Location of UCLA and other questions

Gomer · Dec 9, 2006

As for Los Angeles:

First, I suggest you get a good map of the LA and/or San Diego areas. AAA has them no matter where you currently live. If you have an AAA membership you can get the information on-line. Or, get a "Thomas Guide for LA and Surrounding Areas". (Barnes and Noble can order this for you) You also order this on-line. Just do a search on Thomas Guide. There is also a "Thomas Guide" for San Diego. GET A MAP...you will need one no matter which city you decide on.

Second, no area in LA is close to another even if they are side-by-side. Traffic and the freeway system are a b*tch. LA and NH may look close on a map but given the traffic you commute could take hours, especially on a Friday evening. Also, NH is an iffy area to live in.

Third, "affordable house" depends on what you consider "affordable". A nice 1-bedroom apartment in a safe area will probably cost you at least $1500-$2000/mo. There are many apartments available in the Westwood area (where UCLA is located), but considering there are about 30,000 students competition for a good apartment is very high.

Fourth, UCLA has a fine graduate school and gives its nurses a break on tuition/fees.

I'm in the LA area, so have limited knowledge of San Diego.

sdmommie · Dec 10, 2006

UCLA is located in Westwood which is part of the Westside.

North Hollywood is about 10 miles away from UCLA. Like Gomer said, traffic in that area is horrible. It doesn't matter if you take city streets or the freeway, it's bumper-to-bumper traffic. Also, many people are taking earlier schedules, so the traffic starts around 6:00am. North Hollywood is known as a gay community, just so you know. Some parts are rundown, some parts have great restaurants and shops. The Hollywood hills are where a bunch of movie stars live.

The area around the hospital is not affordable unless you take into account how much time you will spend in traffic if you don't live close. Most students live North of Wilshire and East of Sepulveda. The closer you are to campus, the more expensive. Two blocks can make a difference in rent. If you look South of Wilshire Blvd, things are a little bit more reasonable. UCLA also operates an amazing vanpool/commuter program if you should decide to live further away.

Sorry, I don't know anything about their New Grad programs.

I believe that UCSD (University of California, San Diego) Medical Center is a teaching hospital. It's located in La Jolla. The area is really nice. Traffic isn't as bad as Westwood.

Hope this helps. :) Good luck on your decision!

YoungWiseWoman · Dec 11, 2006

As for Los Angeles:
First, I suggest you get a good map of the LA and/or San Diego areas. AAA has them no matter where you currently live. If you have an AAA membership you can get the information on-line. Or, get a "Thomas Guide for LA and Surrounding Areas". (Barnes and Noble can order this for you) You also order this on-line. Just do a search on Thomas Guide. There is also a "Thomas Guide" for San Diego. GET A MAP...you will need one no matter which city you decide on.
Second, no area in LA is close to another even if they are side-by-side. Traffic and the freeway system are a b*tch. LA and NH may look close on a map but given the traffic you commute could take hours, especially on a Friday evening. Also, NH is an iffy area to live in.
Third, "affordable house" depends on what you consider "affordable". A nice 1-bedroom apartment in a safe area will probably cost you at least $1500-$2000/mo. There are many apartments available in the Westwood area (where UCLA is located), but considering there are about 30,000 students competition for a good apartment is very high.
Fourth, UCLA has a fine graduate school and gives its nurses a break on tuition/fees.
I'm in the LA area, so have limited knowledge of San Diego.

Thanks for the information Gomer! I tried to look up the Thomas guide...is that a book or a map?

Also, the housing is more expensive than I thought. I want to schedule a trip to visit both LA and San Diego, but it gets pricey after awhile.

Do you know of any other good teaching hospitals in the LA area?

YoungWiseWoman · Dec 11, 2006

UCLA is located in Westwood which is part of the Westside.
North Hollywood is about 10 miles away from UCLA. Like Gomer said, traffic in that area is horrible. It doesn't matter if you take city streets or the freeway, it's bumper-to-bumper traffic. Also, many people are taking earlier schedules, so the traffic starts around 6:00am. North Hollywood is known as a gay community, just so you know. Some parts are rundown, some parts have great restaurants and shops. The Hollywood hills are where a bunch of movie stars live.
The area around the hospital is not affordable unless you take into account how much time you will spend in traffic if you don't live close. Most students live North of Wilshire and East of Sepulveda. The closer you are to campus, the more expensive. Two blocks can make a difference in rent. If you look South of Wilshire Blvd, things are a little bit more reasonable. UCLA also operates an amazing vanpool/commuter program if you should decide to live further away.
Sorry, I don't know anything about their New Grad programs.
I believe that UCSD (University of California, San Diego) Medical Center is a teaching hospital. It's located in La Jolla. The area is really nice. Traffic isn't as bad as Westwood.
Hope this helps. :) Good luck on your decision!

