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Considering moving in out of LA county. Are there any cheap options to stay overnight once in a while for work?
Unfortunately, my car's transmission blew up and I needed to get a (new to me) used car. It's been a rough year financially… I'm an LA resident. I love my tiny rent controlled studio in Boyle Heights.
Unfortunately, my car's transmission blew up and I needed to get a (new to me) used car. It's been a rough year financially.
My mom lives out of the county (2 hour drive one way in rush hour or 1 hour at off-peak times). I stay with her about 3-4 days a week. My job only requires me to be in office one day technically (though I am a litigation paralegal and things change quickly).
I feel like I'm drowning and like I don't have a dollar to buy anything, just pay bills.
I am considering giving up my apartment (I'm month-to-month) to save myself 1500 a month.
My question is to ask if anyone has discovered any hostel or co-living space hacks in LA for the odd occasion here and there where I may need to work late to prepare for a hearing realty the next morning?
Also: I have friends who live mostly in the South Bay I suppose I could ask to stay with but I don't want them to feel obligated to say yes.
I feel like this can't be an unusual situation especially in a recession year. Any tips you have learned would be greatly appreciated!
The South Bay friends thing is worth pushing past the awkwardness on. One night a month on a couch is not a burden, and if you frame it as "I need a crash pad near the office, can I buy you dinner" it feels way less like a favor. I'd rather do that than sleep in my car, which in Boyle Heights or near your mom's is asking for a knock on the window at 2am.
For the actual hostel angle, skip the big names and look at the SRO hotels near MacArthur Park or Westlake. They're not listed on Hostelworld, you have to call or walk in, but a lot of them rent single rooms for 30 to 40 bucks a night if you ask for the weekly rate and only use one night. It's not fancy, but it's a locked door and a bed, and you're not sharing a bunk with a stranger who snored through your prep.
Also, your rent controlled studio is the single best asset you own right now. Month to month means you can leave with 30 days notice, but the second you do, that 1500 a month becomes a memory. If you're already at your mom's 3 or 4 nights a week, you're effectively paying 1500 for a storage unit and a safety net. I'd keep it, even if it means eating rice and beans for a while, because losing it is a one way door.
Everyone's right that you should keep the studio, but let me give you a different angle. Since you're month to month, you don't need to decide today. The real hack is treating your car as a backup plan, not a primary one. If you're already at your mom's 3 to 4 days a week, that leaves maybe 2 to 3 nights in LA. For those, check the YMCA in Koreatown on Wilshire, they've got a day pass for like 15 bucks and if you're polite about it, overnight staff sometimes let regulars crash in the lobby area near the pool. It's not a bed but it's warm and safe, and you get a shower before court.
For the hearing nights, the county law library on Spring Street stays open until 8 or 9 on weekdays, and there are a couple of all night diners like The Pantry on Figueroa where you can nurse a coffee and prep. I've known paralegals who just camp there till 4am and then head to the courthouse. Costs you less than a hostel and you look like you're working, not homeless.
Ask your South Bay friends, but frame it as a trade, you bring the takeout and the wine, they give you the couch. People remember that kind of thing and it feels reciprocal, not charity.
honestly, keep the studio. 1500 a month for a rent controlled place in Boyle Heights is a unicorn, you will not find that again. the moment you give it up you're paying 2200+ for a worse spot or moving way out and that commute will eat your soul and gas money.
for the odd overnight, check the PodShare spots in Hollywood or Koreatown. they're like 40-50 a night sometimes less if you book last minute, and you get a bunk, wifi, and a locker. not glamorous but way cheaper than a motel and you can crash after a late filing. also, some of the big law firms in DTLA have "attorney lounges" or quiet rooms that paralegals sometimes use, ask around your office if anyone knows a hookup.
another move nobody thinks about: your mom is 2 hours out, but what about the drive itself? if you leave Boyle Heights at 10pm after a late prep session, you're home in an hour. so pack a go bag with a pillow and a blanket, park near her place and sleep in the car if you really need to. it's free and you're already paying for the car anyway. just don't do it in a sketchy spot, use a well lit parking lot near a 24hr grocery.
and tbh, ask your South Bay friends. one or two nights a month is not a burden, people actually like helping
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How can I find mobile hot dog vendors for a private event?
honestly the SGV has a ton of licensed cart operators who mostly do private stuff now. look up "hot dog cart catering San Gabriel Valley" on Yelp and you'll get a handful that are fully permitted, which matters if your venue needs a health permit on file. expect around $400 to $700 for a few hours plus a per person minimum, usually 50 or so. the ones based in Alhambra and Rosemead tend to be cheaper than Pasadena because they're not paying that rent.
fwiw the county health dept keeps a public list of permitted mobile food operators, its searchable by city on the LA County Public Health site. filter for "pushcart" or "MFF" and you'll get vendors cleared for SGV zip codes, which saves you the headache of a venue asking for paperwork later. also worth checking with the Old Town Monrovia or Alhambra farmers market folks, the carts there are usually booked solid but they know who's free and they'll pass along names. just dont wait till the last week, good ones book out 2 to 3 weeks in teh summer.
You could try hitting up the folks who set up outside Home Depot or the DMV in El Monte on weekends, a lot of those carts are owner operated and they'll do private gigs if you ask. Just walk up and grab a card, they usually have one taped to the cart.