Best place to live in LA while attending UCLA? I'm not from the US, so I need some orientation please. Thank you! (Los Angeles: apartments, rentals)

[rdemiguel]

Hi there, I'll be moving to LA in a few months and I'd love some advice. I lived in Miami long ago, but I've been in LA just once. I need a 1 bedroom apartment. I'm in my 30's, so the party time and clubbing scene went long ago. I'd like a quiet place, I absolutely hate traffic and I do not care about the beach at all. All I want or need close by is a movie theater, supermarket (I'll have a car, so not even that important now), and a place to go running (a park with real trees, flat if possible). I'll run only during the weekends though, but it'd be nice to have a nice park close. I was thinking of West Hollywood, obvious choice I guess, but it's pretty expensive, or Miracle Mile. Is it slightly cheaper or was it a coincidence? I guess going farther away will make my commutes hell, although I just saw through Google maps that if I lived in Hollywood Hills, or in that side of the city, I could take Ventura Blvd and the 405 and it is actually shorter.

How is Brentwood? Maybe cheaper and closer?

Many thanks in advance

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by rdemiguel

... pretty expensive...slightly cheaper...Maybe cheaper...

Define these terms in dollars, please.

[thelopez2]

Rancho park

[rdemiguel]

Around 2.000? I wouldn't like to go much more. If it's too tight, I might go over that, around 2.200 max I guess. That is not cheap. It seems Miracle Mile is like 10-20% cheaper.

I'll check Rancho park.

Thank you guys.

[nightlysparrow]

Yes, try for Brentwood. It is quiet and there is shopping. Zillow shows a few places for just under 2K.

Brentwood Los Angeles Apartments for Rent - 29 Rentals - Zillow

[SUPbud]

you want to live as physically close to UCLA as you can.

I could *NOT* find a place nearby when I attended school there. I settled for 15 miles away, it would take 1 hour each way. If I had my life to live over, I would have got an apt on Gayley and rode a bicycle to school.

[disgruntled la native]

Brentwood is perfect for you. Very close to UCLA, very safe, very quiet (everything is closed there by 10 pm). Lots of park, exercise options, and supermarkets. 2000 will get you a nice one bedroom there. Even though UCLA is in Westwood which you can also afford, Brentwood is nicer and quieter and only 5-10 min away. Westwood is more geared toward younger students who like to party.

[rdemiguel]

Brentwood it is then. I really can´t stand traffic, so it sounds like the most sensible choice. It seems as expensive as west Hollywood though, which is fine. I just thought it might be cheaper than WEHO or Santa Barbara.

Also, any other websites besides Zillow, Realtor and Westsiderentals? Are prices really set or people bargain a little bit, even if it's a hundred bucks?

Thank you very much guys. I still have a few months before I move in, but I want to have a good understanding of areas, prices and commuting times.

[smokingGun]

if you hate traffic you need to stay as close to the UCLA campus as possible. Anything west of the 405 Freeway (Brentwood, SM, West LA/Sawtelle) can be a nightmare during rush hour. There have been afternoon & evenings when traveling to my office in Westwood that it's literally taken me an hour to go 3 miles. And I just saw a sign that said to expect delays for construction work along Wilshire. Great! Olympic is already slowed & jammed due to Expo construction in SM, why not close off another east-west artery while we're at it! It's no freakin wonder ppl are texting, tweeting & facetiming while they're stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

[nightlysparrow]

Originally Posted by rdemiguel

any other websites besides Zillow, Realtor and Westsiderentals?

Try hotpads or padmapper or radpads dot com or Craigslist