Commuter to CSU Northridge - are there any closeby and affordable/safe neighborhoods? (Riverside: apartment complexes)

[emilieee7780]

When I say affordable and safe, I mean relatively, obviously. Looking for a studio under $1000/mo. in a safe area and not too long of a drive from campus. I really don't know the area at all as I live out of state right now. Any advice on nearby areas and even apartment complexes would be great. Thanks.

[nowincal11]

www.padmapper.com is one of the best resources for finding an apartment. I used it along with rent.com (sign up for a free account).

If you stay in Northridge, make sure it is north of Parthenia because it starts to get a little bit less middle class as you go south of there into Reseda.

I suggest Sherman Oaks or Encino as well.

[emilieee7780]

Originally Posted by nowincal11

www.padmapper.com is one of the best resources for finding an apartment. I used it along with rent.com (sign up for a free account).

If you stay in Northridge, make sure it is north of Parthenia because it starts to get a little bit less middle class as you go south of there into Reseda.

I suggest Sherman Oaks or Encino as well.

Thanks, I'll use those sites! What do you think about Van Nuys?

[nowincal11]

Van Nuys is a bit rough. It's not horrible like South LA or parts of East LA, but its one of the more crime impacted areas of the Valley. I would carefully choose your building if you live there.

If you can, find something between Riverside and Magnolia, which is technically Sherman Oaks, but cheaper since it's north of the Freeway.

North Hills is decent, better than Van Nuys.

Also look at Tarzana. It's safe and a bit older (meaning not as expensive).

[JohnG72]

SMH.

Northridge is one of the nicer, safer areas of SFV, and the area surrounding CSN is just fine. Plenty of studios or guest houses in the area between $850-1000/mo.

There is NO reason to live in any other nearby area. Live within walking distance of campus.

[emilieee7780]

I'm having trouble finding places with a 9 month or month-to-month lease option in the immediate surrounding area. I don't know how much I should trust online reviews, but I'm also hearing a lot about terrible management, plumbing problems, cockroaches, the whole bit. So finding a place with decent reviews has been tough and forced me to look around a bit since I really don't mind making a short drive. Certainly being within walking distance from the university would be ideal, but it would have to be with a good management company. I'll definitely look at places close to campus while I'm over there, but I want to know all my options. Good to know that the surrounding area is safe, though. Thanks for your help.

[nowincal11]

Any city apartment has the same complaints of poor apartment management, plumbing, etc. Though I wouldn't always trust the reviews because the only people who post are the ones who complain. If 10 people complain, there's another 90 that are satisfied.

Finding a 9 month lease is tough outside of a college town. CSUN has a lot of commuters who live here year round. Even traditional students from all over probably tend to stick around over summer since LA is generally thought of as being better than where they came from.