Moving To Los Angeles Alone : I Did It, Here’s Everything You Need To Know 

I’ve lived in a lot of cool places since I moved out of my parents house—Philadelphia, NYC, and even London for three months one summer—but nowhere I lived has caused as many questions (or criticisms) as Los Angeles.

I’d always had LA on my mind, but due to the distance from my hometown (the DC area) it always seemed daunting. But, after doing the digital nomad thing and getting burnt out on traveling, I decided I wanted to move somewhere that I didn’t feel like I’d always need a vacation from. Miraculously, I was able to find a job that month, and had just six days to pack up all my shit and get settled in LA. 

Here’s everything you need to know about moving to Los Angeles alone—including some personal anecdotes and questions I received on my Instagram stories when I posted about this topic! 

How I found a place and how much it cost:

Fun fact about me: when I first moved to LA I lived in a glorified frat house in the Hollywood Hills. My friend from college said his roommate was away on some acting job for the month, and I could stay in his room while I found my own place. After spending one night there (and having to break into my temporary room using a steak knife), I knew I would have to find a better spot ASAP. The next morning, I immediately headed to the nearest hotel lobby where I could use their Wifi to look for sublets. 

How to find roommates:

I had gotten some recommendations from friends for where to look for spots, but I actually found Facebook to be one of the most helpful resources as someone moving to Los Angeles alone, especially when looking for sublets. Here are links to some of the groups I found helpful and where you could also look for a longer lease or a roommate:

Los Angeles – Housing, Rooms, Apartments, Sublets

Apartments For Rent in Los Angeles

LA Housing Sublets & Rentals

LOS ANGELES APARTMENTS

After spending my first two days in LA taking ubers around the city to check out sublets, I eventually settled on a fully furnished month-to-month studio in West Hollywood for $1800. It was definitely a little sketchy because the person on the lease wasn’t supposed to be renting it out. I was somewhat worried she was going to take my money and change the locks or something, but it all worked out for the most part. Word of advice: Do not give someone your money until you’ve seen the apartment yourself. It was more than I planned to spend for my sublet, but considering the aforementioned frat house situation, I figured it was fine until I found something else. 

I chose West Hollywood because my new job was in West Hollywood, but also because I knew that’s where a lot of transplants first move to because it’s where most of the nightlife, shopping, hotels, etc., are. It is definitely more expensive than some less central neighborhoods, but I felt I was at the point in my life where I was ready to “overspend” on an apartment that would contribute to my overall happiness (and living alone in a convenient location makes a huge difference in my happiness). 

After a few months of settling into my new job and life, I started looking for my own spot because I wanted to get my own furniture and really feel at home (also the sublet had a twin bed which wasn’t ideal). I really liked the neighborhood I was in. It was technically West Hollywood, but on the border of Hollywood and walking distance from grocery stores, yoga studios, restaurants/bars, and Runyon Canyon (yay hiking), so I mostly looked in the same area. 

Just like last time, I used Facebook to find a place. But, instead of using the groups (because most people in the groups are looking for sublets or roommates), I used Facebook Marketplace, which proved to be more useful than any other tools. I was originally looking at studios and almost signed on a studio for $1700, but then I found a one bedroom for just $95 more in nearly the same location as my sublet with a huge balcony, so I ended up splurging because I figured I’d rather spend more money and stick with the same place than have to keep moving. 

If you’re reading this like, “OMG $1700 for a one bedroom?” Welcome to LA. According to Zumper, the average monthly rent for a one bedroom in Los Angeles is currently $1900 (and that’s decreased 16% in the past year, so it was higher before). The average for West Hollywood is slightly higher, at $1995. Honestly, I felt like I was getting a deal! Zumper has a lot of good tools for finding the average rent, most affordable neighborhoods to live in, etc. so I would definitely check them out during your search. 

How to find which neighborhood is right for you: 

If you’re moving to Los Angeles alone and not sure which neighborhood is right for you, I would recommend visiting LA first to get a feel for it. I ended up visiting two times, for two weeks each, the year before I moved to LA. I stayed in multiple neighborhoods (either Airbnb or with friends) to get a feel for which vibe I liked. I love West Hollywood, but I’m also a city girl and I know a lot of people think it’s too crazy out here, so definitely get a feel for what works for you and your lifestyle, and remember that no matter where you live you’re probably going to need a car. Other good starter, safe, and somewhat central neighborhoods to check out are: Studio City, Sherman Oaks, Culver City, or Century City. 

