Where are you from and have you had any luck with housing so far? I'm at my wits end since I don't know a soul in LA and this is turning out to be quite a vexing process :!:
From my limited time in LA last year, I believe quite a few PhD students tend to live in the Los Feliz area... it's a great neighborhood but you need a car to commute from what I understand. Almost everyone suggested looking for housing around campus to begin with and the move somewhere else.
Just out of curiosity, where are you from?