Los Angeles, CA

[bdexicon]

or take a scenic drive to get awesome boba, pho, tapas, or crepes!

I AM SO EXCITED FOR THE BOBA OH MY GOD.

(there is no boba in New Hampshire). XDDD

[Laxy]

Hey!

I was wondering, is there a group / thread where all the people joining UCLA this coming fall can get to know each other and discuss moving to LA? I found a Facebook group for last year. Surprisingly it was named for "Fall 2012"... That's incorrect, right? Fall 2012 should be for this year?

I am going to UCLA for a PhD in Electrical Engineering.

- Mihir

[rubose]

Hey!

I was wondering, is there a group / thread where all the people joining UCLA this coming fall can get to know each other and discuss moving to LA? I found a Facebook group for last year. Surprisingly it was named for "Fall 2012"... That's incorrect, right? Fall 2012 should be for this year?

I am going to UCLA for a PhD in Electrical Engineering.

- Mihir

Maybe you should start a facebook group!

[Laxy]

Maybe you should start a facebook group!

I would like to!! But apparently Facebook requires at least one other person who should be asked to join the group. And as yet I don't know anyone else joining UCLA. Quite a circle right now.

[nechalo]

I'm from the midwest (OH) moving to UCLA for chemistry this summer or fall. I currently have no plans on having a car at least for the first year, then maybe I'll save up and buy used or lease if I can afford to on my stipend.

With all the talk about insane traffic I don't understand why more LA people try to live car-less or at least carpool with other people going from point A to point B. It seems like a good way to save oneself from a some of the LA chaos. Well, I'll try it at first at least. With my grad school research and some public transportation I shouldn't get too bored of everything within a reasonable bus ride/walk from UCLA.

I do admit I would have a hard time existing without a car in my current location, Columbus, OH... (it is similarly a car city, but we do carpool a lot - It is common for one person to pick up 3-4 others just so only one car is used. It's more personal. I guess that's the midwest for you.) but during my first year here I didn't have a car here either. It's purely financial at this point - I'm broke and just can't afford a new one or maintaining my current one (it's about ready for the dump )

Edited April 15, 2012 by nechalo

[OutWest]

WIth a Metro area of over 15 million people, it being SoCal and everyone's car obsession, and the history of LA destroying its PT (it used to have more cable cars than SF a hundred years ago), this is a few of the reasons why we SoCal-ers live with(in) our cars. Also, the city is so freakin' spread out that you NEED a car. Especially since you are there for a long haul (PhD = 5-6 some years), go out and grab one asap

The PT is getting better, but believe me, if you are living in, say, Silver Lake or Echo Park and you are attending UCLA, taking Bus 2 (I believe) along Sunset at just about ANY time of day (especially morning, lunch, and evening times), that posted hour and a half ride is going to be a lot longer.

You could also get a nice scooter, something I probably will end up doing whether I have a car or not.

Good luck!

I'm from the midwest (OH) moving to UCLA for chemistry this summer or fall. I currently have no plans on having a car at least for the first year, then maybe I'll save up and buy used or lease if I can afford to on my stipend.

With all the talk about insane traffic I don't understand why more LA people try to live car-less or at least carpool with other people going from point A to point B. It seems like a good way to save oneself from a some of the LA chaos. Well, I'll try it at first at least. With my grad school research and some public transportation I shouldn't get too bored of everything within a reasonable bus ride/walk from UCLA.

I do admit I would have a hard time existing without a car in my current location, Columbus, OH... (it is similarly a car city, but we do carpool a lot - It is common for one person to pick up 3-4 others just so only one car is used. It's more personal. I guess that's the midwest for you.) but during my first year here I didn't have a car here either. It's purely financial at this point - I'm broke and just can't afford a new one or maintaining my current one (it's about ready for the dump )

Edited April 18, 2012 by OutWest

[Sigaba]

I'm from the midwest (OH) moving to UCLA for chemistry this summer or fall. I currently have no plans on having a car at least for the first year, then maybe I'll save up and buy used or lease if I can afford to on my stipend.

