21-year old daughter might be moving to So. California (Los Angeles: apartment, rent)

[LadyBeBop]

Next month, my daughter has an interview for her dream job...as an air traffic controller. She already took the test and passed easily. So if she does well in the interview, chances are excellent she will be offered a job.

The problem...she'll have to relocate to Southern California.

My husband, daughter and I have been to LA once in our lives...last year for about a day. I know a day is not nearly enough to experience LA...especially if your might be moving there in the next few months.

Right now, I don't even know what airport she would be assigned to (LAX? John Wayne? Burbank/Bob Hope? San Diego? Palm Springs? Am I missing an airport)?

I guess my husband and my main concern right now is safe, affordable housing. We are worried sick of gang violence, but we're afraid that she won't be able to afford anything in a safe neighborhood. Although she'll make good money in several years, starting off, she'll be making about $40K/year. So I'm thinking she could afford about $1,000/mo in rent. Nothing fancy; a studio would probably be perfect (as she won't have much furniture). It would probably be best if she's close to the airport as well.

Work will probably be her main focus, but she does have to have a social life. We don't want her to be caught up in the bar scene (that's exactly what we need...a drunk, newbie air-traffic controller). How is the young adult scene around the airport area?

I tried looking through the threads, and couldn't really find anything relating to this. I guess I'm just a nervous mommy getting ready to cut the apron strings.

As always, thanks in advance.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by LadyBeBop

The problem...she'll have to relocate to Southern California.



Right now, I don't even know what airport she would be assigned to (LAX? John Wayne? Burbank/Bob Hope? San Diego? Palm Springs? Am I missing an airport)?


starting off, she'll be making about $40K/year. So I'm thinking she could afford about $1,000/mo in rent. Nothing fancy; a studio would probably be perfect

We don't want her to ....

Any chance she can get deployed to an airport in a less expensive part of the country?

Until it is known which airport she is assigned to the responses will be general, based on the information provided ($40K salary, $1K rent budget).

Couple of things, if she is truly going to be working in the LA metro then she will need to live relatively close to the airport unless she is lucky enough to get an airport with a public transportation (train), like BUR, this could give her a little more radius.

There are other controlled (manned by air traffic controllers) airports such as VNY. I used to fly back in the late 1970s and early 1980s but I forgot which airports were controlled in LA. Torrance? Hawthorne? Long Beach? Lancaster Fox Field? It's been awhile.

When will you know which airport?

[Tasksgirl]

If she gets the job at the Burbank airport have her look into Glendale.

I pay $950 here for a 1-bedroom in gated complex with central a/c and heat (hard to find in socal), balcony, parking space, new dishwasher & stove.

Glendale is one of the safest cities in America. In Los Angeles things will often look "bad" but it's just a matter of adjusting. You will see bums, you will see graffiti.. but its OK!!

I'm 21 and female - and I just recently was able to get a car. Before this I took the bus alone for several years. I waited downtown at night for years, and in Hollywood, and in Inglewood and some other "bad" areas .. I never felt in danger..

[jayolm]

It will be tough for her to find a good studio apt in a good neighborhood/property near any of the airports you mentioned, with the exception of perhaps Palm Springs or Ontario airport (which you didn't mention). Rent is pretty expensive near all the other airports you mentioned in the decent areas. She should look for an apartment building that's older, perhaps in need of a paint job and has less ambiance, but in a decent neighborhood. It might still be difficult to live close to her work even then for $1000/month, without entering a bad neighborhood. A farther commute might be the only option, but at least she'll be in a good neighborhood for $1000/month or less. For LAX, she can live in Redondo Beach (she should be able to afford it there), or El Segundo (might be too expensive). For John Wayne, she could live in Lake Forest or Costa Mesa. She should be able to find a studio for $1000/month, or close to that in these cities. All the cities I mentioned with the exception of Lake Forest, would be fun for a young adult, as they have bars, restaurants, and shopping centrally located, are close to the beach, and have a good population of people your daughters age. For Burbank/Pasadena airport, Burbank should be affordable for her, and it does have its own downtown thats pretty hip, and of newer construction. Pasadena would probably be too expensive, somewhat farther away, but very fun for her, perhaps too fun!

[bhcompy]

it really depends what airport she gets into. there are a whole bunch of airports, including minor ones that dont fly major commercial airliners out of them.

you're missing Ontario, Long Beach, Compton(small aircraft) among others

[MySecretSelf]

She sounds bright and fun loving, Hermosa Beach has had that reputation for years. There are a lot of bars that are walking distance from houses, and a bus if she doesn't want to bother with parking issues at LAX. El Segundo is adjacent to the airport on it's North border, but it is a bit more conservative. Not necessarily bad, but HB is very close with a different vibe.

