questions questions questions... (Los Angeles, Burbank, Santa Monica: apartment complexes, rentals, townhome)

[alicat520]

I knoww that everything i'm about to ask is PROBABLY on this forum already (like a zillion times over). But I just signed up, so bare with me!!

I am moving to Los Angeles sometime during the first half of next year. So naturally I have a lot of questions. Hopefully someone wouldn't mind giving me a little help!!
I've been researching the different neighborhoods of LA so i've got a general idea of what they're about but a lot of times I get totally opposite opinions. I figured it would be best to just ask someone firsthand!


- North Hollywood: I've read that parts of it are very nice and parts of it are sketch. True? Or is it mostly safe? Also, is it a relatively happening area? I am on a budget, but at the same time I'd rather pay a smidge more than to be way the hell up in SFV away from everything.

- Los Feliz/Silverlake: From what I've read, this is the more boho/artsy area of LA. Is that true? Is it safe? Fun?

- Commute: I am thinking of going to UCLA for one of their certificate programs. However, I cannot afford to live in Westwood. I wish I could because I love it! How horrible of a commute would it be if I lived somewhere like Burbank or Los Feliz and then went to UCLA (probably not everyday)? Is that like a death wish? Ideally I would love to live in West Hollywood, but it may be a little out of my reach. Not sure though, because i've seen a random few apartments in WeHo that I could maybe afford.

- I have a Lab/Pitbull Mix. He is 50 pounds. He's a sweetheart. But, just from looking at apartment/townhome rentals, the places that will accept a dog like that is verrry minimal. Anyone have any tips or know of any decent apartment complexes that accept dogs up to 50 pounds? Do people in LA ever have dogs that weigh over 15 pounds? hehe

- Side Note: Where's the true rock music scene in LA? I don't mean like kids who line up to watch the next Fall Out Boy imitation. (NO Offense!! Its just not my thing personally) I mean the good ****. (oops i got censored, i mean stuff)


sorry for so many questions!!! i will really truly appreciate any insight you guys can give me. really really!

[KnoxTown]

What is your budget?

[BRinSM]

east of the 101 freeway to UCLA would be a terrible commute, especially if you have drive during the normal commute hours.

[alicat520]

Knox, my budget would probably be around $1000. But that would be for a 2+ bedroom because I will be looking for roommates

[KnoxTown]

For 2,000 a month, you can get a nice 2 bedroom in Los Feliz. If you don't find a roommate, 1000 will be hard to do, especially with a large dog.

[FrostyThe2nd]

I went to UCLA and lived in the Valley for a year. Commute was bad, but not impossible. I then moved to West Hollywood and commute was a lot better. West Hollywood was the most convenient place for me. There are traffic between WeHo and Westwood during rush hour, but I learned to take side streets and not the main streets like Santa Monica and Wilshire. Driving from UCLA to WeHo should take about 30 minutes with traffic. Maybe less than 10 minutes without traffic (usually between 10am-3pm and 8pm-7am). To me it was a nice commute with beautiful buildings and trees.

Even closer to UCLA are the apartments south of Wilshire Blvd. It's about 0.5 mile from campus and rent is less than in the heart of Westwood without sacrificing quality of living. It's walking distance to UCLA and I know a lot of students live there as well. It even has a free UCLA shuttle stop nearby. Lastly, Santa Monica is pretty close and costs less. Many UCLA grad students also live there.

[Lafferty Daniel]

If you can afford Los Feliz, I would rather live there than NoHo, which I feel is a vastly overrated district. (No offense to the Arts District.)

If you can only afford to live in the Valley, and you're planning on attending UCLA, I would look at Sherman Oaks. It's close to the 405, so the commute would be easier than the East Valley.

You also might want to consider West LA. It's very close to UCLA, but cheaper than Westwood, WeHo, and obviously Santa Monica.

There are many pet-friendly apartments, even for dogs weighing about 50 lbs. It really depends on the landlord though. Continue to check Craigslist, and Westside Rentals if you haven't already.

There is a legit rock music scene here, but it's not what people from Middle America think. Unless the band is huge, or already has a large following, most people that watch bands at bars/clubs act like they're not impressed. That said, LA gets all major mainstream and indie bands. There are lots of clubs to check out upcoming groups.

Good luck.

[BRinSM]

Originally Posted by FrostyThe2nd

Lastly, Santa Monica is pretty close and costs less.

not true. but you may also consider palms, which is south of westwood near culver city. this area is definitly cheaper than both westwood and santa monica. i've heard to it refered to as a ucla student ghetto, not because it is a dangerous place, but because so many students live there and take one of the number of busses in the area to the campus rather than paying for parking.

[alicat520]

you guys are amazing, thank you so much.


my IDEAL right now is west hollywood i think. but i'm definitely gonna keep looking at all the places you guys mentioned!

any idea how long it would take to commute from los feliz to UCLA?

[katenik]

that's a long cross-town drive that can't be done on the freeway in any way that makes sense.