Young couple moving to ca, where should we move? More specific details inside!

[Two Tree]

Hi Thanks guys... LA is looking the most likely. I'll check out that particular forum too.

BVitamin, our budget is... right around 600, or under. If that is possible?

Thanks for the advice on San Diego art scene... does it have a lot of entertainment/geek cons that you know of? (horror cons, sci-fi cons, gaming cons)... and I'll send you a private message with a link to our website.

Honestly, we can tolerate a lot from our neighborhood. We aren't moving from Vegas to find a safer place, although a slight step up would be nice.. I'll just have to look up crime statistics and compare. Basically, we don't want to hear gunshots every night.

If you could give me some suggestions on possible areas around LA that would work for us, that would be great.

Also, do you know anything about Fresno? I've heard it's a hellhole? But I've also heard people say that's a really exaggerated view of it. What about events in Fresno?

Thanks again

[Two Tree]

If that price range isn't possible, what is the cheapest I could hope to find around LA?

[X_travelbug_X]

I think DEADTIME is incorrect to tell you that:
A 1 bedroom in a neighborhood where they wont chalk outline your body in 2 weeks will run you 1500 bucks a month, more if its in an area like Pasadena.

For example, here is a one bedroom in Carmel-by-the-Sea that is $1495.
Carmel is 2 hours to San Francsico and 5.5 hours to LA.
It is BEAUTIFUL and safe but may be too sleepy for a young couple.
Apartment for Rent: 5th & Junipero, Carmel, CA | Powered by vFlyer





Hmmmm $600 will be tough but I like a challenge.
Morro Bay?
http://www.postlets.com/rts/4926102

I do not know that neighborhood but it is cheap and close to the ocean.



I do not know too much about San Luis Obispo, and these are based only on your price range. Ask the experts here about good/bad areas there.
http://www.postlets.com/rts/5254184
http://www.postlets.com/rts/5253999
http://www.postlets.com/rts/5255201

[Two Tree]

NICE! I'll check out Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo for sure, maybe if I look hard and long enough I'll find a $600/mo. It's not close to any HUGE city, but I wouldn't care if I could live by the beach and Obispo isn't tiny.

I didn't even know it would be possible to live by the beach. With our price range I figured it would have to be inland....... I might have seemed really specific in my first post, but really I'm open to a lot of different scenarios. Price is the most important factor right now.

Thanks a lot travelbug, more suggestions like this would be great!

[FresnoFacts]

I moved inland several decades ago after living on the Central Coast. I decided I wanted to be near the Sierras like Yosemite and Sequoia for weekend camping/hiking but wanted a large enough area that my career could do well and I could find plenty of other things to do. Its worked for me around Fresno. Perfect place, no. But as you started out saying there are tradeoffs. Fresno's bad reputation is definitely an exaggeration to me.

There are always events in this area going on. A few examples include.
ArtHop - gallery events the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month -
http://www.fresnoarthop.org

Creative Fresno http://creativefresno.ning.com organizes a number of events thru the year such as Pecha Kucha nights showcasing local design work ranging from architecture, photography, fashion to graphic design and mural art
http://www.pecha-kucha.org/night/fresno

The Rogue Festival is an annual Fringe Festival of independent and performing arts. You can see info on some of this year's shows at:
http://roguefestival.com/rogue2011

Last weekend was the Fresno Film Festival
http://www.fresnofilmfestival.com
While in September will be one of the oldest GLBT film festivals in the US.
http://www.reelpride.com

The California State University System's statewide Summer Arts program has been held at Fresno State since 1999. Lots of lectures, performances, etc open to the public.
http://www.csusummerarts.org/index.shtml

Farmers Markets happen every week year round. There are several each week on different nights but probably the largest is on Fridays from May to October in Old Town Clovis. The Vineyard Market is also popular with a nice selection of local organic produce.

There is a growing collection of small wineries in the area, they have events several times each year.
http://www.maderawinetrail.com
http://www.fresnowines.com
http://www.blossomtrailwineries.com

I could go on but it really depends upon your preferences for things to do.

Take a look at your different choices in the state and you should find someplace that works for you and your budget.

