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Los Angeles |OT| GAF's Guide to the Greatest City in the Universe

C

clearacell

Member
I remember driving on the 10 east going to riverside at 3 am before and I could have literally parked in the middle, stretch for a bit then drive off again.
like I have said before freeways in LA are pretty cool to drive around on the weekends. A couple of years ago when gas was much more affordable I would just drive around with my ex checking stuff out. I wish could do that again but with my camera, there really are some magnificant sights around here. Like if you guys ever get to go on the 110/105 carpool interchange, at the top of the ramp you get this incredible view of LA. Another one is in the south bay...maybe palos verdes? Anyways there are a few culdasects on hills where you can see pretty much the breadth of LA ...like a whole lotta flat, then the downtown buildings and the san gabriel mountains right behind them...if only we had more clear days -_-
 
C

CFMOORE!

Member
clearacell said:
I remember driving on the 10 east going to riverside at 3 am before and I could have literally parked in the middle, stretch for a bit then drive off again.
like I have said before freeways in LA are pretty cool to drive around on the weekends. A couple of years ago when gas was much more affordable I would just drive around with my ex checking stuff out. I wish could do that again but with my camera, there really are some magnificant sights around here. Like if you guys ever get to go on the 110/105 carpool interchange, at the top of the ramp you get this incredible view of LA. Another one is in the south bay...maybe palos verdes? Anyways there are a few culdasects on hills where you can see pretty much the breadth of LA ...like a whole lotta flat, then the downtown buildings and the san gabriel mountains right behind them...if only we had more clear days -_-
Click to expand...

PV offers really amazing vistas.
 
S

Spire

Subconscious Brolonging
Hello LA-GAF.

I am moving to LA this summer. Chasing my dream, blah blah blah.

I don't have a job lined up. I'm not too worried about this, I'll take anything when I first get there. I'll be in pure survival mode and just looking to get on my feet. I have a good history of work experience and do pretty well in interviews.

I own a car. It's totally paid off, runs well, decent gas mileage. I've lived most of my life 30 minutes outside of town, I'm used to spending half an hour in the car to get anywhere and paying large gas bills. Not so used to the traffic, but I'll learn.

I don't have a place to live lined up right now. This is the main problem. I'll have some money when I move but not enough to pay off a 6 month lease and still have money for gas, food, etc.. With poor credit and freshly unemployed, I doubt I'll be able to find an apartment when I first get there. I really just need an address to put on job applications and a place to shower, I wouldn't even mind living in my car for a few weeks. But I'd like to avoid that if I can, so does anyone know of any cheap living alternatives where I can land for a few weeks while I nail down a job? Any ideas are appreciated.
 
P

Puddles

Banned
Question for LA GAF:

Does anyone 1) have HBO, 2) plan to watch Game of Thrones this season, and 3) want to let me come watch it with you on Sundays?

I am willing to bring over a six-pack every Sunday for anyone who says yes.
 
F

FStop7

Banned
You are unemployed, have bad credit, chasing a dream (acting?) and are looking to move to one of the most expensive areas to live in the country?

I am not trying to run you off but have you thought this through or spent a long enough amount of time here to know what life is like? I love it here but a lot of the stories about what LA does to wide eyed dream chasers are true. And the entertainment industry is particularly ruthless.
 
H

H.Protagonist

[-_-]/
Spire said:
Hello LA-GAF.

I am moving to LA this summer. Chasing my dream, blah blah blah.

I don't have a job lined up. I'm not too worried about this, I'll take anything when I first get there. I'll be in pure survival mode and just looking to get on my feet. I have a good history of work experience and do pretty well in interviews.

I own a car. It's totally paid off, runs well, decent gas mileage. I've lived most of my life 30 minutes outside of town, I'm used to spending half an hour in the car to get anywhere and paying large gas bills. Not so used to the traffic, but I'll learn.

I don't have a place to live lined up right now. This is the main problem. I'll have some money when I move but not enough to pay off a 6 month lease and still have money for gas, food, etc.. With poor credit and freshly unemployed, I doubt I'll be able to find an apartment when I first get there. I really just need an address to put on job applications and a place to shower, I wouldn't even mind living in my car for a few weeks. But I'd like to avoid that if I can, so does anyone know of any cheap living alternatives where I can land for a few weeks while I nail down a job? Any ideas are appreciated.
Click to expand...

