Moving to LA - Housing Advice Requested

[dancingqueen]

One of my best friends is moving to LA and working downtown. He is mid 30’s, single, straight and a working professional. He’s looking for a one bedroom apartment. Can anyone provide advice? He’s open to all suggestions… Thanks!

 

[JulieN]

There''s no real shortage of desirable downtown housing.

 

[kenny]

We are in the LA area.

Housing preferences and expectations are very personal.
One place that would be ideal for one person would not appeal to the next.

I believe the best way to pick a location is to get here, talk to co-workers and drive around.
Get a feeling for the neighborhoods yourself.

Santa Monica and West side is nice but more expensive.
The air is cleaner closer to the beach.
Long Beach is the cheapest beach city and has housing in a variety of price ranges and is not as densely populated as the west side and Santa Monica.
Coastal Orange county is newer and cleaner but very expensive.

Prices vary a great deal.
While crime is possible everywhere some neighborhoods have more than others.
Unlike in other major cities public transportation in LA is poor, but they keep saying they are working on it.
In NY everyone rides public transportation, even very wealthy people.
In LA most people using public transportation cannot afford a car.
Calm down, I said most not all.

They say the Los Angeles basin was laid out by the auto, gas and tire industries so everything is spread out so you need a car.
Driving a long distance to work is very common because nice affordable housing is frequently far from job centers.
Traffic getting in and out of downtown during rush hour (I mean rush-four-hours) is bad so that's a factor too.

Maybe he should get an apartment very close to work but not sign a long lease.
Then once here, he could shop around for a more permanent place.

 

[panda08]

If he likes dense city living, walking and doesn''t mind occasional sketchiness, I''d suggest downtown. I have a friend who lives in a loft and LOVES it. There are tons of them available, though they can be pricey depending on what he wants. Downtown is livelier now with a new, large commercial complex with theaters, restaurants, etc. near the Staples Center. It still lacks a major grocery store but one is not that far away. The public transportation around downtown is pretty good. There''s the subway and a shuttle called the Dash.

If downtown isn''t his cup of tea and he prefers something more suburban but not too sleepy and still close to downtown, try Pasadena or South Pasadena about 10 miles north. It''s really a charming area with historic character homes. Has a nice old town area with shops and restaurants. There are lots of conveniences, every major grocery store from TJ''s to Whole Foods, two large Targets, two farmer''s markets and at least three fitness clubs. He can take the light rail into downtown to avoid driving.

There are lots of other areas to live but the further out he goes, the more traffic he''ll have to deal with, as the public transportation gets worse and worse the farther away you get from downtown. The beach cities are lovely and many covet the Westside but he''ll be sitting in traffic for at least 35+ minutes during prime time from those areas.

As for how to look, try Craigslist or Westside Rentals. Realtors are a good source too. Landlords pay for the realtor''s services, not the renter.