Dear Bonnie,
Greetings! I am an actor relocating to LA. And I have never driven around in LA. I have a car, but I would like to keep my road travel to a minimum until I am able to better navigate through LA. Where should a newly arrived actor live, so that she does not have a long commute to casting, directors, agents, and studio contacts? For now, could you consider all price ranges (in addition to the cheapest of the cheap)?
Thank you,
Teresa
Dear Teresa,
Wow. That’s a toughie. There are so many places to live in LA… and so many price ranges. A good way to start, if you don’t want to do a lot of driving around, is by doing some research online. There are many apartment and house guides online, and you can do a search by price, by amenities, by size, etc.
https://www.apartmentcities.com
https://www.apartmentguide.com/index.asp
https://www.westsiderentals.com
https://www.forrent.com
If you have no idea what zip codes to even start with, I’d suggest checking out one of those services that profiles neighborhoods for marketing purposes. Here’s a link to one of those: https://cluster2.claritas.com/YAWYL/Default.wjsp?System=WL
Next, if you haven’t spent much time in LA, I suggest that you pick up either (or both): The Film Actor’s Complete Career Guide: A Complete, Step-by-Step Checklist of all the Things Actors Seeking Professional Film and Television Careers Can and Should Do, When and How to do Them, from the Very First Steps to Top Starring Careers – by Lawrence Parke (This book includes essential information on where to live, traps to avoid, where to study acting, resources, interacting with those who’ve seen and heard it all by the time you’ve just learned the vocabulary, unions, promotion, resume formatting, and blank forms for your own record-keeping. A must-have,
for sure.)
or
How to Make It in Hollywood – Everything You Need to Know About Agents, Managers, Lawyers, Chutzpah, Schmoozing, the Casting Couch, Godfather Calls, Rhino Skin, Handling Rejection, How to Be Lucky, and All the Steps You Need to Take to Achieve the Success You Deserve – by Linda Buzzell (This book includes… well, everything. The author is both a psychotherapist and career counselor who has held many industry jobs. Featured sections include The Game, Who You Are, Industry Jobs, Niche Targeting, The Pitch, The Action Log, Your Team, Survival Issues, Luck, and A Glossary of Hollywood Terminology. Absolutely, without a doubt, a must-read for anyone planning to do the acting thing.)
Those are reviews from my columns. Both of those books include a general breakdown of neighborhoods and explain the importance of location, in getting to and from auditions.
Another piece of advice is to get the “Welcome to LA” issue of Back Stage West. I believe the last one that was done came out in January. We publish one every six months, and include a little map and an explanation of each neighborhood. Just call the BSW office to get information on ordering back issues. (323) 525-2356.
Now, the best way to GET a place to live in LA is to (sorry to say) drive around with good buddy and a cell phone, going up and down the streets on which you want to live, looking for signs posted in windows saying “For Rent.” Usually, by the time the best places are up for grabs for even a DAY, they’re already spoken for. So, if you see something you like, call from the driveway and say you’d like to look at the place. Have your checkbook handy, along with references, as most places won’t hold a unit without a hefty deposit and some words in your favor from past employers or landlords.
Is it possible to find something not TERRIBLY expensive, centrally located, and available? Yes. Absolutely. But, you may have to hit town (perhaps bunk with a friend or find a temporary housing situation) before you can really refine your housing search. There’s no amount of online research you can do that will compare with the experience of being here and seeing where you want to be.
Hope this helps.
Good luck with your move, and keep doing good work!
– Bon.