crazymina

Betty, a lot of online retailers have it for less. For instance, I found at it PCMall for 599...
http://www.pcmall.com/pcmall/shop/de...pno~536207.asp

But as the others said, if you don't mind getting lost once in a while, you could make do a with a map. Our roads are pretty simple.

bettyo70

Thanks, mina. Will check it out!

Surfergirl

Also keep in mind if you like to entertain, because even if YOU have parking, your guests may not be able to park unless the apartment building has sufficient guest parking spaces.

How much you spend on gas depends on how far you have to commute to and from work and whether long drives will be involved for spare time activities. I have a 99 Miata that just hit the 9,000 mark. It's easy on gas and fills up for $25 once a month. Then, my "commute" is 1.5 miles and in summer I bike to work when I can. When gas prices soared, my husband, who works downtown and commutes from the Westside, started taking the express bus, which he loves. $2.50 round trip, and stops right outside his office downtown. He can read all the way there and back and chill.

Also factor in the cost of parking. If your employer doesn't pay for parking, the cost will add up quickly. $15-$20/day downtown, about $25/day in Century City. Areas in West Hollywood (say you want to go to the Strip for dinner) have metered parking that continues to 10 p.m.. Up there, it's ultimately cheaper to park in a lot for $6 or $7 if you plan to make an evening of it. A smaller car is better for non-metered street parking (you can get into small spaces easier!).

When you buy a car, ask what type of fuel it takes. The Mini, for example, takes premium gas; a PT Cruiser takes regular. A Prius is the middle fuel. That can make a big difference, as well as the cost of upkeep.

wantagig

SG: As a Prius owner, your statement made me go to my car to check the owners manual. The guy who sold me the car said my car took "the cheap stuff". According to my owners manual, he was right. It takes 87 octane.

Betty: When looking for rentals, I also recommend:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/

Another really good idea is to simply drive around the area you want to live and look for signs posted. Not all landlords need to advertise. A simple sign out front will start the phone ringing.

bettyo70

Thanks, surferfirl and wantagig!

Wantagig: In NYC, they usually ask for the first month's rent, one month's security deposit and job references. Will the landlords ask for the same around West Hollywood?

Is there anything special I should look out for when apartment hunting (warning signs, etc.)?

Appreciate your time and suggestions!

wantagig

As a landlady, the most important thing to me was the credit report and if they had a verifiable job. Yes they'll ask for first months and a security deposit.

The maximum security deposit allowable by law can total no more than double the monthly rent. Because rents are so high, most people charge one months rent, give or take, as a security deposit.

Re: warning signs, someone had mentioned the parking situation. It's a good idea to take note. Also, ask other renters in the building if they like living there. I had an apartment with the bedroom facing an alley (lots of alleys in LA). The problem with that is that there would be homeless people sleeping back there or shoving their shopping carts up and down the alley at all hours. (Not to mention people driving like maniacs down the alley) They have a right to live as best they can. It's just frustrating when you pay premium rent and have to deal with tripping over a poor homeless person as you open the gate to the alley.

I worked for 5 or 6 years in WeHo. It's a very nice area. I felt very safe there.

bettyo70

Thanks, wantagig!

QUESTION FOR SURFERGIRL: When you say that the "Mini" takes premium gas, did you mean the Mini Cooper car?

My husband was looking at a great BMW Roadster convertible (around $14,000). Does anyone know what kind of fuel it takes? Also, what about safety regarding some of these smaller cars?

Sorry, I'm a little clueless about the car thing being a New Yorker.

Cheers, Everyone!

peeky

Thomas Guide costs 19$ at local drug stores. Sunday is open house day for buyers/renters just drive around the neighborhood you like. Take a financial statement and references with you for Johnny On The Spot.
welcome

Thyra

Thomas Guide (LA Bible).. if you haven't bought one already.. West Hollywood hummmm?? Well I used to live there it's very central, super hip and very crazy with parking.. though now I live in Los Feliz/Silverlake.. MUCHO better .. if I were you I would try for a 6 month or less lease, live here a while then decide which neighborhood you want to live in, they are all so different! You might prefer Santa Monica with morning mist and cleaner air, or the Valley with lower rents.. or the best side, the Silverlake, side..fewer fake boobs...The road range thing well, we who were born and raised here, swear it's all those East Coasters arriving in droves who don't know how to drive and get really frustrated with the traffic. The best thing you can do is arrive and adopt a really ZEN attitude with traffic or you will go nutty.. yes your appointment is 5 miles from your doorstep, yes it will take you 45 minutes to get there!!! Get used to that and never be in a rush, and also note that anyone who has lived in LA past 4 days will be very understanding when you tell them that you were late because you got stuck in traffic!
If you don't know already, start getting an LA Weekly www.laweekly.com, if you want to find out about what's going on in town. I don't know if you are hiking, but LA has some terrific places for hiking.. I hike 6 miles in Griffith Park every morning and belive it or not see deer, coyotes, foxes, rabbits and horses,, and this is all within spittin distance of the biggest (geographically) speaking city in the US. If you are on the Westside, Runyion Canyon (for dog walkers) or Fryman Canyon are great for walking.
Oh, note on traffic, you should hitch up with a local right away and get their "alternative" routes.. I hardly ever sit still when driving cross town, I have this pathway of residential streets and I zig zag across the LA basin.. DON'T sit on Sunset Blvd.. zip up Selma! When you get here you'll see what I mean.
Welcome to our city.. I hope you like it!

