LA, But What Locations?

[Kubilay]

If you end up working a regular job in Thousand Oaks, DEFINITELY take an appt. in the Valley. North Hollywood or Studio City is a good compromise to be close to most all of LA and still not have to negotiate a pass on your daily commute to TO.

If you end up working a regular job in El Segundo, the non-incorporated parts of Culver City have cheap, nice homes. You may also find something in the Playa del Rey and El Segundo areas.

All affordable neighborhoods will require that you carefully scope out the exact building or immediate vicinity you move into - we had a bonafide meth house down our block here in North Hollywood, and it made for some, uh, interesting incidents. The folks right next to it went thru hell for a few years.

Had a motorcycle for years before I ever had a car. Great way to get around if you don't have to lug much or wear a suit.

PS: Silverlake was cool in 1995. Now you can think of it as a kind of street-cred mutual fund for those seeking secure, low-risk investments into their hipness without having to do too much research. All hating aside, it's a mighty fine looking neighborhood, in an arty sort of way, with pretty hills, has fun restaurants and bars, sports the best eyewear store in the world, and has DAMN fine gelato at Pazzo!

[msjessicarabbit]

how much of LA is ZOG dominated though? That should be the real question!

[Daedalus77]

Lots of good advice thus far. The salient point is that you want to live somewhere that will allow you a relatively short commute on surface streets. A lot depends on the time you are commuting, as well. As has been noted, there's music and post and clubs everywhere, though the generalizations about concentrations in the valley and Hollywood are generally true.

My two cents...

Live centrally. I live in Fairfax, just south of West Hollywood, north of Park LaBrea, The Grove and The Farmer's Market. It's pretty much dead-center, geographically. I can be in the heart of Hollywood in five minutes and on the westside (Santa Monica et al) in twenty, usually. Burbank and the rest of the valley is probably twenty-five if conditions are OK. Great residential area, within walking distance of great shopping and restaurants. Rent is not too bad ($1700 for a large 2-bedroom).

Also, for what it's worth, my "other" job—teaching—is in Mar Vista, on the westside, and I can get there in under 20 in the mornings (leaving at 7, though). Afternoon commute is more like 30.

I hope you have a fuel-efficient car.

Welcome to the Southland.

[Greg Curtis]

Originally Posted by Kubilay

, sports the best eyewear store in the world...[/SIZE][/I]

l.a. optometrique??

And a damn fine Gelson's, also.

GC

[Kubilay]

Originally Posted by Greg Curtis

l.a. optometrique??

And a damn fine Gelson's, also.

GC

Nope, Gogosha Optique on Sunset. Once you go gogo, you never go back.

[GrooveMerchant]

That whole West and Northwest side of LA looks like fair game from 10 to 118. More research underway. I need to sell here first, packing continues. Guinness Extra Stout, Milestones, and Ducati Hypermotard studies also in work with living area Web browsing...

[lowpassfilter]

+ 1 for North Hollywood. I grew up in the Valley, don't live there anymore, but have noticed North Hollywood is coming up. A few friends live there now and they have gotten great rent prices (less than 1k for 1bdr) in an area that has lots of stores nearby, subway station (orange line now too if you work in west valley), some parks, and is constantly improving. It's less full of hollywood types than Studio City, if that matters to you. I am allergic to them. If you wear skinny jeans and PBR, Silverlake is where it is at. I heard boyle heights is getting cool. All my hip friends in the "biz" live on the west side, eat at whole foods, and spend all their money on rent but they have the lifestyle. If I was rich, Manhattan Beach.

Otherwise like everyone else said, LA is big. Commuting sucks. Many interesting places for all kinds of people.

[GrooveMerchant]

Still scoping areas. Narrowing it down to WeHo, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, and NoHo. Based on work and living location, looks like Silverlake rehearsal space will be closer than the NoHo units. I'm leaning towards Hollywood Hills to live. My old roommate is moving from Glendale to SFV so we'll be carpooling to Thousand Oaks, though he's also interested in a motorcycle. Gotta get a Ducati or maybe street legal KTM Enduro and life will be good. My guitar bud Eric may jump out to LA also, though he's digging the Yamaha Vmax. Too heavy for me.

[Jim Williams]

Originally Posted by Greg Curtis

l.a. optometrique??
GC

Watch out for those guys. My wife used to work for them. Sue was not paid overtime. She sued, and won big.

They also sell expensive custom frames claimed to be from France, if fact they are made in China for a couple of bucks.

[Joeytpg]

interesting thread and advices.

don't want to hijack the thread at al, just a simple question, for a singer songwriter looking to play in a lot of clubs and try to get his stuff out there where do you recommend they move?

