Can We Afford The Ghetto In LA?

Now here is a photo of a very nice apartment building in the Brentwood area of Los Angeles. This area is very expensive and even this building is pretty compared to many others in the area. The truth is, of all the places I have lived, Los Angeles has the least curb appeal for the price. There are some hideous apartment buildings on the outside but inside they can be charming with very well taken care of original wood floors and tiled bathrooms. Our last home in West Seattle was a CUTE 2 bedroom, one bath, one car garage on a hill with a view of the Puget Sound, a gorgeous private garden in a quaint neighborhood, walking distance to cafes and shops with plenty of street parking for $2000. Here in Los Angeles, a comparable house would cost over $4000.

We were joking after viewing some real eyesores with bars on the windows or backed up next to a Baptist Church (no offence but I like to sleep in on Sunday mornings), or a garage that is accessible via an alley that you share with a bunch of fast food shops…that we can’t even afford to live in the ghetto. It is funny how you learn to decipher Craigslist rental ads and photos depending on the city. The things to look out for here are assigned parking spots and as with anywhere-laundry on premises vs in-unit. MANY apartments in LA do not have in-unit laundry.

We’ve opted for a company called Westside Rentals. Today we looked at one place and although it was more space and beauty than we need (standards have quickly plummeted in the past 4 days of searching), it was AWESOME. Of course it is a zillion dollars so we’re in the process of negotiating. It is SUPER close to Chris’ work and he’s suggested that we may only need one car now. NOOOOOOO! 🙂 The place we saw has a rooftop deck with a jacuzzi! It is a condo but compared to the places Chris and I have lived in the past year, it’s a mansion! I feel like a New Yorker or something.

Let’s see what happens.