Living at USC

[Sonia]

Since we're already talking””

What do you guys have to say about living in Los Angeles while attending USC? I've just started to think about it, and I feel pretty lost.

Maybe I'm worrying too much, and too soon, but I've never really lived anywhere other than Minnesota (and it's pretty easy to live in Minnesota), so the whole process of moving to LA is overwhelming me already.

I found a lot of info on old threads, but I'd love to hear concerns from anyone in my situation and insights from anyone in the know.

Are there certain neighborhoods where USC grad students or "artsy types" congregate?

I think I'm too picky, but here's what I would love to find:
<UL TYPE=SQUARE>
<LI> Safety. No worries about walking in my neighborhood at night, alone or not.
<LI> $1300 or less per month for a better than just "livable" 1-bedroom. Is that even reasonable? We're open to living in a big house with other people, except we don't know anyone.
<LI> Close to campus, but not too close. I'm willing to drive a little. I'm moving out there with my boyfriend, and I'd rather live someplace not terribly close to USC so he can have a life apart from the school. 3-10 miles away, maybe.
<LI> Nice neighbors who maybe want to be my friends (particularly other grad students). Places to hang out and walk around (I don't necessarily mean the beach). I'm trying to avoid the word "cute," but I want cute.
<LI> A grocery store. This one might be weird, but I like walking/biking to get my food.
[/list]

Any ideas?

I'll throw in a list of neighborhoods mentioned in other threads in case anyone has strong feelings about any of them. Sorry if I messed up any names or if some overlap each other:
Brentwood, Burbank, Culver City, Eagle Rock, Echo Park, Glendale, Koreatown, Lincoln Park, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, North Hollywood, Los Feliz, Manhattan, Marina del Rey, Miracle Mile, Palms, Pasadena, Redondo, Santa Monica, Silver Lake, Studio City, Toluca Lake, USC University Park, Valley Village, Venice Beach, Westwood.

Awhile back someone posted a list of online rental resources. There's also Craigslist, Rent.com, and Facebook Marketplace. Anyone had good bad/experiences with these?

I'm thinking of moving in July or August and going out there to find an apartment in June. Is that too late? Someone also recommended finding a place near campus for the semester and moving farther from campus after that, but I'm not sure I'd do well with that transition.

I'd love to hear relocation stories, "new to LA" stories," anything.

Yikes. I've asked you guys for too much. Thank you in advance for any advice you can give me.

 

[tabbycat]

Hmm.. I normally wouldn't recommend Hollywood because I personally didn't like it, but it's a good "walking" town - lots of stuff is walking distance, including grocery stores and some bars and stuff if you're into the nightlife. I know you can get a one bedroom for $1300 and probably for less if you shop around. I was in a 2 bedroom that was $2000/month (shared it with 3 other people) and it was right down the street from all the touristy stuff like Mann's, if you like that kind of scene. I found it too touristy and crowded for my liking though, and I probably wouldn't describe Hollywood as "cute". The area I lived in was generally pretty safe but I feel much safer living in the valley now. The only thing is I don't know how far Hollywood is from USC but I'd guess it's a bit of a drive, seeing as how USC is near the 10 I believe.

I've been to silverlake and it's more small town-y, more of the indie scene. Safety-wise, depends where you live in silverlake. I visited a friend there a couple times at night and felt relatively safe walking around. It's farther from usc than hollywood is though, because it's more east.

Pasadena would be wayyy far. Burbank is also pretty far north and with LA traffic it'd be a pain to get down to usc. Personally I wouldn't live north of Hollywood and even that might be far, but I don't know for sure because I haven't visited the campus.

Any place ending in "beach", or Santa Monica, would be pretty but more expensive.

Valley Village is up near me in the valley - I live in Sherman Oaks and I would describe it as cute, lots of stuff walking distance, away from the crowd of H-wood, but again, it's north and would be a long drive.