Is there a lot of crime in Los Angeles/in certain neighborhoods?

This was a submitted question, and to be honest my experience in LA is just like any other city I’ve lived in: there is crime and you have to be smart, but it’s not any different from any other urban area. Specifically, be sure to lock your car and don’t leave any valuables visible, because this is the crime that a few of my friends have personally experienced. 

Of course, some neighborhoods are (or at least, feel) safer than others. My street is quiet, but it’s right near the Hollywood Walk of Fame which is a popular location for homeless people to set up their tents. I’ve lived in cities my whole adult life, so this doesn’t bother me, but I’m also not going to go for a 4 AM stroll through my hood alone. The only place I’ve really felt unsafe in LA is downtown (which is a neighborhood I personally would never live in, but not just for safety reasons). 

Because LA is a driving city, you’re usually “safe” in your car late at night, so it’s not like when I lived in NYC and would sprint from the subway to my apartment at 3 AM because I was too broke to take a cab. According to Neighborhood Scout, your chances of being a victim of a violent crime in Los Angeles is 1 in 135 (compared to 1 in 188 in NYC or 1 in 110 in Philadelphia). Do with that information what you will. I’ve lived in all of these cities and I probably felt the least safe in Philadelphia, but that was also because I lived in a sketchier neighborhood compared to where I lived in LA and NYC. 

Okay, I’ve moved to LA, now how do I make friends? 

This might sound crazy (or unsurprising), but social media has been how I’ve made friends for the last 3 years or so, and not just in LA. One of my best friends in LA was someone I met once or twice in Philly, and she happened to move here a month after me. I saw her post on Facebook and commented on it saying I’d love to hang out or I’m here if she needs any tips. The rest was history. One of my other best friends and I met at a table at a club, and I asked her for her IG because she seemed cool. I DMed her asking if she wanted to grab drinks sometime, and I think it took a little while before it happened, but now we’re basically inseparable. To make good friends, you definitely have to put yourself out there. Practice makes perfect, but it’s so worth it!

I am lucky because I have a pretty big network through social media, so when I moved out here I was able to post on Instagram that I was moving here and encouraged people to reach out so we could grab drinks/dinner/etc. If that isn’t as fruitful for you, you could check out an app like Bumble BFF or Facebook groups like Creative Women of LA. People in LA are also surprisingly friendly compared to the east coast cities I’ve lived in (it’s all relative though), and I’ve made super close friends at parties or even at the grocery store. Just try to put forth an open energy and you’d be surprised what happens!

Is there a heavy emphasis on looks in LA? Is everyone super fake?

These were two separate submitted questions, so let’s go:

Nothing annoys me more than when someone says, “I’d love to move to LA, but people are just too fake there!”

As someone who’s lived in 3.5 major cities—I can honestly say that I have struggled with “fake” people in every single city, but I’ve also found my realest and most supportive friends in LA.

Of course, living in NYC and working for a popular magazine allowed me to experience firsthand the fake, clout-chasing people who were trying to befriend me for the wrong reasons, so perhaps this experience has allowed me to move through LA cautiously and carefully while avoiding these types of people.

Statistically, I guess there may be more “fake” people in LA because many people here are looking to be famous or trying to network their way into their big break. And yes, people in LA are super hot so you’ll probably question your own looks more than usual (although as a woman I’ve done this my whole damn life so it’s no biggie). But, like I’ve said, LA is also the place where I really feel like I’ve found my tribe, because so many people here think differently than your average 9-5 rat racer.

However, LA people are notoriously bad at committing to plans because something better might come up. This will forever bother me because I’m a huge planner and when I commit to something I mean it, but I’m lucky to have found people in my life who prioritize me and aren’t going to ditch our plans just because Jamie Foxx is having a pool party.

Have you met a celebrity?

Another submitted question that doesn’t really have much to do with moving to Los Angeles alone, but I’ll bite.

I am horrible with celebrities and I don’t watch TV/movies/etc., much, so nearly every celebrity I’ve seen out and about has been pointed out by someone else (Al Pacino at Soho House, for example). I did recognize Martha Stewart (at Matsuhisa) and Paris Hilton (my queen—saw her at a Halloween party). I also was introduced to Tim Burton at Petit Ermitage without knowing who he was. Good times. 

