Where to live for USC? Forum

[MrSmith]

Does anyone have suggestions about where to look for off-campus housing convenient for USC?

[usc278]

As a USC undergrad, LA native, and possible 1L next year @ USC here's what I would say the options are:

University Park Area: Not as dangerous as people make it out to be, you just have to be smart about what you do especially late at night. I'm not sure how much there is to do for grad students around here although a new place called the lab just opened across the street from the Law school and it seems pretty cool. Definitely the most convenient allowing you to roll out of bed into class. However rents will be high especially considering the area. It will be especially hard to find something now that all the continuing undergrads got all of the quality places. Expect to pay at least 800 for your own room if not much more. I'm considering living in Terrace apartments for 1L's if i go to USC. Good location just a 5 minute bike ride from the law school (everyone rides bikes). Rent there is about slightly on the high end to have your own bedroom though.

Westside/Hollywood: You can definitely find a wider variety of places here and there will be more social stuff to do. However traffic is a B*tch on the 101 South at ALL hours of the day. Unless you get extremely lucky it will always take you at least 30 minutes to get to campus. And if you have to come back to your place from campus between 4-7 It will probably take 45 mins at least for you to get home. Traffic also sucks on the 10 and the 405 so your commutes will suck from the Westside even longer than hollywood. But food, housing, shopping etc is much better in these areas.

Downtown: Not far from SC, will take you 15 minutes max during rush hour. You can find some nice places to live however its pretty expensive downtown. There's a brandnew ralph's fresh fare downtown that is real nice. Pretty decent amount of good restaurants, a few good bars, LA Live just opened up which is pretty cool (Yardhouse, concert hall, espn zone etc). However downtown is like a ghost town at night really its dead in most areas and its kinda weird/awkward.

Hope this helps. Are you for sure going to USC?

[ucla2008]

USC, can you provide a little more info about the University Park Area, if i go to usc law I will be living with my girlfriend, so I think that means im out when it comes to university housing. What other options are available in the area? Any buildings or resources you might recommend to look into the area? Thanks

[PNW5225]

Also as a Native LA person (future UCLA 1L):

The areas around USC aren't "as bad as people say they are," but if you're looking for a more twenty/early-thirty-something scene, look a bit north of Vermont... living in Koreatown is cheap and central, and Los Feliz/Silverlake/Echo Park are really awesome areas, not as trendy as Santa Monica or West Hollywood but with tons of awesome bars, restaurants, move theaters, etc. etc. Los Feliz/Silverlake shouldn't be too bad of a commute--maybe 15-30 minutes depending on traffic? (Full disclosure: I'm going to UCLA but I love the "east side" so much that I'm commuting from Los Feliz/Silverlake) My only suggestion would be to stay away from any location that requires you to take the 10 fwy daily - that freeway is terrible!

[misteranthro]

Another area that is pretty decently priced is Culver City. It has easy access to the 405 and beach cities and a nicely renovated Downtown-ish area with restaurants and bars. All you have to do is head straight down Jefferson and you can get to USC in 20 minutes.

[TrojanBadger]

Re: University Park Housing:
Menlo and Ellendale are streets with a lot of student housing, but they might be a bit raucous for a grad school crowd (Menlo's the more quiet one). They both have a mix of houses and decent apartments. Nupac has a very quiet building on the corner of Royal and W 30th, but it's behind the row which carries over some nights (by the way, that's across the street from another building that looks tempting, but beware: http://www.dailytrojan.com/news/apartme ... -1.1603717).

Those areas are all north of campus. Otherwise, students live east (not west and definitely not south). The eastern housing is more quiet, but also would make it a bit longer to get to campus. It's also a little more sketch imho.

[ChipJan]

.

[blbs]

Does anyone have details/photos of the Terrace housing? The USC website is pretty useless and they opt to not show the apartments on the tours of campus.

[TrojanBadger]

Does anyone have details/photos of the Terrace housing? The USC website is pretty useless and they opt to not show the apartments on the tours of campus.

http://housing.usc.edu/HousingOptions/B ... px?bID=TSA

Additionally, type the address in googlemaps: 1275 W. 29TH ST.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90007

The street view that pops up is already facing the right building, the white and grey one with balconies.

[Sxhawnn]

USC isn't as dangerous as its cracked up to be. I went there for 3 years and had no problems.