Hi sdmommie,

Wow! I did not realize that UCLA was so close, but yet so far away from North Hollywood. The traffic their sounds like a nightmare!

I did not know that N. Hollywood was a gay community either. I have a friend who's brother is an actor and he lives there. When we went to LA we stayed with him. He has been in his apartment for 8 years and his rent is cheap, so I was considering the area.

I am deciding between SD and LA, because I don't really want to live around "stars." I want to be around regular people. I will look into UCSD in La Jolla. How far is San Diego from LA?

Thanks for the good luck wish...I need it!

sdmommie · Dec 11, 2006

Traffic is crazy during rush hour anywhere in L.A. Rent is cheaper in certain pockets of L.A. that are safe, you just have to know where they are. North Hollywood is obviously very liberal, and it's also central to a lot of movie studios. There are also lots of clubs and fun stuff to do there.

San Diego is 120 miles south of L.A. I prefer San Diego over L.A. for lots of reasons...less traffic, less people, more affordable areas. However, I "hear" that the pay is higher in L.A. Traffic in/around UCLA is MUCH worse than around UCSD. I just find it to be less stressful overall to do stuff. In L.A., you have to pay for parking just about everywhere you go...mall, beach, UCLA. Little things like that can irk you after a while. I still LOVE L.A. though. :)

Anyhow, feel free to PM me if you have any other questions. I'm not an RN yet, but I have lived in both places.

GardenDove · Dec 11, 2006

I grew up in Los Angeles and hate everything about it, no offense to anyone here who loves it. I went to Baldwin Hills Elementary, Beverly Vista Elementary, Beverly Hills High, and Alexander Hamilton High. I had a good friend who lived in Westwood, it's very expensive now. I worked in West Hollywood at a supermarket in High School, it was a really weird neighborhood with many massage parlors. North Hollywood is extremely degenerite with many prostitutes, homeless, drug addicts, and other misfits. I'm sure you would see some interesting pts in that area.

Tim1957 · Dec 11, 2006

I am not sure of this, but is Loma Linda a teaching Hospital? If it is, this might be another option.

Gomer · Dec 11, 2006

Thomas Guide is a large paperback book of maps. It comes out yearly and is the most helpful map to LA I've ever used. Costs about $35.00 but well worth it. You will never get lost in LA if you have one.

I believe some of the responders are confusing North Hollywood with West Hollywood. West Hollywood is our primary gay community and some celebs do live there. North Hollywood is more iffy with both good and bad areas and, in my opinion, less safe.

Both UCLA and Cedars (located in Hollywood, but very near to West Hollywood) are teaching hospitals and have excellent new grad programs.

There are very few "regular" people who live in LA....we are are a little crazy to live here, but, I too love it.

sdmommie · Dec 11, 2006

YIKES! :smackingf :smackingf , I did get confused between West Hollywood and North Hollywood. Sorry about that. See, this is why I don't ever give people directions to get anywhere. Either way, neither would've been my pick to live in. I think it was easier, traffic-wise, to go from Santa Monica to UCLA. I was lucky enough to find a rent-controlled apartment with an oceanview.

YoungWiseWoman · Dec 11, 2006

Traffic is crazy during rush hour anywhere in L.A. Rent is cheaper in certain pockets of L.A. that are safe, you just have to know where they are. North Hollywood is obviously very liberal, and it's also central to a lot of movie studios. There are also lots of clubs and fun stuff to do there.
San Diego is 120 miles south of L.A. I prefer San Diego over L.A. for lots of reasons...less traffic, less people, more affordable areas. However, I "hear" that the pay is higher in L.A. Traffic in/around UCLA is MUCH worse than around UCSD. I just find it to be less stressful overall to do stuff. In L.A., you have to pay for parking just about everywhere you go...mall, beach, UCLA. Little things like that can irk you after a while. I still LOVE L.A. though. :)
Anyhow, feel free to PM me if you have any other questions. I'm not an RN yet, but I have lived in both places.

I am between LA and SD, but today I am leaning more toward SD. I want to be in a beautiful area, without all the glamour. Don't get me wrong, I like glamour, but not 24/7. I can live without traffic as well. I just get so overwhelmed on where to start because I am doing this by myself. All my friends are too chicken to venture out and explore.

YoungWiseWoman · Dec 19, 2006

BUMP! Just in case anyone had anything else to offer