A Quick Guide to Apartment Hunting in Los Angeles.

"All I wanna do is have some fun 

I got a feeling, I'm not the only one...

All I wanna do, is have some fun

Until the sun comes up 

Over Santa Monica Boulevard..."

Back in the 90's, when this Sheryl Crow song became a huge hit, this was how I imagined Los Angeles to be like - a fun and exciting place to live, a hustling and bustling city with bright lights, tall buildings, and warm and friendly people.

This pretty much holds true to this very day. In fact, Los Angeles is, was, and will always be one of the best places to live in the US - especially if you're a Filipino expat. Los Angeles is home to the second largest concentration of Filipinos in the world, the weather is nice and sunny for the most part of the year, and yes, they have a Jollibee store smack dab in the middle of Beverly Boulevard. All the more reason to move to the City of Angels, haha!

Photo credit: Daniel Semenov on Pexels.

Now, if you're set on relocating to Los Angeles, it's essential to consider a few key factors when searching for a place to call home, particularly if you're looking to rent an apartment. Keep in mind crucial aspects such as location, budget, and amenities, and consider exploring neighborhoods that are known to be safest places to live in LA, to ensure a comfortable and secure living environment.

It's all in the 'hood

Just as the City of Angels is teeming with life, it's also teeming with a variety of lifestyle options. There are over a dozen neighborhoods in LA, each with its own cultural identity. Choose a place that's close to where you work, and suits your lifestyle best.

Koreatown in Los Angeles.

For instance, there's Venice Beach, a coastal neighborhood known for its charming streets, amazing restaurants, and picturesque boardwalk. There's also Beverly Hills, an affluent neighborhood where you can find the world-famous Rodeo Drive. It's also one of Los Angeles' busiest tourist destinations. And then there's Wilshire, an ethnically diverse neighborhood known for its artsy buildings, trendy shops, and Korean barbecue restaurants. 

Set your budget

As of this writing, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles is $2000. (That's actually a 5% decrease or about $100 compared to the previous year.) Aside from the monthly rent, you'll need to pay a security deposit that's usually equivalent to one month's rent, an application fee, perhaps a parking fee if there's a reserved parking spot, and pet fees if you have a dog or a cat.

Consider your commute

A glimpse of LA traffic.

As I have mentioned earlier, it's ideal to live close to where you work. Traffic has been a perennial problem in Los Angeles, and rush hours can get pretty crazy. Going out and about LA without your own set of wheels can be quite challenging, but if you're okay with public transport, you still need to consider the distance from your apartment to your workplace and the amount of time you're willing to endure for your commute.

Use an apartment search tool

In this day and age of modern technology, the internet makes apartment hunting easier, more convenient, and less time-consuming. With the click of a mouse or a tap on your smartphone, you can easily find apartments for rent in Los Angeles, thanks to reliable listing sites such as Zumper.

Jin, busy with his smartphone.

Gone are the days when apartment hunting would be physically and mentally exhausting. With Zumper, you can easily see apartment listings online, and find a place that suits your budget, location preference, and lifestyle needs. 

See it for yourself

Single bedroom apartment in Los Angeles.

Once you find a place you like, set up an appointment for the apartment viewing. See the apartment for yourself before signing the lease and meet with the landlord or property manager so you can talk about important details personally. Doing this will give you a better feel of the situation and an assurance that the online listing is not a scam.

Sealed the deal and ready to move in? Congratulations and welcome to Los Angeles!

Alfred Coffee.

Explore the neighborhood, find your way around, and discover important places such as supermarkets, convenience stores, banks, hospitals, and clinics. Oh, and coffee shops, too! Meet new people, eat good food, and bask in the bright lights of Los Angeles!

Fun Things To Do in Los Angeles.

The perpetually congested highways of the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles, combined with the most extremely diverse of all neighbourhoods and to be found anywhere in the US are filled to the brim with an array of fun things to do. Here is your definitive guide and a key to the best of the local hot spots and vacation rentals in Los Angeles. Since Los Angeles is large and spread out, these places have been carefully chosen keeping the size of the massive area in mind.

