can someone give me a locals perspective? moving to LA (Los Angeles: low income, to rent)

[coquemont]

Hey everyone,

I am moving to LA next October, married, 19, going to go to Cal Poly Pomona, my husband is 31 and here in Geneva (Switzerland not NY!) he makes about 65000 francs a year which I guess is about 55000 dollars a year, and after taxes and health insurance its about 4000 francs a month or 3500 dollars, something like that. We don't really know how much he will be making in LA, hopefully more, who knows. I get 10 grand a year every year that I am a full-time student and that can apply to tuition, housing, whatever.

So! basically we are thinking of renting for the first year, and then trying to buy. Where would anyone recommend? We're thinking of living somewhere inbetween Pomona and LA proper, don't know yet where he will work, but hoping for less than 45 minutes commute to work/school.

Where is a good place to get a flat? Somewhere ideally safe(ish), no problem if there are lots of immigrants, we're immigrants ourselves. (I'm american but not californian, hes French).. Anyway, suggestions for where to rent or where to buy would be great.

renting criteria:

-not scared to walk the streets at night
-decent looking building
-rent 1000 or less a month
-not far from the city
-easy parking

buying criteria

-not scared to walk the streets at night
-nice-ish suburban neighborhood
-not over 250000
-2 bd minimum
-short as possible commute to LA proper (wherever his job is really) and as well to Pomona

so.. Does anyone feel like volunteering to give me some advice? I don't know whether or not my criterias are too hard, I hope not. LA county is just SO big and its so hard to tell from here what neighborhoods are right for us. thanks a million.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by coquemont

Hey everyone,

I am moving to LA next October, married, 19, going to go to Cal Poly Pomona, my husband is 31 and here in Geneva (Switzerland not NY!) he makes about 65000 francs a year which I guess is about 55000 dollars a year, and after taxes and health insurance its about 4000 francs a month or 3500 dollars, something like that. We don't really know how much he will be making in LA, hopefully more, who knows. I get 10 grand a year every year that I am a full-time student and that can apply to tuition, housing, whatever.

So! basically we are thinking of renting for the first year, and then trying to buy. Where would anyone recommend? We're thinking of living somewhere inbetween Pomona and LA proper, don't know yet where he will work, but hoping for less than 45 minutes commute to work/school.

Where is a good place to get a flat? Somewhere ideally safe(ish), no problem if there are lots of immigrants, we're immigrants ourselves. (I'm american but not californian, hes French).. Anyway, suggestions for where to rent or where to buy would be great.

renting criteria:

-not scared to walk the streets at night
-decent looking building
-rent 1000 or less a month
-not far from the city
-easy parking

buying criteria

-not scared to walk the streets at night
-nice-ish suburban neighborhood
-not over 250000
-2 bd minimum
-short as possible commute to LA proper (wherever his job is really) and as well to Pomona

so.. Does anyone feel like volunteering to give me some advice? I don't know whether or not my criterias are too hard, I hope not. LA county is just SO big and its so hard to tell from here what neighborhoods are right for us. thanks a million.

How soon will you know where he will work? You write in "LA proper", does that mean downtown LA or somewhere in the City of Los Angeles or the County of Los Angeles? Makes a huge difference.

[coquemont]

Originally Posted by Charles

How soon will you know where he will work? You write in "LA proper", does that mean downtown LA or somewhere in the City of Los Angeles or the County of Los Angeles? Makes a huge difference.

By LA proper I mean downtown. I know that there are lots of other places in the City that he might get a job, but my first assumption is that he will find a job downtown. How soon will I know? Well, probably not until we are there. Hes going to start looking before we leave, a year from now, but we're not crossing our fingers. So as far as renting, it can be about anywhere nice, not far from downtown, since we will probably move once we know where he will work. We're giving him 3 months after we're here to find a job, so I'd say around next Christmas will will know definitely where hes working. I know thats a long time from now -- but any info is welcome and appreciated.

[OutOfSoCal]

just so you're aware your commute from Downton LA to Cal Poly Pomona will be about an hour barring any real accidents. Could be as little as 1/2 hour dependning on time of day and well you adjust to the freeway systems. Depending on what hubbys profession is he could be in LA or South ornage County. Thats going to make a huge difference on where you should be looking to live.

