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Where is a good location in Los Angeles to live?

myself along with two of my friends plan on moving out to Los Angeles and are completely oblivious as to where to look first. Of course we have searched craigslist and Rent.com but have come up a little dazed. We are 21-23 so we are in search of somewhere that has people that are somewhat close to our age. When we first brainstormed about moving out we decided maybe we could just get a two bedroom and split the rent 3 ways and get a futon. I know many people do this and was wondering if that would be the last resort. I hear alot about living in Glendale, how far is it from Los Angeles exactly? Would we be far enough to live in a safe neighborhood but close enough to go downtown? About the smog law, what exactly does that entail? And my final question is about the job situation, we've been checking myspace and their are ads about working full-time as extras, I was wondering how hard it is to get a job in LA or are their countless jobs available? Thank you for the help, I appreciate it.

Public Comments

1. The cost of living in L.A. and especially the sky high cost of rent anywhere near L.A. will amaze you. There may be countless jobs there, but there are also countless people trying to get those jobs. When you go, I would advise taking a bankroll with you to get started on.
2. Sorry to sound cruel, but if your sole reason for coming here is "to become an actor" then forget it. You'll just be another face in the crowd of THOUSANDS of young people who come here every week with stars in their eyes, and totally unprepared for the real world. Very few ever make it, and most end up in menial jobs when their money runs out. If you have a college education, and a REAL marketable job skill maybe, just maybe, you would be able to support yourself and do OK in the Los Angeles area. Then later on you could try getting some acting work, but don't come here thinking that acting is going to be your main source of income. If it were that easy why would very well established actors/actresses be doing commercials and infomercials to earn money?
3. A 2 bedroom apartment in a safe area like Glendale is probably $2,000. More ghetto areas, like Mid-Wilshire, Van Nuys, and North Hollywood are less. Glendale is very close to downtown Los Angeles, (15 min), but i don't know why anyone would want to go to downtown LA as in my opinion, it really really sucks and there is nothing to do there. West LA is the place the people with all the money live. East LA (Silverlake, Los Feliz, Hollywood) is ok, but probably not as nice as West LA. "People your age" I assume you mean "college aged people" thus, UCLA is located in Westwood, and USC is in a "bad neighborhood" near downtown. A lot of USC people live in the East LA places I listed above. You have to get your car "smogged" which is like $30 if I'm not mistaken. As for jobs, I really have no clue, everyone says it's about the connections. People talk about how there's so many more opportunities out here, but be careful as if you apply to stuff on Craigslist you might find yourself at some pretty shady places. It really depends on your skill-set.
4. North Hollywood....I think they are looking for extra's for Steve O's next Jackass Show....and given how poorly you've thought this moving and job thing out I think you've got what it takes.....
5. 1 - Glendale is only about 10 miles from "Los Angeles." Although the distinction between the City of Los Angeles and the roughly 90 suburbs that surround it is mostly academic nowadays. Most locals treat those little towns as part of L.A., regardless of what the government (and the signage) says. 2 - I wouldn't worry about Downtown. Most Angelenos only use Downtown as a freeway interchange. Since L.A. is so spread out, you'll find everything you might need in the larger suburbs. 3 - As of 2005 (when the law was last amended by the legislature), smog checks are required every two years for all vehicles over 6 years old. You can go to any car repair shop with a "Smog Check" sign for that. If your car passes, they'll give you a certificate to present to the DMV. If not, you're going to have to spend a lot of money getting it into compliance. For new cars, you're exempted from smog checks. However, you're required to pay a "smog and pollution abatement fee", which are fancy words meaning: more taxes. 4 - There are many, many jobs in L.A., and if you work hard, there's no reason why you couldn't survive. While the average wage in L.A. might not be as high as San Francisco or New York City, you won't be charged $1,500 to live in a cardboard box either. So. it works out to be roughly the same in reality.
6. Getting into downtown LA is a bitch no matter where you live. I agree North Hollywood would be a good choice. Santa Monica is cool to but very pricy. If you are not planning to commute every day or not going in to LA LA land during rush hour, you should consider Orange county. Huntington Beach is a cool place to live but you are about 25 miles from downtown. The weather is close to perferct At your ages, you would fit right into HB...jb
7. I was recently in LA for work and I loved Silver Lake, Hollywood (more low key than you'd think if you are in the right areas), Los Feliz, Santa Monica and Manhattan Beach. I don't live in LA but I have used http://www.hubbuzz.com/LosAngeles/MetroAreaOverview.aspx a lot when looking for a new neighborhood or apartment in Denver to move into. The site is great, they have every neighborhood in LA on a map and they also have photos, a neighborhood write up, maps, hotspots, apartments for rent, blogs and a Match me quiz that will match your personality type to neighborhoods and apartments. If nothing else, it is great for researching neighborhoods. They also have a ton of great apartments in Denver so they probably would in LA too. Good luck!