Other than that, I’ve gotten DMs from D-listers (who usually don’t DM me again after I take days to respond—oops), and I’ve been at parties with them too, but since I’m not really someone who gets star-struck it doesn’t really phase me.

Oh, except for when I saw Benji Madden walking down the street outside The Fonda theater and I had to casually chase him and ask for a photo. I was a Good Charlotte stan in 2003 so that’s the only celebrity I’ll really embarrass myself in front of. 

I hope this answered some questions you had about moving to Los Angeles alone! I know I probably couldn’t cover everything, so I’m happy to answer any more questions in the comments section!

Thank you Zumper for sponsoring this post! Opinions are mine.

I don’t have many complaints about LA. After living in both NYC and Los Angeles, I’d take LA any day (no offense to my fellow east-coasters).

But one complaint I do have about Los Angeles is that coffee shops close far too early.

Of course, this probably stems from the work culture in LA where people actually leave work at 5 PM and have far more work-life balance than their NYC counterparts. But, I’m an east-coaster born and bred, and sometimes after getting home from the office, I want to head to a coffee shop and get some writing done.

Unfortunately, most coffee shops around here seem to close as early as 6 or as “late” as 8 PM—which still doesn’t give me a ton of time.

Thankfully, quickly after moving here I discovered Bohemia Tea Parlour which is one of my favorite neighborhood spots for multiple reasons…

1. They Have Great Vegan Food

When I first started going to Bohemia, they didn’t have food, but they launched it in late August. Depending on your appetite, they may not have enough to satisfy you for dinner, but they definitely have a lot of snacks and tasty treats. Not everything is vegan, but their vegan options include baklava, donuts, apple pie, avocado toast, cashew butter toast, Armenian pizza, plus a bunch of pre-packaged options such as a Caesar salad or kelp noodles.

I’m a pretty hungry girl, and I’ve found myself there in the evenings eating a cashew butter toast and an Armenian pizza and not being super full. I do sort of wish they had heartier meal options for when I want to work through dinner, but maybe they will add that eventually?

2. They Actually Don’t Serve Coffee—Just Lots of Tea (And Hot Chocolate)

So I know I said I was looking for a coffeeshop, but I don’t actually drink coffee, I just drink a ton of tea. So, this spot is actually perfect for me because it has tea on tea on tea, plus kombucha and hot chocolate and fun, very Instagrammable drinks like the rose boba tea I had in these photos.

3. They’re Open Until 11 PM

This is truly key, and part of the reason why I end up here more often than not. The only other place within walking distance of me that’s open this late is Starbucks, and their food options are awful!

4. They Have Outside Seating

They only have two tables outside, and it’s right on Sunset Boulevard which isn’t always super picturesque, but I love being outside so I totally still take advantage of this from time to time.

5. They Are Usually Playing Some Fun Rap Music

This can be a pro and con depending on what you’re working on, but I generally like the music they play at Bohemia (although TBH, sometimes it seems a bit too loud for my liking when I’m trying to write).

6. It’s Aesthetic AF

I mean, I don’t think I have to write about this considering these photos…but if you’re trying to get a cute Instagram pic in between conference calls, this seems like a good spot.

Anyway, I realize this post is probably not relevant for the majority of my readers, but I just wanted to write a quick love letter to this spot and post these adorable pictures by Sam Nahirny. So if you read this far, thank you!

Outfit Details:

Dress: ASTR the Label – BUY IT HERE

T-Shirt: Some random shop in Thailand where the salesman tried to explain to me it was for children…buy similar here

Shoes: I got mine at Buffalo Exchange, you can buy similar here.

Bag: I designed this bag myself via YouBag, you can design your own on their site here.

Photos by Sam Nahirny

Hey there, you may have noticed that I live in Los Angeles now, and that I seem to be staying put instead of traveling 24/7. Allow me to explain.

Remember when I had that quarter life crisis in Thailand? Same. I had traveled to so many amazing places in the past two years, but I was ready to settle down.

The cause of my anxiety was the usual (and probably common) cause—feeling like I didn’t have a “plan” or a “goal” in mind in terms of my life (that goes for career, relationships, etc.). On top of that was the concern that even if I did figure out a plan, I would be stressed about money.

I’m all about being transparent with money, so let’s be straight up. As a freelancer I netted about $38k last year. It was more than I made at my last full-time media job, but still not enough for me to live in a big city without constantly worrying about money.

