Los Angeles, CA

[kyjin]

Does anyone have recommendations for realtors?  95% certain I'm headed to USC this fall, and one of my best friends is moving out with me.  We're interested in Culver City or anything nice along the Expo line.

[Makeda]

Hi...currently Im waitlisted for CNTV.

I visited the campus last summer. USC is located in the downtown area of Los Angeles. It's down the street from Staples Center, Macy's Mall, etc. It is also next door to Compton area. Compton aint the greatest places to live and it is known for gang-related activites. Once you walk on USC's campus, it looks like a different world from the outside. It is very clean. The architecture and landscape is astounding and breath-taking. The atmosphere of the Trojan Family (students, faculty) are extremely friendly, caring and warm. You will need a bike to get around campus. You will be impressed. If you're from NY area, the outside aint as bad. But you do need to wary of your surroundings like anywhere you go. But once you walk on that campus, you will fall in love. I know I did. And after my tour, I knew USC is the school for me.

USC is nowhere near Compton! HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAH Omg

[rodia]

I will bounce on this point. Has anyone attending USC lived in the Southwestern parts of LA, like Torrance or Redondo Beach?

 

I am planning to attend USC next fall and I am interested in these areas. As a European living in the suburbs of a big city, I am used to spending 2 hours a day in transports and actually I would rather prefer taking public transports than using a car (notably because it seems way cheaper for commuting to school).

 

Theoretically at least, it seems feasible. Google Maps' planner gives me several bus routes with only one transfer that would take one hour to USC.

And how about the metro's Silver line? I saw that there are special fares which seem to make it actually rather expensive.

Edited March 26, 2013 by rodia

[ZacharyObama]

I do! I'm hopefully going to start attending next fall. I live near the terminus of the Green Line (there's a nice big free parking lot or you can walk/bike). I would advise you to look at North Redondo (there are a fair number of apartments in the area) so you're nearish the train station. Buses in LA can be really hit or miss in terms of traffic time - so I wouldn't count on a bus. I would say it's feasible. My plan is always just go Green Line, Blue Line, Expo Line - it takes 45 min to an hour consistently. I haven't actually taken the Silver Line. I think it works but it doesn't drop you right at the edge of campus like the Expo Line does (although you could transfer). The South Bay isn't exactly non-car friendly though to be honest - we have local bus networks but they don't really go where you want and the connections are really poorly planned. Be forewarned: you take your life in your own hands riding a bike on the roads in LA. There are a lot of good transit options in terms of living in outlying areas - but train > bus.

[rodia]

Thank you very much for the information!

It seems that the San Fernando Valley around North Hollywood can also be an interesting spot, with cheaper apartments and metro access to the campus.

So far I have been resorting to Craig's list to get an idea of prices, are there realtors people would particularly recommend for LA?

[Erpnope]

Any advice on good neighborhoods around UCLA for grad students? Am I absolutely insane for wanting to pay between $500 and $700 for a room?

[ghanada]

Any advice on good neighborhoods around UCLA for grad students? Am I absolutely insane for wanting to pay between $500 and $700 for a room?

 

You will not get your own room for under $700 in Westwood or areas within walking distance. An average 2 bdrm Westwood apt goes for $2,000-2,400. And that probably won't even come with parking spots, you would have to pay a monthly fee for those. 

 

The only areas somewhat near UCLA where I was able to pay $700 for my own room were in Palms, Culver City, Venice, or Mar Vista. But those areas are definitely not walking distance. They are reasonable using a bus or biking, but not walking. Getting down to $500 for your own room is REALLY REALLY tough. You would definitely have to look further out and you would have be in sketchier areas for sure. Keep in mind UCLA is smacked between Bel Air and Beverly Hills, also neighboring Brentwood, Malibu, Palisades, Santa Monica, etc. It is a gorgeous area, but you are paying for it. 

 

I would personally recommend Palms. It is very central, close to freeways, right along the Blue Bus lines, and close to downtown Culver City. Plus parking is very reasonable around there. You can definitely find something in the $500-700 range if you take on some roommates. If you are willing to move your budget up to like $750-850 you could actually find some cool places in West LA, like the neighborhoods west of Sepulveda and south of Wilshire. I used to live off Ohio and Colby area for that slightly higher price range. That area is a long walk/short bike ride or short bus ride. There's also a lot of stuff going on around there. That is probably my favorite living area around UCLA for the price. 

