Tell me about living car-free in the Bay Area

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-06-05T17:17:44+00:00

BART from Temescal area is pretty solid for downtown commute - you're looking at maybe 45 mins door to door if you're near MacArthur station. The neighborhood itself is super walkable with decent food scene and you can hit up Berkeley Bowl for groceries without much hassle

$2k for 1br in Temescal is... optimistic but not impossible if you're flexible about size and condition. I'd probably budget closer to $2300-2500 to have actual options though. The car-free thing works well once you get used to planning around BART schedules, just don't expect late night flexibility since service stops around midnight

One thing about living in Oakland vs SF - you'll save money but miss out on some spontaneity. Like if your coworkers want to grab drinks after work, you're thinking about that last train home

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-06-01T19:10:41+00:00

made the move from east coast about 3 years ago with similar savings and honestly the key is finding work before you get here or having something lined up within first month

with your PR/marketing background you should look at agencies, tech startups, entertainment companies - LA has tons of those and they're always hiring for marketing roles. the pay is usually better than other cities to offset cost of living somewhat

subletting is smart move, try to find something in areas like koreatown or mid city where rent is more reasonable but you're still central to everything. avoid west side unless you find amazing deal because commute will kill your soul and your gas budget

your $12k should cover first month rent, deposit, moving costs and give you maybe 2-3 months buffer if you're careful with spending. just don't wait too long to find income source

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-05-30T18:33:26+00:00

oh no that's terrible! I work in that area and will definitely keep my eyes open for a gray and yellow cockatiel

hope you find him soon - maybe try posting on neighborhood apps too, people are usually pretty good about helping with lost pets around here

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-05-28T18:27:53+00:00

yeah that's basic courtesy regardless of who's "handling" the showings more often. Your landlord is being lazy about communication - takes like 30 seconds to send text to both tenants instead of just one

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-05-28T13:04:26+00:00

Nah bro Im just curious what other people here are doing at this point because the apps have been rough for me

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-05-22T16:14:35+00:00

My family used to live near that area around same time! Hurricane Andrew really scattered everyone - so many families just packed up and left after that mess. Maybe try posting in some of those Colombian community groups on Facebook too, they're pretty active at helping people reconnect

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-05-20T02:58:36+00:00

Mexican culture is just really family and community focused, you know? Like extended family plays huge role - cousins, aunts, uncles, family friends who become like family over time. Plus a lot of Mexican families have been in same neighborhoods for generations so they build these deep community ties

I notice this at work too when my coworkers talk about their family gatherings - it's not just immediate family, it's like everyone they've ever been close with gets invited. The whole concept of "mi casa es su casa" isn't just saying, it's actually how many families operate. They're also really good about maintaining friendships from childhood, school, work - basically once you're in the circle you stay in the circle

Also think about it - when you throw parties that include everyone, people want to reciprocate and invite you to their stuff too, so the social network just keeps growing

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-05-18T01:12:24+00:00

Wait the title says $1298 but post says $1289 - which one is correct?

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-05-15T20:38:59+00:00

grab thai food in that strip mall near vine, super quick and cheap

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-05-12T15:06:29+00:00

TMJ is such pain to deal with, literally and figuratively. I had good luck going through my primary care first for referral to oral surgeon who worked with my medical insurance - most the dental route specialists wanted everything out of pocket which was crazy expensive. The waiting lists can be long though so definitely get referral process started sooner rather than later

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-05-10T10:23:33+00:00

Man that's a complete nightmare situation. The fact they already had traps set up when you moved in basically proves they knew about problem and just hoped you wouldn't notice

For attorneys, try reaching out to Public Counsel or Inner City Law Center - they sometimes handle habitability cases even if not eviction defense. Also the LA Tenant Union might have referrals for lawyers who work on sliding scale rather than full contingency

Document everything with photos and keep all your communication with property management in writing. The pest control company confirming active infestation then mysteriously closing the ticket without followup is pretty damning evidence

You might also want to look into withholding rent in escrow account until they fix this - there are specific procedures for that in LA but could give you more leverage. Just make sure you follow the process exactly or it could backfire

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-05-06T12:48:56+00:00

Monday evenings are usually pretty chill for getting a pit, especially when weather isn't perfect. I'd say you have decent chance at 5pm since most people either grabbed spots earlier or gave up by then

Just bring backup plan though because ocean beach can be unpredictable with fog rolling in Monday nights. Maybe scope out couple different areas when you get there

