gated buildings and garage parking (house, condo, rent)

[violet42]

hi all,

so I keep hearing that no matter where I look to live in LA, I should look to live in a gated/secure community or building. what does this mean, and is this true? I live in Queens, NYC right now in a small apartment building (6 apts) with no doorman or anything. The neighborhood is relatively safe but can be a bit seedy. I rarely go home alone after 11 and I feel perfectly safe. In LA, would there be any reason not to live in a small apartment building? I'd rather live in a small building, or even a private house/bungalow with roomates rather than in a huge condo complex.

Also, is garage parking even common? Most of the places I look at just say that they have a parking space available, which I assume is outside or in a driveway or something. Why would I need garage parking? Truthfully, dark parking garages make me really uneasy compared to outdoor parking.

Thoughts?

Thanks

[lalagonegaga]

Yeah, you're right, we don't really do the big, townhome-style complex thing. In LA proper, you will, for the most part, be looking at individual buildings of varying size. Some could be 2 stories, some could be mid-level highrise types. But most will be single buildings. Some of the larger buildings have a condo-complex like feel to them. Parking is a sticky issue. A LOT of places (I'd say the majority) will not have parking, but will offer street parking with a permit that you'll have to pay for, but it changes with whatever part of town you're in. If you do get a place with parking, it will be a newer building (anywhere from the 70's-present) and chances are that it will be gated. But I wouldn't let lack of parking stop you from renting a nice place; many times a nearby lot will let you pay for a monthly space.

Good luck and any other questions feel free to PM me.