[ay761]

Ghanada - thanks for this helpful post.   The area that you mention - West LA.  You say it is a long walk / shot bike ride / short bus ride.  I'm going to be moving there without a car and looking for the absolute best price available (under $1000) for a studio or possibly a roommate, if I can find one (I also have a cat).   When I'm searching on craigslist, what do you recommend I search for?  Up until now I have only been looking for 'Westwood'.  Should I include 'West LA' in my search, or is there a specific neighborhood name I should be looking for (to remain within walking distance)?  Any names of areas you can recommend that I should search for, that are within walking distance would be really helpful.  Thanks! 

[ghanada]

Ghanada - thanks for this helpful post.   The area that you mention - West LA.  You say it is a long walk / shot bike ride / short bus ride.  I'm going to be moving there without a car and looking for the absolute best price available (under $1000) for a studio or possibly a roommate, if I can find one (I also have a cat).   When I'm searching on craigslist, what do you recommend I search for?  Up until now I have only been looking for 'Westwood'.  Should I include 'West LA' in my search, or is there a specific neighborhood name I should be looking for (to remain within walking distance)?  Any names of areas you can recommend that I should search for, that are within walking distance would be really helpful.  Thanks! 

 

DEFINITELY include the name "West LA" and "Westside" in your searches. Using "Westwood" will most likely only point you toward the large apt housing areas adjacent to campus that are on the streets like Landfair, Midvale, Kelton, etc. That is where most upper level undergrads live and where the frats are. I personally recommend not living there for grad school. They are extremely expensive and really crappy in quality. It is also a very loud area. 

 

As soon as you get west of Sepulveda and even Sawtelle, the prices drop quite a bit. The "West LA" region varies a bit and is hard to define, but where I am describing is from the corner of Wilshire and Westwood at the most northeastern tip, to about National Blvd and Bundy Dr at the most southwestern tip. There's tons of apartments and small houses in that region. If you stay closer to the northeastern corner of that region you are looking at about a 2 mile trip to campus. If you are at the southwestern tip, you are about 5 miles out. But again, lots of Blue Bus routes are along that area and would prob be like a 20-30 min ride. 

 

Craigslist is ok, but you might want to check out "westsiderentals.com". It is a site that many landlords post their listings on so you have to pay a subscription fee for access to those listings. Reviews are always mixed with this site, but I have personally used it a few times as well as other friends and about half of us have actually found apartments that we ended up living in.

 

Off the top of my head, ALL the neighborhoods within walking distance to UCLA would probably be classified as Westside, Westwood, West LA, Brentwood, Mar Vista, Palms, Santa Monica, Century City, Culver City, Venice, Bel Air, and Beverly Hills. Only a select few of those can be had for your under $1,000 budget. Studios in that price range are possible, but might take a while to find. 

 

Now, this advice goes to you and ANYONE reading this post...GET A CAR! I know you might be used to cities where you walked everywhere or had nice transportation systems. Los Angeles is not like that. Only if you are planning on staying for like 1 year, then maybe you can go without a car. But if you are planning on being there for 2+ years, you should definitely get a car. Just something cheapy like $2,000 is fine. And I have heard EVERY argument about why you will be fine without a car. And yes, I agree it is POSSIBLE to get by without a car, but I argue that you are missing the entire culture and point of LA. Many people say LA sucks because there is no culture and it is fake and blah blah blah. That is BS. I lived there for 8+ years and if you understand what makes LA great, you will absolutely love it there. What makes LA great is that there are so many communities and different cities/regions all spread out. Each one has an incredibly different vibe with different types of shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, etc. But that means you have CHOICE. There is a scene for everyone. And if you are adventurous, you will love checking out all the different areas in southern Cali and appreciate various things in each. For instance, Santa Monica is awesome for a chill beach vibe that is family friendly and convenient. There are some cool bars out there and 3rd Street Promenade is a fun touristy thing to do. Venice beach is more eclectic with a cool art scene and hippies abound. Especially in the Abbot Kinney area. Manhattan/Hermosa Beach are small, little surfer-attitude beach towns for lazy afternoons and beach type bars. Downtown LA is a gentrified hip scene, with interesting restaurants and bars littered with young professionals trying to stand out. Silver Lake area is the home of the hipsters where creation and art happens. Lots of trippy, unique things going on over there. West Hollywood is the unofficial socal capitol of LGBT and alternative lifestyles. Lots of great restaurants and laid back bars. Hollywood is the ghetto touristy area, but with the highest class clubs and hottest singles trying to hook up. 