[coquemont]

Originally Posted by OutOfSoCal

just so you're aware your commute from Downton LA to Cal Poly Pomona will be about an hour barring any real accidents. Could be as little as 1/2 hour dependning on time of day and well you adjust to the freeway systems. Depending on what hubbys profession is he could be in LA or South ornage County. Thats going to make a huge difference on where you should be looking to live.

yeah, I thought so, at least thats what mapquest said, I am going to try to find someplace nice (eventually) right in the middle. (that is if he works downtown).. I haven't even considered orange county, I guess if he finds a job there I'll have to totally reconsider. Anyway, at least as soon as we get there, hoping for downtown LA until we know where he'll be working, I won't really be going to school for 2 years, I want to get state residency first.

[Jakehorror]

My 2 cents: In my 2 years of researching I have found no decent homes in the L.A. area for $250,000. A run down 2 bedroom in Compton is over $300K. This is all just from my personal research, the locals would know more than me but that's what I've found.
Rent: Under $1000. could get you a decent place in Koreatown and maybe a studio in the North Hollywood area. There again since I dont actually live there yet I may be wrong.
We are moving in with a friend in West Hollywood and paying $850. for a master bedroom w/bath and full privledges. It helps to know someone too, do you know anyone in L.A.?
PS- I think the average home cost is around 400K.

[EscapeCalifornia]

There's no reason to work in downtown LA. SoCal is a huge area and there's jobs everywhere. Downtown is a great area if you're homeless but that's about it. Your rent budget is at the very low end of what's out there, even in a bad area. Your purchase budget is totally unrealistic unless you want to be 100 miles out in the desert with low income renters. Pomona is pretty far from LA. You're better off living near the school. Anything along the 57 freeway would be much better. South of Pomona on the 57 would be a reverse commute so traffic wouldn't be too horrible.

[Charles]

With the exception of USC, it usually seems nice to live near a university environment: positive atmosphere, restaurants, on campus entertainment, music, plays, arts, club sports, student fitness centers, student health centers, clubs (both academic and social), etc. Plus as a student your schedule will probably vary more than your husband. You might have to make appointments with professors, meet other students for study groups and projects, visit the library, work in labs, get copies of academic literature, etc. With that, I'd find a place close to school and let your husband find work a commutable distance from school versus a halfway thing.

[coquemont]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

There's no reason to work in downtown LA. SoCal is a huge area and there's jobs everywhere. Downtown is a great area if you're homeless but that's about it. Your rent budget is at the very low end of what's out there, even in a bad area. Your purchase budget is totally unrealistic unless you want to be 100 miles out in the desert with low income renters. Pomona is pretty far from LA. You're better off living near the school. Anything along the 57 freeway would be much better. South of Pomona on the 57 would be a reverse commute so traffic wouldn't be too horrible.

Yeah, Well, if my budgets are all wrong then I'll have to change them, and thats that. I kindof knew they were extremely optimistic, I guess living in Switzerland I kindof forget that its important to live in a 'good' area. Here there is extremely posh, and poor, and even here in the 'poor' area, its extremely safe and still over 1000 a month. Geneva is smaller than Long Beach. Paf. Anyway, What would be a reasonable budget to rent a 1br flat in a 'good' area? to buy a 2br house in a 'good' area? Where would you reccomend on the 57? Any specifics?

As well I read something or heard something on the news about Pomona being like extremely dangerous? Obviously I haven't even been there yet,.. but that still makes me wary about living there.

As far as where he will work.. seriously I have no idea. He has been working for Air France for the past 7 years or so and there are no airlines based there.. at least none the size of Air France. I thought about going to Chicago instead and he could easily work for Delta.. but forget that. I want to go to LA not only for the school, but for the great weather, ocean and mountains. Hes done lots of different things in AF, sales, pricing, now e-commerce.. it shouldnt be a serious problem.. who knows.

[coquemont]

Originally Posted by Charles

With the exception of USC, it usually seems nice to live near a university environment: positive atmosphere, restaurants, on campus entertainment, music, plays, arts, club sports, student fitness centers, student health centers, clubs (both academic and social), etc. Plus as a student your schedule will probably vary more than your husband. You might have to make appointments with professors, meet other students for study groups and projects, visit the library, work in labs, get copies of academic literature, etc. With that, I'd find a place close to school and let your husband find work a commutable distance from school versus a halfway thing.

Yeah.. but as my schedule will vary, a half an hour or so isn't a long commute, and I can chill on campus all day to do whatever, not like I have to go home between classes. And we're gonna try to find a job for him as close as possible to have the shortest possible commute for both of us, but seriously, pomona is far from LA and not very close to Long Beach, who knows, where elese.. it seems like around Pomona there is ****. I mean, not a lot of corporate buisnessy opportunities. who knows though, maybe we'll get lucky. that gets me thinking, I'm gonna see what we could find for him in pomona.