bettyo70

Peeky & Thyra: Thanks for the "rundown."

THYRA: I'm focusing on West Hollywood because for acting, it sounded like the most convenient area (shortest drives to studios, etc.) I like the IDEA of Santa Monica, but when you're hitting a bunch of auditions, the driving really starts to add up from there.

I will definitely take a look at Silverlake, though. Thanks so much!

Thyra

OH, the business, well are you talking stage acting or screen? Most dance/music theatre auditions occur at dance studios in the Valley, 99 seat theatre shows Hollywood/Weho/Valley, Talent agencies are mostly in BevHills (ICM, WMorris CAA Endeavor). To be studio close, I would hit either Hollywood or Burbank (Para, Disn, Warner) though Sony/MGM is in Culver and Fox is in Century City. The issue you will have for acting is that nearly every other person you meet in Weho is also doing acting, which could be good, could be bad depending upon your feelings. I assume now that I am thinking about it, that you are looking to do film because if you wanted theatre you sure wouldn't be leaving NYC .

Thyra

oh, also in the Valley is Universal.. if you REALLY want to be close to the most studios then Studio City/NoHo is your best bet.

rjw_lgb_ca

Since you're moving out here to find acting work, West Hollywood is a good starting neighborhood-- there are dozens of 99-seat playhouses between WeHo and Silver Lake, as well as acting schools (like the Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film Institute), repertory companies (say, the Actor's Gang) and improv companies (such as the Groundlings). I happen to like Silver Lake quite a bit, as well as Los Feliz and Hollywood, as far as livable neighborhoods. Still, WeHo is a bit more upmarket and fun for your first taste of living here.

Lets_Go13

In addition to the Thomas Guide, I always check www.sigalert.com before hitting the road. That way I know to avoid any freeway that already had a problem and use my alternate surface street route. BTW a Sig Alert is what they call it when they shut down one or more lanes on the freeway. I think it is named after an old time traffic reporter or something.

Surfergirl

Roadster for $14,000?!? What year is it?! All BMWs take premium. Yes, Mini Cooper.

On the Prius, well I'm glad to hear it takes the "cheap stuff". The car dealer salesperson said it was the middle fuel when I asked after a test drive last week. I don't know why I believed him. He didn't seem to know anything about cars!

Thyra, we were up in Runyon Park (the old Errol Flynn estate) this weekend with an English friend who came here to see the Stones (awesome concert, but I digress). Haven't been up there since before it was turned into a park. Gee, it has a real pavement now!

Thyra

We used to live, literally at the base of Runyon.. I saw many famous faces walking their dogs up that hill.. now I hike in Griffith, less celebrity, less pavement, less oxygen but what can you do? On a clear day, I can see from the snowy mountains to the ocean, to the brush fires in Chatsworth! G*D I love this town!

SimoneSassett

Betty - I actually have a BMW roadster (convertible) and it takes premium, as do all BMW's. What year is the roadster your husband is looking at? I'm actually interested in selling mine, but it's a bit newer (2005 - 18k miles - Kelly Blue Book is $33k but I'm willing to negotiate)

wantagig

SG: It just dawned on me that maybe the new Prius design (2004, 2005) takes the middle grade. I dont know though. Mine is a 2002 and takes the cheap gas. (although the words "cheap" and "gas" don't belong in the same sentence anymore)

As a p.s., I recently got my stickers from the DMV that let me travel in the carpool lane all by myself. Talk about a timesaver. I'm in Palm Springs now and BOY does that come in handy!!

SimoneSassett

wantagig - the carpool sticker is only available to cars that can get 50 mpg on the highway. SUV hybrids only get 30-35 mpg, so they don't qualify. Priuses (sp?) and Civic Hybrids easily qualify for that rule.

mrwunrfl

A few tips from one who has recently relocated to So Cal.

1) don't bother asking if the place is air-conditoned: it is not
2) do ask if the refrigerator is included in the apartment: you might have to buy your own
3) best time to go to the semi-archaic DMV is at 4:25 PM on a weekday. or later if you aren't getting a DL. Go at 4:45 for just a vehicle reg.