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Looking to move to L.A. area
My friend and I are looking to move in a yr. & 1/2 (once we've both graduated w/ our BA) to the L.A. area. We are from Louisiana (hr. north of New Orleans) and have never traveled to the west coast so we know we need some help planning. We realize that it won't be cheap. We were thinking that we might live in Long Beach!?! I will have a degree to teach Spanish and she will be a photographer. Will there be any work for us in the L.A. area? We really love the beach and want to be close to it as possible. I'm also an AVP fan and would love to see games as much as possible.
Los Angeles is our first choice but we're willing to consider other areas such as San Diego. The one thing that we really want is to be close to the beach... We're planning to fly to L.A. next fall and check out some places before making our final decision. Any advice about housing,living expenses, transportation, work opportunities, ect. would be greatly appreciated. |
brooklyn - I see that you are new here and just wanted to give you a bit of a heads up. You posted the same thread/question 3 times. I am guessing it is because after you hit "post my reply" it didn't show up right away in the left frame.
It sometimes takes a few minutes to show up, sometimes longer. If you are trying to find a thread that you either started or replyed to, simply click on your name in the top of the page and it will show you all the threads your screen name has connected to it. That way, you can always find what you've written and what others have replies. No need to keep writing the same post. At some point, the search box will be updated and you will also be able to simply type in your name and it should bring up your posts in that particular forum [where clicking on your name bring up all your posts in ALL forums]. Unfortunately, the web people here are a bit behind in getting the search and posts connected. Welcome and good luck in your search. Debi |
Save up some cash and take a trip out to the area this year, you really need a feel for the different areas before deciding.
After you've got an idea of where you want to live, focus on your job search. First of all, with the rental market as tight as it is, nobody will rent to anyone who doesn't have a full-time job, and you also need good credit (which I realize that students don't always have). Finally, choose the beach area that's closest to your work, because the commute is getting crazy and two years down the road when you're living there...it's gonna be ten times crazier. Seems every teenager out there has their own SUV and has to drive themselves to and from school, to and from lunch, to and from team practice, and to-and-from Starbucks 3 times a day. |
Please do not live in Long Beach. There is nothing nice about it and it's about 45 mins away, with no traffic, from major party of LA (West Hollywood/Hollywood). It is not a good place to be for someone new looking to experience LA for a while.
What is your budget for an apt per month? I'm assuming you're around 22 years old since you're just graduating. If you want to be by the beach and be in a someone happening and safe area, you should try to look around Hermosa and Manhattan beach (still far away, but a much nicer area and beach with many people your age and active nightlife; though not cheap). If you want to be close to actual LA, Venice and Santa Monica area are good bets, but they're not cheap. That's why your budget is important. The cheap alternative in between is El Segundo. Anything affordable is going to be driving distance to the beach. How close to the beach do you want to be and how much are you willing to pay for that luxury? Are you looking for a 1 or 2 bedroom apt? 1-bedrooms in nice areas close to the beach go for $1600-1700 at the very least, and $1900+ for 2 bedrooms. San Diego would be more affordable for some areas like Pacific Beach where many from nearby universities there live. You do need a car in both LA and SD. There is no good transportation. One of my good friends moved here from your area last year when she graduated (from Gonzales; she went to LSU). I can put you in touch with her if you want to discuss some logistics. Teachers are always in demand around here, especially for Spanish, so that shouldn't be an issue. Photography may be more of a challenge for steady work as there is a lot of competition :) |
oh, and I completely agree with above. You need to visit here first and check out the city before you decide where to live. It's not like other cities. Things are very spread out and some areas are not safe. It's also a good idea not to get into a long-term contract before you find a job as commuting to work can be a nightmare.
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Long Beach is not Los Angeles, by any stretch of the imagination!
If you are able to apply for work before you come out that would be a huge benefit. Especially as a teacher, looking into the application process would be the very first thing I'd do. Once you have employment, then I'd live near where I worked. You can always go to a beach on the weekend from anywhere in southern California. But you don't want to set yourself up for a horrible 5-day a week commute by renting an apartment, then finding a job that is no where near it (if you can avoid it). In most general terms, I believe finding a teaching job will be MUCH easier than a photographer finding work in LA. |
you simply cannot sign a lease for an apartment w/o first getting a job. Commutes can be VERY long if you choose wrong.
