East Side Los Angeles Recommendations
June 5, 2010 5:20 PM Subscribe
Los Angeles East Side?
Girlfriend got a job at USC's medical campus, which is here, east of the 5 and north of 101.
Where should we live? Neigborhoods, etc.?
The place should be:
—$1200 or less per month
—One or two bedroom (no "bachelor")
—Bus to either USC Medical Campus or Union Station (No more than a five block walk to a bus stop.)
—Parking space
—"Not scary."
—Move in mid-July (12th-ish)
What are the neighborhoods like? Anyone got a hot lead on a place? Anything to be aware of?
I'll be working in Pasadena, likely, though I'm always looking for other gigs. But right now, it looks like I've got a transfer and maybe even a promotion.
The place should be:
—$1200 or less per month
—One or two bedroom (no "bachelor")
—Bus to either USC Medical Campus or Union Station (No more than a five block walk to a bus stop.)
—Parking space
—"Not scary."
—Move in mid-July (12th-ish)
What are the neighborhoods like? Anyone got a hot lead on a place? Anything to be aware of?
I'll be working in Pasadena, likely, though I'm always looking for other gigs. But right now, it looks like I've got a transfer and maybe even a promotion.
What about someplace in Pasadena or South Pas with Gold Line access? I think it's only 15 mins. from Mission Ave. to Union Station. Someplace like this or this?
posted by scody at 5:48 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by scody at 5:48 PM on June 5, 2010
Gold line hits Union Station, then there's a tram to Health Science (and University Park) Campus.
posted by zengargoyle at 6:04 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by zengargoyle at 6:04 PM on June 5, 2010
Response by poster: As a side note, are cleaning fees legal in California? They're not in Michigan, so I'm often curious when reading listings here.
posted by klangklangston at 6:41 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by klangklangston at 6:41 PM on June 5, 2010
Somewhere in South Pasadena should fit the bill. Gold Line goes to Union Station, and South Pas is a great area. My friend just moved out of a place there that was $1150/mo for a 1BR, so I'm sure you could find a place within your budget.
posted by bedhead at 6:50 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by bedhead at 6:50 PM on June 5, 2010
I agree with South Pas... rents are pretty good right now in the area (I have been looking there myself lately), especially compared with a couple years ago. 1 and 2 bdrms are easy to find in your price range, and pretty much all apartment complexes and homes have parking because of the overnight parking laws there. Not only is it extremely friendly and not-scary, but it even has a farmer's market on Thursday nights.
posted by so_gracefully at 8:03 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by so_gracefully at 8:03 PM on June 5, 2010
Cleaning fees, no.
Security Deposit, yes. But you're supposed to get backif you leave the place in good shape.
Silverlake or LosFeliz are interesting neighborhoods, but might be a bit far.
Check out the LA Times Neighborhood page for info about different areas. Caveat: It only includes the City of Los Angeles. So Pasadena, Glendale, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Inglewood, Torrance, etc are not on it.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:04 PM on June 5, 2010
Security Deposit, yes. But you're supposed to get backif you leave the place in good shape.
Silverlake or LosFeliz are interesting neighborhoods, but might be a bit far.
Check out the LA Times Neighborhood page for info about different areas. Caveat: It only includes the City of Los Angeles. So Pasadena, Glendale, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Inglewood, Torrance, etc are not on it.
posted by SLC Mom at 8:04 PM on June 5, 2010
Nthing South Pas - I lived there for several years and really enjoyed it. Just be prepared for high air conditioning bills during the warmer months!
posted by chez shoes at 8:30 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by chez shoes at 8:30 PM on June 5, 2010
Alhambra, which is less than 5 miles from the Health Sciences Campus and just south of S. Pasadena is ok. There are quite a few medical, dental, pharmacy students who live in that area and go to school on the campus. I'm pretty sure the buses shouldn't be too difficult to manage from there.
posted by teamnap at 8:33 PM on June 5, 2010
posted by teamnap at 8:33 PM on June 5, 2010
Woo Amy!
if you move to Glendaleistan, lemme know and I can ask my Armenian peeps for some help.
posted by k8t at 9:01 PM on June 5, 2010
if you move to Glendaleistan, lemme know and I can ask my Armenian peeps for some help.
posted by k8t at 9:01 PM on June 5, 2010
Congratulations on the job!
