Wanting to move from NYC to Santa Barbara, need some advice (Berkeley: where to stay, apartment)

[Zohren]

I am currently enrolled full time in NYC at Pace University, a Computer Science major and top of my class. Unfortunately, the program sucks and I'm sick of the cold, so I've decided to try and move out west.
NYC is expensive, so I'm used to it now. I don't make much money, but I get by.
I applied and got accepted to SBCC, where I intend to go for one year before transferring to UCSB and obtaining my BS.

My issue is finding a place. I've seen places that are $3000 for a 2 bed, and $1600 for a one bed, and this is just way out of my price range. I could sustain a 1 - 2 bed for $1200 - $1400 a month fairly easily, but anything more and I'm in dangerous waters. Also the cost of the move won't be cheap, either.

If anyone can give me some advice, I'd appreciate it!

Areas to look at, etc. (Where to stay away from, the standard stuff)

Thanks a bunch guys!

[jaijai]

Originally Posted by Zohren

I am currently enrolled full time in NYC at Pace University, a Computer Science major and top of my class. Unfortunately, the program sucks and I'm sick of the cold, so I've decided to try and move out west.
NYC is expensive, so I'm used to it now. I don't make much money, but I get by.
I applied and got accepted to SBCC, where I intend to go for one year before transferring to UCSB and obtaining my BS.

My issue is finding a place. I've seen places that are $3000 for a 2 bed, and $1600 for a one bed, and this is just way out of my price range. I could sustain a 1 - 2 bed for $1200 - $1400 a month fairly easily, but anything more and I'm in dangerous waters. Also the cost of the move won't be cheap, either.

If anyone can give me some advice, I'd appreciate it!

Areas to look at, etc. (Where to stay away from, the standard stuff)

Thanks a bunch guys!

If Santa Barbara is as expensive as Santa Cruz county (and i imagine it's a bit pricier even) it's going to be difficult to find a good 1 or 2 bedroom in that price range.
Actually, a 2 bedroom for $1200 = probably no way. Even for $1400 ... maybe not.
The other option to consider is a room-mate situation.
That way you can live in a really nice place in a good area and for quite a bit less than the $1200 - $1400 that you're able to spend.
And you'll have money left over for important things ... like eating and other good stuff.
Welcome to the ridiculously pricey rental life on the coast of California.
It can be worth it though if you can swing it financially without getting torqued.

[Zohren]

The problem I face is that I'm going to be moving with my mother, to help her out. I currently live in NYC with a roommate, and I'd have no problem with rooming with somebody, but my mom has had a rough time in NYC, unable to find work at all, so that $1200 - $1400 would be split between us. By myself, I can only really afford about $700.

The apartment doesn't have to be super large or new (I have been living in NYC, after all), but anything half-decent is fine. I just am afraid that at the price range I'm looking at, sustaining the apartment PLUS a car may just be a little out of my range.

I'm also considering Las Vegas (Summerlin or Henderson area) as it's so much cheaper to live out there. Forget a 2 bedroom apartment for $1400, you can get a 3-4 bedroom house for that price. A 2 bedroom place would be $700 - $1000 for a nice place there. Unfortunately, UNLV doesn't really come with the prestige that UCSB does for Computer Science majors. Saying that I currently go to Pace University, which is probably just as bad.

Are there any specific areas of Santa Barbara I should be considering?

[ryuns]

Anywhere close to the SBCC or UCSB is going to be expensive, both becuase of the students and because of the proximity to the ocean. SB really is just insanely expensive. You can definitely find places in your price range in the more "working class" neighborhoods. Your best shot, with access to public transit and downtown, is Oak Park and Samarkand. There are some areas to the east and west of downtown that are cheaper, but the neighborhoods aren't quite as nice. (Nothing in SB is really "bad" or "dangerous", but there are definitely less nice areas, but you'll notice a lot of the lower-middle class areas feature A LOT of people crammed in to an apartment, owing to the high cost of rent.)

I have no idea what your mom does, but I'm not sure why you think her luck finding a job in SB would change. Unemployment is not terrible, but there just aren't that many professional jobs, and there's a lot of competition from UCSB grads who want got used to the lifestyle and want to stick around after college.