Do you have any friends/relatives in Southern California where you might be able to bunk for a few weeks? Of course, if you are lucky enough to land jobs before moving to CA, that wouldn't be necessary. "<i>We realize that it won't be cheap.</i> You got that one right :) |
Hopefully at least one of you can land a job before moving to California. Two brand new college graduates, with no place to live, and no jobs, is going to be a bit of a tough start in Los Angeles. Don't get me wrong, I think it's a great idea, and I love LA (I was born there), but it is HUGE and spread out and expensive anywhere near the beaches.
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Once again smartcookie has it wrong.
Long Beach has many lovely neighborhoods, (ever been to Naples, or Belmont Shore, smartie?). Also, you will not run into the phoney baloney westside attitudes (just a hint of which is evident in smartie's posting). It has RELATIVELY affordable housing for a beach commuity. Also because there is a large student population (California State University Long Beach) landlords may be more foregiving about "job first", than locations where housing is tight...like Santa Monica or Venice. They will most likely run a credit check, however. The local newpaper, the Press Telegram, runs real estate ads, as does the Grunion Gazette, or you can walk around the streets in Belmont Shore which has a lot of rentals. I think the teacher will have no trouble getting a job, especially if you are bilingual. Can't say what the opportunities are for a photographer. Long Beach is served by the Metro rail system directly to downtown LA with connections to Hollywood, and has its own bus system. So it has a better public transportation system than some of the suburban areas. |
I enjoy visiting Long Beach. Plenty of great restaurants, lots of nice people, some nice neighborhoods (some crappy neighborhoods too).
Also, a fantastic airport. Maybe this is an excellent place for newbees starting out on the west coast. |
I second mlgb's comments, and had the same "Huh? Wha??" reaction to smartcookie's post. Long Beach is a great city. So are most of the other beach towns south of there. My favorites are Dana Point, Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach and Hermosa Beach. Young crowds, rowdy in spots but a *lot* of fun.
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My DD (24) and her boyfriend (25) just moved to Long Beach and they like it. They both had been living in Orange County but wanted to get a little closer to their work (boyfriend works in Carson). They were interested in the South Bay (Redondo, Hermosa, etc) but apartment costs were more reasonable in Long Beach. They live 2 blocks from the ocean in Belmont Heights bordering on Belmont Shores. They have a great one bedroom apartment. Huge living and dining room, big kitchen, hardwood floors, high ceilings, crown molding, etc for around $1400 a month. (mlgb-They found their apartment through the Grunion Gazette). So Long Beach is not bad if you get the right neighborhood and there are a lot of young people as mlgb says.
However, it is a drive into LA if that's where you want to be. My DD goes into LA at least a couple of times a week for auditons etc and usually makes good time but that's because she isn't driving during rush hour. Driving from Hermosa or Redondo Beach isn't much better because you are still dealing with the 405 Freeway. What you really need to do is find out where you will be teaching and then look in that area. The LA school district badly needs teachers but you need to be sure you are willing to teach in inner city schools. Long Beach schools aren't much better except for some neighborhoods. One of my friend's daughters teaches elementary school in Long Beach and has been there for 5-6 years. In the beginning she was at a tough school but it was OK. Now she is at a school in Belmont Shores which is very nice. She had the opportunity to go to other school districts but has stuck with Long Beach. As far as work as a photographer, right in LA might be better but I would imagine you could live just about anywhere. Another good point is about having a job first. Another Long Beach story. My best friend's son just graduated from Univ of San Diego with an engineering degree and got his first job also in Carson. He had to move very quickly and luckily my DD had just gone through the apartment hunting process. He also decided on Long Beach because of cost of apartment vs. Redondo or Hermosa. He found a great one bedroom apartment right down the street from my daughter. Newer building with parking (which is unheard of in Long Beach!) for around $1000 a month. He had not started work yet but had a letter from his new employer. He was worried he might not get the apartment but they took the letter and ran his credit. Luckily for him, he has a high credit score and that combined with the letter helped him get the apartment. I am sure he wouldn't have gotten the apart if he didn't already have a job as competition for the nicer buildings is stiff. They do run your credit with any application you put in. So if you don't have much credit now, maybe you can start building it up within the next 1 1/2 years. Hope this helps. Come out and do some visits, look at the different neighborhoods and of course apply for a job once you graduate from college. Good luck. |
p.s. Since I travel around So. Calif for my work, I am pretty familiar with most areas but hadn't spent much time in Long Beach except for calling on doctors offices right off the 405. I am enjoying getting to know Long Beach since my DD moved there. It's a very different feel than Orange County-more diverse-which I like very much. My younger DD lives in Redondo and I really love that area but it's expensive.
