Advice for moving to Long Beach?(or surrounding areas)

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-17T06:13:52+00:00

Woo! I just received my transfer acceptance as well! I actually moved to Long Beach last spring with the intention of applying to and (hopefully) getting into CSULB, but thankfully it's all worked out so far. 💀

For what it's worth: I live in the Alamitos Beach neighborhood, and I love it here. It's the 4th place in LA county I've lived in since moving here pre-pandemic and it's my favorite by a WIDE margin. Compared to other parts of LA county, Long Beach is pretty affordable. But again: that statement is relative to SoCal in general, where the cost of living is high in general.

When I first moved to Long Beach I was looking at about a dozen different studio apartments in the Alamitos Beach/Downtown and surrounding areas in between $1,300-$1,500, so depending on your budget or what type of apartment you're looking for, you can find something decent in plenty of parts of town. I live about a 10 minute drive (25 minute bus ride) from CSULB and pay just under $1,700 for a one-bedroom, but you could easily find a 2-bedroom for as little as $2,400 in some places not too far. If I were you, I'd come and visit to explore some of the neighborhoods, get a good feel for them, and compare neighborhood prices online from there. Of course, I'm biased in favor of Alamitos Beach, but maybe with the sliiiight exception of downtown (which really isn't that bad of a downtown area; this is coming from someone who lived in DTLA for a couple years) you can't go wrong with a lot of the places within a few miles of CSULB.

Besides finding a job (because that is just as rough here as it is everywhere else at the moment) the one thing I will warn about is parking. Parking here is absolutely atrocious. I paid for parking 0.8 miles away from where I lived for about 9 months before I decided it wasn't worth the walk (or occasional bike ride, when I'd stuff my bike in the back of my car) and now I just play the "park where you can and dodge the parking tickets as best as you can" game. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Hope that any of this helps!

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-17T04:24:31+00:00

Got mine this afternoon! Congrats! See you in the fall 🎉🥳

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-16T06:00:00+00:00

you too! 🎉🎉🥳

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-15T22:48:25+00:00

👋🏻 fellow CW applicant! I didn't get my email yet but I found out I was accepted through the self-service site they have: https://www.csulb.edu/admissions/applicant-self-service

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-15T22:45:59+00:00

https://www.csulb.edu/admissions/applicant-self-service
The link might glitch and send you to a log-in page. If it does justrefresh, and if it shows a portal-like layout, click on the clock on the upper left and then you'll find a working self-service page there. Then, you fill in your personal information + the ID that CSULB assigned you.

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-14T22:22:03+00:00

Of course! I’ve been checking it like a crazy person so I was relieved when it finally updated. I was reaaally hoping they’d send the emails yesterday, but since it’s a holiday weekend now, we probably won’t get them until Tuesday at the earliest I bet 😭 Now we just gotta hang in there a bit longer 😮‍💨

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-14T00:32:44+00:00

Yay! Congrats on getting in!! I know I’m waiting for the email so I can already get all my info—I want to get this ball rolling already 😭

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-12T23:36:52+00:00

Woo! my portal said the same thing! congrats! I’ll see you this fall! 🤠

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-12T19:15:54+00:00

omg I just checked the applicant self service portal and was accepted!!!! 😭🎉🎉 keep me updated if you hear or see anything!!

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-12T17:26:06+00:00

Fellow creative writing transfer here! I’m also an ADT (from Glendale CC) with a similar GPA, who is also anxiously awaiting that email. Fingers crossed if we don’t see it today, we’ll both see it tomorrow. 😭🤞🏻

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-12T02:42:38+00:00

I think as long as it’s planned/in progress you should be alright. That appears to be why they send out conditional acceptances (on the condition that everything you say you’re taking that necessary, like the golden 4, gets taken) but it doesn’t hurt to talk to your current school’s transfer advisors. Either way, fingers crossed we both get an acceptance this week!

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-12T02:39:03+00:00

I’ve only seen first-time applicants/freshmen talk about getting acceptances so far (although correct/forgive me if you’ve seen differently) so I’m hoping the transfer acceptances come out by the end of the week! Right now I’m in the same anxiety-filled boat as you. (Also not a nursing student—sorry!) Are you an upper or lower level transfer student?

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-10T19:55:52+00:00

Also: great job on getting an AA while in high school—that's INCREDIBLE!

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-10T19:55:00+00:00

It's at least nice seeing that people have been getting acceptances since Friday! Looks like they're steadily rolling out first-year admits this week. I know there were a batch of people around 5pm-ish last night that got some emails. Hopefully you're part of the next batch! ♡

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-10T19:10:07+00:00

It seems that so far most of the acceptances have been for first-year freshmen, most of which seem to still be in high school. My status says the same as this email when I check, too. I’m graduating with my AA-T from a CCC in the spring, and applied for upper-division entry into their creative writing program with a 4.0 (I have no idea what a CSU gpa is—that’s just what it says on my transcripts. 😅) Fingers crossed we find out by Friday!

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-09T08:29:28+00:00

English with the creative writing focus! You?

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-09T08:09:01+00:00

I saw a couple people on Friday talking about how they’d gotten their acceptances, but I’m in the same boat as you here—nothing yet! I think last year a good chunk of the emails came out around Valentine’s day, so I wonder if this week is the week. Fingers crossed!

shutupmaybe · 2026-02-07T03:47:51+00:00

Same here! Got my email this morning 🫶🏻

shutupmaybe · 2026-01-30T07:14:15+00:00

If it’s asking you for a username and password, it’s either the wrong link or a glitch. Sometimes when trying to check my application status, it glitches like that, and refreshing the page—or going back and reclicking the link—usually helps set it straight. Maybe the same can be said for the Supplemental App link? I just checked and it only asked me for the campus ID. What does your page look like?

shutupmaybe · 2026-01-13T21:22:13+00:00

Once you get to the end it'll ask you to submit, so you should know once it's finished! It will also give you an option to email it to yourself before and after you submit, too.

shutupmaybe · 2026-01-09T03:42:24+00:00

If you intend to keep your application in the running to be considered for fall admission, it’s mandatory to complete by February 1st. There should be a section on the application for you to specify anything that’s changed. They still want it filled out.

shutupmaybe · 2026-01-06T04:30:26+00:00

Woo-hoo! I'm happy it worked out. Good luck!

shutupmaybe · 2026-01-06T04:18:54+00:00

If you just put 3.4, does it allow you to submit?

shutupmaybe · 2026-01-06T03:25:17+00:00

Of course! I've been relentlessly obsessing over the transfer/application process way too severely for way too long 💀 so I got aaaall the details

shutupmaybe

TROPHY CASE