Is anyone in L.A. from L.A.? You meet natives--even third-and fourth-generation locals--now and then. But if Los Angeles is the capital of anything, it is the Capital of the Newcomer. The popular image of the starry-eyed newbie stepping into the dazzling Southern California sun off a plane, train, truck, or bus from a small town somewhere else on the globe to make his fortune in the movies is a myth based on reality. It's not just farm kids off the turnip truck from Idaho anymore, though. There's also a daily influx of first-class talent from cities all over the world, not just in the U.S., making this the most competitive actors market around. In other words, if you're here to make a career in film and/or TV, this is the only place to be--and the toughest.
On the other hand it's a great place to live. You've heard the saying, "Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't want to live there"? The opposite applies to L.A., which for its combination of temperate year-round weather, cultural vibrancy, and access to leisure activities from the beach to the mountains simply can't be beat. It's so nice here, in fact, that it's all too easy to settle into a comfortable suburban lifestyle, lose focus on your driving creative ambitions, and wake up years later wondering what happened to your Hollywood dreams.
That won't be your story, though. With the help of our semi-annual Welcome to L.A. guide, now in its fifth edition, you will be equipped to navigate a city that is by turns intimidating, exciting, competitive, and laid-back--and, we hope, you'll be primed to realize the dreams that bring you here in the first place.
What Should I Already Have?
The two essential tools that any performer must have are a picture and a resume. Before you set foot in Hollywood, you'd better have both. Of course, when you get here, there will be lots of pressure--from friends, new agents, managers, etc.--to get new photos taken. It's debatable what makes a great photo--the golden rule, of course, is that it must look like you--and trends change often. But you can't show up to an audition or a meeting empty-handed, so make sure you have something.
To have a good resume, it's inarguable that you must have the credits to fill it. Logically, then, an actor who arrives in L.A. with few or no professional credits can't expect people to be too impressed by his resume. And remember: A great-looking resume and a great resume are two different things.
As Tombudsman advises actors week in and week out, building credits on the stage, in commercials, in local television, wherever, before coming to Hollywood, is a wise idea. It might seem that starting out in a town where the most work is available would make the most sense. But this is not necessarily so. A big fish from a small pond has a better chance of getting things going when he first arrives in that ocean that is the L.A. entertainment industry. Get the credits before you get here.
As important as credits--or more so, depending on whom you talk to--is education. While Back Stage West would encourage all actors to continue their training in some way once they get to L.A. (see "Where Should I Study?"), a newly arrived actor, we hope, won't show up here to begin his training. More than any other town except perhaps NYC, L.A. is a city with high expectations for auditioning actors. You'd better have the training under your belt.
In addition to pictures and resumes, actors who want to work on the screen, big or small--and if you don't, why would you be coming here in the first place?--may fare better if they have some sort of reel. Now, if you're coming from Wichita, of course agents and managers won't expect a reel with clips exclusively from feature films and primetime television. But throwing together a reel of community theatre productions is generally a bad idea. Your reel should be short, professional, and catchy.
Less important perhaps than experience, education, pictures, resumes, and reels, is the other--often annoying but essential--actor's tool: the pager/cellphone. Before you get here, or at the very least the minute you arrive, set up voicemail, a pager number, or at least a cellphone number. After all, you have to have some way for all those managers and agents and producers to get hold of you once they see that fantastic picture and resume. (For more about which pagers/ cellphones are the most actor-friendly, consult our recent Spotlight on Telecommunications [BSW, 7/4/02].)
Also keep in mind that wherever you may end up living in Los Angeles or the surrounding areas (see "Where Do I Live?"), you must have a voicemail or cellphone number with a (310), (323), (818) or (213) area code. CDs, agents, and producers are less likely to call you in if they know you live outside the immediate area. So even if you live in San Diego, make sure you've got a local number.
Besides all of these things, an actor new to this city must have one thing above all: a clear goal. Los Angeles may seem like it has everything for every actor, but that is not the case. If you want to make your living on the stage, for example, Hollywood may not be the place for you. There is great theatre to be found here, no doubt, but it's rarely of the paying kind.
Now, if you've got the tools and the experience to compete in this town, the next question is...
Where Do I Live?
L.A. is such a vast territory it helps to narrow your search to a few areas you feel are the most attractive, convenient, and/or affordable (see "Neighborhood Guide," with complete map). For specific statistics on crime, median income, etc., refer to losangelesalmanac.com. This site breaks down most of L.A., neighborhood by neighborhood, and contains lots of useful information.
The Los Angeles Times (www.latimes.com/classified/rentals/) and The Recycler can be good places to start looking for rental listings--though because the papers are widely distributed, apartments listed in them go quickly. If you see something that interests you in the paper, call immediately and set up an appointment to look at the place at your earliest opportunity. Chances are, the apartment will be rented by the end of the week, if not within a few days.