 

And all those places are a just a small fraction of socal, which are nearest to UCLA. I didn't even mention more northern areas like Griffith Park, the Valley, Studio City, Pasadena, etc. Or Southern areas like Long Beach, Fullerton, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, etc. Each of those ares are completely different from the rest and offer their own unique things to do. I also didn't mention all the amazing ethnic areas, like Little Tokyo (both in Sawtelle area and Downtown), Chinatown, Little Ethiopia, and Korea Town. There are also full on ethnic REGIONS in socal like Inland Empire for Chinese people (Covina, Diamond Bar, Rowland Heights, El Monte, etc) or the Valley and East LA for Mexican people. There are just really cool pockets of areas that can't be found anywhere else in the world. 

 

The main point of this, is that you HAVE TO DRIVE to get to these areas. Yes, there will be traffic. Yes, you will be irritated and be running late for everything. But I guarantee you, you will discover awesome things and create new experiences that will blow your mind. You will also have the right to say you lived in LA and dealt with the traffic. It toughens you up a bit. The traffic itself is part of the LA culture. You would be doing yourself an incredible injustice to not have a car and trap yourself in Westwood/West LA. There is definitely enough things to do around that area to which you can make do. But seriously, you will be trapped in this bubble and never experience the beauty of LA. 

 

Ok that is my rant for the day. I love LA and miss it dearly. I want to do anything I can to promote the awesomeness of socal and help the non-believers understand what it truly means to be an Angelino. Anyone can message me for advice as well. 

[ay761]

Hey thanks a lot for the neighborhood advice, as well as that website suggestion!  But.. yeah, I won't be taking a car.  If I go, and I haven't even decided for sure yet, I will be paying out of state tuition  for a 1 years masters program and I will be COMPLETELY BROKE at the end.   And if I have a car, I'll be in debt, too!  My whole purpose is to THROW myself into my studies, LOCK myself into a room and not join ANY sort of SCENE or otherwise SOCIAL ACTIVITY.... so that I can do damn good work and get into a funded PhD program at the end of it all.  THEN I will reward myself with a car  ... or if I fail I'll move back to NYC, or out of the country all together, to a place where cars are unnecessary 

Edited April 1, 2013 by ay761

[WilliamHsieh]

    Hello everyone! I am admitted to USC and thinking about getting more information on living here in LA. I have a stipend of 20,000 Dollars, but which will be taxed. I would like to ask how much the tax would be for this assistantship of 20,000 Dollars?

 

    Another thing is that, I would like to know what kind of living standard can I expect for a budget of 20,000? I am thinking I would like to have a studio, or a room and a study with my own bathroom, but I can share a living room and kitchen with others. I just need some personal spaces. Also I would like to be in a safe and convenient neighborhood which has easy access to public transportation to USC or in a place not too far from school. With these kinds of requirements, will my budget be sufficient, or what should the reasonable amount be? And I would like to ask if someone can provide me some ideas or opinions which areas would be ideal for me?

 

Thank you!

[hitomimay]

    Hello everyone! I am admitted to USC and thinking about getting more information on living here in LA. I have a stipend of 20,000 Dollars, but which will be taxed. I would like to ask how much the tax would be for this assistantship of 20,000 Dollars?

 

    Another thing is that, I would like to know what kind of living standard can I expect for a budget of 20,000? I am thinking I would like to have a studio, or a room and a study with my own bathroom, but I can share a living room and kitchen with others. I just need some personal spaces. Also I would like to be in a safe and convenient neighborhood which has easy access to public transportation to USC or in a place not too far from school. With these kinds of requirements, will my budget be sufficient, or what should the reasonable amount be? And I would like to ask if someone can provide me some ideas or opinions which areas would be ideal for me?

 

Thank you!

Hi William, first of all, congrats! And fight on!

I'm a first year PhD student at USC, and I'd be more than happy to talk to you further about living situations if you'd like.

To answer your questions though, I have a 25,000 stipend, and after tax, I get about 21,300. The tax is approximately 13% I believe. You have two options however. You can either choose to receive ALL of your stipend every paycheck, and save up enough to pay taxes in April, or, you can have them remove 13% and get most of it back as a refund.

Also, I'd personally recommend living close to campus. It's within walking distance (for me it's a 3 min walk). There are a lot of houses, a lot of USC students in this area, and most of the places are rather affordable. I have a 1-bedroom apartment to myself within a house (I have my own bathroom and kitchen and doorway,etc) and I'm still managing financially. If you're concerned about safety, the areas immediately outside USC have security petrolling and standing guard on EVERY CORNER almost 24 hours a day. They are there from noon til 10am everyday.

