Living near or in Los Angeles (Riverside, Glendale: apartment complexes, rent, house)

[j_rode]

I'm graduating from college in about a year or so, and I'm looking for cities that I would want to live in. I live in Wisconsin right now and I enjoy it here for the most part, but I'm ready for a culture change and wanting to give something new a try and Los Angeles has always intrigued me.

My main questions are:

Is it ignorant to think I could live in or around the Los Angeles area, in a studio apartment for $700-$900 a month?

Is there opportunity for jobs in Marketing? I realize this is probably a dumb question with the entertainment industry being huge out there, etc, etc. However, you never know, and I just figured I'd ask and hope to get a response from someone out in L.A. who is more knowledgeable on the job market. Mind you, I will most likely have a two-year Associates Degree in Marketing. I know of places here in Wisconsin, Milwaukee to be specific that you can start out at $30,000 - $35,000 a year. I would think I could find something similar in the L.A. area.

Maybe I'm being a bit wishful and naive, and if I am, I apologize, just send me back down to reality kindly. I really would like to live out in Los Angeles, but I realize it's expensive. I lead a somewhat simple life. I like to meet people and I enjoy going out, but I'm not one to drop tons of money at bars or other things like that.

Lastly, how are the bugs? Specifically, what kind of spiders are in the area. Spiders just drive me crazy. I hate them, even the small ones. I don't have a problem with seeing them outside, but once they're inside, that's when I have a problem with them. Is it usually just the occasional house spider you have to worry about?

[katenik]

Originally Posted by j_rode

I'm graduating from college in about a year or so, and I'm looking for cities that I would want to live in. I live in Wisconsin right now and I enjoy it here for the most part, but I'm ready for a culture change and wanting to give something new a try and Los Angeles has always intrigued me.

My main questions are:

Is it ignorant to think I could live in or around the Los Angeles area, in a studio apartment for $700-$900 a month?

Is there opportunity for jobs in Marketing? I realize this is probably a dumb question with the entertainment industry being huge out there, etc, etc. However, you never know, and I just figured I'd ask and hope to get a response from someone out in L.A. who is more knowledgeable on the job market. Mind you, I will most likely have a two-year Associates Degree in Marketing. I know of places here in Wisconsin, Milwaukee to be specific that you can start out at $30,000 - $35,000 a year. I would think I could find something similar in the L.A. area.

Maybe I'm being a bit wishful and naive, and if I am, I apologize, just send me back down to reality kindly. I really would like to live out in Los Angeles, but I realize it's expensive. I lead a somewhat simple life. I like to meet people and I enjoy going out, but I'm not one to drop tons of money at bars or other things like that.

Lastly, how are the bugs? Specifically, what kind of spiders are in the area. Spiders just drive me crazy. I hate them, even the small ones. I don't have a problem with seeing them outside, but once they're inside, that's when I have a problem with them. Is it usually just the occasional house spider you have to worry about?

i know nothing about the marketing profession, but i can give you a few general pointers:

LA salaries are (sort of) commensurate with the cost of living here, so any job category that pays in the low $30Ks in the midwest will probably pay high $40Ks- low $50Ks here, but you'll need every penny of it to get by. this is not the kind of place where a young, self-supporting single earning $50K/year can hope to buy a home (not at the moment, anyway), but you can rent in a fairly decent neighborhood.

i don't want to discourage you, but you should be aware that, in general, associate's degrees don't carry much weight in the professional job market. if you're looking for an entry-level position, employers will expect at least a bachelor's degree, so it's unlikely that you'll be able to command the kind of salary i mentioned above without it, especially as a new grad without previous experience in the field to boost your resume. on the bright side, your AA could be useful in getting you in the door in a support position, allowing you to learn more about the profession by watching the practitioners in action, while you continue your education, and prepare yourself to move up in the company.

re housing: studio apartments in the more desirable parts of town (broadly speaking, the west side and some parts of the valley) are impossible to find for under $1000/mo, and you'd probably have to know someone to find one under $1200; they can go as high as $1500/mo. or more depending upon the neighborhood and the building's amenities. some apartment complexes are like full-service resorts with an on-site concierge, recreational facilities, high-tech gadgets galore, and such, but that's not how most people live, to be perfectly honest. if you are willing to live someplace more downscale, you can find a studio at the upper end of your price range, and, in certain neighborhoods, $900/mo will get you a one-bedroom. of course, you'd have to decide if the demographics of those areas are acceptable to you.