I say find a aparment around the student housing areas 30th-36th street that is a good walking distance. Don't pay the jacked up prices for their official student apartments.

Yes, there are crimes that occur but if you look at the majority of the crime reports. They usually occur past midnight and on streets where students have no business walking. Have no idea why people don't just take the free student taxi. Always a few idiots every year who decide that its a good idea to take a drunk walk at 3AM. Oh yea and keep a 20 with you in your wallet if you ever do decide to do this. An acquaintance of mine was one of these drunken idiots and he was actually beat for having 0 dollars on him.

[Chris_cpb]

However downtown is like a ghost town at night really its dead in most areas and its kinda weird/awkward.

Is this a joke?

[Sxhawnn]

However downtown is like a ghost town at night really its dead in most areas and its kinda weird/awkward.

Is this a joke?

What most people don't know is that downtown is more than just high rise buildings/clubs/and bars. While those areas may have people, alot of the downtown area where thift shops/warehouses/such literally do look abandoned at night.

[Chris_cpb]

However downtown is like a ghost town at night really its dead in most areas and its kinda weird/awkward.

Is this a joke?

What most people don't know is that downtown is more than just high rise buildings/clubs/and bars. While those areas may have people, alot of the downtown area where thift shops/warehouses/such literally do look abandoned at night.

interesting...but in reality, NYC and LA have the most vibrant night life in the United States.

[misteranthro]

However downtown is like a ghost town at night really its dead in most areas and its kinda weird/awkward.

Is this a joke?

What most people don't know is that downtown is more than just high rise buildings/clubs/and bars. While those areas may have people, alot of the downtown area where thift shops/warehouses/such literally do look abandoned at night.

interesting...but in reality, NYC and LA have the most vibrant night life in the United States.

Downtown LA = not vibrant. There are only a few bars/clubs in the whole downtown area. It isn't like NYC or San Francisco, because downtown is really just a commercial area. After 5pm, it shuts down. If you are into nightlife, then there is plenty to go around in Santa Monica, West LA and Venice though. And if you want to, you can always go to Hollywood...

[mjustice]

A really nice place to live which happens to be the closest living spot to the law school is Tuscany (on Figueroa and Exposition). The first floor has food, coffee, etc. It is a 3-5 minute walk to the Law school, and all other right-off-campus living areas are pretty much 15+minute walks because they are beyond the other side of campus. The place is expensive, however =/.

[Formerbruin]

Just be careful...

http://www.familywatchdog.us/ShowMapFro ... 1E0AF39703

[topandyman]

MrSmith, try Rental Househunter if you're looking for a rental near USC - - there's 700+ listings...

http://www.rentalhousehunter.com/RENT/H ... %20Angeles

good luck!
topandyman

[joebruin2.0]

Just make sure you claim the color of the hood you are going to live in. It can be annoying if you are naturally inclined to wear red and you decide to live in a crips area... or if you like blue but the apartment you find is in a bloods side of town... just roll with it and make the correct color change.

And don't get a rep for being a bitch on your block... this too can make interactions with the locals very difficult in the future.

[wishing_waiting]

I'm currently a 1L at USC Law and went to UCLA for undergrad. I stayed on the Westside and the commute to school isn't bad at all. We usually have classes around 9~10 until 2 or 3 and it takes me about 20 to 25 minutes to get from home to school everyday.

I think Culver City/Palms is a nice, inexpensive area. Several of my classmates commute from Pasadena (a little far) and Park and La Brea is also another popular area.

[joebruin2.0]

I'm currently a 1L at USC Law and went to UCLA for undergrad.

This made me vomit a little. How do you look in the mirror every morning? I applied to USC, got in, and sent them a deposit form with poop smeared on it... Never in all my life would I go to that festering pile of stink (unless going to a UCLA vs USC basketball game)... how could you? How could you?

[Larry Tate]

I'm currently a 1L at USC Law and went to UCLA for undergrad.

This made me vomit a little. How do you look in the mirror every morning? I applied to USC, got in, and sent them a deposit form with poop smeared on it... Never in all my life would I go to that festering pile of stink (unless going to a UCLA vs USC basketball game)... how could you? How could you?

Undeniably Creepy Looking Assholes.......... J/k I think I am going to USC lol