[WilliamHsieh]

Thank you hitomimay for your information! It's very useful! And actually I would like to ask you more about the tax situation you mentioned.

 

You said I will have two options for paying the tax, if I understand you correctly, that I can either choose to receive all of my stipend in every paycheck, and save up enough to pay taxes in April, or, I can have them remove 13% and get most of it back as a refund. My question is that, if I choose the latter option, does that mean what I will get in the first hand is a stipend with the amount of tax being taken away, and then some time after that most of that amount taken away will be given back to me? This seems to be the ideal way. And by choosing the former option I still have to pay that tax in its whole amount? If you could explain these different options and how they end up with different outcomes, it will be very appreciated!
 
Another thing is that, what you mentioned about your current housing seems the type I am hoping to find. I would like to ask that having a 1-bedroom apartment to yourself within a house with your own bathroom and kitchen and doorway, how much does this cost you per month, and with other fees included, like water, electricity, gas, internet, how much should I expect to pay for the house like yours per month? And what should the percentage of my rent be in my monthly budget?

 

Also, you recommend living close to campus within walking distance, and this seems to be an ideal option for me. And from what you mentioned, the neighborhood seems safe for me, unlike what I have read from previous posts. What's the neighborhood like? Is it convenient to get the necessary grocery there? But I am just thinking if staying in an area with public transportation to the school will signicicantly lower my rent?
 

Thank you.

[hitomimay]

I think the amount of tax being taken away will be the same, it just depends on how much you need or want per month. But I'm on the taxable income and I got over $2500 back in taxes this year, so it's a sizeable sum. I don't think we get all our taxes back, but definitely majority. The other way they just ask you to pay up a couple hundred dollars (the amount they didn't give back in our tax refund if you did it the other way). Either way, it's the same amount taken, just depends which way you prefer. Hope I explained that clearly lol.

As for housing, here's an example of what my housing situation looks like. Actually I'm immediately adjacent to this unit. http://www.dancohousing.com/listing/57. This is a one-bedroom so it's a little on the pricier side, but it has it's own kitchen and bathroom and own private entrance.

This is from the same house but upstairs, http://www.dancohousing.com/listing/47. It's a bachelors, so you share a kitchen, but you have your own studio-like room with your own bathroom.

And this is a studio with your own private entrance and kitchen and bathroom. http://www.dancohousing.com/listing/32

I'm not sure what your budget looks like, but I can tell you that our leasing office is extremely friendly, they're always there immediately when there's any problem with your unit. For instance, my ceiling fan made this weird clicking noise, and I had only just mentioned it, and the very next day they replaced it with a brand new one. They take care of the yard, garbage...etc. A lot of the utilities are covered depending on which unit you're in.

And if you're close to campus, you save a lot on time (very precious as a PhD/grad student), save on parking costs, or annoying public transportation moments.

Oh right, everyone who lives in our house are PhD or graduate students, and we all keep to ourselves/quiet, but all are friendly and hang out once in a while too.

As for groceries, there's a Smart and Final grocery store on your way home from your 3 min walk from campus. There's also a Ralphs 0.1 miles away from the house down the street that we all go to. We usually double up in a car to make grocery trips. But if you have a car, definitely VERY easy to get groceries.

Oh right, if you don't like any of the apt units listed on DancoHousing, definitely check out Westside Rentals. It's $60 for 2 months of use, but it literally has a TON of housing options with a lot of filters that makes it easy for you to find exactly what you're looking for (that's how I found this house).

As for living further out, all my fellow PhD students who live alone are paying from a range of $800 - $1500 per month, and you get what you pay for, those who live in cheaper areas are much farther out (takes them approximately 40 min to get to school, and may not be in such a patrolled secure area). The $1500 are in downtown in really nice apartments, but obviously the pricing can be an issue.

Hmmm, sorry I realized I'm rambling now... let me know if you have any questions lol.

Edited April 10, 2013 by hitomimay

[Duna]

 

You said I will have two options for paying the tax, if I understand you correctly, that I can either choose to receive all of my stipend in every paycheck, and save up enough to pay taxes in April, or, I can have them remove 13% and get most of it back as a refund. My question is that, if I choose the latter option, does that mean what I will get in the first hand is a stipend with the amount of tax being taken away, and then some time after that most of that amount taken away will be given back to me? This seems to be the ideal way. And by choosing the former option I still have to pay that tax in its whole amount? If you could explain these different options and how they end up with different outcomes, it will be very appreciated!

