 200K/yr. I hang in Manhattan, santa monica, venice, malibu, west hollywood, beverly hills, west LA, and countless other areas. If you can afford to live and work in a very quiet neighborhood and know how to get around to all the wonderful parts of LA, it is one of the best places around if you like endless parks, festivals, cultural events, night life, beaches, unique neighorhoods, restaruants, events, and world class venues and entertainment.

If you like to stay at home, go to walmart to shop and applebees to eat, and just want a safe quiet space, 70% of America will do, and will be far cheaper.

So, in my opinion, CA is all that and a bag of chips. I encourage every young professional to come and really sample the culture (whether it be the arts scene, the grunge scene, the indie-rock scene, the night party scene, the outdoors-beach scene, the political involvment scene, or the yuck yuck celebrity watch fashion scene....). "IF" you are resourceful and know how to get around and have fun, LA, and ALOT of CA is great, at least for the first 5 years or so.

PS: On 40K, LA can be fantastic, but it depends on your goals. If you dont mind sharing a small apartment for 800/month in a fun location and enjoying life, then it is great. If you want to have 2 kids, 2 cars, a 2200 sq. ft. home, life insurance, a retirement plan, and everything else an adult wants in the cycle of life, then LA is not the best place on 40K.

[jlrobe]

Originally Posted by Blondie

You are so right. Six years ago I just couldn't wait to get the hell out of Nashville and move to Los Angeles. The man in my life at that time waxed poetic about L.A. and told me that "life in Southern California is unlike life elsewhere." Man, he got that right! Of course, he lives in a house high atop a hill in Pacific Palisades - bit of a difference from living in Sherman Oaks and then Venice. Less than four miserable years later, I came back to Nashville and never looked back. I'd been deluded by the fantasy of L.A. and discovered the reality was totally different. But it was a very valuable lesson; I'd had no idea how good I had it here all along.

That is such an interesting story. To be honest, I think you are lucky not to be born in CA or NYC. People seem to like the places they grew up. On the contrary, a friend of mine moved to tennessee to attend vanderbilt and absolutely hated tennessee, but I am sure people who were born in tennesse love it. I have been too Texas, arkansas, lousiana, and georgia, and I must say, I dont hate them, but I didnt like them either. I have a CA syndrome. I think those places are all the same and I simply describe them as not CA. For people who grew up in those places, thats a good thing, for people who grew up in CA, that is a bad thing.

I really do wish I could live in tennesse. I could buy a house in cash, in those states, where as here, it would only be a down payment. CA is SO frustrating in this regard. Darn you CA!!! Why are you SO expensive!!!!