OT: Lost in LA

Whistle
1

My wife and i rolled into Los Angeles
two days ago–we stopped awhile
in Taos, NM, where our friends made
us eat hemp ice cream: “It’s knotty
but it’s nice!”

Anyhow we’re looking for an apartment
in the LA area (and thereabouts)
and we’re running into
a problem. We’re only staying 6 months
(my wife is on a half sabbatical and
must return to work in Dec). The
problem is that people want us to
sign a year long lease, which we
can’t do. Apparently there are lots
of people they can get to sign these,
so they are requiring one.

Any advice from you LA denizens?
It’s beautiful here and we
would like to stay. Best wishes
from a computer cafe on Sunset
Strip, Jim

2

Jim, I commend you on your spirit and optimism. I have every confidence in you and I am sure that things will work out well for you.

Good luck,
Eric

3

That IS tough ~ We once tried to move to San Diego with a dog ~ AND a budget! That might have been even worse…
Good luck with your search, I’m sure you’ll find something.
Mary

[ This Message was edited by: Whistlin’Dixie on 2002-06-15 11:11 ]

4

Sorry, in 20 years living in LA I never encountered a 6 month lease. Of course, you have one less than optimal option: most leases have first and last month, plus a one month extra deposit if you skip town/break the lease. You could always do just that. It will cost you an extra month, but you will be able to rent in a nice apartment building as opposed to a lesser building that rents on a temporary basis, and ifyouhandle it right it might not count against you as an apartment reference for the future, but that would epend on what king of relationship youcan build with the manager.

Just a thought. Ah, Sunset Blvd…I would say to to McGinty’s on Wilshire Blvd. and 26th and have a pint for me but they changed the name of the pub a few years ago and I dont remember what its called now.

5

I’m not familiar with LA at all but I would recommend investigating areas near academic institutions. Students often need shorter leases. You may also contact the HR of large companies (the type that might hire interns or temporary workers) and see if they know of anyplace with 6 month leases.

6

I agree with Dazed…
In Texas, you can “buy out” a lease by paying (pretty much universally) the equivalent of a month’s rent. If you do it this way, it DOES cost you an extra month, but it doesn’t show as a negative rental history.

Greg

7

Thanks, gang. We’ve checked around
USC, but they want a year and want
it with a vengeance. They can get it
so they require it. We’re now
under 6 months; 5 and 1/2 and
apartment complexes want over
a thousand for a studio! We’ll
keep looking.

One block here looks like Mexico,
the next like China. We drove
down sunset blvd to the sea, then
back along the coast to Venice
Beach. An enormous city, really
lovely. Best to all, Jim

8

I would suggest trying to find an apartment that would lease month-to-month. That way there wouldn’t be a six month or a year lease. And, you could move anytime, you wouldn’t be breaking the lease. I don’t know if apartments do that in LA, though.

I think it’s really cool how you guys totally made a huge move, are looking for a place to live and trying to get settled and you seem to have such a good attitude about it - I think that’s cool.

9

I was wondering if you got my Post on student housing? You may be able to find less expensive housing farther away fron USC. We do have the Metro link Train system that can take you about anywhere.

10

Hi gang, We’re still looking–5 days now.
We’ve been driving up and down streets
looking for For Rent signs. Also trying
to locate complexes that rent month by
month. Cerrabus, thanks, just read your
message.

We’re staying in the Olive Motel
on Sunset Blvd. It’s full of transvestites,
various individuals of ill repute,
and couples that arrive, stay an hour
or two, and then leave. Mego, the Chinese
owner, explained to us that none of
this is commercial. These people are
in love and having clandestine affairs,
he insists. So much love in LA! I asked
him why people are asking my wife
how much i charge.

Last night I played my
low D for Mego in the parking lot;
he produced a shakuhachi and we
attempted a duet. He wants us
to visit the Cambodian Buddhist
temple. We also talked for a long
while with a lady who believes that
we are all made of light and offered
to focus light so as to fix my
elbows. Also I played whistle
for a Mormon lady, who let us
use her telephone. Lots of nice
people in LA.

11

Yeah, that’s the LA I remember. You have my sincere sympathy. It just gets stranger, each moment you’re there.

12

Come out to Woodland Hills, North on the 101 its a nice area, lot of rentals and no eccentric on the street anyway. You can drive to USC or take the Metro link. LA may seem pretty novel to you now but you are definately in a dangerous neighborhood.

13

Good heavens, it does sound like a ‘less than safe’ area Jim… please be careful! (and please tell Judy heya for me.)

Happy to hear you made it there safely.

Starr

14

Have you checked any university papers for apartment info? I know that, here in Santa Cruz this time of year, you’ll find lots of “wanted to sublets,” as students head home for the summer. It would probably only be for about three months, but it might give you more “comfortable” time to find something decent.

It also might be worth looking up some housesitting/petsitting agencies in the city, if you wouldn’t mind doing something like that.

Good luck!

Redwolf

15

I second that on Woodland Hills…a very nice area and very reasonable rent rates. Lots of good services on Ventura.

Ah, its nice to know that Sunset hasnt changed much :slight_smile: I miss Tower Records at midnight. Barneys Beanery has great chili, if you like that sort of thing.

If you get a chance, go to Venice beach on a saturday or sunday. Say hi to the rollerblading rostafarian guitar player for me!

16

We appear to have found an apartment in a
complex in Rosemead–one bedroom, 765
a month, and a month by month lease.
They are checking our credit back to
the eleventh generation (not a whistle).

We went back to the Olive Motel
and told Mego, the elder of the
vast Chinese family that owns it
that we had at last found an apartment.
Mego has a wispy beard and is
wise.

‘Excellent’ he said. ‘Go to you
new home. I will stay
here, watching from the window of
my motel office the river of life
flowing by, as I have for twenty years.’

‘What do you see in the river, Mego?’
I asked.

‘Weirdos, mainly. Transvestites. Perverts
of every variety imaginable.’

‘I hope my wife and I have given you
a brief respite from weirdos.’

‘To the contrary. We have seen the red
boxing gloves she took into your room.
We have heard your futile cries for
mercy. Kinky, very kinky.’

‘She’s just letting off steam, Mego.
It’s good exercise for us, you know.’

‘All perverts say this thing,
Professor Stone. Consider the Olive
Motel your second home.’

We’ve been eating in real Chinese
restaurants, by the by, where we are
the only non-Chinese customers–authentic
Chinese food. It’s nasty stuff, dishes
like pork blood and intestine with
bean curd. Yum!

Also fortune cookies in LA are serious
business. My wife’s message last night
said: ‘After today you will understand
the true difference between good and evil.’
Can’t say I like the sound of that one.
Mine said: ‘Anticipate an experience that
will transform you to the very fiber of
your being.’ We’re sticking to burritos
from now on.

We drove to Venice beach on Sun–
quite a carnival.

Thanks to everyone for your support
and suggestions. It has all been much
appreciated. Best to all, Jim

[ This Message was edited by: jim stone on 2002-06-18 19:24 ]

17

Judging by this last post, it sounds like maybe Professor Jim got a hold of some powerful weed, in addition to the new apartment :laughing:

Loren

18

On 2002-06-18 18:42, jim stone wrote:
‘I hope my wife and I have given you
a brief respite from weirdos.’

‘To the contrary. We have seen the red
boxing gloves she took into your room.
We have heard your futile cries for
mercy. Kinky, very kinky.’

For your sake I hope the apartment comes through. For everyone else’s sake I hope you continue to post your experiences and stories.

Best regards,

Steve