[BVitamin]

Originally Posted by Two Tree

Hi Thanks guys... LA is looking the most likely. I'll check out that particular forum too.

BVitamin, our budget is... right around 600, or under. If that is possible?

I'm not familiar with Los Angeles rentals, sorry. Might want to post in that sub-forum. Might want to look into studios in what use to be the 'fish packing district', there are artists there that have raw lofts -- not sure how much they are or even if they have studios for rent. It's a gritty, empty area last time I was there and I forget the official neighborhood name. Might want to check out Los Feliz, Pasadena, and NoHo as well.

Thanks for the advice on San Diego art scene... does it have a lot of entertainment/geek cons that you know of? (horror cons, sci-fi cons, gaming cons)... and I'll send you a private message with a link to our website.

Ok, in terms of 'art' in San Diego, what I had said before I believe stands true, however what you've been implying are more illustrations, which to me are two different things -- some think it's the same but I disagree. I'm not familiar with that facet of the 'art world', you'll have to do your own research.

I also assumed you wanted to be around these illustrator types to get into the industry or something to that effect but you've seem to be shooting all over the map of California -- so I'm not sure if where you want to be has anything with what you want to be doing, it doesn't seem like it.

I think someone suggested a trailer, you could travel around that way if you wanted.

Honestly, we can tolerate a lot from our neighborhood. We aren't moving from Vegas to find a safer place, although a slight step up would be nice.. I'll just have to look up crime statistics and compare. Basically, we don't want to hear gunshots every night.

If you could give me some suggestions on possible areas around LA that would work for us, that would be great.

See above

Also, do you know anything about Fresno? I've heard it's a hellhole? But I've also heard people say that's a really exaggerated view of it. What about events in Fresno?

Thanks again

Somewhat. It's exaggerated. I think there a few comic related conventions in Fresno, nothing as big as Comic-Con though. Might want to see FresnoFacts for more or Google.

I have to admit that most of my art 'affairs' are more inclined towards an international stage, I normally dismiss a lot of local stuff, they tend to hit that genre of kitschy work -- that's just me though.

[Rhenzanite]

Originally Posted by Two Tree

NICE! I'll check out Morro Bay and San Luis Obispo for sure, maybe if I look hard and long enough I'll find a $600/mo. It's not close to any HUGE city, but I wouldn't care if I could live by the beach and Obispo isn't tiny.

I didn't even know it would be possible to live by the beach. With our price range I figured it would have to be inland....... I might have seemed really specific in my first post, but really I'm open to a lot of different scenarios. Price is the most important factor right now.

Thanks a lot travelbug, more suggestions like this would be great!

Rents are crazy overinflated in SLO... I know college students that are renting bedrooms for $600 a month in a house full of other students. If you're interested in the central coast area you may want to look at Atascadero or Paso Robles... Ive seen 2 bedroom apartments there for under $700 a month and it's only a 20 minute drive to the beach.

Now is a good time to start looking though, Cal Poly let's out fairly soon so rentals should start opening up in the next few months.

[RobE]

Wait a second: did the OP say he/she was looking for an apartment in California for $600 a month? Deadtime was pretty much on the nose. I spent more than 40 years living in SoCal and the only way you might find something that low is to get a room in a three bedroom with two roommates in any place close to the nightlife spots in L.A. or SF.

You might be able to find that kind of rental way out in the boonies, but that will make you very car dependent and gas prices (CA has the highest gas taxes in the country), high auto insurance rates, high sales taxes, the state income tax, the $300-400 a month you will pay just for air conditioning your pad not to mention escalating food prices and other expenses makes it really tough to live anywhere decent for under $50k (and more like 75k). Mass transit in SoCal is only somewhat better than what it was when I moved from there ten years ago, but not anywhere near what it needs to be.

Look at Arizona. Much cheaper. Like Nevada, the housing market has taken a huge dump so rental rates, especially for houses, are going to be far cheaper than in a state with 40 million people in it. If you can get something reasonably close to the CA-Arizona border you won't be that far from San Diego. So AZ may be more your financial speed.