Mm... depends on where you want to hole up while you look. What kind of work are you looking to get into? I do know from my own apartment hunting experience that there are some places you can rent month-to-month. They're usually pretty crummy, but it could get you by until you find something better. I also believe that it's possible to do lengthy stays at motels/cheap hotels. Not sure which one would add up better for you, but either way they're going to be shadier options, as long as you're cool with that. You could also look into doing a short-term roommate stint. I think lots of college kids wouldn't mind a bit of supplemental cash from a short term stayer rather than a permanent roommate.
 
lunchtoast

lunchtoast

Member
Puddles said:
Question for LA GAF:

Does anyone 1) have HBO, 2) plan to watch Game of Thrones this season, and 3) want to let me come watch it with you on Sundays?

I am willing to bring over a six-pack every Sunday for anyone who says yes.
Click to expand...

What kind of six pack we talkin' bout.
 
lunchtoast

lunchtoast

Member
Well I've only seen like 2 episodes, and I don't have HBO, but we can still watch it. I don't know if that would ruin the magic for you though.
 
Z

Zyzyxxz

Member
Puddles said:
Question for LA GAF:

Does anyone 1) have HBO, 2) plan to watch Game of Thrones this season, and 3) want to let me come watch it with you on Sundays?

I am willing to bring over a six-pack every Sunday for anyone who says yes.
Click to expand...

Sorry bub, wish I did but I must resort to other methods to watch it.
 
lunchtoast

lunchtoast

Member
pPNuu.png
 
E

Ermac

Proudly debt free. If you need a couple bucks, just ask.
Spire said:
Hello LA-GAF.

I am moving to LA this summer. Chasing my dream, blah blah blah.

I don't have a job lined up. I'm not too worried about this, I'll take anything when I first get there. I'll be in pure survival mode and just looking to get on my feet. I have a good history of work experience and do pretty well in interviews.

I own a car. It's totally paid off, runs well, decent gas mileage. I've lived most of my life 30 minutes outside of town, I'm used to spending half an hour in the car to get anywhere and paying large gas bills. Not so used to the traffic, but I'll learn.

I don't have a place to live lined up right now. This is the main problem. I'll have some money when I move but not enough to pay off a 6 month lease and still have money for gas, food, etc.. With poor credit and freshly unemployed, I doubt I'll be able to find an apartment when I first get there. I really just need an address to put on job applications and a place to shower, I wouldn't even mind living in my car for a few weeks. But I'd like to avoid that if I can, so does anyone know of any cheap living alternatives where I can land for a few weeks while I nail down a job? Any ideas are appreciated.
Click to expand...

I did this. But I did have a place to stay. I was sleeping on my friends couch in Playa Del Rey, then when he kicked me out I moved in with my uncle in Burbank. Like HP said there are places that let you rent month to month, so check craigslist or padmapper for those. Finding a job will be tough but if you hustle and are willing to do a few temp jobs here and there you'll be alright. I managed to find a decent job with a small company and I'll be moving into my own place next month. Check out www.officeteam.com for temp stuff. They placed me pretty quickly and the pay is at least $12 and hour always.

LA is a tough city and it'll take a bit to get used to. I've been here 2.5 months and I'm finally getting the hang of it and starting to love it. You'll have to be frugal since living here is generally more expensive than any where else. Don't go drinking till you have a job since alcohol is hella expensive.
 
T

TheKaeptain

Banned
I'm moving out with limited money this summer but once classes start I have my post 9/11 G.I. Bill to help me out. I will be moving with a limited sources of money until I find a job. Most of the cash I have saved is staying behind for my kid.
 
S

Spire

Subconscious Brolonging
FStop7 said:
You are unemployed, have bad credit, chasing a dream (acting?) and are looking to move to one of the most expensive areas to live in the country?

I am not trying to run you off but have you thought this through or spent a long enough amount of time here to know what life is like? I love it here but a lot of the stories about what LA does to wide eyed dream chasers are true. And the entertainment industry is particularly ruthless.
Click to expand...

I'm not unemployed, I have a pretty decent job actually, I'm leaving it to move. And I don't want to be an actor.

I've thought it through, I've been working towards it for the past 7 months, paying off my loans/cards and getting in shape. I've been to LA a few times before, at the very least I'd rather live there than where I do now. It's as much about starting a new life as it is chasing some dream.



Ermac said:
I did this. But I did have a place to stay. I was sleeping on my friends couch in Playa Del Rey, then when he kicked me out I moved in with my uncle in Burbank. Like HP said there are places that let you rent month to month, so check craigslist or padmapper for those. Finding a job will be tough but if you hustle and are willing to do a few temp jobs here and there you'll be alright. I managed to find a decent job with a small company and I'll be moving into my own place next month. Check out www.officeteam.com for temp stuff. They placed me pretty quickly and the pay is at least $12 and hour always.