I've heard good things about Palms for people going to ucla and according to the map it doesn't look too far from usc...

my best advice is advice given to me by others, get a westside rentals account (costs money but I've heard it's worth it). Definitely pull out a map and narrow your cities down to like a 10-15 mile radius I guess, but I'd say avoid the area right outside usc for safety reasons..

 

[tabbycat]

Oh and don't ever worry about being too picky! You'll most likely end up in a one year lease so make sure it's the right place for you!

 

[armen]

I'd say forget about Pasadena and North Hollywood. I'd say Santa Monica, Marina del Rey, and Venice Beach are too far, as well.

Burbank and Glendale aren't really far but the traffic might kill you.

Hollywood/Loz Feliz, the area where Los Angeles City College is located, is close to 3 miles away from USC. It's not a bad drive either.

$1,300 is reasonable, you can find something nice and you're on the right track. Either one of these cities will be good for what you described, particularly the Hollywood area; everything is pretty much walking distance.

I live in Burbank, and even though I live in Los Angeles, I don't have a lot of experience with all these other cities. I think Burbank is a great place to live; walking distance groceries, very safe, and you'll find something reasonable. The drive, I don't know, it shouldn't be too bad. If I get accepted, I'm going to stay at home. Burbank has my vote.

 

[Jayimess]

I live north of Franklin, it's technically a Hollywood Hill but not fancy pants. I feel safe here, I'm near enough to the tourism that when folks visit I can take them there, but far enough that I don't have to deal with it unless I choose to.

There is a cute little area, a grocer, UCB Theatre, etc, within walking distance, but the grocer is one of the more expensive ones, Gelsons. I go to a different store to save money, and I'm also a midnight shopper, so I just drive. And my hill is evil.

Los Feliz is adorable, but it's more expensive than where I live. If I could afford it, I would live there. It's definitely CUTE. So is Silver Lake, also a bit pricier than Hollywood, there are grocers everywhere.

Echo Park, I lived there for three months before moving to Hollywood. A classmate of mine lived a few hills over, and she walked in on burglars. There was constant crime copters. I heard gunshots very nearby shortly after the burglary of my classmate, and I didn't want to live there anymore. A first year lives there now and loves it. The grocers weren't within walking distance to myself or my classmate, but we were at the far end, the hills by Elysian Park.

Echo Park is close to campus than any of the others mentioned, but Dodger games are pure evil.

Living in Hollywood for over a year now, I have only had it take an hour or more to get to school three or four times, two of them were rain. It's usually 30 minutes or less.


Those are the neighborhoods I'm most knowledgeable about, since that's where I seem to spend the most time.

Los Feliz seems to hold more SCA students than any other neighborhood outside of University Park, but Koreatown holds a close second.

Koreatown is very close to campus, and there are tons of small mom and pop businesses, bars, shops, markets. When I decided to leave EP I looked at places in Ktown and it wasn't for me, but I have to say, I only looked at 6 or 7 places...some of my friends have GREAT places, though I can't vouch for neighborhood. Personally, I felt out of place as a non-Asian, and though the apartments were very large, I didn't feel safe. It wasn't that much cheaper, either, maybe 75-100/month than what I pay in Hollywood, and for no fridge.

Oh yeah, they rent places without fridges here.

I know people that commute from Long Beach, Irvine, West Hollywood, Burbank, Glendale, Agoura Hills, Palisades, Santa Monica, Marina Del Rey, and Redondo Beach. They all swear it's no biggie, but I think it's what you're used to, if you're an early bird, whatnot. I also know people who live in Brentwood and Beverly Glen, but only because they have amazing setups through family, and their drives are admittedly brutal.

When I get out of school I'm going straight to the Valley. I can't afford this nonsense.



OH...and I don't know THAT much about housing near USC, but grad housing is pretty hard to get but NOT IMPOSSIBLE. Housing around the school is quite pricey, my bf pays more than I do for a room in a huge house with 9 other people, they just broke up this weird housing monopoly up so Conquest doesn't own everything by campus anymore, but the homes in general are quite high.

Downtown's even higher, though I gotta say, those lofts are NICE.