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Can't give you specifics on where to live - but I think you really need to account for the following:
Louisiana is one of the least expensive parts of the country to live in and California coast is one of the most expensive - housing will be probably be 4 times what you're used to No one will rent you anyplace until you have jobs - so you need to start working on that part far in advance Have you looked into what it takes to obtain teaching credentials in various parts of Cal? The minimum standards differ tremendously by state - and what it takes to be actually hired - esp in a decent district - can be much more than the minimum You really should do the following: Save up as much as you can in advance (work 2 jobs if necessary - you will probably have to do so once you get there anyway) Take at least one trip to check out several areas - including looking at real estate prices (esp sublets, since that's probably where you'll have to start) and job opportunities/salaries Photography is a profession that is very widely known for paying practically nothing the first couple of years. (Gofers for commercial photographers often earn the same as kids at the McD's counter - so does your friend have any other more marketable skills for a second job? If not - I would suggest s/he develop one,) |
Nytraveler is right about doing your homework before moving. And of course visiting for several weeks to see the area would be ideal.
As far as teaching, California will give you a preliminary credential if you are certified in another state. You also have to take the CBEST which tests basic knowledge. /www.ctc.ca.gov/faq/mainfaq.html Everyone has to take the CBEST even if you are just going to substitute teach. Also you can go to www.edjoin.org to look at postings for open positions. Right now most slots have been filled because it's the beginning of the school year. Another idea is to substitute teach. Long Beach pays $140 a day, Los Angeles pays $175 a day and up to $225 a day for extended periods. However the LA schools would most likely be high schools in inner city areas. Other better school districts pay less-around $110 to $125 a day. When my DD did substituting in Santa Ana, she worked almost every day and several times they wanted her to take a class for an extended period (and she doesn't even have a credential, just a BA and took the CBEST). So as a teacher you could find some type of work right away. |
mlgb, as usual, you answer with your personal biases and not the OP's best interests in mind. it is starting to look sad that you try to boost your self-esteem through anonymous internet forums. consider getting a social life outside of the internet. but i digress....
the post is obviously from someone who has no idea what LA is or what Long Beach is and what it means to live in Long Beach when you have never been to LA and probably think that everything in LA, including Long Beach, looks like it does on the Hills. Unlike mlgb, I know several dozen LA transplants and I have yet to meet someone who wanted to move to LA to live in Long Beach, at least when they first moved here. After they have seen the "main" LA that they hear about, they can probably look into other neighborhoods, especially with respect to where they will get jobs. By the way, most young people I know are able to rent just fine without jobs lined up when they move. As long as you have a cosigner (a parent usually), it rarely matters. |
smartcookie, mlgb was simply trying to correct your terrible advice. First you claimed, "Please do not live in Long Beach. There is nothing nice about it", which is absolute nonsense, then you turn around and suggest Manhattan Beach and Venice(?!) as better alternatives??? Come on.
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What's happened to brooklyn0185? Hopefully they will check back to read the answers above.
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it's not "terrible advice". you are both not assessing the post properly with your recommendations. 22 yr olds do not move from Louisiana to LA (having never been here) to live in Long Beach unless they have no idea where Long Beach is and how far it is from actual LA that they have heard about (and the reason why they want to move). Judging by their post, they believe they will be in LA and will be experiencing LA by living in Long Beach (they probably looked on craigslist and saw how much cheaper rent was there, and figured it was good since it's a "beach"). All, I'm trying to do is explain that if they choose to live in Long Beach, they will not be seeing a lot of LA or experiencing what they have seen on "The Hills". If you live in Long Beach, Hermosa, Manhattan etc, you will be experiencing THOSE areas, which is fine, but it's not what they seem to be moving here for. People who live in those areas do not make the one hour commute to go out in actual LA very often. Driving for an hour to go out to eat or to a bar is not anyone's idea of fun. So, if they want to move here to experience LA, Long Beach is not a convenient place to live. Are you disputing that? After they have been in LA for a while, they can make the decision to move somewhere farther from LA if that suits their needs. But without having been here before, they need to realize what living in Long Beach would mean.
Btw, there is a reason why Long Beach is so much cheaper. Obviously, it's not because there are so many great neighborhoods there. Yes, I have been there plenty of times and there are several ok areas, but there are also many more dumps that in other areas and plenty of gang-related activity. If they want cheaper and don't mind a slightly crappy neighborhood as long as it's close to the beach, they can also consider El Segundo and parts of West LA. |
Oh please, smartie, you're showing your true colors again.
As someone who HAS known many young people who came to LA to start their careers, I'm not as uniformed as you would like to think. You seem to think that LA exists only in the Santa Monica zip code. Try to get out a little. |
smartcookie-The problem with most of your posts is that you tend to generalize and make statements "like there is nothing nice about it". So some of us felt we needed to defend Long Beach.