It can look a little shabby at times, but speicus and I really like living on the E. Hollywood/Silver Lake border. We're near the red line, which is maybe a 15/20 minute subway ride away from Union Station. We feel pretty centrally located to a lot of things without being right next to them--being able to walk stuff in Los Feliz and Sunset Junction is nice. Plus there's always that weird L. Ron vibe floating in the air. If you end up looking at places around here, let us know if you have any questions about specific streets.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 10:01 AM on June 6, 2010
It can look a little shabby at times, but speicus and I really like living on the E. Hollywood/Silver Lake border. We're near the red line, which is maybe a 15/20 minute subway ride away from Union Station. We feel pretty centrally located to a lot of things without being right next to them--being able to walk stuff in Los Feliz and Sunset Junction is nice. Plus there's always that weird L. Ron vibe floating in the air. If you end up looking at places around here, let us know if you have any questions about specific streets.
posted by mandymanwasregistered at 10:01 AM on June 6, 2010
There's also Echo Park, Chinatown and the nebulous space in between. EP is a fun place to live, you can walk to lots of stuff, but it's a little further away. Chinatown you'd be super close to the USC med campus, rents would be cheap, but residential stuff tends to feel a little more isolated there.
posted by speicus at 10:42 AM on June 6, 2010
posted by speicus at 10:42 AM on June 6, 2010
I think it would be best for all, by all I mean westside Mefites, if you stayed where you were. Think of the meetups. WONT YOU THINK OF THE MEETUPS!
posted by zinc saucier at 5:30 PM on June 6, 2010
posted by zinc saucier at 5:30 PM on June 6, 2010
South Pasadena, Silverlake, Mount Washington, Downtown, Highland Park, Echo Park, Eagle Rock, Montecito Heights, Lincoln Heights. All good places, in super-semi-order of of expense, gentrification, least scary, priciness, high to low. I don't know about Silverlake and Mount Washington in terms of public transportation, but the others are pretty solid.
But it is also important to know what else you like. Downtown is great as you can walk places, lots of art, easy access, but has kind of jumped the shark in terms of coolness, everyone has designer dogs and you might see a velvet rope. South Pas. is beautiful, clean, has metro rail, and is a bit old school conservative (not in a bad way, just older and quieter). Mount Washington is more bohemian with great hillside living and the SRF. Highland Park, Echo Park, Eagle Rock all have pubs, bars, hipsterish hang outs. Silverlake has gotten pricey and so filled with traffic that, for me at least, it is stressful to try to navigate.
posted by Vaike at 6:05 PM on June 6, 2010
But it is also important to know what else you like. Downtown is great as you can walk places, lots of art, easy access, but has kind of jumped the shark in terms of coolness, everyone has designer dogs and you might see a velvet rope. South Pas. is beautiful, clean, has metro rail, and is a bit old school conservative (not in a bad way, just older and quieter). Mount Washington is more bohemian with great hillside living and the SRF. Highland Park, Echo Park, Eagle Rock all have pubs, bars, hipsterish hang outs. Silverlake has gotten pricey and so filled with traffic that, for me at least, it is stressful to try to navigate.
posted by Vaike at 6:05 PM on June 6, 2010
South Pasadena!
If you move here we can be neighbors, hang out, be buddies and go on madcap adventures due to misunderstandings with our significant others ending up with personal growth! We can investigate the Masonic Lodge and smoke cigars in that place next to Gus's BBQ.
The local politics are small town fun with good feuds going back decades.
Seriously, South Pas has Gold Line station, good farmer's market, The Barkley, and a general lack of hipsters.
Most importantly, they are putting in a Breakfast Cereal/Grilled Cheese restaurant on Mission!
Pasadena proper is also nice, but I don't know the price ranges.
posted by Argyle at 5:40 PM on June 8, 2010
If you move here we can be neighbors, hang out, be buddies and go on madcap adventures due to misunderstandings with our significant others ending up with personal growth! We can investigate the Masonic Lodge and smoke cigars in that place next to Gus's BBQ.
The local politics are small town fun with good feuds going back decades.
Seriously, South Pas has Gold Line station, good farmer's market, The Barkley, and a general lack of hipsters.
Most importantly, they are putting in a Breakfast Cereal/Grilled Cheese restaurant on Mission!
Pasadena proper is also nice, but I don't know the price ranges.
posted by Argyle at 5:40 PM on June 8, 2010
Response by poster: We're going out this weekend to look for places (and also places to do that penny crushing thing in LA), so if there's anywhere specific in, say, South Pass, let us know. Our strategy is going to be cruising the streets, looking for for rent signs in places that look decent, then calling them.
posted by klangklangston at 7:26 PM on June 9, 2010
posted by klangklangston at 7:26 PM on June 9, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by zengargoyle at 5:46 PM on June 5, 2010