Another popular option is to register with a rental listing service such as Renttimes (www.renttimes.com, $49) or Westside Rental Connection (www.westsiderentals.com, $60), which provide you with a wealth of decent listings for a fee (see listing). If you don't find a rental from the list you bought, or if you rent from another source, the service is required by law to return all but $25 of the fee you paid, as long as you request the refund via registered mail within 10 days of the end of the contract. Lastly, driving around an area you like may be time consuming, but it is another great way to seek out apartments that may not yet be flocked with potential tenants.
When you inspect the apartment, check for the following: cracks in the floor, walls, and ceilings; signs of leaking water or water damage; signs of insects; lack of hot water; signs of rust in the tap water; defects in electrical wiring and fixtures, and insufficient electrical outlets. In older buildings check for signs of asbestos-containing materials, such as flaking ceiling tiles, crumbling pipe wrap, and insulation. If there are repairs to be made, find out when the landlord intends to make them and get these promises in writing with a date. You will be required to give a security deposit, so if there are already areas of damage, you might want to document and photograph them to avoid later disagreement over your responsibility for them.
Ask who will be responsible for paying for utilities--gas, electric, water--and keep in mind that you may have to provide your own refrigerator. Take a tour of the area in the day and at night, and if possible talk to other tenants or neighbors about how they like living in the area, whether the area is safe, and whether they get along with the landlord and other tenants.
You will probably be required to fill out a rental application with your personal information, current and past employers and landlords, Social Security number, bank account numbers (place a password on your bank account if you don't want the landlord snooping), and credit account numbers for credit reference. You also may be required to provide your monthly income or other information that shows your ability to pay rent. The landlord may charge an application screening fee of up to $30 to cover the cost of checking your information. If the landlord obtains your credit report, he must give you a copy if you request it.
You will then enter into either a periodic rental agreement (month-to-month, for example) or a lease (for six or 12 months, for example). In the case of a lease, you are legally required to make rent payments until your lease expires. The benefit of a lease is that the landlord cannot raise your rent while the lease is in effect, and you cannot be asked to leave except for reasons such as damaging the property or failing to pay rent.
It is also important to find out whether the city in which you wish to rent has a rent control ordinance (Los Angeles does) and what the specifics of that ordinance are. Some cities, for example, allow the landlord to increase the rent by only a certain percent each year and limit the landlord's ability to evict tenants. A great resource for more information on renting apartments is The California Tenants Handbook, published by the state's Department of Consumer Affairs. Call (800) 952-5210, or view the text online at www.dca.ca.gov/legal/landlordbook.
Because average rent for a one-bedroom in L.A. starts at around $750, opting for a roommate may be the best way to find an apartment in a great area at the most affordable price, and chances are it will already be semi-furnished. If you know from the get-go that this is the path for you, and you aren't arriving in L.A. with a living companion in tow, you might want to start by looking for someone who already has a place he or she wants to share.
If you are arriving here as a complete stranger in a strange land, there are a number of good resources to help match you up with a sane and considerate human being within a few weeks. Services like Roommate Matchers (www.roommatematchers.com) will charge you $49 and can provide you with profiles and sometimes photos of people with rooms to rent or people looking for apartments.
You can also check newspapers, such as BSW, and bulletin boards, such as the one at Actor's Equity Association (5757 Wilshire Blvd., Ste.1, L.A.), or place your own attractive flier in a well-trafficked coffeehouse.
It's also important to remember that, like many big cities in the United States, Los Angeles unfortunately has its share of crime. When choosing a place to live, it's a good idea to take a good look at the neighborhood, especially at night. Police helicopters circling the area are usually a sign that there are problems, such as gang activity. Also observe whether most of the houses/apartment buildings have bars over the windows. Chances are that burglaries and intrusions have been a problem in this area in the past or present. No matter where you live, you might also consider paying for renter's insurance to protect yourself from loss or damage from theft, fire, or natural disaster.
If you are very concerned about safety, you might consider living in the second story or higher of a building. You might also look for a building that has security doors at the entrance and underground parking or assigned parking. Parking can be a real problem in some areas of Los Angeles, especially in Venice, West Hollywood, and the Fairfax District, where many structures do not have off-street parking. If you are concerned about walking a long distance from your car to your apartment at night, you might look elsewhere to live or make sure you get an apartment that has an assigned parking space.
It's hard to judge a book by its cover, though. Perhaps most surprising about crime is that in some of the nicest areas of Los Angeles, certain crimes are just as likely, if not more likely, to occur than in the poorest neighborhoods in the city.
Car theft and vandalism are also rampant crimes in this city and can happen just about anywhere. The least expensive and easiest way to prevent someone from stealing your automobile is to get the Club, a locked metal device that fits over your steering wheel when you are parked. These are available in most automotive stores for around $50. Likewise if you have a bicycle or motorcycle, always lock it up and use an excellent lock?not a chain metal one, which thieves can easily break.
All of these tips are not meant to scare you off, but if you're going to call L.A. your home, you need to be aware of the forms that criminal activity can take in our fair city--and of the commonsense precautions you can take to lessen your chances of becoming a statistic.