This might differ from program to program. Since I am on a fellowship right now, I get paid before taxes. However, as soon as I switch to RA/TA I will be taxed before I get my money (and do not have the option to change that as far as I know). It will depend on how you're funded, hired, whatever.

As far as living goes: I've lived in downtown (Spring/6th) before and moved to Koreatown now. I bike to school. From both locations it takes me 15 minutes from door to door. Always – traffic is not an issue.

So far, I haven't really felt unsafe but that could also just be my attitude towards risks and security. People keep offering to drive me home instead of taking public transport or biking but when I do the math, I am much more likely to suffer injuries or die in a car crash (yes, people drive here and they drive drunk here) than being mugged, killed, whatever on my way home. Sometimes it makes sense to think about stuff from a rational perspective, too and not only believe all the stories people tell.

I am not claiming that I always feel safe or think nothing will ever happen to me. Chances are good it will but I am convinced that staring at every homeless person or black guy with some tattoos ("OMG HE IS IN A GANG") in fear while rushing by will probably not do anyone any good. I have the hypothesis that people behave as they feel expected to (and all the psych and sociology people will be able to tell me the name for that phenomenon) and I would also be quite angry at some of the kids from the rich kids' school (as USC is sometimes seen) so if I walk by and look at them as if I'm the victim and they my potential robber, then yes, they might just behave as I expect them to.

Sorry for the long rambling on about my personal feeling towards crime but I do not like how some areas of LA are depicted as bad areas, people are discriminated against because of their ethnicity or race and I very much do not like it when people talk about some of the areas around school as if it were still like "Boys in the Hood" here.

[ZacharyObama]

I liked your rant.

[d1991]

Anyone looking for a roommate this fall? I'm starting law school (and moving across the country) at USC & would love to find someone who wants to live close to the school (and reduce the cost of rent!)

[1Q84]

Totally off-topic (I will be moving to LA, but not USC unfortunately... hopefully someday!):

 

The issue of taxing fellowships/scholarships is new to me. The IRS website says that fellowships and scholarships usually aren't taxed based on two conditions:

 

 

• You are a candidate for a degree at an educational institution that maintains a regular faculty and curriculum and normally has a regularly enrolled body of students in attendance at the place where it carries on its educational activities; and
• Amounts you receive as a scholarship or fellowship grant are used for tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance at the educational institution, or for fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for courses at the educational institution.

 

I'm receiving a Teaching Fellowship from my school in return for teaching a freshman course. This is listed as a fellowship, not an assistantship so the amount should be tax-free, no?

 

Anyone have experience with this?

[Duna]

Nope. It's taxable as long as it's not entirely used towards your degree (tuition, fees, books, travels). As soon as you eat, live, party off of it, you pay taxes.

[d1991]

Anyone looking for a roommate? I'll be at USC but I want to live in Palms/Culver City, which seems to be the cheapest relatively nice & safe area anywhere near USC. I believe it's 4-5 miles from UCLA.

Edited April 28, 2013 by d1991

[aec09g]

Anyone looking for a roommate? I'll be at USC but I want to live in Palms/Culver City, which seems to be the cheapest relatively nice & safe area anywhere near USC. I believe it's 4-5 miles from UCLA.

 

I'm in the market actually for a roommate. I'll send you an email, and maybe we'd be interested in the same kind of thing?

 

If anyone else is looking and is interested, I'd love to have you email me as well. 

Edited April 29, 2013 by aec09g

[rustystick]

looking for roomate as well 

 

ucla's graduate housing seems kinda reasonable.. although a tap far away from campus actually lol...

[rhetormethis]

Nope. It's taxable as long as it's not entirely used towards your degree (tuition, fees, books, travels). As soon as you eat, live, party off of it, you pay taxes.

 

This is entirely right. Actually reporting the income can get complicated if you don't have a W-2 or 10-99, but yes you are supposed to pay for it. UC Irvine's website explains it in a way that's much more helpful than most university's grad departments' stock answer of "we can't tell you anything, go talk to a tax professional."

[acdelco]

look for a roommate(s) as well, I think I at least for the first year I'd want to be closer to campus am thinking Palms area maybe?

[Linelei]

I plan to rent a two-bedroom and find a roommate for the second bedroom, since I have furniture for a whole apartment. Will message y'all with details!