Condo in Los Angeles for (Apiring) Actor
 

My niece is probably going to LA to attempt to find fame and fortune as an actor. I'm thinking of buying a small condo (something like a junior one bedroom) and letting her live in it. What neighborhoods would be best/most convenient for an aspiring actor to live in? Hollywood? tls

You might comment on how much you are willing to spend.

Well, I hadn't really thought about that. Perhaps up to around $300k, but I'd prefer something cheaper. tls

Anything under $300K is likely to be a dump if you can find it at all. The unpleasant realities of life in LA. You might want to call the LA Times & have them send out the Sunday paper with the real estate section so you can get an idea of pricing & neighborhoods. But Craigz6 might have some other suggestions re: locales & pricing. And a small 1-bedroom might be possible for that amount. Also something to think about & no insult meant to your niece, if she doesn't make it, you'll have to deal w/ selling long-distance.

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Sharon

[This message has been edited by SkiAdcock (edited 04-17-2003).]

[This message has been edited by SkiAdcock (edited 04-17-2003).]

If you don't mind a closet, 300K *IS* possible for an OK place.

I recommend a condo in West Hollywood. I see listings advertised from $125,000 and up. The area would be centrally located for your niece (it's just east of Beverly Hills and would be in the middle of the studios and casters that she'll hopefully get appointments with. It's also near many acting workshops and equity waiver theaters).

The area is well maintained and a single girl should be safe there. Most of the condos have security parking and other measures to insure her family confidence. A drawback is that it's about a 20 minute drive to any freeway.

Edited to add that I recommend your niece start subscribing to Backstage West - also available online. It's the only actor's trade paper (Variety and Hollywood Reporter being industry trades) and it will give her most of all of the information she'll need. It also runs special sections specifically geared to stuff to know if you're new in town - including recommendations of where to live and breakdowns of neighborhoods. I bet you can get their recent one online.

Hope this helps and hope your niece "breaks her leg"! http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttr...orum/smile.gif

[This message has been edited by sk3 (edited 04-21-2003).]

[This message has been edited by sk3 (edited 04-21-2003).]

Hey, thanks a lot SK3. The response is much appreciated. (I was wondering where all those unemployed actors lived ...). tls

Another area to look might be Encino. You can get one to two bedroom places in the 140-250K range. Plenty of underemployed actresses in that area also (i.e. waitresses http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif ).

Real estate market in the Encino area has been outstanding the last few years. In fact the LA basin itself has been as strong as anywhere in the U.S. Whether we're in for a fall, no one can tell. But as long as interest rates remain low, the market looks like it wil continue to gain ground.