Calling all Los Angeles residents: where to live?

jnj1033

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I will move to Los Angeles this summer to start grad school at USC. My wife and I would like to know what areas are safe and unsafe and why.

By the way, we don't mind a small apartment, but we are hoping to pay $1000 per month or less.

Also, could anyone recommend good websites to look at while searching for an apartment?

Thanks.

Edit: I should have been more specific earlier. :) Thanks for the responses so far.

I'm aware that USC is not in the best part of town, and I don't plan to live close. I'll have a car, and I consider a 30 minute commute fairly comfortable. I could live further away if I had to.

We've been considering places in Hawthorne and Lakewood. We also thought Whittier looks pretty good. We ruled out Inglewood, Compton and some other places based on crime figures we found on city-data.com.

I'm also curious how good the public transit is in LA.
 
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flashfan

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Umm, you do know that USC itself is not in one of the safest areas of LA?

So...surrounding areas are not the best either. A former co-worker used to live in the vicinity while her husband was attending USC, and she came to recognize the sound of gunshots (vs. fireworks, auto backfires, etc.).

Downtown Los Angeles (fairly close to USC) and environs have seen a spurt in construction of condominiums. A lot of them are geared towards young professionals who work downtown, so they have security, etc. but I think that finding something for $1,000/mo. or less would be a "challenge." Haven't been involved in the area in a long time though, so not sure what rents are like currently.

How far from campus can you live?
 

nerdgineer

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USC is unfortunately located in what is generally considered not a good area. Someone more familiar with the area might want to correct me; but, if you can't get housing in the USC campus itself (which has its own additional security), you'll probably want to be a fair distance (more than 10 miles) away, either westward toward West Los Angeles, eastward toward Whittier (to east of the 605 freeway) or so, or south west toward the South Bay, e.g. Torrance, Redondo Beach, or so. Because of the distance and traffic, all these areas will be an hour or so drive from USC at rush hour.

I'm not that familiar with housing costs, but a modest 2 bedroom apartment in Palms (in West Los Angeles) starts at about $1800 a month. There is definite housing sticker shock for visitors to Los Angeles.

Wish you the best. Welcome to Southern California.
 
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greenstuffs

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If you don't mind living in the Asian cities like Alhambra which is like 10 min drive to USC (no traffic) or San Gabriel 15min, Monterey Park they are fairly safe as long as you stay east side of Atlantic Av until Santa Anita av. You'll learn to live with the Traffic when in LA there is no other way around no local shorcuts or stuff like that best way is to get up 30 min earlier and head out 30 min earlier that can make a lot of difference highways gets clogged after 7:30 at 7:00 still pretty clean towards LA. Living near that area you'll have access to 60 and 10 freeway which takes you straight to downtown LA and USC where you need to go.

Rent is reasonable about 900 to 1k but be aware that any owners like to rape young tenants specially students b4 you move in make sure you take pictures of everything. And their policy of the deposit of 1 extra month is ridiculous. They charged me $300 for carpet cleaning and $280 for painting after 1 yr while even i rented a steam cleaner for carpet, and the walls were pretty clean total i got $200 left of my $900 deposit. So don't be surprised.

Don't live in areas near USC they are not safe as someone already mentioned someone remember east LA shootout?

Best thing living in LA is the food the only thing i miss about living in LA you have all sorts of asian food, western food due to the diversity living in LA its one of the best places for eating.

AND YOU'LL HAVE TO LISTEN TO TOM LEYKIS SHOW WHEN STUCKED IN TRAFFIC YOU'LL LOVE IT.
 
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Trashman

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I know somebody who attends USC and she's living in Glendale, which is pretty nice (I stay there too, on weekends). Just up the hill from Glendale is Montrose and La Crecenta, which are both beautiful towns. You'd never guess you were anywhere near LA, with those two; they remind me of mountain living, or something up north.
 
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greenstuffs

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That was way back then when robbers came out robbing a bank wearing body armor, automatic AK47 with 100 round drums and challenging the cops, good thing is that only few people were injured but the cops were overwhelmed by the robbers firepower. Just like the movie HEAT.
Edit: That was the north hollywood shootout damn 10 yrs passed already.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=eT001bovaHk

nerdgineer said:
Uh...which East LA shootout....
 
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tygger

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Westsiderentals.com
good website. detailed apartment listings with photos. $60 for 3 month subscription.

Craigslist.com
good listings but its free so it takes a little more searching and the listings might not have photos.

As far as areas close by, I'd say Koreatown is okay. Plus you'd have great food and tons of karaoke bars. I'd try talking to someone from USC administration or student message boards and asking if there are any decent apartments adjacent to the USC campus. There have to be some apartments right off campus that cater to students and therefore might be a little safer because the school is very well policed. During the day the area around USC is fine. I've walked around there many times. At night is when you want to be a little more careful. Good luck.
 

scott.cr

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jnj1033 said:
We've been considering places in Hawthorne and Lakewood. We also thought Whittier looks pretty good.

I recently moved out of Lakewood. It is not a bad town, and there's plenty of shopping, auto services, a mall, etc. Cities surrounding Lakewood aren't bad either; Cerritos, Norwalk, Whittier, etc. Cerritos has THE best public library in the area.

Greenstuffs also has some good suggestions about Alhambra, San Gabriel, etc. Compared to Lakewood, these cities are approximately equidistant from USC, as are Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia (where I live now), Burbank, etc etc etc.