LA is, i am happy to tell you, relatively bug-free. no mosquitoes in the summer like in the midwest. (no mosquitoes ever, for that matter!) i am allergic to mosquito and spider bites, and i had to leave LA to find that out. i can't promise that you'll never see a spider, but unless you live in the hills (which isn't in your budget, anyway) their presence is negligible.

hope this information is helpful to you.

[j_rode]

Thanks for the info.

Just clarifying that I will not just have an AA in Liberal Arts, but an Associates Degree in the specific field of Marketing. I go to a tech school that offers specific programs and even though this isn't saying much, it's regarded as one of the better technical colleges around, or so I've been told. Basically, the courses I take are equivalent to what one would take in their junior and senior years at a 4-year university.

I've done some searching and I've seen a few jobs in the Milwaukee area, here in Wisconsin, that start entry level positions at $30,000 - $35,000 and I thought that was good money (for around here) to start with and the requirement was at least an Associates Degree, so I don't know. You might know more than I do.

[katenik]

Originally Posted by j_rode

Thanks for the info.

Just clarifying that I will not just have an AA in Liberal Arts, but an Associates Degree in the specific field of Marketing. I go to a tech school that offers specific programs and even though this isn't saying much, it's regarded as one of the better technical colleges around, or so I've been told. Basically, the courses I take are equivalent to what one would take in their junior and senior years at a 4-year university.

I've done some searching and I've seen a few jobs in the Milwaukee area, here in Wisconsin, that start entry level positions at $30,000 - $35,000 and I thought that was good money (for around here) to start with and the requirement was at least an Associates Degree, so I don't know. You might know more than I do.

you're welcome. i will reiterate that i have no special knowledge about marketing, so please don't assume that i know more than you; i was speaking of corporate professional positions, in general. if your school has a national reputation in the field, you might be good to go, and a lot might also depend upon the type of employer you are seeking. if you're looking to join the mktg. dept. of a large corporation or a big ad firm (the places likely to offer the best pay and advancement opportunities), they're going to want you to have a BA, simply because the competition for those jobs is so fierce that they need a floor from which to begin evaluating candidates. other types of employers might have different requirements.

i have an acquaintance who is studying marketing (i think) in graduate school at USC, but she is working in minnesota for the summer and i don't know how to reach her, or i would pick her brain now on your behalf. if you can remember to come back and send me a private message at this site in about a month, i'll talk to her, and see what i can find out for you. in the meantime, try searching online for entry-level marketing positions in LA, and see what employers are looking for today, and if your credentials match their needs. it doesn't matter what's available or what they're paying in milwaukee if you don't plan to stay there.

[j_rode]

Thanks again.

I will definitely try to get back to you in a month or so and see if you're able to find out more from your acquaintance.

Also, what about areas outside of Los Angeles as far as living. Does it get cheaper in places like Culver City, Sierra Madre, Riverside, Ontario, Burbank, Santa Monica, etc. etc. as far as studio or one bedroom apartments go?

[BEVERLYHILLS CHRIS]

Do you post on mbworld?

Sounds familiar.

Los Angeles always gets cheaper as you move inland and away from the beach. But you don't want that.

Out of all those, I think you should avoid them all with the exception of Santa Monica. But Santa Monica isn't exactly cheap.

[Sorcerer68]

Avoid Riverside and Ontario. I'm still not sure why people live there. Burbank is nice. It has a family feel and is right over the hill from all the Hollywood excitement. I've seen studios over there for a grand recently. Sierra Madre is lovely. It's like a small town (if that's what you're into) and near South Lake and Old Pasadena so there's plenty to do nearby with lots of trees and Craftsman architecture. Santa Monica is lovely. Rent is more than the ones I've discussed. Culver City is hit and miss. It's in the process of gentrification.

[MightyGandhi]

I am currently also looking for places on a tight budget and I have found a few places in the $800 - $900 range in Pasadena, Glendale, and Palms (north of Culver City).

It really depends on how hard you look....

[Sorcerer68]

Originally Posted by MightyGandhi

I am currently also looking for places on a tight budget and I have found a few places in the $800 - $900 range in Pasadena, Glendale, and Palms (north of Culver City).

It really depends on how hard you look....

This is what I keep telling them .