browsing housing in LA...

LOGAN L Productions

LOGAN L Productions

I've looked all over online, and I'm looking for a three bedroom...anything (duplex, apartment, guest house, guest room?, house, etc.) for around $1500/mo (less would be awesome) that's in a safe part of town in LA (we were looking in westwood, but anywhere in LA is cool). I know it's expensive to live there, but we are moving there right out of college and need a cheap place to start off at before we secure good jobs.

Also, a cheap four bedroom would be a good find too! We may have four people, but the only for-sures are three of us. Actually, if you guys know of anything that's noteworthy because of its price and value, let me know.

I posted it here because I know a lot of people on here live there and the best deals on rent aren't always advertised online. Thanks y'all!
 
The best place to find apartments in LA is <a href="http://www.westsiderentals.com">Westside Rentals</a>.

It cost some money to sign up, but it's money well spent IMHO.
 
Please excuse my slight giggle.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

Sorry.

A three bedroom in a good part of town (Westwood, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Los Feliz) is going to run you $2,500 to $3,500 at the low end. Burbank, Glendale, North Hollywood, Sun Valley will be about the same - above $1,500. You might have some luck at that range in the Valley (Van Nuys, Reseda, Northridge, Encino) but you'll really have to head south to find those rates. I own a six unit building in the heart of Hollywood, all one bedrooms with street parking and I get $1,000 to $1,250. A nice little three bedroom house near me just rented for $4,500.

I've heard good things about WestsideRentals.com

When are you movie out here? I'll ask around.
 
The San Fernando valley in general is about 10-20% cheaper on rent, but the nice areas such as Encino, Sherman Oaks, etc are getting much more expensive.

Check out areas like Studio City, Reseda, Northridge, Van Nuys, North Hollywood and, if you're really feeling brave, Panorama City.

If you really want to be on the LA side of the hill, you might find a 3 bedroom apartment for under $2000 if you really look, but it won't be in a very good area. Look for apartments that are labeled "Beverly Hills adjacent".
 
I'm sure you'd get a lot of great material of you went to South Central!

Where's Redlands? I know peeps there.

Why does it HAVE to be LA?

Why not a little south like Carlsbad?
 
CootDog said:
Why does it HAVE to be LA?
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Traffic. Unless you want a looong commute, it's best to be in LA if you're going to be working/hanging out here. As it is, if you wanted to get from one side of LA to another (say downtown LA to Santa Monica) you're looking at an hour of driving easy.
 
Redlands is about 65 miles from downtown LA and Carlsbad is nearly 90. Even living in Orange County (30-35 miles south) or Simi Valley (30-35 miles northeast) can be a travel/traffic nightmare. But Valencia/Santa Clarita/Newhall is cheaper and I know a lot of people renting and buying out there.
 
CootDog said:
I'm sure you'd get a lot of great material of you went to South Central!

Where's Redlands? I know peeps there.

Why does it HAVE to be LA?

Why not a little south like Carlsbad?
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He said a :Safe Place"

Regardless. There isnt alot of places in the General LA area with 3 bedrooms thats gonna run you under 2500 bucks a month.

If it were San Francisco, it would run him another 1000 or so.

If's he's willing to commute, then maybe so.
 
thanks for all the helpful info guys...I actually have found many places running for about $2,000 or $2,100...so you guys aren't totally right, although $1500 seems pretty impossible.

Just to clear things up: I don't need to be in a NICE part of town...just SAFE...either way, thanks again and I thought it was worth asking...even if I don't find exactly what I'm looking for...
 
Directorix is right on. The commute from Orange County is brutal. (Lived there 16 years) and the answer is the San Fernando Valley and North to Valencia, Santa Clarita and Newhall. Parts of Woodland Hills might work and even Valley Village, but North Hollywood has a lot of gang violence still, as well as north Van Nuys.

The long commute is not smart for a production person due to your long hours that sometimes occurs during regular commuter times. I recall falling asleep on the 5 freeway going south to O.A. after a 17 hour day. Almost lost it. Swore that would never happen again!

