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As I said I like LA, it's just not urban. Show me some google streetview areas in LA with lots of people in the streets outside the few touristic spots. I'm sure you can't, because most people don't walk in L.A, because it's not urban
Uh, so you're basing everything on street view, then? LA has plenty of non-touristy places with a lot of foot traffic, like Westlake/MacArthur Park, sections of East LA, plenty of corridors on the west side that are not touristy per se (eg the Fairfax Corridor). Street view can be very misleading. Plenty of areas in Chicago which I know are typically bustling look empty on streetview as well
Street view can be very misleading. Plenty of areas in Chicago which I know are typically bustling look empty on streetview as well
Yeah totally. Seen this in many cities that I am familiar with. Streetview might be able to tell you what kind of buildings are in the area, but it doesn't give you a sense of vibe at all most of the time (but sometimes it does).
And you don't have to. Most US cities, even the walkable ones you could own a car. Manhattan is without a doubt the hardest place to own a car. A city like Chicago, while very walkable, is not "hard" to own a car. You could easily live in the city, even walkable areas, with a car. Not to mention the "concrete and steel jungle" part. Places like Chicago, even in their densest, are a hell of a lot different than 85% of Manhattan where you get this picture of "concrete jungle."
personally I like both Chicago and New York--actually love em, and youre right about Chicago being a car city as is is most of New York city. My complaint is with all these so called urbanites paying too much of a percentage of their income to live in the so called HIP neighborhoods where EVERYTHING is OVERPRICED and being totally anti automobile because they cant afford one
personally I like both Chicago and New York--actually love em, and youre right about Chicago being a car city as is is most of New York city. My complaint is with all these so called urbanites paying too much of a percentage of their income to live in the so called HIP neighborhoods where EVERYTHING is OVERPRICED and being totally anti automobile because they cant afford one
To be honest, at least in Chicago, I don't think you really understand how the rental stuff works related to income. I live downtown in a high rise and had to give my management office a few pay stubs within the last few months when I applied for a unit. If the rent of the unit was over 33% of my gross monthly income, they would deny me right away on the spot with no questions asked no matter how exceptional my credit was.
I've helped friends look in other neighborhoods and even in normal buildings with small landlords (3-15 units), they will do the same thing (or ask to see your bank account in case you don't have a job but have a **** load of money in cash).
I don't know how it is in other cities currently, but in Chicago it's conservative and even in the hip neighborhoods, if you don't have a job with a salary to support it or show that you have a lot of money saved up in your bank account, they won't rent to you. It's a huge risk to them - especially the landlords who don't 100% own the buildings and are merely paying off a loan for it still. No intelligent landlord in their right mind with a loan to pay off is going to rent to a bunch of people who they have no idea if they can truly afford it or not and risk defaulting on a loan.
To be honest, at least in Chicago, I don't think you really understand how the rental stuff works related to income. I live downtown in a high rise and had to give my management office a few pay stubs within the last few months when I applied for a unit. If the rent of the unit was over 33% of my gross monthly income, they would deny me right away on the spot with no questions asked no matter how exceptional my credit was.
I've helped friends look in other neighborhoods and even in normal buildings with small landlords (3-15 units), they will do the same thing (or ask to see your bank account in case you don't have a job but have a **** load of money in cash).
I don't know how it is in other cities currently, but in Chicago it's conservative and even in the hip neighborhoods, if you don't have a job with a salary to support it or show that you have a lot of money saved up in your bank account, they won't rent to you. It's a huge risk to them - especially the landlords who don't 100% own the buildings and are merely paying off a loan for it still. No intelligent landlord in their right mind with a loan to pay off is going to rent to a bunch of people who they have no idea if they can truly afford it or not and risk defaulting on a loan.
its not just about percentage of income to rent---its about affordability. I could PAY 1800 a month but I pay $945
"DC IS nice and urban in the core, but it is not on a scale or in a tier that could remotely compare with the likes of L.A. That is just delusional."
I just don't get this at all.
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