To the City of Angels we go!

Runyon Canyon Park
This park is on the must visit list of almost every person visiting LA, simply because there is no entry fee and it provides breathtaking views of the city. A complimentary yoga session, run by the park is extremely popular with visitors. Keep one thing in mind that parking is impossible to get at most times so take an Uber. You can save on travel fees with this Uber promo code. Or you can ride in style in a limo which you can rent at https://www.limofind.com/ca/bakersfield-party-bus-rental/. 

Hollywood Bowl
This is undoubtedly the best outdoor concert venue in the world, and being a part of a show there is well worth the effort and the cost.The Bowl is located in Hollywood CA, and is set against the background of the famous Hollywood Hills. Apart from being home to the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra, the Bowl stages a large number of musical extravaganzas, all through the year.

Gjelina
This premier restaurant is the best spot for enjoying the New American cuisine in a rustic atmosphere. This extremely popular bistro serves exceptional salads and pizzas, apart from other variety of dishes and a wine list to die for. The prices are a little on the higher side, but worth every penny. Be prepared to wait for a long time in case you have not made advance reservations.

Hollywood, baby!

Hollywood Signs
Though no one is permitted to access the actual site of these famous signs, one can easily look around for a vantage point.The miles and miles of hiking trails in the hills surrounding the area offer many photography options, especially from the Griffith Observatory. For those interested, there are guided tours available which take you to spots very close to the sign.

Fresh veggies, anyone?

The Original Farmers Market
This wonderful outdoor market has been around since the 30’s, where a large number of vendors display their goods, ranging from restaurants, bars, butchery and gift shops. The whole area has a lively atmosphere, with an unimaginable variety of food on offer in a charming setting. A perfect place to visit to experience the quintessential side of the history of Los Angeles. The market is closed by 7 pm, so it is advisable to check before planning a visit.

Staples Center
The Staples Center is a multipurpose arena set aside for sports in downtown Los Angeles. This massive stadium is home to the pro basketball and hockey teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Kings, apart from a number of concerts and other events.The Center is situated near the heart of the city and the surrounding area is full of restaurants, bars and popular night spots.

LA at night.

Perch
This is the one and only spot in the city from where can relish drinks and cocktails from a rooftop providing unbeatable views of downtown Los Angeles. The restaurant is accessed through a series of elevators which end at the 15th floor, where options for both indoor and outdoor seating are available.

ArcLight Hollywood
The ArcLight Hollywood is the home of the Cinerama Dome and is definitely worth to go and watch a movie there for a cool experience. The Dome is actually located inside a restaurant that serves reasonably priced beer, wine and coffee and other seasonal drinks, based at times on the movie which is running.

On the bucket list!

Universal Studios
A tour to this world famous movie studio and theme park offers an unending number of attractions ranging from rides, tours, restaurants and many more which include a behind the scene tour to get a first hand experience of the movie making and special effects techniques. The Universal Studio City Walk area is located between the theme park and the parking lot and offers visitors sufficient opportunities to relax, shop and enjoy a movie or two. The studio is one of the oldest running studios in the country, and has Woody Woodpecker, the famous cartoon character, as its mascot.

Rose Bowl Stadium
Located in Arroyo Seco, which itself sits on a dry river bed, the Rose Bowl Stadium and its environs are in a different league all together. It houses more than 3000 vendors, a massive flea market, an aquatic center and a children's museum. Football games, musical concerts and a plethora of events are conducted here regularly. It is advisable to get to the stadium on event days very very early because of the crowds and the tight security.

The Queen Mary.

The Queen Mary
At one time the most luxurious and advanced sea liner ever commissioned, a tour of the Queen Mary is complete with action and adventure. A look from close quarters will reveal the groundbreaking construction and the labor involved into making this ocean going ship. The many restaurants and bars surrounding the ship makes it fun and enjoyable to spend some time here.The entry is a bit costly, but the architecture buffs will marvel at the sleek design as they enjoy the superb views of Long Beach from the deck of the ship.