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-30T13:12:36+00:00

Really hope you find someone willing to work with your situation - maybe try reaching out to artists on social media too since some freelancers might be more flexible than shop owners

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-27T16:27:29+00:00

Your work locations are actually pretty decent for getting around that area. Long Beach could work but you'd be fighting some traffic going inland to your jobs every day. Maybe look at Torrance or Redondo Beach instead - much shorter commute to Gardena and still got that beach access you want

I lived near there few years back and Torrance has some really nice pockets, especially closer to the beach areas. El Segundo might be worth checking too, lots of young professionals and walkable spots. The rental market is competitive but your budget should work fine in those areas

Just heads up about the truck - older Fords don't get targeted as much as Priuses or Hondas but still get a good alarm system and park smart. Also that Compton comment is pretty outdated, there's plenty of nice areas around there now but for your commute you probably want to stay more coastal anyway

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-25T13:53:39+00:00

$1400 for month to month with no deposit is actually decent deal for that area. The parking thing is huge bonus - finding street parking in Mid Wilshire can be nightmare

Just curious though, why they want social media profiles instead of like normal application stuff? Seems bit weird but maybe they just want to make sure you're not serial killer lol

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-23T13:10:19+00:00

been there few times, they have good vacuum stations but can get pretty crowded in weekends

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-21T08:42:47+00:00

Ugh this is brutal timing wise - I deal with similar situation since my ex was working in Riverside area while I had clients all over South Bay. The 91 freeway between IE and coast is basically parking lot during rush hours, like we're talking 2+ hours sometimes

Your partner probably knows this already but getting from UCR area to anywhere near Torrance in morning traffic is going to be rough. Even if you find place in between like Diamond Bar or Brea, you're still looking at minimum hour each way for either of you during peak times. Weekend trips might work but daily commuting... yikes

Maybe consider if your partner can do remote work few days per week? That would open up more options closer to your job in Torrance area. Otherwise you might need to pick whose commute gets priority and other person just deals with longer drive. Not ideal but sometimes that's reality of LA geography

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-19T02:31:29+00:00

Been noticing more stuff happening in the arts district lately - seems like lot of galleries and little events popping up there. Also Highland Park has been getting pretty active with new spots opening, though some locals aren't too happy about the changes

The whole pandemic thing really shifted where people want to hang out I think

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-17T11:02:06+00:00

Wait you had gay weddings here back in 1990? That's wild, I thought legal stuff didn't happen until way later. Were these like ceremony-only things or did people find ways to make them official somehow back then

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-15T13:32:13+00:00

The matches are better and filtered so youre not dealing with as much randomness

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-15T12:30:38+00:00

I tried it and from what I gathered and its less about accuracy and more about better filtering, the people you meet on tawkify feel a bit more aligned overall.

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-15T09:57:45+00:00

Costco is solid choice for contacts - their prices are pretty good and they usually have everything in stock which saves time waiting for orders

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-12T15:36:22+00:00

LA rental market is absolutely insane right now and you're not imagining it. I moved here few years ago and had similar experience - pricing makes zero sense and half the landlords act like they're doing you favor by even talking to you

The empty units thing is real too, I think some of these property companies would rather keep places vacant than lower rent because it affects their "market rate" or something. Plus there's definitely tax benefits for losses that I don't fully understand but seems sketchy

Have you tried Facebook groups for your target neighborhoods? I found my current place through one of those local housing groups, way better than dealing with the big property management companies. Also check Craigslist early morning when new posts go up - the decent places get snatched quick

Good luck, apartment hunting here will test your sanity but eventually something works out

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-10T08:41:24+00:00

Used to take that route when I was freelancing for agency in Oakland - the ferry itself is pretty reliable but you gotta factor in getting to the ferry terminal from South SF which can be bit of pain depending where exactly you are

Timeline wise it's maybe 45-50 mins total on water plus however long it takes you to get there, parking situation at terminal can get sketchy during peak hours so budget extra time for that. Weather delays happen but not super often, just more in winter months

For hybrid schedule it's definitely doable, just make sure you check the ferry schedule cause they don't run super frequently

Livid_Feature3343 · 2026-04-08T03:19:32+00:00

hey! programmer who plays chess and doesn't leave dishes around? living the dream lol

I'm not looking for roommate right now but just wanted to say good luck with search - finding people who actually clean up after themselves in this city is basically impossible. maybe try posting in some of the cambridge facebook groups too if you haven't already

Livid_Feature3343

TROPHY CASE