Privately Owned Housing
Listed below are several locations within commuting distance of
UCLA. The rental costs, which are averages, are based on a survey
by the UCLA Community Housing Office (Jan.–December 2006).
Rents are for unfurnished apartments. Furnished generally run
$100–$200 more. The first price in parentheses is for a studio
(full kitchen, no bedroom, 1 bathroom); the second price is for a
1 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment; the third price is for a 2 bedroom,
1 bath. Houses (2–3 bedroom) rent for $2500/month and up,
depending on location.
BEVERLY HILLS: (90210/90212 — ($1,100, $1,500, $2,400) Located
2 miles east of UCLA, Beverly Hills is an incorporated city. The
neighborhoods are attractive and well-kept with a 15-minute
commuting time to UCLA. Excellent school systems. Sometimes
there are guest houses or rooms for rent, especially south of
Wilshire. Most students, though, use Beverly Hills for fantastic
window shopping, people watching, occasional famous-name
dining, and beautiful public parks and gardens (along Santa Monica
Boulevard north of Wilshire). North of Santa Monica Boulevard,
services and public transportation are very limited; they are more
plentiful along Beverly Boulevard, Wilshire and Olympic.
BRENTWOOD: (90049 — $1,100, $1,520 $2,100) Brentwood is two
miles west of UCLA. Most apartments are in the triangle bordered
by Wilshire, San Vicente Blvd. and Bundy. The main street in
Brentwood is San Vicente Blvd.
CULVER CITY: (90230 — $850, $1,100, $1,650) Culver City, an
incorporated city of about 40,000, is located 6–7 miles south of
UCLA. Rental prices tend to be affordable and the neighborhoods
are pleasant. There are apartments between Venice and Washington
Boulevards and in the area off Culver Boulevard, south of Sony
Studios. Further south, toward Jefferson Blvd., luxury apartments
and condos are common. Schools are very good; major shopping
can be found at Sepulveda and Jefferson or at the Fox Hills Mall.
MARINA DEL REY AND PLAYA DEL REY - Condominiums and
apartment complexes abound. These are beach communities and
are attractive living areas for single persons because of the close
proximity to restaurants, movies and the beach. Good access to the
405 freeway.
PACIFIC PALISADES - West of Brentwood and north of Santa
Monica, Pacific Palisades is an upscale community located five to
six miles from campus. Centered along Sunset Boulevard as it winds
its way to the Pacific, most of this neighborhood is in the hills and
canyons overlooking the ocean. There are apartment shares and
room in homes here, as well as bus service to UCLA. This area is
somewhat hard to get to and isolated but it is beautiful and near the
beach.
PALMS: (90034 — $950, $1,150, $1,500)/MAR VISTA (90066 — $900,
$1,215, $1,500) These communities are reasonably priced and have
been more popular with house staff over the last several years.
Travel time to UCLA can take half an hour at rush hour, 15 minutes
at other times. Palms, five miles south of UCLA, is a neighborhood
full of apartments. It has lots of supermarkets and several ethnic
restaurants, particularly along Venice Blvd. Mar Vista, west of Palms
and 4–6 miles from UCLA, also has many apartments plus good
shopping at National and Sepulveda/Sawtelle Blvds. Mar Vista Park
and Recreation Center is located at Sawtelle and Palms. Fix-it
shops and small ethnic restaurants complement standard fast food
restaurants on main streets. Most of the UCLA family student
apartments are located in Mar Vista.
PICO-ROBERTSON: This neighborhood is sometimes called
Beverly Hills Adjacent, Beverlywood or Rimpau, and it provides
alternatives to the higher-priced housing closer to UCLA. Rents
in the newspaper under “Beverly Hills Adjacent” may seem high,
but many landlords here advertise only with a sign out front. The
small pocket of Los Angeles that abuts Beverly Hills just west of
La Cienega Boulevard is popular and close to the Wilshire buses,
but prices here are rising. Shopping and services are concentrated
along Pico, Robertson and Olympic Boulevards. Pico has many
small kosher groceries, ethnic restaurants and name brand discount
stores.