[blacklion]

Originally Posted by Joeytpg

interesting thread and advices.

don't want to hijack the thread at al, just a simple question, for a singer songwriter looking to play in a lot of clubs and try to get his stuff out there where do you recommend they move?

Same advice would apply. If you have a job setup out here, and it's close to either silverlake/westside/noho/downtown, then live there if you can. If not, then it's a coin toss between saving yourself drive time in the morning to work and having to drive a little further when you're gigging, or vice versa.

Depends on what you plan on doing with your music as well. If you want to be able to wake up in the morning, grab some coffee and chat with others like yourself then I suppose one of those areas above would fit the bill. If you like to wake up and work at home alone, then it's just a matter of rent and space vs. noise (yours and others).

Either way, plan on $200-300 a month for gas and a couple hours a day wasted in traffic. I've lived mainly in Pasadena/Westside and now in Sherman Oaks. Both valleys (pasadena/SO) are much quieter but a lot less going on. From either place though, it's a short trip to LA or Hollywood.

[Joeytpg]

thank you very much... well to me driving isn't a problem that much, obviously being in traffic for 3 hours will f-you up no matter what, but I'm more interested in living in an area that's comfortable and nice. I don't like "weird" places.

[drBill]

Originally Posted by Joeytpg

I don't like "weird" places.

And you're moving to LA?!?!?



Well welcome then. We need all the normal people we can find. Come on down....

[fzit0]

Hey guys!

Everybody talks about hours in commute. But let's say I go out to work at 5 or 6 am. Would the traffic be as bad at those hours? When does the traffic get heavy?

[Erik Thomas]

Originally Posted by fzit0

Hey guys!

Everybody talks about hours in commute. But let's say I go out to work at 5 or 6 am. Would the traffic be as bad at those hours? When does the traffic get heavy?

Traffic is still pretty normal and good at those hours in LA...starts to gum up after 7 and really gums up after 8... between 8-10 forget it.... 11-2 usually OK if there are no accidents... 2-7 forget it..

[Joeytpg]

Originally Posted by drBill

And you're moving to LA?!?!?



Well welcome then. We need all the normal people we can find. Come on down....

haha, no I mean, I don't like "ghettoish, dangerous" places..... of course I'm not rich so I cannot ask to live in beverly hills but, somewhere "nice" that's somewhat affordable.

[The Beatsmith]

I stayed in Manhattan beach for a while when I was over. It seemed really nice, is it considered an expensive / rich area to live?

Posted via the Gearslutz iPhone app

[GrooveMerchant]

Originally Posted by James Lugo

Westside is traditionally post and Hollywood and the Valley is music. That is a broad generalization, there post and music everywhere but those are 2 very concentrated areas. Like what Bill said I think it's important to consider where you are gonna live. I live and work in the Valley, my life is pretty easy because of it, 12 minutes to work no matter when I go, no freeways! I had an engineer who moved to the westside when I had my studio in Hollywood, took him anywhere's from 30 minutes to 2 hours to get to work.

Honestly if you're new I would move to the Valley or Hollywood, that's where most of the action is at. IMO if you're new you gotta jump in with both feet and there's no sense in living far and wasting time everyday driving. The Baked Potato is in the Cahuenga Pass which is the bridge between Hollywood and the Valley.

I'm grabbing a flight soon for final interviews around West Hollywood and Westlake Village. I have it narrowed down to live in Studio City, Sherman Oaks, North Hollywood, West Hollywood, or Beverly Hills. I'm feeling a Triumph Street Triple R or Aprilia Shiver 750 for commutes too! Planning to get a room at ABC Rehearsals in NoHo - I'm probably showing up slim style with necessary possessions in the same vehicle so a small place works. James, you mentioned NoHo, any good ideas for rentals there - I can visit them when I fly out.

[HermanV]

James had his studio for a while in one of my personal favorite parts of the valley. The area around Burbank blvd. and Lankershim in North Hollywood. Just check out as many places as you can in that area. Since the gentrification of "NOHO" rents have gone up and you can be paying $1200 a month for a one bedroom and the guy on the building next to you can throw a rock thru your window and he has a bigger apt and pays $950 a month. I recommend just walking thru the neighborhood where you see for rent signs and make a list of pros/cons.

I try to stay away from West Hollywood and Beverly Hills (something really good has to be going on for me to go there). I dislike certain things about those areas (parking, expenses, snobby people)

[GrooveMerchant]

I'll check those NoHo areas out man. Real nice locale to hit Baked Potato and the ABC practice space. Commute to Westlake won't be too bad either.