Generally speaking, I think you will want to live north to northeast of USC. Forget south (Compton) and west ($$$$; luck-of-the-draw crime rates).
 

Biker Bear

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I don't know about the traffic/commute to USC, but I've lived in Glendale for going on 20 years, and it's about as safe a place to live as one can imagine in the midst of a major metropolis.

One of the advantages Glendale has is that it has its own police force, and does not depend on the overworked, underpaid and undermanned LAPD. That's something to consider. Burbank and (I believe) Pasadena likewise do their own policing.
 

jnj1033

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Thanks for all the info. That's very helpful, especially Biker Bear's comment about policing.
 

skalomax

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scott.cr said:
I recently moved out of Lakewood. It is not a bad town, and there's plenty of shopping, auto services, a mall, etc. Cities surrounding Lakewood aren't bad either; Cerritos, Norwalk, Whittier, etc. Cerritos has THE best public library in the area.

Greenstuffs also has some good suggestions about Alhambra, San Gabriel, etc. Compared to Lakewood, these cities are approximately equidistant from USC, as are Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia (where I live now), Burbank, etc etc etc.

Generally speaking, I think you will want to live north to northeast of USC. Forget south (Compton) and west ($$$$; luck-of-the-draw crime rates).

I live right on the border of Lakewood and Bellflower. Fairly nice and with no Gun point robberies yet. :grin2:

Litebrite: Downey Isn't bad either.

Cerritos, lakewood, some of bellflower, Generally OC Is pretty nice.

Also some parts of Artesia are very nice. A close Walmart and Target for all your Maglite needs.
 

blueknight2000

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Stay away from anywhere near USC unless it is the actual campus. I work LAPD and patrol that area and can tell you its not very friendly. Lakewood, is nice but it is surrounded by Long Beach (North LB is bad) and Comptin (bad). Try some south bay cities like Torrance and Redondo Beach. They are 25 mins awy from USC, have a great beach climate and are very safe. They might however be a little pricey. Glendale is nice, Pasadena, Burbank and Alhambra are also nice but all are traffic nightmares. Email me if u need more advice: [email protected]
 

tygger

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Los Feliz is a great area. Lots of restaurants, cafe's, bookstores, and vibrant artistic and multicultural community. My friend lives there and her parents have lived there for 40 years. Close to griffith park, hiking, etc.

Silverlake. Also a good area. Close to downtown and chinatown.

Melrose District.

Mid-Wilshire (close to La Brea)

West Hollywood (expensive but very safe and lots of everything)

A little note on the valley areas, Burbank, Van Nuys, etc. They're fine places to live but to get to and from USC you'd have to "come over the hill" using the 405 freeway, Laurel Canyon, Coldwater Canyon, etc., which are 2 lane winding roads packed with traffic during the week. I'd say, (from my own hellacious experience) if you don't work or go to school in the valley, don't live in the valley. But hey, there are some good apartment deals there.
 

tygger

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Los Feliz is a great area. Lots of restaurants, cafe's, bookstores, and vibrant artistic and multicultural community. My friend lives there and her parents have lived there for 40 years. Close to griffith park, hiking, etc.

Silverlake. Also a good area. Close to downtown and chinatown.

Melrose District.

Mid-Wilshire (close to La Brea)

West Hollywood (expensive but very safe and lots of everything)

A little note on the valley areas, Burbank, Van Nuys, etc. They're fine places to live but to get to and from USC you'd have to "come over the hill" using the 405 freeway, 5 frwy, Laurel Canyon, Coldwater Canyon, etc., which are 2 lane winding roads packed with traffic during the week. I'd say, (from my own hellacious experience) if you don't work or go to school in the valley, don't live in the valley. But hey, there are some good apartment deals there.
 

Trashman

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tygger said:
A little note on the valley areas, Burbank, Van Nuys, etc. They're fine places to live but to get to and from USC you'd have to "come over the hill" using the 405 freeway, 5 frwy, Laurel Canyon, Coldwater Canyon, etc., which are 2 lane winding roads packed with traffic during the week.


Well...If I lived in Burbank, I certainly wouldn't be taking the 405 to USC. It's much closer to take the 5 to the 110. USC is off of the 110.
 

mtbkndad

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Trashman said:
I know somebody who attends USC and she's living in Glendale, which is pretty nice (I stay there too, on weekends). Just up the hill from Glendale is Montrose and La Crecenta, which are both beautiful towns. You'd never guess you were anywhere near LA, with those two--reminds me of mountain living, or something up north.

Montrose and La Crescenta are not only in a very small valley, the Crescenta Valley. Things seem slower up in this valley then in the surrounding towns. When in the Crescenta Valley there are nearby mountains pretty much surrounding you. If you can find something in Montrose in your price range you won't regret it. My family's business is in Montrose. The main business street in Montrose is Honolulu. I call it anywhere USA because it is used in the movies a lot. The drive to USC is reasonable except during rush hour :hairpull: . Of course in SoCal. nobody moves fast during rush our :crackup: .

Here is an LA Times real estate piece on Montrose.

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/valley/la-re-guide21dec21,1,6549165.story?coll=la-editions-valley

Take Care,
mtbkndad :wave:
 

IcantC

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I too will be living there soon, my friends told me to check out Inglewood. They said cheap rent, great people and community.



:D
 
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