My daughter is considering a summer internship in Downtown LA - close to 3rd and Grand. Would some parents who live in LA offer up some examples of where to start her housing search? Her boyfriend’s family lives in Santa Monica so bonus points for suggestions that are between Santa Monica and downtown (but I am taking ALL suggestions lol). She attends college in a large city and does not have a car, so we have that dilemma as well. We are open to lots of different living/commuting ideas. She’s comfortable with public transit, but we would consider arranging for a car if needed.
Ask the company offering the internship if they have any ideas on housing. Sometimes employees will offer up rooms to rent, others will suggest local housing opportunities near by, or have lists of other interns they can rent with. Start there. Then look at local universities and colleges and see if they will rent rooms for the summer. Good luck.
I work a few blocks from there but don’t live nearby so can’t really comment on rentals in downtown LA (DTLA)
LA’s rail transit is mostly a “hub and spoke” arrangement, so being downtown gives her the best options. There are light rail, subway, or commuter trains going just about every direction from DTLA. https://www.metro.net/riding/guide/system-maps/
She might look into summer sublets from USC students- it’s very close with multiple transit options. Otherwise if she wants to be toward the beach look for rentals or sublets along the E (Exposition) Line train to Santa Monica.
Unfortunately DTLA has a huge homeless population so it’s important to carefully check out potential housing locations. Only a few blocks (or less) separate new luxury apartments from large sketchy homeless encampments.
I worked just a few blocks from your daughter’s work location years ago, and used to walk around 3rd & Grand at lunchtime. What little I remember is out of date, but I looked up a few links.
The downtown Dash bus still exists. This is a good way to get from work to the nearest light rail station or Union Station. It runs frequently and is good for getting around downtown.
https://www.ladottransit.com/dash/routes/downtown/downtown.html#map
If she wants to commute to Santa Monica, probably the light rail Expo line is the best bet. DO NOT attempt to drive from downtown LA to Santa Monica every day. It would not be a happy time!
Use google maps with the public transit setting to experiment with different travel options.
Thanks for the help in researching! My daughter had lunch with a friend who attends USC who will be in LA for 6 weeks this summer and who offered to let my daughter move into her apartment for the summer. The friend has a car but said my daughter should have no trouble taking the Expo line into downtown from USC. She also commented that parking is so expensive that it might be cheaper to uber everywhere rather than try to park.
I think this is a great solution for my daughter. If her boyfriend is in LA this summer, he will live at home in Santa Monica so the USC area seems like a convenient place for her to land.
Thanks again!