Sorry I'm captain capitals this afternoon.

 

[kiernanbyrne]

Since I drive by USC every day:

The Drive between USC and Santa Monica can be total hell. It's 13 miles to the shore from USC and that can be an hour drive on the 10, but that's really only during rush hour, and there are nearer parts of Santa Monica.

Culver City is close, and really nice, with a lot of cool bars, a giant trader joes, and nice proximity to pretty much everything else. That said, roads in Culver City can get crowded, but side streets from Culver City to USC in rush hour is still 20 minutes max, if you take the right streets.

A lot of my friends live in K Town, and they love it, and have cheap rent.

Oh, and right now there's essentially a fire sale for downtown lofts, the lease rates are super low because they're unable to sell anything, and it's a stones throw from campus.

Cheers!

 

[Sonia]

Thanks so much for the advice, guys!

 

[Astantax]

I must say, I am completely nonplussed, but it's SO fun to finally be able to think in these terms!

 

[solojones]

I'm not a USC student nor have I been, but I have lived in LA while doing film production classes and internships in the past so I know the area... I love Burbank, would like to live there after school, but it's kind of far away from USC. Especially on traffic days, it could get pretty bad.

I lived in Park La Brea, which is right off the Miracle Mile. I really loved it there. It's this massive apartment complex with 50 buildings, like a little town within the city. It's pretty, gated off, not too expensive, nice, and there's cool stuff there. It's right in the art museum district. It's right next to the Farmer's Market (and there's a Ralphs on Wilshire right there, too). A large and nice outdoor mall is right across from it. It's about 15-20 minutes from Hollywood and Highland, Mann's, the Arclight... honestly, this is another place I'd consider living in the future. It's nice. I had a friend who went to USC when I lived there and it took about 20 minutes to get to the school from there.

 

[Sonia]

A lot of your suggestions seem like great options for me, especially Los Feliz, Hollywood (Hills), Silver Lake, and Park La Brea. Are the downtown lofts as shiny as they look in the photos? You're right about the prices, Kiernan.

Is biking to campus possible from any of these places? How bike-friendly is LA in general? I looked at some route maps last night, and they look OK. If I found a good route, I would definitely want to bike to school.

Thanks for your help, guys. I'm less overwhelmed already.

 

[Astantax]

I'd love to bike to school every day, too (I bike to work here every day in the spring/summer). One thing I've heard repeated often is how "rocky" the neighborhoods surrounding the school are. I don't really think I'd want to bike through them, but my disinclination is based on second-hand information. Anyone in the know have any advice?

 

[kiernanbyrne]

http://www.les.sc.edu/crimestats/index.asp

 

[tabbycat]

when I lived in Hollywood it didn't seem very bike friendly... too much car traffic.

BUT I agree with Jayimess, if you're going to go for Hollywood go for that north of franklin area.. the part where you can kind of see the Hollywood sign, right? I really like that part of town, it's very pretty IMO, and I retract part of my previous statement, I would actually call that part of Hwood cute. Beachwood is a nice street.

Actually when I went to my AFI interview it was kind of around that area too so there are probably lots of filmies around.

 

[kiernanbyrne]

That's called the Franklin Arts District or the Franklin Village by some people. It's a really fun area. I'm up there a lot (most of the time trying to park) for UCB. The bars and restaurants are fun, and that Mayfair market is nice too.

 

[Jayimess]

You can't see the Hollywood sign, actually, because the Hollywood sign is north of Franklin, it's more like you're in line with it, at least where I'm at. It's weird, you kind of look down onto the city but not in the snooty pants way.

We are nearby AFI, my roommate goes there, and even with bumper to bumper traffic it never takes her more than ten minutes to get there.

Beachwood IS adorable but rarely advertised on Craigslist or Rent.com, so you're gonna have to cough it up for the Westside Rentals. I've never used it personally, but Beachwood is part of my not even close to daily constitutional, and the ads all seemed like WSR or ones you had to walk by. Thing about Beachwood Canyon, make sure you have assigned parking, and don't plan on having people over too often, parking is ridiculous. I have no qualms walking around there after dark, it reminds me of home if home was wall to wall apartment buildings and trees.

