Question by pediaWHAAT?: is it cheap living in old town pasadena?
i heard its cheaper to live near PCC since they give out apartment discounts to students. anyway, im planning to move out to a 1bed1bath aprtment with a swimming pool. it doesnt have to be luxurious but i dont want it to be trushy. do u think i could find an apartment there under 0 for 2 adults and a baby? also, how much would it cost be every month for gas, food, bills, etc?

Best answer:

Answer by maliboo_girl
PCC isn’t exactly in Old Town, but close. Closer to Old Town would usually be newer nice apts that are more expensive. I don’t know if they give discounts to students, I’ve never heard that. There are lots of posts for apts on the boards at PCC, but usually roommate situations.

You should expect to pay at least 00 for a 1 bedroom, older building, but OK, near PCC, no pool. 00+ is more likely. (There are some deals out there for around 00, but you might have to look for a long time.) I don’t think you can find an apt for under 0, but look into low-income housing if you can qualify. Most do not have any available apts or they are in a bad area, but it’s worth looking into.

http://www.pasadenasocialservices.com/help/housing.html

http://pasadenahousingsearch.com/

Near PCC is not a luxurious area, but not bad, I know lots of people who live in apts and condos there. If you find an apt that is much cheaper than around 00 and nice, check on it carefully to make sure the person who is renting to you really is the owner or manager, and not a scam artist. You likely wouldn’t be able to rent a single or studio with 3 people.

Also, you want to make sure you are not in a bad neighborhood if you look away from PCC, but that will be obvious, in the Northeast corner of Pasadena/Altadena. Some of the area is fine, some isn’t, you’ll be able to tell.

Typically you need at least 00 a month income to live in LA and cover your expenses. You can do it for less, but you have to be very careful, cut coupons, buy at sales, watch the air conditioning, etc. Target is a good place to buy staple foods, cheaper than the super market. Trader Joe’s has some good deals too. It’s not easy to do it for 00 a month for most people, so even less is really hard. Pasadena has good services for kids, especially once they are in school, so it’s a good place to live.

Good luck!

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