young couple moving to L.A...need help w/short term, furnished, decent housing (Woodland: extended stay, fit in)

[elgato06]

Hello! My husband and I are planning a move to the L.A. area early next year. We are in our mid 20s. He has several years' experience in the music industry (in a band and working in a recording studio) and has branched out into music videos. He will be trying to get practical work in the film industry, hence our move to CA. He is also graduating next month with a B.A. in vocational training.

I have a B.A. in digital media (web design) and my experience is mainly in community colleges and receptionist/customer service type work. I am interested in trying to get a job in the museum/library/higher ed fields, but I know unemployment is rampant and I will have to take what I can get. I am also considering graduate school.

Needless to say, we are not moving with jobs, nor have either of us ever been to L.A. We've decided to come anyway. We have about $6k in cash savings for the move and significantly more in investments that we can access if needed...we are considering this move an investment in our future

My question is, since we are moving somewhat blindly, what are some decent areas where we might be able to get a furnished, short-term studio apartment while we search for work?

And is there any hope of getting a job that pays higher than minimum wage? How long can 2 people survive on minimum wage, if it comes to that? We are willing to work and do not have any kids, debt, or pets.

[ZenMaster2008]

My only comment is that short term + furnished is going to cost quite a bit. Extended Stay might be your only option that wouldn't kill your whole savings in a month.

[E_Superhero]

Visit LA first. Otherwise, your plan sounds disastrous.

[elgato06]

@zen, you mean like extended stay america/residency inn type hotels? I will look into that, thanks!

@E_superhero, not sure why a visit would make a difference in making our plan less "disastrous". If we've determined to come for the chance to possibly work in entertainment, a visit of any useful length of time will only waste thousands of dollars that we could have put towards a move. Or are you implying that a visit will deter us from moving at all? In that case, just give reasons why we shouldn't come.

Let me add that we are moving from the east coast, and are not leaving very well-paying or secure jobs. So we're not really going to lose anything except maybe some money by moving to LA. I guess the worst-case scenario is that we lose all our money and have to use a credit card to buy plane tickets home to our families...but that's still a far cry from ending up on the street. I think we'll be ok

[bridow]

Craigslist.org has tons of furnished apartments. They usually run 3-400 more a month. I'd much rather just buy cheap used Ikea furniture off CL than to pay that much extra a month. 6k will give you about 60 days in LA and then you have moving expenses. I think you are crazy to move to a place with no contacts and you've never visited, but good luck

[E_Superhero]

It's risk vs. reward.

Yes, it costs more money to visit first then move. But the risk of moving blindly outweighs the financial risk of visiting then moving.

With a visit then a move, you spend more, but lower your chances of losing everything if you opt not to move. With a blind move, you up the risk of losing everything.

Plus, if you move blind you have to split your time between job and housing hunts. If you research and do a reconassiance visit first, you could eliminate variables such as having to spend time learning neighborhoods. And believe me, learning neighborhoods is a key part of living in LA.

[djsmps]

I agree with Superhero--visit LA first. I used to live there and moved away in 2003. I did return for five months two years ago for consulting work. I have been in the professional music and audio business for 30 years developing products being used by recording studios and film studios. It's nearly impossible to break into studios without a great deal of training. LA is filled with countless thousands of professionals in the entertainment field. Companies have a huge pool of talent to pick from and only want to hire the absolute best.

I'm not sure what kind of film work your husband thinks he will get by having several years in bands, but it doesn't seem to fit into what a studio would want. The recording studio business is in a major decline due to the proliferation of home studios. Generally the only way to start there is as an unpaid intern, and that means zero pay. In the audio departments of the film studios, you really need to have a solid education to break into any job other than making sandwiches in the commisary.

$6000 isn't going to last long. When I was out there two years ago, I rented a 1-bedroom apartment in Canoga Park and rented furniture. It cost me about $1800 a month, and that was in a basic apartment complex. Plus, I had to come up with a 1-month security deposit and a damage deposit. That was still better than furnished corporate apartments, which ran about $4500 a month.

I think moving anywhere without a job waiting is about the worst possible thing anyone can do.

[E_Superhero]

Originally Posted by djsmps

It's nearly impossible to break into studios without a great deal of training. LA is filled with countless thousands of professionals in the entertainment field. Companies have a huge pool of talent to pick from and only want to hire the absolute best.

Indeed. Look, people break into showbiz every year. Many times more fail. The thing that people on the outside need to realize is that the talent pool here is immense. From the outside, Hollywood/Interactive/Music Industry may seem like a bunch of flighty hippy-dippy liberal creative types, punctuated by fun-but-loud agents and dumb studio/recording execs.

But that's just a charicature. The real business is just that -- a business. It's also a hugely successful part of the U.S. economy and draws the best, hardest working talent in the world to it. (And oftentimes spits them right back out).

Look at it this way -- if you're a guy who tinkers in his garage on cars, and you suddenly decide, "I want to design cars for a living. I'm going to Detroit to work for Ford!" You can't expect to get to the HQ and slide right in. You'll be fighting with some of the smartest engineers in the country. You have to be prepared financially (and 6K and no jobs is not being prepared) to really tough it out networking, while continuously improving your craft, be it designing cars -- or in your hubby's case -- music editing, mixing, whatever.

[Melissa R.]

I agree with the people that suggested you visit LA first. I don't care where you are moving to, I would never recommend moving somewhere without having visited first. You could end up hating it.

[gypsystar]

I say go for it. My husband I moved to L.A. in 2005 with very little money, and had never set foot in the city before. It ended up being a very successful move for us, as I eventually landed a movie studio job after months of pounding the pavement; it wasn't all I thought it would be but you live and learn. Your hubby has to be prepared to do some pretty crappy assistant work for a long time. And it probably won't even be in the entertainment industry right away. I moved from Miami with two years of solid entertainment public relations experience and one of my duties at my very first L.A. job was taking out the garbage. My husband (who I dragged to L.A.) was invited to join the Southwest Carpenters Union and a lifelong career was created. I now have a love/hate relationship with L.A. but will NEVER regret my decision to move there. And you already have about 3 times the amount of money we had when we moved! I temped at studios a lot prior to getting a full-time job and was paid about $12-$13 an hour.

You can stay at an Extended Stay America (try the ones in Woodland Hills or Northridge) while you get settled. We ended up living in one for about a month before we found an apartment. It will probably cost you about $1600 a month after taxes. I would avoid the Oakwood temporary apartments because they are very expensive and will require a deposit, while the hotel won't.

The biggest moving expense will be the apartment deposit. Your rent will probably be in the $1200-$1400 range for a one bedroom, so be prepared to spend around $2500 right away.

Good luck to both of you!