With all the talk about insane traffic I don't understand why more LA people try to live car-less or at least carpool with other people going from point A to point B. It seems like a good way to save oneself from a some of the LA chaos. Well, I'll try it at first at least. With my grad school research and some public transportation I shouldn't get too bored of everything within a reasonable bus ride/walk from UCLA.

Please consider the utility of looking around here and using this resource, and that one as well. If you really want to save yourself time, it might be worth your while to study the L.A. DOT's commuter express lines <<LINK>> and find a place to live that is close to a route that stops in Westwood.

HTH.

[nechalo]

Thank you, Sigaba and Outwest for your advice. That sucks to hear that LA killed their PT! I just think everyone getting around mainly by car is not sustainable - that's my biggest personal issue with the car culture. Although, I'm from a car city (Columbus OH is pretty spread out and PT here sucks... but we do share rides if we're all coming from and going to the same place) and understand why people use cars and say they are necessary. I'll probably get one down the line, but with only a $28k stipend and no current car... I just will have to see what my budget looks like after I settle in.

I still have the map of the Big Blue Bus service I picked up when I was on my visit. I'll look into others. But that will probably be just to get around and see different parts of the city. For my first year, which is mostly classes and TAing for me, I think I'll live in Weyburn Terrace or elsewhere close to campus, just for convenience.

After my first year I plan to move to a cheaper place, maybe in the Palms area. I figure I can just take the bus to UCLA, tether my phone to my laptop and get some work/emails in, and with the money I save I can afford car insurance and leasing a (or buy a cheap) car to explore what I missed of the city my first year. Does that sound like a plan? I've seen decent places in Palms for as low as $800 for a studio. Sometimes, even with a stove.

[Sigaba]

After my first year I plan to move to a cheaper place, maybe in the Palms area. I figure I can just take the bus to UCLA, tether my phone to my laptop and get some work/emails in, and with the money I save I can afford car insurance and leasing a (or buy a cheap) car to explore what I missed of the city my first year. Does that sound like a plan? I've seen decent places in Palms for as low as $800 for a studio. Sometimes, even with a stove.

Ever consider the advantages of renting a room in a house? IME, one can get a lot more bang for the buck.

(Were I in your position, I'd look to rent a room in a house close to Leimert Park. That way, I could use the MTA 305 to get to and from UCLA and be within walking distance of several grocery stores, drug stores, and banks.)

In any case, I think you're going to need to manage your expectations IRT how much work you'll be able to get done on a bus. The economy is pushing people out of their cars and onto mass transit so the buses are increasingly crowded.

WRT making it in L.A. without a car, one can do it and do it easily. One just needs a watch, change/tokens/pass, MTA timetables, and, ideally, a smartphone to access NextBus, a dedicated GPS device, an iPod with noise cancelling earbuds, plenty of Purell, lots of patience, and good SA.

[regphal]

UCLA area is great! lots of boutiques and little places to eat. finally checked out MILK after meaning to for several years, and the museums are always fun!

[Cookie]

Thanks for all very useful information!

Ive been to UCLA once, and love the school... But is it too expensive to attend grad school there if you are married (Provided that my husband will find a job there)? Id prefer a one bed one bath apt.

[ghanada]

I don't see why being married affects the expense of grad school if your husband has a job? If anything, his extra income would make it more affordable for you since he will probably be making more than you (depending on funding/loans).

I lived within 20 miles of UCLA for 8 years and I honestly don't think it is that hard of a place to live with modest expenses. I currently live in Boston and it is a lot more expensive to live out here than it is in LA. As far as big cities go, I think LA is one of the cheaper places because there is a HUGE range of housing prices.