Honestly, if I pulling up stakes and wanted to find a place where I could go to a good community college then state school, where also my mom could find a job, it wouldn't be SB. Somewhere more like inland LA or Sac with a bigger job base (even if unemployment is still pretty high) and a lower cost of living.

I'm sure you're already aware that you'll be paying out of state tuition anywhere you go in California for, IIRC, 2 years, until you establish residency.

[Dean Trails]

Originally Posted by Zohren

My issue is finding a place. I've seen places that are $3000 for a 2 bed, and $1600 for a one bed, and this is just way out of my price range. I could sustain a 1 - 2 bed for $1200 - $1400 a month fairly easily, but anything more and I'm in dangerous waters. Also the cost of the move won't be cheap, either.

If anyone can give me some advice, I'd appreciate it!

Areas to look at, etc. (Where to stay away from, the standard stuff)

Thanks a bunch guys!

You will need to get roommates and probably live in IV. It is a small community north of the UCSB campus. It is a mainly students, poor folks and the wacky. Rent can be a had for as little as $500 but you have to share.

It is, by the way, quite beautiful as it is on the Pacific Coast and flip flops and shorts are the uniform of the day. You may need a sweater at night.

Check out Isla Vista rents and it may be what you want.

[Zohren]

My mom is a hairdresser, so her issue isn't the jobs itself so much as transferring her license. She has a GA state license, and transferring in NY is much harder than transferring into CA, so she will have an easier time getting her license, and thus a job.

As far as areas, I don't need to be in the "nicest" area, it just has to be somewhere I will feel safe walking around. I live in Astoria, NY, a nice community area of Queens, and I generally feel safe. Having said that, I've been robbed twice and only been living here 15 months. So long as I can beat those odds out there, the area doesn't have to be fantastic.

I don't mind commuting, I should have a car by the time I go, and the rent cost may be split 3, possibly even 4 ways if things work out right.

Also, UC:SB is recognized as one of the top schools in the country for Comp Sci, one of the best in the world even. Other than Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, and Berkeley, nothing tops it. SBCC has guaranteed transfer in, and tuition rates for SBCC as out-of-state are still about 1/4 to 1/2 of what I'm paying to attend PACE up here in NY.

As far as I can tell, I can get in-state tuition after only one year of residency; at least, that's how it looked from the application process for SBCC. I figure if I can get down there in May/June, get a driver's license ASAP and get the bills in my name, I should be good by the time the Fall '13 semester rolls around.

Plus, CA is filled with computer companies that I could potentially intern with or get a job at in the future.

I'm also considering LV as it still gets me closer to where I want to be, has a warm, sunny climate, and a MUCH lower cost of living. Saying that, UNLV isn't anywhere near as good as CA schools seem to be, but is the only other option.

I can't take the cold weather anymore. I'm a skinny guy, 5'11 and 125lbs (On a good day) - The cold weather goes right through me, and on top of that I'm affected by SAD. I really just need to be somewhere warm and sunny. Cheaper would be nice, but warm and sunny is the main prerequisite. People have recommended AZ to me before, but I can't find a single thing about the state that appeals to me.

[Zohren]

Wouldn't mind some more advice if anyone has any?

[JHG722]

Have you considered UCD and USC?

[bouncethelight]

Originally Posted by Zohren

As far as I can tell, I can get in-state tuition after only one year of residency; at least, that's how it looked from the application process for SBCC. I figure if I can get down there in May/June, get a driver's license ASAP and get the bills in my name, I should be good by the time the Fall '13 semester rolls around.

Here are the official requirements for the UC system - make sure you do it right! It could be an expensive mistake, if you can't qualify as a resident. http://ucop.edu/ogc/documents/studen...tion-sheet.pdf

[Ceece]

Also, UC:SB is recognized as one of the top schools in the country for Comp Sci, one of the best in the world even. Other than Stanford, Carnegie Mellon, MIT, and Berkeley, nothing tops it.

I've never heard this before. I'm no expert but it sounds like hyperbole to me. I'm sure it's decent as most UC's are, but it THAT is what is driving your decision I'd rethink it.

However, the CC to UC plan is always a good one.