I am thinking about moving to LA... (Los Angeles, Chino: apartments, renter) - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

JacobLee22 · 12-31-2009, 09:09 AM

I am 24 years old. I have a cousin that lives in Chino, so I could probably stay with her til I get a job, but I realize that is quite the drive to LA. Where would be a good/safe/not incredibly expensive area of LA to live in? I would be willing to take any sort of job. I am also considering New York City, or Orlando. I am a singer/actor. I currently live in Oklahoma. Any advice? I got over 2000 dollars saved up right now. I wouldn't be moving until I had alot more money saved up. I am visiting my cousin in Chino in a month or so. Thanks in advance.

Charles · 12-31-2009, 09:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacobLee22

I am 24 years old. I have a cousin that lives in Chino, so I could probably stay with her til I get a job,

Where would be a good/safe/not incredibly expensive area of LA to live in?

Chino.

JacobLee22 · 12-31-2009, 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles

Chino.

To be honest I am from a town of population of maybe 600, and the thought of driving in that traffic terrifies me lol.

By the way, with my tax refund I will probably get another 2,000 back, so I will have around 4,000. Still gonna save more money first though.

Charles · 12-31-2009, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacobLee22

I would be willing to take any sort of job.

I am a singer/actor.

That's why I wrote Chino. Why commute out of that area if all you are looking for is a generic "job"? Unless you have an overwhelming reason to work downtown (like you're some sort of corporate lawyer or you play basketball for the Lakers), then why commute?

Everybody is a singer and actor.

JacobLee22 · 12-31-2009, 09:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles

That's why I wrote Chino. Why commute out of that area if all you are looking for is a generic "job"? Unless you have an overwhelming reason to work downtown (like you're some sort of corporate lawyer or you play basketball for the Lakers), then why commute?

Everybody is a singer and actor.

Yeah, I know my chances are slim, but I figure I may as well give it a shot. Working at a generic job, isn't my goal, but I realize that I will have to. Is Chino a very safe place to live?

JacobLee22 · 12-31-2009, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Charles

Lots of things contribute to "unhealthy". The best ten miles of commuting on LA's freeways (stress) at rush hours is more unhealthy than the worst day of breathing air (pollution).

What?

Charles · 12-31-2009, 10:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacobLee22

What?

Whoops, wrong thread...I deleted my post...fingers are faster than my brain...

Count David · 12-31-2009, 10:31 AM

What is the reason you want to live in LA?

"Good", "safe", and "not incredibly expensive" don't go together when talking about LA.

If you want "any sort of job", at least move somewhere that has jobs.

Most everybody that moves to LA from the Heartland wants to be/is a singer and/or actor. They all work at Denny's.

$2K won't last you a month (living alone) in LA. $4K might last you a little longer.

If you are terrified of driving in traffic, go into it heads on, live close to work, or don't move to LA.

Why are you worried about Chino being unsafe? You are a dude, right? What are you afraid of? Y'know, every day, people survive living in Chino without getting harmed.

nmnita · 12-31-2009, 11:14 AM

Make sure you have at least $6000 saved even if you live with your cousin and coming from a town of 600 you are in for a huge shock, both in the job market and the culture...

It will help, you are going to visit your cousin..It will give you a slight idea what to expect. As for where to live, staying with cous will put you several miles from the Hollywood scene, but to live and work in the true Los Angeles area and want a safe neighborhood you are talking big rent bucks. Can you say, maybe $1500 a month for a 1 bedroom?

Nita

uptown_urbanist · 12-31-2009, 01:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JacobLee22

Yeah, I know my chances are slim, but I figure I may as well give it a shot. Working at a generic job, isn't my goal, but I realize that I will have to. Is Chino a very safe place to live?

Just be aware that even generic jobs can be tough to find right now. You can probably find something eventually, but don't assume it's going to be easy. Stay with your cousin, look for work, and then and only then worry about finding a place of your own. You can usually move into apartments on very short notice in LA, so if you end up deciding that you want to live in or closer to LA you could always interview/apply while living in Chino and then find/move in to a more convenient location once you have a job. That might mean a short period of long commutes, but it's a safer option than trying to rent a place before finding a job. I think you'd have a tough time finding a place that will take you as a renter without a job anyway. Assume that you're going to need at least two months rent to move into a place of your own: security deposit is often equal to one month's rent (and I agree that $1500 is a good ballpark figure for an acceptable but certainly non-luxury 1 BR) and the first month's rent.

Otherwise, good/safe/semi-affordable don't go together in LA, at least not when compared to many parts of the country. It's all relative, of course, and you can find something good and safe that I'd consider "semi affordable" in an LA context, but you'll want to know where you'll be working first.

Maybe do some browsing around on this forum to see what neighborhoods are mentioned that sound like they might interest you, then take some visits into LA while you're visiting your cousin. That will help give you a sense of what the various neighborhoods are like. Things like good, safe, and affordable are all somewhat subjective, and you're probably going to have to make compromises to get what you want, whether in terms of size, budget, neighborhood, commute, etc.