Also, for everyone considering a car or not. The main point should be that you CAN live in LA without a car if you need to, but I personally would never try it. You are missing the entire experience of LA. It is such a huge and sprawling area that you will never see amazing places if you don't have a car. I used to travel by car and motorcycle more than the average angelino (prob did around 25k miles/year) and I still never saw a fraction of the great things LA has to offer in all my time there. Not having a car in LA is sorta like owning a car in NY. It is doable, but again, you are going completely opposite of the lifestyle that the city is suited for.

[Gary in CA]

I'm a past grad and long-time LA resident from Westwood to Newport and plenty of places in between, now retired and living in the Angeles NF.  I registered to help/answer questions about LA in general.  I may not be able to tell you the best/newest cafe, but I know LA and all the major high/low points and how to get there.

 

I used to ask students every semester their thoughts on LA and one thing became very evident quickly.  They were extremely polarized.  They either love it or hate it here and not much in betweeen.  They couldn't wait to get gone or planned to make their home forever.

[radiomars]

Went to UCLA for undergrad, I can help you out with questions if you have them. Just message me.

General advice:

-I would avoid graduate student housing or any UCLA housing really, it's overpriced and everyone knows it.

-Best areas to look for apartments: I would highly recommend looking in the "South of Wilshire" neighborhood. There's a free shuttle that services the area and is fantastic. It's a quiet location, but still has a lot of students. The off-campus housing areas to the west of the campus are clogged with undergrads, but the distance to campus can't be beat, especially if you are planning to walk to/from campus. Avoid Landfair Ave, it's loud and obnoxious. The further you get from Landfair, the better. Look at Veteran Ave and maybe Roebeling.

-You can make do without a car (I did), but let me tell you, it's hard to leave Westwood. The public transit is notoriously unreliable and almost entirely filled with poor students, confused tourists, and homeless people. If you can get a car, it's probably better but parking on campus is super expensive.

- West LA is nice. It's fairly rich and clean, but lacks a bit of character, in my opinion. For fun / good nightclubs / a younger scene, I'd head over to Los Feliz / Silver Lake / Echo Park.

 

Oh and if you want your own room, you need to either pay a lot of money, or find an apartment that has some sort of transitional space that can be turned into a second bedroom. You will most likely need roommates, assuming you're not made of money. I was paying something like $650 just to share a one-bedroom with a roommate. It can be very expensive. Keep that in mind.

Edited January 1, 2013 by radiomars

[lypiphera]

I was wondering if people would comment with suggestions on where to live between Irvine and Los Angeles.  I am considering an offer from UCI, and would like to like close, but my husband's job prospects are mostly in the LA area (most likely in Venice Beach but some other places as well).  I know the commute between them is not great, but we were hoping to live somewhere that's bearable to get to both cities. 

 

Affordable is important, but more important to me is safety.  Although LA has a lot more culture and fun shops and activities that Irvine, I would rather live in a quiet place Irvine and drive to the fun stuff when I wanted to go out.

 

Any ideas?  I can see on a map all the cities that live between them (e.g. Santa Ana, Long Beach, Fullerton, Anaheim, etc.), but I have no idea what each city is like and what it would be like to commute to Irvine and LA.

[lypiphera]

I was wondering if people would comment with suggestions on where to live between Irvine and Los Angeles.  I am considering an offer from UCI, and would like to like close, but my husband's job prospects are mostly in the LA area (most likely in Venice Beach but some other places as well).  I know the commute between them is not great, but we were hoping to live somewhere that's bearable to get to both cities. 

 

Affordable is important, but more important to me is safety.  Although LA has a lot more culture and fun shops and activities that Irvine, I would rather live in a quiet place Irvine and drive to the fun stuff when I wanted to go out.

 

Any ideas?  I can see on a map all the cities that live between them (e.g. Santa Ana, Long Beach, Fullerton, Anaheim, etc.), but I have no idea what each city is like and what it would be like to commute to Irvine and LA.

[ghanada]

My favorite area between LA and Irvine is the South Bay. This includes Torrance/Gardena and the beach cities like Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, and Redondo Beach. I live in Redondo Beach and have had friends live in all the other cities I mentioned. I spend the majority of my time in these areas whenever I go back to visit. 