[BRinSM]

It is very nice of you to try helping your daughter like this, but being a fairly young person myself, it sounds like you are a bit too protective of your adult daughter. Let her go a little bit, if you've raised her well, she should have no problems taking care of herself.

Anyways, back to the question at hand, she should be fine no matter where she ends up, I've never heard of any crime issues specifically related to airport personnel. That's about the best I can tell you, we'll need more specifics about which airport she'll end up at before we can help you anymore. The only thing extra that I can think of is that making $40k will get you by here, but she may want to consider a roomate situation in order to save on rent and make new friends.

[LadyBeBop]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

It is very nice of you to try helping your daughter like this, but being a fairly young person myself, it sounds like you are a bit too protective of your adult daughter. Let her go a little bit, if you've raised her well, she should have no problems taking care of herself.

I know. But I still worry. It's a mother thing.

Originally Posted by Charles

Any chance she can get deployed to an airport in a less expensive part of the country?

I don't think so. She actually applied last year (didn't qualify due to lack of experience at the time), and at that time, she picked anywhere in the country. This year when she applied, she specified the Midwest. But they looked at last year's application. When she inquired that she didn't request California, they said that if she turned it down, she would have to wait until next year.

Originally Posted by Charles

When will you know which airport?

I'm not sure. I could have her call and ask which airports? But I think they did say somewhere in SoCal. Something inside me says it's outside LA County. But I've been wrong.

Originally Posted by Tasksgirl

If she gets the job at the Burbank airport have her look into Glendale.
I pay $950 here for a 1-bedroom in gated complex with central a/c and heat (hard to find in socal), balcony, parking space, new dishwasher & stove.

Wow! You can't beat that.
Although I don't think she'll have time to look around the LA area, she does have time to search listings. She'll be in a training class in Oklahoma City for three months. So it won't be that she'll be hired on Monday and expect to be at work the next Monday. However, I think that her training might end on a Friday, and they'll expect her to be at work the following Monday.
She will have a car if it means anything.

Originally Posted by jayolm

It will be tough for her to find a good studio apt in a good neighborhood/property near any of the airports you mentioned, with the exception of perhaps Palm Springs or Ontario airport (which you didn't mention).

Yeah, Ontario is one of those airports I forgot about.
Maybe it's my Midwest perception, but I always thought of Palm Springs as being ultra-expensive.

Originally Posted by BRinSM

Anyways, back to the question at hand, she should be fine no matter where she ends up, I've never heard of any crime issues specifically related to airport personnel. That's about the best I can tell you, we'll need more specifics about which airport she'll end up at before we can help you anymore. The only thing extra that I can think of is that making $40k will get you by here, but she may want to consider a roomate situation in order to save on rent and make new friends.

A roommate would be nice; however it's just finding a roommate situation that would be safe . We don't know anyone in LA, so any roommate...in fact any housing...situation would be purely potluck.
But I feel better reading everyone's bit of advice. Thanks.

[radraja]

She should be able to find a basic studio for at or under $1,000 a month....

Obviously nothing fancy, but hey, she's in her 20s...she can upgrade to something nicer in a couple years when her salary goes up (or if she gets married and acquires a dual-salary...whichever comes first).

If she does opt for a roommate, she could get something nicer now.

[jeep4x4]

Originally Posted by LadyBeBop

Next month, my daughter has an interview for her dream job...as an air traffic controller. She already took the test and passed easily. So if she does well in the interview, chances are excellent she will be offered a job.

The problem...she'll have to relocate to Southern California.

My husband, daughter and I have been to LA once in our lives...last year for about a day. I know a day is not nearly enough to experience LA...especially if your might be moving there in the next few months.

Right now, I don't even know what airport she would be assigned to (LAX? John Wayne? Burbank/Bob Hope? San Diego? Palm Springs? Am I missing an airport)?

I guess my husband and my main concern right now is safe, affordable housing. We are worried sick of gang violence, but we're afraid that she won't be able to afford anything in a safe neighborhood. Although she'll make good money in several years, starting off, she'll be making about $40K/year. So I'm thinking she could afford about $1,000/mo in rent. Nothing fancy; a studio would probably be perfect (as she won't have much furniture). It would probably be best if she's close to the airport as well.

Work will probably be her main focus, but she does have to have a social life. We don't want her to be caught up in the bar scene (that's exactly what we need...a drunk, newbie air-traffic controller). How is the young adult scene around the airport area?

I tried looking through the threads, and couldn't really find anything relating to this. I guess I'm just a nervous mommy getting ready to cut the apron strings.

As always, thanks in advance.

All of your worries are very justified. Isn't their a airport outside of SoCal she can get a job at?
Maybe a smaller airport in in a nice state. It may pay less but will be probably be worth it.