<p>I just got accepted as a transfer student to USC's CNTV department. I don't wanna live in a dorm and planned to get my own apartment but I've been reading about how the areas around USC aren't the safest. What's a good place within 15 minutes of USC to live? I'd like to like in a somewhat cool area obviously, not a suburb or anything. Are Silver Lake/Echo Park/Los Feliz areas any good? I realize that rent will be expensive in most of the good areas but hey, gotta pay what it costs right? Anyway, any help would be appreciated.</p>
<p>There is plenty of safe off-campus housing/apartments right next to campus. The whole area immediately around USC is quite safe IMHO, and you will definitely save $$$ if you don't have to have/use a car.</p>
<p>the housing website (housing.usc.edu) has a link to a listing of off-campus apartments</p>
<p>Thanks for the tips guys, but if I don't want to live right on/near campus, what are some other good areas within 15 minutes of USC? Thanks...</p>
<p>I know some people live in culver city, which is about 15-20 minutes away, but mostly to save money more than anything else. Downtown LA is also about 15 minutes away, but it's expensive and I wouldn't live there - plus the traffic between downtown and USC can get really bad certain times of day.</p>
<p>Further away is Santa Monica, El Segundo, Redondo Beach, Manhattan Beach, which are nearer the ocean and nicer...but can be more $$$ and are further than 15 mins from campus.</p>
<p>Pasadena is said to be about 20 minutes from campus, but again it would depend a LOT on traffic. The housing in that area would be pretty expensive, but it's a lovely area with many multi-million $$$$ homes.</p>
<p>Sliver Lake/Echo Park/Los Feliz are ok. I know some of the professors bought houses there. It seems Los Feliz has some more stock of apartments. </p>
<p>But I really don't think you need to live there. Immediate community around USC is fine enough. Or you can go Pasadena, then taking Metro Gold line can get you to campus in 45 mins. Never dream about 10~15 mins commute if you don't live around the campus.</p>
<p>There are lots of USC students who choose to live in Downtown. Some of the more popular apartment complexes with USC students: The Medici, Promenade Towers, The Orisini, City Lights on Figueora.</p>
<p>
besides the safety issue, is there any other reason why you wouldnt want to live close to campus, forfeiting more friends, more study help, and saving gas ($3.00/gal at the cheapest...ummm yeah :p) amongst many other things? and the safety issue's been addressed by someone with experience there...</p>
<p>traffic anywhere going away from the core of Downtown is almost definitely stop and go or syrupy at best for several hours a day, and most likely it would be during the times of day you would have to drive to get there. even surface streets get busy.</p>
<p>Anything in West LA like Santa Monica, Venice, or near UCLA is cool but expensive. Check out <a href="http://www.westsiderentals.com%5B/url%5D">www.westsiderentals.com</a>.</p>
<p>Locations further out like Pasadena/Glendale, Valencia, Camarillo may require more time to drive to downtown LA to USC campus.</p>
<p>i live about 5 minutes north of Camarillo...and the drive to USC is still about an hour without traffic (which is unlikely), and usually about an hour and a half. not counting the traffic that ocassionally pops up in Camarillo itself. also, Camarillo has the reputation of being the rich person's haven (Spanish Hills, Sterling Hills, etc), so i'm sure apartments are expensive. and from what i've seen, although its definitely nice, i'm not sure how "cool" it is...it doesnt seem like much goes down there except for golf and some shopping haha.</p>
<p>i prefer anything as close to Campus as possible…the sheer convenience of it all</p>
<p>nevertheless, its what’s most important to you...like I’d live next to the Beach, Venice is close, Redondo’s ok but seems kinda boring…if you’re into the city life, Downtown is where its at but if you’re into the night life, Sunset, etc. etc.</p>
<p>depends what’s most important to your lifestyle</p>
<p>good luck</p>
<p>While at USC my friends and i stayed a few places 3 to miles from USC and my last 2 years near campus. I regret not staying near campus the first two years-faster and easier to get to campus and was able to use more of my spare time studying. Traffic around here and downtown can be very conjested. I also bought a dirt-cheap bike that no-body would steal. Oh I stayed at the Monte-Carlo Apartments- also had a few good parties with other super-cool USC tenants. [www.uscaparmentfinder.com</a> | The Monte Carlo Apartments](<a href=“http://www.uscapartmentfinder.com%5Dwww.uscaparmentfinder.com”>http://www.uscapartmentfinder.com) hope this helps.</p>
<p>Five-year-old thread + poster with one post + age on profile listed as 38 + link to for-profit site = advertisement</p>
<p>Too bad the poster in 13 didn’t even learn to spellcheck & grammar check–“conjested” and no-body. Agree that it does look, smell & feel like an ad. Did you want to report it as a problem post, alamemom? Don’t know college kids or young adults who use “super-cool” or “dirt-cheap” much, especially in posts.</p>
<p>Nah, I kind of like to let posts like that stand so when you check post history on those posters you find out about their prior posts. As long as those looking for apartments are aware of the minor deception it doesn’t seem like a problem. </p>
<p>College Confidential has rules against advertisements (they want to be discussion-based, not classified-ad based), but if someone wants to post a link to an apartment they manage it doesn’t bother me - I am just bugged by the masquerade. This super-cool-thirty-eight-year-old-dirt-cheap-bike-ridin’-manager-of-the-monte-carlo-apartments ought to just post as him/herself (I suppose he/she might have actually attended USC 20 years ago… though it would be disappointing to hear they are still looking for super-cool students with whom to party 20 years later 
, and I have to wonder how they passed their USC writing courses… 
)</p>