USC with no car - doable? (Los Angeles, Pasadena: best neighborhood, 2015, neighborhood)

[iamyashu]

I am considering an offer to go to USC for grad school, but I hate driving (lived in nyc for many years) and my stipend is pretty low (20k a year) so I don't know if I could even afford a car. Is it possible to get by without a car out there / take public transportation, or is that crazy? also, is 20k way too little to live on in LA?

[ccm123]

USC is not located in the best area of LA, so a car is probably your best transportation option.

[munchitup]

Yes it is doable, USC is located right on the Expo Line light rail plus a variety of bus lines. It's definitely not going to be like NYC or anything, but you will be able to get from Point A to Point B.

ccm123 is correct, it isn't the best neighborhood. But with a budget of 20k I'm not sure a car is really realistic.

[PDF]

It's do-able, since it is right on the Expo line. But that depends on what kind of lifestyle you want to live and what your expectations are.

[transitfan]

I went to school and worked at USC for 21 years w/out a car, so it is definitely doable. And I lived as far away as Palms, Westwood and Gardena. No Expo Line back then either (1976-1998). Key is to live relatively close by (no more than 15 miles) and where there is halfway decent transit (I was usually near a major street (Venice Blvd, Wilshire Blvd, Rosecrans Av, Western Av, etc.)) Good luck

[PDF]

Originally Posted by transitfan

I went to school and worked at USC for 21 years w/out a car, so it is definitely doable. And I lived as far away as Palms, Westwood and Gardena. No Expo Line back then either (1976-1998). Key is to live relatively close by (no more than 15 miles) and where there is halfway decent transit (I was usually near a major street (Venice Blvd, Wilshire Blvd, Rosecrans Av, Western Av, etc.)) Good luck

Wow! That's dedication. I can't imagine taking public transit in LA back then.

[disgruntled la native]

With your stipend not sure you can afford a car anyway, so you're going to have to make do with public transit. And yes it's totally doable, especially with the Expo Line.

[genjy]

Originally Posted by PDF

Wow! That's dedication. I can't imagine taking public transit in LA back then.

Imagine dirty buses that smelled like urine and/or vomit with vandalism and graffiti all over.

[HarryKerryJr]

Originally Posted by genjy

Imagine dirty buses that smelled like urine and/or vomit with vandalism and graffiti all over.

Uh, and really LONG bus rides and SRO and sometimes passed-up because NO ROOM SRO, and less frequency than today. I still don't like the bus experience here, but it is better, on the more busy lines than it was back then. The urine smell was because the buses had padded seating back then and there was no getting that urine out one it got in. I know some wino pissed on that seat just an hour ago.

[HarryKerryJr]

I just want to add that it is doable. Again, the Expo line across from USC. By 2015, it will terminate just a few blocks from the Santa Monica pier. Right now it terminates at Culver City. Also, using Expo, you can connect to other rail lines serving Hollywood and Pasadena. Also, you can explore and find some really nice places to visit by using Expo to connect to Metrolink commuter trains for the greater Los Angeles area. You can even take a train to San Clemente Beach for a great day trip.

Look, a car is always great no matter where you are, but in Los Angeles, it does help more than other cities. However, you may be surprised the number of places you can go that offer great experiences using Metro rail. If you should end up living downtown, like a lot of USC students, your commute is easy using Expo.
Good luck.