 

Since you mentioned your husband might work on the Westside like Venice, the South Bay area is right off the 405 which is where both Venice and UCI are off of. Distance-wise the South Bay is a bit closer to the Westside, but traffic-wise you would have nearly equal commutes. In normal traffic, I wold say it takes about 30 min to 1 hour (one way) to get from the South Bay to Venice or to UCI. For your husband's sake, I think the furthest south you should look would be Long Beach. Any further out and he will be doing a 1 hr+ (one way) commute in traffic. You will experience less traffic than he will. He will also prob be able to get to work in the mornings closer to 30 min, but in the evenings the drive will take him closer to 1 hr. 

 

The beach cities are extremely safe, and most of Torrance is too. Gardena can be a little ghetto in certain areas, but there are also some nicer areas. When I was living in Redondo Beach, I was renting a 4 bedroom house with a full 2 car garage, driveway, front and back yard, and like 10 min walk to the beach. That place was like $2500 for 4 people, so very affordable. You could probably find a 2 bdrm apt in any of the South Bay areas for like $1400-1800. Even cheaper if you go further inland. Torrance has all the stores/malls and restaurants you can image so everything you need is there. And then when you want to go into LA, like Westside, Downtown, Hollywood, etc. you are just a 30 min drive away. Feel free to message me if you have any more questions or want more details. 

[Erpnope]

Can anyone recommend a good and affordable car shipping service? From the east coast? I have a car but it's on the older end and the roadtrip would be hard on it. Thanks!

[SigmaHat]

Can anyone recommend a good and affordable car shipping service? From the east coast? I have a car but it's on the older end and the roadtrip would be hard on it. Thanks!

I used golden Key express. It was about 1300 from NY to CA and arrived on time without a problem. A little expensive but not putitng the wear on the car was good.

[Erpnope]

Thank you!

[OutWest]

I was wondering if people would comment with suggestions on where to live between Irvine and Los Angeles.  I am considering an offer from UCI, and would like to like close, but my husband's job prospects are mostly in the LA area (most likely in Venice Beach but some other places as well).  I know the commute between them is not great, but we were hoping to live somewhere that's bearable to get to both cities. 

 

Affordable is important, but more important to me is safety.  Although LA has a lot more culture and fun shops and activities that Irvine, I would rather live in a quiet place Irvine and drive to the fun stuff when I wanted to go out.

 

Any ideas?  I can see on a map all the cities that live between them (e.g. Santa Ana, Long Beach, Fullerton, Anaheim, etc.), but I have no idea what each city is like and what it would be like to commute to Irvine and LA.

 

Don't overlook downtown Long Beach (and nearby)...really fun vibe, and well priced rent. I lived there for a bit and loved it (First and Atlantic avenues)

[zapster]

Any advice on locating good elementary schools for kids in LA, California? Near UCLA ? Thanks.

 

 

[Erpnope]

Does anyone have any suggestions for neighborhoods around the graduate MFA studios at UCLA? I am trying to price comparison.. Any good landlords? (or bad ones...) suggestions, etc?

[asterismos]

Any advice on locating good elementary schools for kids in LA, California? Near UCLA ? Thanks.

 

Hey, I have friends who went to the UCLA Lab School. I attended Warner Avenue School, which goes up to 6th grade.

 

There are also a number of private schools nearby such as John Thomas Dye, Brentwood, and Crossroads.

[alkalifly]

Any advice on locating good elementary schools for kids in LA, California? Near UCLA ? Thanks.

 

Brentwood Science Magnet, which is different from the Brentwood private school, is reasonably close to campus, and it's a magnet school so the school bus is an option.  But you have to apply for it and get in; the application is not skill or merit based, it is based on demographic criteria and luck.

 

Also, as somebody mentioned, the UCLA Lab School, which is on the UCLA campus.  I'm not sure what the admissions criteria are there.