Maybe I'll Finally Make LA Happen (Los Angeles, Sun City: apartments, rent, credit)

[New Horizons]

Hey guys it's me again. If your familiar with my cheesy username (which I'm going to change again), you'll know that I'm the guy from Florida who for years has dreamed of moving to Los Angeles. I've been in Phoenix now for a couple of years. I was going to finish up my degree here, but ASU was so expensive. I needed some kind of skill in something. Since I like driving, I got a class-A CDL license. For almost a year I've been trucking all over the country, sleeping at truck stops. Being based in Phoenix, I get alot of loads to & from Los Angeles. Sometimes when I'm in the semi, stuck in that standstill LA traffic I think, "I did it! I made it!" I'm sitting here in traffic, in the rat race, with the working class people of Los Angeles. It's like I visualized what I wanted, and channeled so much mental energy into it, that it somehow materialized.

Granted I don't live in LA yet, but I'm alot closer than Florida. I wanted to buy a house and bring the parents along, so Phoenix was a good compromise. And I like it here, beautiful city, nice dry desert climate. Sometimes I feel like it's better here than LA. But then when I get a load to LA, I'm always stunned how massive and busy that metropolis is. And I think, "now this is a city!" Lately when I cruise around Phoenix on my Harley Sportster, as much as I otherwise try to convince myself, it ain't no Los Angeles.

Now that I have a semblance of a career, maybe I could parlay this into my ultimate dream, to live in LA. There is ALOT of trucking going on there, especially with all the railway terminals and seaports. Soon I'll have the experience to get a local truck driving job doing multi-stop Less Than TruckLoads.

I don't need to be concerned with buying a home in LA. I basically will inherit this home in Sun City, AZ from my parents, so I'll always have that. No, I'd just rent a little apartment like all the other working stiffs in LA do! I see myself in a late 1950's dingbat apartment. A dingbat apartment in Van Nuys that is:


I could live out there during my work week, and on my days off come back here to see the family if I want. I'm already used to being gone for 3 weeks at a time.

Point of this topic? Just thinking out loud I guess. I could end if with a "what do you think?" but those can come back to bite you. Anyway I'm not doing anything hastily, but this could work out though.

[PDF]

It all depends on the quality of life you would get in LA. Think about if you could have the same living standards you have in Phoenix career-wise. But Phoenix is definitely a good compromise.

Best of luck to you!

[nightlysparrow]

You would need to be specific about exactly what it is about Los Angeles that you like so much.

[New Horizons]

Originally Posted by nightlysparrow

You would need to be specific about exactly what it is about Los Angeles that you like so much.

The awesome weather, beautiful topography, and all the action and excitement there!

[PDF]

Originally Posted by New Horizons

The awesome weather, beautiful topography, and all the action and excitement there!

None of those things are really unique to LA. Surely there has to be a reason that LA is your dream city?

[StreetLegal]

Originally Posted by New Horizons

The awesome weather, beautiful topography, and all the action and excitement there!

Originally Posted by PDF

None of those things are really unique to LA. Surely there has to be a reason that LA is your dream city?

Actually, those are very unique aspects to Los Angeles.

OP: Your enthusiasm for LA is appreciated but that dingbat aptartment is ugly! Since you must now be an AZ resident why don't you try to finish up your degree at ASU and then try moving to LA?

[jm1982]

How many more classes would you need to finish up the ASU degree? What were you studying? It would be nice to have the degree to make yourself more marketable in Los Angeles.

I have heard that people can do very well in trucking , I'm sure the work is not easy though and not too many people can probably handle it long term...which is why the pay is relatively high.

It's great you have an enthusiasm though for L.A...when I was commuting sometimes I would have a bit of that feeling too..even though I was born in L.A... the feeling of living in such a big , diverse city that "everyone" (well literally not everyone) wants to live in.

You always wonder, looking around at the people ,what they do, where they live and what their life is like.

I lived in a dingbat in Hollywood for about a year so that picture looks familiar . The rent was not too bad for the apartment size. All the newer apartments were much more expensive . I know that rents have gone up a lot though since 2009.

[New Horizons]

I was going to University of South Florida. I was maybe 10 classes from an accounting degree. Sometimes I think it was foolish to up and leave. But I was terribly miserable with my life in St. Petersburg, FL, a dumpy old town in Florida. I worked in a scary pawn shop in a bad neighborhood, my apartment was an old dump of a building. My life has certainly improved since coming out west, and I was able to get some family to join me.

As for finishing the degree, ASU is ridiculously expensive, something like $600 per credit hour. Not per course, per credit hour! And then I'd probably have extra courses to take since the curriculums differ.

However today I'm applying for a local truck driving position, a company is having on-site interviews today. Working local I probably could take a course or two, and I'd be making enough money to cover tuition.

I'm getting too old for college, I hit 41 a couple months ago. I've literally been dragging college out for over half my life.

Originally Posted by jm1982

How many more classes would you need to finish up the ASU degree? What were you studying? It would be nice to have the degree to make yourself more marketable in Los Angeles.

Originally Posted by StreetLegal

Actually, those are very unique aspects to Los Angeles.

OP: Your enthusiasm for LA is appreciated but that dingbat aptartment is ugly! Since you must now be an AZ resident why don't you try to finish up your degree at ASU and then try moving to LA?

[jm1982]

I don't think that you should say you are too old for it. It just depends whether you want to do it or not. I know it's hard , but you should try not to compare yourself to others.

I was just thinking about how doing this limits us.

We think , "this is how much most people make so if I make that much i'm ok" . Household income in L.A County is 56k.
That's household and many households have more than 1 person working.

It sounds like you are doing some great things for yourself.

Do you think there is a way you would be able to live in L.A on a temporary basis ...like maybe a month to see if you would actually enjoy it. Not sure if that would be possible though.

Good luck with the interview

[StreetLegal]

Originally Posted by New Horizons

I'm getting too old for college, I hit 41 a couple months ago. I've literally been dragging college out for over half my life.

I agree with JM1982, never say never. Unless you hit the lottery you'll be working for a long time. So don't let age stop you. Lots of people of all ages are in school these days. I went back to school (grad school) for a career shift in my mid-to-late 30's. Was definitely worth it.

Though, I'll admit I never knew trucking could be so lucrative. I think being on the open road would be nice. Don't know how truckers deal with the LA traffic though. I could not do that here.

Had no idea how expensive ASU is. Well, it is not likely to get any cheaper in the future either.