I knew that to eventually make more money (and thus give myself the time and space to figure out all the other shit in my life), I would need to probably do one of two things—build out my freelance business or get a full-time job.

The idea of building out my freelance business didn’t really appeal to me. I don’t like hiring or managing people, and I’m bad at delegating work (I’m queen of “if I want something done right I’ll do it myself”). Of course, I could just increase my rates, which I had steadily been doing, but that would still take time and as a writer probably would hit a glass ceiling at some point. Although the digital consulting and social media work I was doing was more lucrative, I didn’t see myself being someone who would go out and get clients myself. I’d been lucky that in the past year or two people had simply come to me through referrals or networking.

I originally wanted to freelance so that I could work on personal projects, like my book. Or even leisure activities that I didn’t monetize, like my art, but as a freelancer I felt like I was always just following the next (perpetually late) paycheck and never wanted to relax because I always wanted to be productive (I’m like this even when not freelancing, so you can imagine how bad I am when I’m trying to hit a monthly revenue goal).

I’m graduating from my MBA program next weekend, so I knew if I was ever going to apply to jobs again, this would be a good time to do it. I also knew that it was going to be difficult for me to leave my rent-free, familiar living situation without a “reason” to move across the country (I knew I most likely wanted to go to LA).

So, I started lightly applying to a few jobs a week, and when I was in the Cayman Islands with my family, I booked an interview with a skincare company based in LA. They offered me a position just hours after the phone interview, which I found a little questionable tbh, but the salary was higher than I expected (I’m making $65k now) and I figured if it sucked, I’d just quit and continue freelancing. At least it would get to me to LA.

The “catch” was that they needed me to start on April 1st, and by the time I got back from the Cayman Islands, I’d have about a week to pack and get my shit together before my first day.

But I was no stranger to last-minute trips and expert packing at this point, so I packed up two big suitcases and one carry-on’s worth of clothes and shoes, booked a one way ticket, and went. It didn’t really feel real, it just felt like I was going on another vacation.

The place I had planned on staying was a friend’s roommate’s empty room (he was an actor away for the month). I knew it was going to be a bro pad, but I figured I could stick it out for a week or two while I found something better. Let’s just say that, after having to break into the room with a knife and walking in on people partying in my room the night after, I did not want to stick it out for a week or two. I spent my first two days in LA visiting apartment sublets (that I found through Facebook, which is a great resource), and signed a sublease for a cute studio by Runyon Canyon (and by my new office) on Sunday evening, just in time for work on Monday.

Side note, for those who have questions about how to secure an apartment across the country before you move there—you really can’t. If you try to, you’ll probably get scammed. You should never send money before you see a place yourself (and in my opinion, have the keys in your hand when it comes to subletting). I would recommend booking an Airbnb for your first few weeks while you look for places. Because I had already done some work on Facebook and “saved” the spots I was interested in, once I got to LA it was easy to just go through and schedule times to see the places I liked.

Although the last month has been pretty crazy and I still am working on finding an apartment to sign a lease on, a car to buy, and more—I’m so, so happy I finally made the move to LA. I feel really at home here, the weather is beautiful, there are vegan options galore, and the work-life culture is way better than it was in NYC.

I think I will probably turn this into a separate post because I don’t want this one to be too long, but transitioning from freelance life to a 9-5 has been strange in tons of ways as well. Aside from the obvious wardrobe struggles I’ve been having (that you’ve probably seen on my Instagram stories), there is also the weird feeling of getting home from work at 6 and feeling like the world is your oyster—which can be beautiful but also scary as someone who was filling the void with work for so long. After taking the job, I also felt like I was giving up part of my identity by taking a full-time job that wasn’t a journalism job (my official title at my new job is Copywriter, although I end up helping out with a lot of marketing and social media stuff as well). Weirdly (or maybe not so weirdly) I feel like I have way more freetime now than I did when I was freelancing, but it definitely still pangs me every time someone asks me to do something during the week and I have to tell them I’m not free until after 5.

Anyway, I’m probably going to make another post on what you should know before moving to LA, so feel free to drop questions below or DM me on Instagram. I just wanted to post a lil’ explainer because a lot of people have been asking me what’s going on and if I moved to LA “for good.” And while I cannot answer anything like that because I have commitment problems, I will be in LA (and at my current job) for the foreseeable future and I’m so happy about it!

Photo by James Law