LA is a tough city and it'll take a bit to get used to. I've been here 2.5 months and I'm finally getting the hang of it and starting to love it. You'll have to be frugal since living here is generally more expensive than any where else. Don't go drinking till you have a job since alcohol is hella expensive.
Click to expand...

Thanks, a month-to-month apartment sounds like it could work, hopefully they're not too expensive. I've lived in some shady fucking places before, so that doesn't really bother me. I'll probably start watching those sites you mentioned and see if anything reasonable pops up.

As for work, I'll just be looking for a day job to pay the bills. I've done everything under the sun so far (retail, driving, office, hard physical labor), I'm not picky. I'll be looking for a job, not a career.
 
F

FStop7

Banned
Spire said:
I'm not unemployed, I have a pretty decent job actually, I'm leaving it to move. And I don't want to be an actor.

I've thought it through, I've been working towards it for the past 7 months, paying off my loans/cards and getting in shape. I've been to LA a few times before, at the very least I'd rather live there than where I do now. It's as much about starting a new life as it is chasing some dream.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong, I came out here under what sounds like somewhat similar conditions - but I did have a job lined up. The employment situation in California is rough.

I did what others have mentioned - I found a place on Craigslist that did month to month rentals. It was for all intents and purposes a boarding house, but it was way nicer than what the name implies. I had a large bedroom with a private bathroom and it was in a great location - right next to Marina del Rey. It was an amazing house. The lady who leased it rented out all the other bedrooms (there were like 6 of them plus a pool house) on a month to month basis to subsidize the rent. Everyone there was cool, though there were a few space cases. They had to remove the microwave from the kitchen because one lady was paranoid about radiation or emissions or whatever. And yet she didn't seem to care about the fact the house had wi-fi. Ha.

I could only stay for a month because someone else was already booked for the next month. I found another, similar place and stayed there for two months. This one was in Malibu, it was really nice. Again, the main tenant was subleasing rooms to cover the rent. It worked pretty well because it gave me time to get a better idea of where I wanted to live in the long term when considering traffic, distance to friends, safety, price, etc.
 
E

Ermac

Proudly debt free. If you need a couple bucks, just ask.
FStop7 said:
Don't get me wrong, I came out here under what sounds like somewhat similar conditions - but I did have a job lined up. The employment situation in California is rough.

I did what others have mentioned - I found a place on Craigslist that did month to month rentals. It was for all intents and purposes a boarding house, but it was way nicer than what the name implies. I had a large bedroom with a private bathroom and it was in a great location - right next to Marina del Rey. It was an amazing house. The lady who leased it rented out all the other bedrooms (there were like 6 of them plus a pool house) on a month to month basis to subsidize the rent. Everyone there was cool, though there were a few space cases. They had to remove the microwave from the kitchen because one lady was paranoid about radiation or emissions or whatever. And yet she didn't seem to care about the fact the house had wi-fi. Ha.

I could only stay for a month because someone else was already booked for the next month. I found another, similar place and stayed there for two months. This one was in Malibu, it was really nice. Again, the main tenant was subleasing rooms to cover the rent. It worked pretty well because it gave me time to get a better idea of where I wanted to live in the long term when considering traffic, distance to friends, safety, price, etc.
Click to expand...

Great advice. I'm most likley going to grab a month-to-month at first as well, since I'm still looking for a better job compared to what I have now. Wouldn't want to find a job far away but be stuck in a year lease somewhere.
 
C

Corwood Rep

Member
Hey, so, after May I'm getting kicked out of my room in Burbank. I was paying just about nothing in rent ($300). Been here about 5 years and though I'm pretty much unemployed and have to go up north for a couple months to tend to family matters, I want to be back in LA county around August to look for work. Where should I be looking for cheap places? Highland Park maybe?

(I'm a "struggling writer," which means I'm looking for any fucking place that will hire me. I'll work the hoot owl shift at a gas station. I don't give a shit. But I do expect to continue living like a pauper.)
 
Z

Zyzyxxz

Member
Highland Park can still be a cheap place to live but who knows how long that will last it's starting to get gentrified compared to when I lived there as a kid. Hipsters moving in and decent restaurants opening up although plenty of ghetto good Mexican places for now.
 
P

Puddles

Banned
Hey guys.

It looks like the part-time gig I was working at is going to be moving shop soon, so I'll be out of work.

