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Old 12-08-2007, 12:00 PM
 
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
21 posts, read 59,661 times
Reputation: 48

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I've been reading this forum for a while now, and wowww is it intense.

Anyways! Hi, I'm a 21-year-old female from Michigan that is verrry excited to head out to LA (where most of my family lives) after I graduate in May. I accepted a job with an office in Orange, CA.

The thing is, I don't want to be bored. I mean, I don't want to from from fun college town to total suburbia. I know it's impossible to be bored in LA, but in Orange...? Most people who are young at the office say they live in Huntington Beach, but I'm not sure if that's really my scene... I've heard lots of different things, but mostly great things about Los Feliz/Silver Lake/WeHo area. I also am aware of the killer commutes in LA. But is the traffic on the South 5 awful in the early morning? I'm sure the return is bad no matter when, but I am a pretty patient person with traffic...

Basically, I wish my office was a little more towards the city, but you can't always get what you want! Do you think HB would be a decent place to live? Or is it worth the drive from the WeHo area? I plan on getting a roommate, so I'm not sure of my budget yet. Any suggestions would be extremely helpful...Thanks so much
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Old 12-08-2007, 12:16 PM
 
11,715 posts, read 40,451,929 times
Reputation: 7586
You want a 40 mile (one way) commute through some of the most heavily used roads in America? I regularly get caught in bumper to bumper traffic on the 5 either direction in the middle of the day. Unless your commuting hours are 5am and 10pm, forget it. I know there's light rail that runs down that way but who knows how many buses you'd have to take on either end to make the whole trip. Do you really want to spend 4 hours a day in transit?
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Old 12-08-2007, 01:18 PM
 
2,589 posts, read 8,639,150 times
Reputation: 2644
Quote:
Originally Posted by soimpossiblep View Post
I've been reading this forum for a while now, and wowww is it intense.

Anyways! Hi, I'm a 21-year-old female from Michigan that is verrry excited to head out to LA (where most of my family lives) after I graduate in May. I accepted a job with an office in Orange, CA.

The thing is, I don't want to be bored. I mean, I don't want to from from fun college town to total suburbia. I know it's impossible to be bored in LA, but in Orange...? Most people who are young at the office say they live in Huntington Beach, but I'm not sure if that's really my scene... I've heard lots of different things, but mostly great things about Los Feliz/Silver Lake/WeHo area. I also am aware of the killer commutes in LA. But is the traffic on the South 5 awful in the early morning? I'm sure the return is bad no matter when, but I am a pretty patient person with traffic...

Basically, I wish my office was a little more towards the city, but you can't always get what you want! Do you think HB would be a decent place to live? Or is it worth the drive from the WeHo area? I plan on getting a roommate, so I'm not sure of my budget yet. Any suggestions would be extremely helpful...Thanks so much
find out where the UCI students find their fun, and live there! you aren't moving to LA; you're moving to orange county, and the commute you are considering is crazy-- perhaps an hour and a half each way! you won't have much patience left for traffic or anything else after about three months of that.
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Old 12-08-2007, 06:43 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, California
11 posts, read 87,962 times
Reputation: 16
If you work in Orange County and you want to live in the L.A. you do have an option. I suggest living in Hollywood (close to clubs/bars/music etc etc) and taking public transportation to work and back. Pick a place to live close to one of the Metro Red Line stations (subway) and take the Red Line to Union Station in Downtown L.A. From there, catch the Metrolink Orange County Line (commuter railroad) to the city of Orange. There's a Metrolink station in Orange located at: 194 N. Atchison Street...from there you can walk or look into taking an Orange County Transit Authority bus to your office. It's not simple, but if you really want to live in L.A. you can...at least on the train you can read, listen to music or get some work done as opposed to sitting in traffic.
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Old 12-08-2007, 06:46 PM
 
56 posts, read 178,440 times
Reputation: 16
Where in Michigan are you from?
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Old 12-09-2007, 12:11 AM
 
33 posts, read 123,832 times
Reputation: 23
Default Red line

Oh yes the train is or when I did it was great. That route if you're right near the station is 45mins from downtown LA to Anaheim. BUT I like Orange area a lot for young people and hang outs.

You're not in Michigan anymore. You'll find plenty of fun things to do in Orange, and it's safer and cleaner...
If you have doubts do the commute before you sign any lease for housing.
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Old 12-09-2007, 12:23 PM
 
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
21 posts, read 59,661 times
Reputation: 48
I am from east lansing, I go to michigan state.

Thanks so much for your input guys, I am really excited but also very nervous, I appreciate it!

The public transit option sounds interesting...since gas is so expensive...I would have to see if it is possible with my office. I've been looking into living in HB, and rent seems just as much as a place in Hollywood, basically. I'd obviously have to check out both places again to see the vibe, because it's probably completely different in both places.

There are young people/nightlife in Orange? Do you know anything more about where that would be?

Thanks a lot!
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Old 12-09-2007, 12:54 PM
 
11,715 posts, read 40,451,929 times
Reputation: 7586
Situation 1:

You live in Hollywood and commute to Orange. You spend 3-4 hours a day in transit (either bus+train+bus or car). Your work+commute days are really long. By the time you get home, you're too tired to go do anything

Situation 2: You live close to work and have a 30 minute daily commute. When you do want more fun than OC has to offer, you drive to LA. Unless you just can't live without barhopping and clubbing every single night, you're probably going to be going out less than you think once you have a full time career. Plus, by living close to work, you'll be able to go out with people from work if you want. If you live in Hollywood, you'll be the one having to rush off to catch the train or drive an hour+ home.
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Old 12-09-2007, 03:51 PM
 
Location: Hermosa Beach, CA
21 posts, read 59,661 times
Reputation: 48
Very good point.
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Old 12-10-2007, 09:22 PM
 
186 posts, read 659,715 times
Reputation: 90
The answer to your question depends on what kind of social scene you're into. WeHo/SilverLake, etc is for more liberal/entertainment industry/artsy lifestyles -- very welcoming to gays, lesbians and persons of a variety of cultures. If you are pretty, hetero and conservative, you should consider the South Bay beach cities like Hermosa. A ton of young people live there and weekend at the Hermosa Beach pier and the Strand. Might be too "white bread" but probably a great start for someone fresh out of college. I'd also look at Huntington Beach. WeHo is too far from Orange.
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