Also try going west on the 118 freeway towards Simi Valley for cheaper rents.

Stay away from south and east L.A.

Pick up a "Thomas Bro's Guide" map as soon as you hit town. You'll need it. Most of the time you get a call for a shoot, they will give you Thomas Bro's Guide coordinates.

Learn where all the "Trader Joe's" markets are and shop there for bargains and good food stuffs.

Good luck, guys.

WC
 
Did anybody mention craigslist LA: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/

I used Westside Rentals last I moved to LA (yes I did it twice). Pretty good, but in the end I found the place I live in now in the LA Times classified. (2 days later it showed up on Westside Rentals.)

Decent areas in your price range: Valley Village, Glendale, Encino, Reseda, some areas of North Hollywood: Maybe areas price-wise: Culver City, West Hollywood, Fairfax District

I agree with WC on watch out for the long commute. A long drive after a long shoot is a receipe for disaster. Also, it could impact your networking ability because you won't want to make a 1-2 hour drive to meet somebody at party, bar, get together, etc.... LA traffic is brutal if you live in town, so if you add an hour on top of that by living way out, it adds more pain.

When I moved, I came out to LA about a month before the move and spent a 5-7 days hunting for a place.

Scott

P.S. Here's a place in Sherman Oaks at $1700: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/apa/125141790.html
 
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scottspears said:
When I moved, I came out to LA about a month before the move and spent a 5-7 days hunting for a place.

Scott

P.S. Here's a place in Sherman Oaks at $1700: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/apa/125141790.html
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We will probably do that before we move...and this Sherman Oaks place is perfect! Thanks, man...although this is for a few months in the future (could be longer), but I'm browsing. I actually used craig's list before...It is a pretty sweet service.
 
I just moved to Los Angeles 2 months ago, I found www.apartmentratings.com a big help. I narrowed down the neighborhoods I wanted to live in, and then cross referenced apartmentratings.com with the reviews of the complexes. There a lot of horrible run down slum places in L.A. but there are some good ones to. They also list the prices they go for as well listed by the reviewer.

I lucked out, as I found a Studio in the heart of Hollywood. I live near Hollywood/La Brea, 650 sq. feet. for only $850. The complex got great reviews, and high marks on apartmentratings, I got the cheap rent because about 10% of the units in the building are under rent control. So while everyone else is paying $1200/mo for the same unit, I get the same one foe $850, it's great!

Good luck with your search.
 
zeroone said:
I got the cheap rent because about 10% of the units in the building are under rent control. So while everyone else is paying $1200/mo for the same unit, I get the same one foe $850, it's great!
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Huh? Did you sublet the apartment from another person or something? Because, as i understand it, rent control only allows a landlord to be able to raise rents no more than a few percent a year on current tenants... but, once an apartment becomes vacant, the landlords can up the rent to whatever they want.

I'm going to be looking for a new place this summer, so I am interested to know your secret! :)
 
Robert said:
Huh? Did you sublet the apartment from another person or something? Because, as i understand it, rent control only allows a landlord to be able to raise rents no more than a few percent a year on current tenants... but, once an apartment becomes vacant, the landlords can up the rent to whatever they want.

I'm going to be looking for a new place this summer, so I am interested to know your secret! :)
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That's incorrect. I didn't sublet anything. When the building was built in 1989, the owners of the building wanted a favorable interest rate and tax with the city of Hollywood, so they made a deal and they have to make about 10% of the units available with rent control and have yearly inspections. It's the same exact units as the rest of the building. It's great. Once a tenant leaves one of the rent controlled units, the rent stays the same, they can't adjust it or increase, only a few dollars per year for inflation or so. They can't bring it up to market value whatsoever.
 
Wow, sounds like you scored a great deal then. Did you hear about the apartment or did you just get lucky?

If another such apartment should come up in your building, please let me know!
 
This thread took off! I think my future roomies and I will just share a two bedroom until we figure out how our money situation will be. Good luck to anyone else looking for space. Hopefully this thread will help others as well!
 
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