Hi, im moving to LA, wheres a nice and cheap area to rent an apartment, and to be close to downtown, thanks?

Answer 1

Be prepared to pay about $1000 or more per month.

Answer 2

Altadena is a nice, small town about a 10-30 minute drive (10 minutes at night with no traffic) from downtown. it is above pasadena and has great hiking trails in the san gabriel mountains. there aren't too many apartments (and those are in real shady places) but you could look for a guest house to rent or a house to share. closer to the hills is better, east side (close to Lake) is better than the west side, unless you're W of lincoln, N of woodbury. buy a "thomas guide" map, it's the best for getting around LA and seeing where things are. if you already have a job, i would suggest trying to live near it, commutes are horrible. remember, the first place you get will be temporary (give it 1 year) until you figure out where you really want to live. LA is HUGE with lots of different places to live, just depends on what you like. no matter where you go, even in "the valley" (avoid this at all cost) it's not cheap. if you find a cheap listing, be very, very careful.

Answer 3

Sorry, you're 100 years too late...

everything here is expensive. If you don't mind graphiti and gunfire you could try the 'hood.. you'll know where it is. Just follow the 110 south from downtown... All you have to decide is whether you have a better chance with black or latino street gangs, or maybe you could go asian...

Or try Westchester/ LAX area, near Hertz car rental for the airport. It's cheapER without being quite ghetto because the planes are always passing overhead, but there IS a late night curfew for planes... that's still about 10-15 miles from downtown.

Me, I picked a 'hood in East Hawthorne where there's both kinds of street gangs. I like variety. You can try to fit in: Get an old car that doesn't make you look out of place, some oversized shirts and pants, and mind your own business. Avoid red or blue bandanas, and tuck your gold chains out of sight. Forget walking at night.

My advice: telecommute from Pocatello, Idaho.

Answer 4

OY! ANOTHER "nice and cheap" question! Doesn't anyone ever read the answered question section? I guess not.

OK, I'll explain it AGAIN. If it's nice, it ain't cheap. If it's cheap, it ain't nice. Or, it's not close to LA. Sure, you can get nice and cheap in Victorville, only about 80 miles from LA.

If you want nice & close, then look in the Pasadena/Altadena area. In LA, Los Feliz is OK, but expensive. Eagle Rock isn't too ghetto, and seems to be rather hip now, but it's hard to find a place there. Glendale is GREAT if you're Armenian. Burbank can be nice, too, but don't sign a lease until you visit the place.

Good luck!

Answer 5

I would look in Los Feliz. It is adjacent to Hollywood, Silver Lake, etc...Cool places for young people to live and hang out-sort of artistic communities. It is still close to everything, but is clean, safe and has a bit of suburban feel. You would be near Griffith Park, and Glendale for shopping, and a hop, and a skip from the major freeways. Don't listen to all the doom and gloom. But people are right. No way will you get a 2 BR for $900. In my hometown I had a spacious 1 bedroom, here I have what is called a "single" other places call an efficiency. That is 1 room + kitchen+ bath. In other words-no bedroom. That you might get for $900. You might need to downgrade your expectations. You could stay at the Hollywood Motel 6 while you look for job and apt. Better save A LOT of $$ before you come. Good luck. p.s. If you want to be closer to the beach, look in Culver City. Again, mostly safe, clean, good for roommates. Still close to everything.

Answer 6

Any other immigrant who thinks they can find cheap housing in LA. *Sigh*

We have the third highest housing prices in the country, after NY & SFO.

Anything "cheap" downtown is going to be in a bad area.

Wrap your mind around the idea of our collective pastime: commuting. I suggest living somewher near the Metrolink light rail stations, if you are going to be working downtown.

You can check out Marina Del Rey. Lots of apartments, but they ain't gonna be cheap. Maybe you can find a share.

Try craigslist.org for apartments.

Answer 7

ha, ha- that's an oxymoron! you don't say where you are moving from, but unless you are moving from NYC, be prepared for a shock. There is no such thing as nice and cheap in L.A. There is nice and expensive, or awful and cheap. Also, there are no nice areas near downtown. Maybe you could try Pasadena??? Maybe someone else will know the nice pockets of Pasadena- because it can be pretty scary, too.

Good Luck!

Answer 8

I dont know where you are moving from but nothing is cheap to rent especially around the downtown area.

Answer 9

i'm actually going to be moving out to LA from chicago next month. and yes, it sure is a shocker when i see housing costs and stuff. my plan so far is that i'm rooming with 2 other people in a 2 bedroom apartment near mid-wilshire. if you have roommates it's a whole lot cheaper than to get one on your own. i say suffer for a bit with roommates and once you get the cash flow coming in, then you can move out on your own. also check rent.com it helps...so good luck~!!

Answer 10

East LA

Answer 11

yeah forget about downtown everywhere you look is poverty and and criminals, LA is the best ciy in the USA and you have to pay for the goodness

go with west La pasadena/altadena or south bay

thats funny someone said altadena, i was born on llincoln ave =)