Best Place to Live in LA and in "The Biz"?

Question

Hi, I'm relocating to LA from SF. I want to make the best choice for a 1 bedroom apartment. I don't want to be stuck commuting too much, so a central location is best. A few frills are nice too.

I am a Film and TV Editor, so I believe the best choices for post-production are found in Santa Monica, the Burbank area or Hollywood.

I'm not much of a beach guy, more of a nightlife person, I guess. So would the Hollywood Area (Beachwood Cyn, Los Feliz, Silverlake, Echo Park) be best? Or should I go for something like Studio City, Sherman Oaks, NoHo or Burbank? Santa Monica and WeHo seem a bit out of my price range. A Downtown LA Loft would be cool, but I fear the hassle.

Seems like you can get way more bang for the buck in the southern part of the SF Valley and it's not too far from Hollywood. I would rather enjoy parking, A/C, a pool AND be in Hollywood. But these items put a lot of places out of my price range in Hollywood (no more than $1400).

Any ideas and thoughts are welcome.

Answer 1

I lived in So Cal for almost 20 years and your price range doesn't correlate with what you want.

You can find something in Hollywood area but do you really want that. Have you been to L.A. yet?

The east-west streets are price barometers. Sunset is most north followed by Santa Monica -Beverly - Wilshire - Olympic and Pico Blvd being most south. South of Pico is a helluva lot cheaper than north of Sunset.

The north-south streets work like the east-west streets. West of Centinela is way better and more expensive than east of Western.

Silverlake and Los Feliz are better than most areas. Once you're 'over the hill' you have to realize how much traffic you'll be sitting in. The canyon shortcuts are no longer shortcuts. The 101 and the 405 are ridiculous. Of course you have a better bang for your buck by braving the congestion. So if you plan on going to Santa Monica often then North Hollywood and Burbank would be suicidal options - vice versa.

It all depends on your standard of living. Living around the nightlife is tricky because LA is spread out. I would think work first and play second when finding a place to live dude.

To live near Santa Monica for that price there is an area of LA known as Palms. It's east of Venice and south of SaMo. Culver City is an option. If you can find work in SaMo then try to stay west of the 405. I could go on and on.

I wouldn't rule out Pasadena or Glendale but not quite as hip. The Valley is just a sea of intersections - but more affordable.

I threw in the towel awhile ago and moved to Maui. Good hunting. If you have other questions just email me.

Answer 2

I lived in Los Feliz area for many years and loved it. Very central and easy access to Burbank, and next door to Hollywood, not too far from Weho to party etc. You can find some really good deals in the area, and it's a great safe area. Downtown is in the midst of a revitalization but is hit and miss and still a lot of crime. I'm not a fan of the SF valley myself, you can find just as good a deal in a better area. Los Feliz is cool you'll like it. And you can find something under 1400.00 pretty easy. Good Luck

Answer 3

I live in North Hollywood and like it very much, but I would think that for your profession, and because you are from SF, you'd probably enjoy the west side more. It's more hip and singles-like, while the SF valley is more family friendly.
If you look at places closer to freeways, they might be cheaper (because freeways tend to be noisy), and a roommate is a big help too. You're just going to have to hunt harder if you want something cheaper on the west side.
Studio City, on the SF Valley side is super close to Hollywood, and still hip. And there are a lot of studios in the SF valley that you might end up working at. You might find a good deal in that area.
L.A.'s loft area is very cool, but you would probably have a BIG commute.
I would check out WestSide Rentals.com and Roommates.com while you're at it ;).

Answer 4

Check:
http://losangeles.craigslist.org/

Answer 5

I really just had to respond, because I thought the previous answer was offensive.

My friend lives in WeHo for less than $1400 - the apartment is tiny, though.

Answer 6

Yeh some place near Burbank sounds right for you and your biz...maybe half way between Hollywood and Burbank???