A Few Basic Resources
Remember, you can access the Internet for free at most public libraries.
Roommates
Roommate Matchers, www.roommatematchers.com, (323) 653-7666, online and in-person service, $49.95.
www.roommateclick.com, free online service.
Easy Roommate, www.easyroommate.com, online service, $49.99.
Yahoo Classifieds, www.yahoo.com, free online service.
Apartments
Rental Times, www.renttimes.com or (323) 653-7666, online and in-person listing service.
Apartment Source, www.la.apartmentsource.com, (800) 313-9738, online listing service, $25.
Westside Rental Connection, www.westsiderentals.com, (877) 872-6998, online and in-person service.
LA Homefinders.com, www.lahomefinders.com, online listing service, $49.95.
www.apartments.com, free online search service.
Yahoo Classifieds, www.yahoo.com, free online service.
Pets and People Homefinders, www.pets-people.com, (310) 398-1413, online and in-person service for pet-friendly rentals, $69.
Pets R Welcome, www.petsrwelcome.com, online service for pet-friendly rentals, $50.
How Do I Get Around?
Los Angeles isn't really a city but a string of interconnected city centers and suburbs, so there's no practical way to negotiate its terrain without a set of wheels. We've known a few resourceful actors, usually in a temporary jam, who've managed to piece together their very own transportation system that included buses, bicycles, or bummed rides. But this town is crazy-making enough with a car, let alone without one. Bottom line: You won't get far here without a car.
Yes, L.A. has a functioning bus system that's relatively safe, clean, affordable, and more or less reliable, and it's good for work commutes if you've got regular hours and a lot of reading to do. Single fare is $1.35, plus 25 cents per transfer; a typical route will require at least one transfer, so carrying around exact change for $1.60 is advisable; there's a special night fare of 75 cents, 9 p.m.-5 a.m. Certain freeway express bus zones charge an extra fare, so be prepared with extra cash and change. If you're taking the bus regularly, a pass is a good money-saving option; weekly, semi-monthly, and monthly passes are available. For information, check out www.mta.net; call (213) 626-4455 for route information.
And while you may have heard about L.A.'s new subway "system," don't count on Metro Rail's anemic routes to meet any practical transportation needs. With just 60 stops--in places like North Hollywood, Universal City, Hollywood, Downtown L.A., East L.A., South L.A., and Long Beach--the subway makes a nice outing for a leisurely urban day trip, but that's it. Rates are the same as for busses.
If you're coming to L.A. from out of state, it's best to come here with a reliable car, as it's typically going to be cheaper to buy in most other states, not least because of the lower sales tax. And don't hesitate to get a California driver's license and register the vehicle here; the law gives you 10 days to do the former, 20 days to do the latter. We've heard too many stories of folks keeping their out-of-state plates for months, even years, often under a parent's name, and then getting hit with a pricey ticket when the ruse is discovered in a routine traffic stop or fender-bender--a fine that is then added to your overdue state registration fee.
The license will cost you $12; registration will vary, based on the age and value of the car, anywhere from $30 to $300. A smog check will be required, which can run as much as $90--though if you have an older car, you may be in for some repairs to get up to California emissions standards. One helpful money-saving trick is to have the title of the car made out as a "gift"--typically your parents can help you with this--worth a mere few thousand dollars. This can lower the car's valuation in the eyes of the state, and hence make the registration fee a fraction of what it might be otherwise. Registration and license are available through the Department of Motor Vehicles; for locations and information, call (800) 777-0133 or visit www.dmv.ca.gov.
California law also requires that you have a certain minimum level of car insurance coverage, and depending on where you live, not to mention your age and driving record, your insurance payments can add up to a big chunk of change--some people pay more for insurance than they do in car payments.
If you're looking for a car in Los Angeles, a good place to start is with websites such as lacarguy.com, carsdirect.com, etc. and in the Recycler, a cheap weekly with copious classified listings available at most local convenience stores. But there's no getting around the legwork; you'll need to give yourself a few weeks to shop and/or check out cars from private owners. If you're a member of AAA, you can take advantage of a car-buying program in which good deals are recommended at AAA-approved used-car dealerships (call (800) 709-7222 for info). If you go for a used car to save money, fine, but remember Dad's advice about buying used cars: Go with reliable brands and models. For your best reference on which makes and years of cars are most reliable, nothing beats the Consumer Reports car guides, at most bookstores.
Once you're behind the wheel, the adventure begins. The first thing you must do is drive to a local bookstore and buy a Thomas Bros. Guide. This indispensable, almost sacred text will run you $20 for L.A. County, closer to $30 to add a county (L.A. plus Orange, or L.A. plus Ventura). Trust us on this one: Yes, Internet maps and directions are a great innovation, but we still swear by the Thomas Guide for the most thorough, reliable information.
Know that L.A. drivers are aggressive and often self-centered, and that when it rains they freak out and drive even more poorly. It behooves new arrivals to remember their high school courses in defensive driving and to avoid distractions at the wheel--pull over if you need to use that cellphone, please!
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