USC is bike-friendly, the rest of LA is not so much. I would bike if I didn't live on this hill and I wasn't so lazy, but only on the two days a week my time at USC doesn't involve darkness.

Regarding University Park: It was really scary last fall, when two students were sexually assaulted, and another got stabbed to death in a fight. Really scary, and I feel terrible for the people involved. But nothing even remotely resembling that had happened in my time there before, nor has it happened since. I don't feel like I'm in a war zone, I don't fear for my life. Just be aware, and chances are you'll be fine. I don't feel unsafe going to and from my car, alone or with others. The crimes occur, but if you do the odds, your chances of running into trouble are still ridiculously slim...especially if you're smart.

That said, I would never live near USC. I wanted a home, not housing...there is a difference.

 

[ARodz]

Hi!

I just stumbled upon this board after being accepted to USC's MFA in Production program for the Fall of 2009. Excited! I've been living in Los Angeles for since 2002 and know the area pretty well (traffic included). I live in a not so known area of LA called Eagle Rock. It's under rent control and is within a mile of the following freeways (5, 2, 110, 134, 210, and a skip to the 101). It takes me less than 15 minutes to get to USC on good days (can take freeways or streets) and 30 min to get to USC on bad days... not bad.

It's also a small college town next to Occidental College and has great options to rent apartments, townhomes, and single family homes at really affordable prices. Check Craigslist. Also, great restaurants and coffee shops, most with WiFi. The residents are great and friendly too.

I agree with Jayimess about living in a home and not housing. I don't think I could go back to a college dorm style living situation... esspecially for more money than what you can get around nice parts of town. Hope to meet some of you on this board and in the fall.

Congratulations!

 

[Sonia]

I got even more worked-up for an endless summer this morning when I went out to my car and discovered the doors were frozen shut.

I guess I won't count on being able to bike to campus until I get there and check it out.

Eagle Rock sounds like a great place, but maybe too far away.

I'm liking the "Franklin Village" of Hollywood area and Los Feliz (how do people in LA pronounce that, by the way?) the best so far.

I'm also still thinking about a downtown loft because some of the prices aren't too bad, and it's close to USC and close to where my boyfriend might find a job. Do you guys have any idea what it's like to live there?

Thanks again. And I look forward to meeting you this fall, ARodz!

 

[ARodz]

Hi Sonia,

I used to live in Downtown for a couple years and it was nice but very boring and kinda dark after hours. It's estimated that over 600,000 people work downtown during the day and less than 40,000 remain there past 6:00pm (those are the residents). BUT, the city just invested a lot of money into the nightlife and entertainment with LA LIVE and the area really seems to be picking up... I just couldn't wait any longer so I moved just 3 miles to the north. The prices for Downtown are much better today because of the housing slump than ever before. Still, you would have little access to a supermarket and such downtown... but great lofts! Close to SC. Just a 10-15 min drive max.

Also, looking forward to meet you and everyone else this fall.

 

[KayS]

Thanks Sonia for starting this thread! I had no clue about where to live, but this information is proving helpful.

I need intense therapy to get over my car/driving phobia. I drive in Austin only when I really really have to because my heart beats so fast. HELP! I need to get over this so I can go live in LA. Perhaps therapy needs a separate thread...

 

[Sonia]

I got my driver's license when I turned 20””much later than most people in Minnesota. I only have 3 years of driving under my belt, so I'm still not too skilled and I still worry a lot (mostly about hitting a deer).

I became a better driver last year when I got my first 9-5 job and had to make it through rush hour every day.

It boosted my confidence to drive the same route over and over again. Once the route itself became second nature, I became less nervous about getting lost and could focus more on the actual driving. And once I got better at that, I was less nervous about learning new routes””that's when the whole city opened up to me.

Singing along with the crappy radio music didn't hurt, either. I love driving alone now just for that.