If anyone knows of any place that is hiring at the moment, I'd really appreciate the info. Please send me a PM.

I can do sales, customer service, general office work, social media, or any combination of the above, but I'm not adverse to working a retail or food service job either. Basically anything that doesn't require an advanced degree or science/engineering training.
 
lunchtoast

lunchtoast

Member
Aristotlekh said:
Hey, so, after May I'm getting kicked out of my room in Burbank. I was paying just about nothing in rent ($300). Been here about 5 years and though I'm pretty much unemployed and have to go up north for a couple months to tend to family matters, I want to be back in LA county around August to look for work. Where should I be looking for cheap places? Highland Park maybe?

(I'm a "struggling writer," which means I'm looking for any fucking place that will hire me. I'll work the hoot owl shift at a gas station. I don't give a shit. But I do expect to continue living like a pauper.)
Click to expand...

Ktown my man. I share a 2 bed/2 bath/2 story place with a friend and pay close to 600 a month.
 
T

TheKaeptain

Banned
lunchtoast said:
Are you getting full GI benefits? I miss getting paid to go to school :(
Click to expand...

Yep. Montgomery GI Bill is going to be up this semester. Starting Post 9/11 wherever I end up.

FYI this is for people wondering what I am talking about. This is the post 9/11G.I. Bill

Your full tuition & fees directly to the school for all public school in-state students. For those attending private or foreign schools tuition & fees are capped at $17,500 per academic year. Click here for more information.

If you are attending a private Institution of Higher Learning in AZ, MI, NH, NY, PA, SC or TX you may be eligible for a higher tuition reimbursement rate.

For those attending a more expensive private school or a public school as a non-resident out-of-state student, a program exists which may help to reimburse the difference. This program is called the “Yellow Ribbon Program”.

For those attending classes at the greater than ½ time rate, a monthly housing allowance (MHA) based on the Basic Allowance for Housing for an E-5 with dependents at the location of the school. For those enrolled solely in distance learning the housing allowance payable is equal to ½ the national average BAH for an E-5 with dependents ($673.44 for the 2011 academic year & $684.00 for the 2012 academic year). For those attending foreign schools (schools without a main campus in the U.S.) the MHA rate is fixed at $1,346.88 for the 2011 academic year & $1,368.00 for the 2012 academic year. The academic year begins on August 1. (Active duty students & their spouses cannot receive the MHA.)

An annual books & supplies stipend of $1,000 paid proportionately based on enrollment.

A one-time rural benefit payment for eligible individuals.
This benefit provides up to 36 months of education benefits, generally benefits are payable for 15 years following your release from active duty.
Click to expand...
 
beat

beat

Member
CFMOORE! said:
that amount opens up a good amount of decent areas. start checking craigslist to get a general idea.
Click to expand...

Better yet, check Padmapper! Map-based interface drawing in ads from Craigslist and (I think) four other rental sites. Lots of filters. The only caveat is that some Craigslist ads write their addresses incorrectly, so if a spot looks too good to be true, it may be that Padmapper placed the address pin far away from the real location.
 
lunchtoast

lunchtoast

Member
CaptYamato said:
Yep. Montgomery GI Bill is going to be up this semester. Starting Post 9/11 wherever I end up.

FYI this is for people wondering what I am talking about. This is the post 9/11G.I. Bill
Click to expand...

Do you know the amount you'll get? I got around 2000 a month which got increased to almost 2100.
 
S

Sobriquet

Member
Good morning, LA-GAF!

For those who expressed interest in attending this weekend's Brewery Artwalk, information (including maps) can be found at our website: www.breweryartwalk.com

If you do plan on coming, please drop me a PM so I can direct you to our loft. I would love to meet some people!
 
V

Verano

Reads Ace as Lace. May God have mercy on their soul
sure is windy. hopefully the little rain and the wind brushes of the pigeon shit off my car.
 
C

clearacell

Member
All rainy and cloudy late last night but this morning is really, really nice. I wish my views weren't obstructed by buildings and telephone poles :(

pMKV2.jpg


edit:

And I remember h.pro not knowing what mt. wilson looked like

dA3E3.jpg


These are the ones that are just north of Arcadia, but I've never went on a hike there. There seems to be an observatory that I am now super interested in seeing.
 
E

Ermac

Proudly debt free. If you need a couple bucks, just ask.
Was hiking last night when it started raining and fogging and almost got lost .. also came across this radio tower, Silent Hill style.

dRVTu.jpg
 
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