RANCHO PARK: (90064 — $1,050, $1,240, $1,775) This is a
residential area south of West Los Angeles, approximately three
miles from campus. One can find rooms to rent and sometimes
houses. Nearness to Westwood Boulevard, shopping, ethnic
restaurants, and bus lines to campus are pluses.
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY: ($850, $1,200, $1,500) UCLA’s proximity to
the 405 makes parts of the San Fernando Valley a viable alternative
to the more expensive and densely crowded neighborhoods on the
West side; however commuting on the San Diego Freeway (405) is
time-consuming (30–60 minutes). It is possible to commute over the
Santa Monica Mountains via Sepulveda Blvd. or Beverly Glen Blvd.
and avoid the freeways altogether. Sherman Oaks and Van Nuys are
the closest valley communities to UCLA, located eight miles away, a
20 minutes drive without traffic. Many apartments are located along
the major north-south avenues. There are also house and condo
shares, guest houses and rooms for rent. Rents are more reasonable
the farther out you go. Summer temperatures hover in the low
100’s, so you will need air conditioning.
SANTA MONICA: (90401/90405 — $1,120, $1,780, $2,380) This
separately incorporated city is a highly desirable area because of
its good beaches, parks, libraries, public transportation, shopping,
restaurants, and schools plus the relatively smog-free environment.
On the down side, low turnover, long wait lists and stiff competition
make finding an apartment difficult. Rental turnover is greater on
the south side (Ocean Park) and the inland area off Santa Monica
Blvd. than in the exclusive area north of Wilshire. The weather
along the beach can be cool; morning and evening fog is common.
SOUTH BAY AREA - Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach and
Redondo Beach: This also is a singles area, but farther still from
UCLA. Commuting can take 45 minutes or more. Older apartments
and beach houses are available. Rents increase the closer you are to
the beach front.
VENICE: $1,000, $1,300, $1,600) This beach community
is located six to seven miles southwest of UCLA and represents a
mixture of trendy and neglected, pricey and rundown. The Venice
Boardwalk is famous for its bargains, rollerbladers, jugglers and
Muscle Beach. High density, weekend tourists and difficult parking
are trade-offs for having sand and waves just footsteps from your
door. As in all the beach communities, the weather in Venice can be
cool; morning and evening fog is common. While much of Venice is
peaceful, stay away from the beachfront after dark.
WEST HOLLYWOOD (90048 — $1,000, $1,400, $1,900) Located
at the foot of the Hollywood Hills between Beverly Hills and
Hollywood, this is a densely populated city. Commuting time to
UCLA is approximately 20–25 minutes. Look for housing north of
Beverly Blvd. to Sunset, between Doheny and Crescent Heights.
North of Sunset between Fairfax and La Brea area also popular.
This area is known for its Melrose Avenue boutiques and
theaters, famous restaurants and the Pacific Design Center. Public
transportation is good if you live near Wilshire or Sunset. Parts of
West Hollywood are close enough for a bike ride to UCLA. The bus
commute is easier if you live near the Wilshire or Sunset bus to
UCLA. If you need to get around LA a lot, this neighborhood is not
freeway friendly. It is well served by grocery stores, laundromats,
parks, and libraries.
WEST LOS ANGELES: (90025 — $970, $1,315, $1,795) (90035 —
$658, $963, $1,502) West LA extends south of Westwood and west
of the 405 Freeway (one and a half to five miles from campus).
This is a popular location for house staff because of the proximity
to UCLA and easy access to shopping, markets and restaurants.
Apartments are clustered near Santa Monica and Olympic
Boulevards. Rents are less expensive than those in Westwood. There
is also good public transportation.
WESTWOOD/BEL AIR $1,180, $1,500, $2,170)
UCLA is located in the heart of this very affluent area. Apartment
renters can bicycle or walk to work from Westwood. There are
many apartments west of Westwood within a ten-minute walk.
Westwood Village provides a variety of shopping, restaurants,
movies and bars.
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