Los Angeles DUers

USC is on my short list of grad schools. Any special insight on the town, the school, etc? I'm living in Montana right now, but grew up in Seattle, so I can find my way around a city. Good place to live, good town? good school?

Unlike, the other schools I'm considering, I've actually been to LA, but I've never really considered living there.

a fascinating ringside view of Pacific Rim dynamics, good and bad, mixed with piss-poor urban planning and some great, still-close urban wilderness (and lotsa good places to eat....)

And actually, there are the Metro lines going to USC now, depending on where you choose to live...

USC is in a nasty part of LA, not the nice parts like where OJ killed his wife. Austin is much cheaper, plus the men are better looking. :P Oh yeah, I'm here too.

UTA is not accepting grad students in the paleo program for fall '05, but was definately on the long list, and would have been near the top of the short list had they been accepting new students. One of my best friends is a phd student at Austin, and it would have been very cool to work with him, but alas, it was not to be.

And ya, I know, USC is in a crappy part of town :-(

Take the worst part of Seattle (and I know there are some rough parts) and muliply it a few times over. The area around USC is "roll up your windows, lock your doors, drive real fast and cross your fingers" bad, and that's in broad daylight. Really.

Of course that being said, it's obviously a fine university and most people attend without dire consequences. It probably helps if you can run fast, like OJ. But if I were you, unless I was a film student, or being given a free ride (it's also very expensive), I'd consider my other options.

The neighborhoods in the immediate vicinity tend to be rough. There is a neighborhood - I think it's called "University Park" - right by USC that is sort of "gentrified". Some very old (by LA standards) home in nice condition.

There is lots of new housing right in downtown LA - many old office buildings are converting into loft type places. This is very happening right now and is bringing some long need life to downtown. Plus you are a quick cheap shuttle (the "DASH") to USC.

Little Tokyo, on the north east side of downtown is interesting as well. Artists started setting up lofts there in the 1980's. There is a pedestrian oriented feel to the place and lots of hang-outs.

The hilly neighborhoods overlloking downtown - Echo Park and Silverlake - have an ethnically mixed bohemian but gentrifying feel to them.

I can't help you too much with USC itself, but the campus has been changing. CNN online did a few stories about 6 months back about the student population being more liberal and Democratic leaning now, as opposed to their historic rightward orientation.

That whole area is interesting, lively and dynamic but is it affordable for grad students? :shrug:

I don't have enough without their help. Thanks for the insight though.

But if I had such a reason, I would not hesitate.

My main worry with you, from what I read, is that you would
endure a prolonged state of culture shock, but since you've
at least been here, maybe not.

Though I know that doesn't equal "lived in LA." They have a good paleo-program with the LACM, and it would be a great place to go. If I can afford it. USC is a huge money "if" that I can't get over unless they're sending a lot of it my way.

Actually, it's better, a lot of cultural diversity and a lot going on.
Many things to do, many things to see, many people to get to know.

But expensive tuition, expensive housing, etc. etc. OTOH, the
transit system has been improved a good deal, USC is very well located
in that regard, and I believe rents downtown are good by LA standards,
which is still bad in normal places. And the work situation sucks a
lot less than in many places.

You can always head down here to San Diego on weekends.

Bad part about living in LA is it's so big and spread out. Good part it is so spread out. Surf in the morning and snow ski in the afternoon. Live in an artist loft in rough and tumble Downtown LA or get a shoe box apartment near the beach. Party in Hollyweird or chill in the Yuppie graveyard of Pasadena (Pass-a-downer).

And get yourself to wild eclectic liberal Venice Boardwalk in Santa Monica somedays.

All you need is money.


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Alot of the biggest jerk off greed miesters you see in L.A. have U.S.C. alumni plates,now that isn't fair because there are some great people there but it is an expensive school in the ghetto like alot of schools have become.That was fun in the 60s but ghettos had hope then and where friends of the students marching against racism and all that idealistic stuff before the country became the greed capital of the world.It has a good film school if your daddy is a honcho in the bizz. wow that wasn't a bitter opinion was it ? A college is it's surroundings lately either working with the community or against it,in the case of U.S.C. I have never seen it helping the community......sad but thats what it looks like from L.A. .