If you read my posts, I tell the pros and cons of Long Beach and then state that if they want to be in LA then Long Beach is probably not the place they want to be. So I think you can be a little more helpful without making such generalized statements. As far as your comments to mlgb you are way out of line. Saying things like "get a social life" probably should pertain to you also but was not necessary. Everyone is entitled to their opinions and you seem to have a hard time excepting those of other posters. And how do you know whether mlgb knows transplants to LA? I would bet she does since much of LA is made up of transplants. And I still can't imagine getting an apartment without a job (yes, maybe with a co-signer). The process for my DD and her friend who recently moved into new apartments was very strict-some wanted copies of recent check stubs or bank statements. And was for Long Beach!! LOL |
Meant to say "that was in Long Beach".
mlgb-I don't think we can "win" with smartcookie. |
Hold on everyone!!
smartcookie knows what she is talking about! After all " I know several dozen LA transplants and I have yet to meet someone who wanted to move to LA to live in Long Beach" LOL |
Try reading the first post. They said they wanted to move to the "LA area". "We realize it won't be cheap..we were thinking of Long Beach...We want to be close to the beach." These are not tourists, they are trying to find a way to get started in the "LA area".
Give them some credit for thinking things out. LA isn't just Hollywood. Santa Monica, West LA or Beverly Hills are not affordable for new graduate with student loans. And believe it or not, there are gangs and problem areas in Santa Monica, Venice (Hi Oakwood)and West LA. |
MorganRey-Not a problem about agreeing with the fact that the OP probably doesn't want to move to Long Beach instead of LA. I stated that myself.
What we are disagreeing about is smartcookie making a statement that "there is nothing good in Long Beach". And then smartcookie suggests that they look at Manhattan Beach. Well first of all, Manhattan Beach is very expensive and secondly it's not that much closer to LA than Long Beach. My older daughter lives in Long Beach, if she takes the 110 into LA and from there either the 101 or 10 often she makes better time than my younger daughter who lives in Redondo and has to use the 405. In all reality, it all depends on where the OP gets a job. There are definitely cheaper parts of LA but the OP also stated she wants to be close to the beach. The OP said she was open to area, even San Diego so she could also look in Orange County or heaven forbid-Long Beach!! I do know that Santa Ana school district is often looking for teachers and they could live in the Costa Mesa area which is pretty reasonable. |
I was born in the San Gabriel Valley and have lived in Manhattan Beach for 30 years. One of my best friends has lived in Long Beach (near Cal State) for many years so I've spent some time there too. I wouldn't discourage any young person considering moving to Southern California from looking at the Long Beach/Seal Beach area. LB is a fairly large town that has a surprising number of small-town-feeling neighborhoods.
To say Long Beach is too far ("45 minutes") from the main parts of L.A. reflects a lack of knowledge of L.A. geography. Everything is at least 45 minutes from everywhere else. The "main parts" are all over the county, which is the size of Rhode Island. There is no one (or best) place to live to "experience L.A." |
If I were the OP, I would be scared off and doubtful of any information posted here because of all the squabbling and personal back & forths.
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<i>Everything is at least 45 minutes from everywhere else.<i>
Jean-isn't that the truth!! My Long Beach daughter does wish she lived a little closer to LA because she goes there often for auditions. But she can get at least to the West Side or Downtown in 45 minutes. But my friends daughter who lives in Santa Monica is always complaining that it can take her 45 minutes to get across town into Hollywood and certainly that long to Burbank. So in LA, it's all about driving.</i></i> |
Woops-just wanted to do italics on the first line. Just learning this HTML code.
Suze-you are right about the squabbling and I got right in the middle of it which I don't usually do. I guess I get a little defensive when someone isn't open minded about opposing opinions. I should be used to that on Fodors but that's also why you don't see me posting on controversial subjects in the lounge. Don't know if brooklyn0185 will come back-seems this is their first post on Fodors. Hopefully they will since there is good information here about jobs and the different parts of LA if they can read around the fighting. :-) |
paula, I think your posts are very balanced. I've never had an issue reading them. however, mlgb starts her posts with personal attacks. there is a big difference in expressing your opposing opinion and attacking someone else's opinion and character in general to state your point. Btw, 90% of my friends are in their 20s and moved here from other states (several specifically from Louisiana too and some of them live in Hermosa now, but only after they experienced the LA they moved here for). None of them had jobs lined up when they moved (pretty hard when you're right out of college) and they all were able to rent without issues (with a co-signer or proof of savings when necessary). College students rent apartments without having jobs all over LA and the US in general in the same manner.
