Gilda Gazor ggazor@media.ucla.edu
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The end of spring quarter is rolling around the corner and you
need an apartment to live in next fall. If you’re moving out
of the dorms this means ““ oh no ““ the real world! No, I
don’t mean you’ll be moving into a house with seven
strangers, but you are going to have to take responsibility to find
a place to live.
Apartments close to UCLA are a challenge to find because, as
most of you know, they tend to be extremely expensive. Although it
may seem impossible, you can find a great place that’s either
adjacent or relatively near to UCLA for a reasonable price, if you
look hard enough.
Various resources are available to you, but the most effective
way to find a great place with a great deal is on foot, walking
around in your neighborhood of choice looking for vacancy signs and
calling the listed numbers. Oftentimes, these apartments offer
better deals than apartment listings because they are rented by
older landlords whose shaky fingers can’t quite work the
Internet yet, so they stick to the most traditional form of
advertising. It’s also more likely that these apartments will
be less expensive than others because the landlords are not
concerned about the competitive rates in their area.
If you don’t have time to walk around for hours, there are
other options, too. Start by asking friends with nice apartments
whether they are moving out or whether they have neighbors who are
moving out. This is one of the best ways to find a place in
Westwood because you will be competing with fewer people and you
will also have your friends to vouch for the quality of life and
maintenance at the apartment. If you don’t have any direct
connections to an apartment, UCLA has a community housing office
that offers apartment and roommate listings for free. All you need
is a student ID number and you can check out the listings online at
www.cho.ucla.edu.
To increase chances of finding a good place, you can pay about
$60 to become a member of an organization like Westside Rentals.
Each week, they update their system so you can choose from recent
listings. If you don’t have anyone to live with, this is a
great way to find a roommate and avoid paying outrageous prices for
a studio apartment. Access Westside Rentals at
www.westsiderentals.com or call (310) 395-RENT.
The best way to pay less is to live in a 2-bedroom apartment.
The average price for a 2-bedroom in a complex with full amenities
such as a gym, hot tub and parking is $2000. For $1000 you can have
your own room, but if this is too steep you can share for only
$500. This pales in comparison to paying $1300 for a 1-bedroom
apartment and, worse, sharing that for $650!
If you move out of Westwood, the options look brighter. In the
Palms/Venice area you can have your own room for only $500. If you
hate hearing your roommate’s alarm clock in the morning or
you want to have “special guests” spend the night on
occasion, sharing a room poses a challenge. On the other hand, it
might be difficult to get your “special guest” to
travel the distance from UCLA to visit you.
More importantly, commuting to and from school is also not
cheap. If you are lucky enough to get a parking permit at UCLA, you
will have to pay $150 per quarter for a permit. This cost does not
include the price of gas and time you will spend each morning and
afternoon in traffic. Maybe you don’t have to live as far as
Palms to get a good deal. For about $700 you can have your own room
in Brentwood, which is very close to UCLA. You can use the Blue Bus
or even bike the distance and still be close to your friends.
Some students choose to move out toward Hollywood. If you
can’t bear to live away from the nightlife and crazy scene,
this is the place for you. But the rents aren’t a steal and
the distance adds up in mileage and stress.
Nothing compares to the relaxed convenience of living within
walking distance of school. Sometimes it’s worth the extra
cost to live closer to school and not worry about your
Honda’s engine problems.
You will make these decisions based on your preferences. I have
provided a chart including sample rental rates from areas
surrounding UCLA to give you an idea of what’s out there.
Whether you are moving out of the dorms or moving away from crazy
roommates, this is a new experience and you want to find a great
place that will heighten your experience at UCLA. So start putting
in extra hours working at CPK and it will be worth it.