Good job WSO. Back in my day we didn't have fancy boards for new grads.
Seriously though, having grown up in LA, I can probably give some pretty good insights on where to live and where to go when not working. Let's make this a running topic for those who are thinking of moving here.
I'll start with a few things:
-Live on the Westside.
-Craigslist is the easiest way to get a roommate
-You won't find anything decent for under $1,000/month
-If you don't make happy hour at least once a week, you're working too hard.
Discuss.
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I have friends in LA and
I have friends in LA and that rent figure seems very low (or perhaps just outdated).
I had understood that decent low-end single apts started closer to $2,000 per month.
Never mind, didn't realize
Never mind, didn't realize you meant with a roommate.
Actually
Decent 1-bdrs. go for 1,400-1,600. Pay more and you're overpaying. Pay less and you'll never see your friends.
Why do you suggest the
Why do you suggest the westside? What do you classify as the westside?
West of Downtown, South of
West of Downtown, South of the Valley, North of LAX = Westside
Most of the banks/HFs/etc. are on the Westside or downtown. You can also check out the South Bay (Hermosa, etc.) but you're looking at a commute of up to 1 hour each way.
In general, you want to live as close as work as possible. Less time commuting = more time to do other things.
You will want to live as
You will want to live as close to work as possible, for example if you are working at Lehman in Westwood, get an in Westwood/Brentwood. People who are not from Los Angeles don't understand how truly awful the traffic is. The last thing you are going to want to do after only sleeping 3-4 hours is get in the car and spend 90 minutes in gridlocked traffic.