My "nothing nice about it" comment was probably too harsh, but considering the wealth of options, I was just trying to make it clear that there are much more convenient and nicer areas, even for the same price. mlgb, they've never been to LA. They're obviously not considering Long Beach because it's going to offer them something different as they don't know that. They're posting here asking with "!?!?" at the end of "Long Beach", so they are asking for input on that idea because they don't know any better and that was the first cheap area that popped out on Craigslist or whatever with the word "beach". And I don't think LA is in Santa Monica. There are several areas that are considered main parts of LA (undisputed) where most major attractions/restaurants/famous bars and show venues are, and there are others that are considered South Bay, which are the outskirts. It's fine to live there. But people from South Bay do not go to main LA (WeHo, Hollywood, SM, West LA, Westwood, Beverly Hills, etc) very often because of the long commute. That's all the OP has to realize and then decide which part of the greater LA area they want to experience most because they will probably spend most time around the area where they live. Btw, 45 mins to get to Long Beach is without traffic. It doesn't take 45 mins to "get anywhere in LA" nowdays without traffic. It becomes 45 mins WITH traffic when it should be 20 mins (i.e. if you drive that same distance at 4am). If we're talking about commute to Long Beach WITH traffic, then it's really 1.5 hrs (yes, I've done it numerous times). |
before I get jumped again, let's clarify that 45 mins without traffic is from Hollywood. It's more like 25 mins from Santa Monica.
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by the way, I'm curious. if either of you decided you wanted to move either SF or NYC, would you consider living in San Jose or Harlem respectively when you first got there to live "in" those cities?
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smartcookie, may I ask how much time you have spent in Long Beach?
How much time have you spent in Southern California? |
smartcookie-Thank you for your post. I really think we have gone over this way too many times. If you read the OP's post one last time, you will see that they said "my friend and I are looking to move in a yr & 1/2 to the L.A. Area". She also said "Los Angeles is our first choice but we are willing to consider other areas such as San Diego". So I just didn't want brooklyn0185 to discount Long Beach after you made your harsh comment. Sounds like she is willing to look anywhere from LA down to San Diego.
And yes I was agreeing with Jean that it takes 45 minutes to get anywhere in LA. BTW my younger daughter that lives in Redondo goes to West Hollywood, Melrose area quite frequently although not as often as the local places around her house. Anyway, we can agree to disagree and be done with this. |
Oh and to answer your question-No, San Jose wouldn't be my choice for No. Cal but if I got a job there, it would be fine. I probably wouldn't live in Harlem although now it's becoming gentrified. But if I couldn't afford Manhattan, I would certainly consider Brooklyn or Queens.
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Sure. I've spent 13 years in Southern California with a 4 year break in Northern California and Europe.
I've spent many separate days in Long Beach (and nearby beaches) on day trips and have flown out of Long Beach airport several times. Obviously no reason to stay overnight. If you're asking if I know LA and surrounding areas well, the answer is yes, very well". paula, I don't think we're disagreeing. I think it's up to the OP to decide what their goals are and what they're willing to live with to save the money. since they're naming just the major cities (i.e. LA and San Diego), we don't really know if they're willing to live in smaller cities in between or if they want the true LA or SD city life that they've heard about. I hope they come back to tell us more. |
Btw, my question about SF and NYC was specifically with regards to the goal of the move being to live in those cities. I think that's the main disagreement in this discussion. There is a big difference if you're moving in order to move for a job (so job is the most important goal), or moving because you want to experience life in that specific city.
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"If you're asking if I know LA and surrounding areas well, the answer is yes, very well". "Please do not live in Long Beach. There is nothing nice about it. . ." I'm sorry but those two statements just plain don't go together. Anyone who can't find ANYTHING nice about Long Beach does not know it very well. Period! End of discussion. |
The OP may not be back since he posted this 3 times and probably can't figure out how to get back here. But If I were him, coming from the South, and reading some of the gloomy/grouchy/rude posts one here - I'd be re-thinking the whole idea.
Maybe it is just smartcookie's attempt to keep people from moving out here . . . . . . |
I'm not sure brooklyn is coming back, either, so I'll keep this brief.
I lived near the westside when I first moved to LA, right in the thick of things, and I hated it. I was much happier after moving to the South Bay. If you love the beach, my advice would be to move as close to the beach as you can afford. Of course, this is after you know where you will be working -- try not to set yourself up for more than a 40 minute commute. I also think that Long Beach has lots to offer. Good Luck! |
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