I would need some background information about life in Los Angeles. I
don't need specific addresses or precise figures, just some rough
ideas and ranges.
- What is the salary range of a junior researcher at UCLA? 
- What is the salary range of a stewardess? What airplane companies
can be found in LA?
- Would this caucasean couple (aged 25-30 each) with a child aged 10
be likely to rent their lodgings or start buying with a mortgage?
(that is, what are the generic habits of such people concerning
housing?) Would people of this social category tend to prefer a flat
or a house? (that is, what is more natural?) What are the
rents/housing prices' rough ranges?
- In which part(s) of LA would they be likely to live (regarding to
transport and the cost of life)? If they choose a house? If they
choose a flat? (I just need the name of the areas - links with
pictures appreciated)

Thank you!

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 22 May 2006 11:35 PDT

Hello  killerwhale9-ga,

You've asked an interesting multi-part question that will require
quite a bit of research to give you the detailed information you've
specified. I'd love to help, but the price you've set does not reflect
the amount of work that will be required to do justice to your
question. I suggest that you either cut down on the scope and number
of questions or adjust the price.

http://answers.google.com/answers/faq.html
http://answers.google.com/answers/pricing.html
Further, researchers will need additional information to be able to
answer your questions.

< - What is the salary range of a junior researcher at UCLA? >

What is the job of this researcher? Will they be on the faculty? What
department or field are they in?

< - What is the salary range of a stewardess? What airplane companies
can be found in LA? > 

Is this person just starting out as a flight attendant or are they
experienced? What airline do they work for now? Are you interested in
airlines that have their home base in LA or all airlines that fly into
LA area airports --LAX, BUR, ONT.

< - Would this caucasean couple (aged 25-30 each) with a child aged 10
be likely to rent their lodgings or start buying with a mortgage?
(that is, what are the generic habits of such people concerning
housing?) Would people of this social category tend to prefer a flat
or a house? (that is, what is more natural?) What are the
rents/housing prices' rough ranges? > 

The California housing market is very expensive. How much money does
this couple have available to purchase a home? What is their monthly
combined income?

< - In which part(s) of LA would they be likely to live (regarding to
transport and the cost of life)? If they choose a house? If they
choose a flat? (I just need the name of the areas - links with
pictures appreciated) >

What research have you done on your own? What do you know about the
Los Angeles area. It is an extremely spread out city -- or rather,
"100 suburbs in search of a city." There are innumerable options. It's
hard to know where to begin to research without knowing more about the
family's means, interests, preferences, and lifestyle requirements.

As you can see, you've asked a complext question. I suggest that you
clarify whether some very general, cursory information about LA will
be enough to answer your question at this price, or you answer the
clarification request and increase the price.

All the best.

~ czh ~

---

Clarification of Question by killerwhale9-ga on 23 May 2006 05:44 PDT

Dear czh-ga, 

Thank you for your quick feedback. I must admit I had not envisioned
the question would be so wide. As to the knowledge I have of LA, it
is: next to nothing. I've been several times in the US but not in this
particular area. Mostly, I need generic coherent information that
would enable me to talk believably about life there in order to avoid
glaring mistakes. I don't really need more detail than that.

To delve more into details: 

< - What is the salary range of a junior researcher at UCLA? >

What is the job of this researcher? Will they be on the faculty? What
department or field are they in?

==> Biology, I'm thinking someone with a PhD, doing mainly lab
research and (very) occasional field work. Aged 30, with a career that
has always be stalling from the start.

< - What is the salary range of a stewardess? What airplane companies
can be found in LA? > 

Is this person just starting out as a flight attendant or are they
experienced? What airline do they work for now? Are you interested in
airlines that have their home base in LA or all airlines that fly into
LA area airports --LAX, BUR, ONT.

==> I'd say a financially healthy airline, one of the biggests, with
many international flights; I suppose that, since she lives in LA, the
airline must have its home base in LA. If it's not necessary, any
famous airline with heavy traffic will do. About her experience, she's
aged 30, so I'd say roughly 10 years.

< - Would this caucasean couple (aged 25-30 each) with a child aged 10
be likely to rent their lodgings or start buying with a mortgage?
(that is, what are the generic habits of such people concerning
housing?) Would people of this social category tend to prefer a flat
or a house? (that is, what is more natural?) What are the
rents/housing prices' rough ranges? > 

The California housing market is very expensive. How much money does
this couple have available to purchase a home? What is their monthly
combined income?

==> Well, their income is determined by their combined salary ranges,
which is the first part of the question ;-) In fact, I'm generally
wondering about the general habits of Californians: when in this
salary range, do people tend to buy or rent?

< - In which part(s) of LA would they be likely to live (regarding to
transport and the cost of life)? If they choose a house? If they
choose a flat? (I just need the name of the areas - links with
pictures appreciated) >

What research have you done on your own? What do you know about the
Los Angeles area. It is an extremely spread out city -- or rather,
"100 suburbs in search of a city." There are innumerable options. It's
hard to know where to begin to research without knowing more about the
family's means, interests, preferences, and lifestyle requirements.

==> The means are determined by their incomes, which are the first
parts of the question. About the lifestyle: I think they would prefer
a small house with a garden if possible, in a peaceful, calm
residential neighborhood. The kind of place where you can have your
family and friends nearby and live in a somewhat "closed" environment.
This last point is very important.

A nearby school for the kid would be a plus, and short travel times to
work as well, but this last point is not necessary. The people don't
mind a drive.

I'm increasing the price of the question as well. 

With my thanks.

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 23 May 2006 09:31 PDT

Hello killerwhale9-ga,

Thank you for the clarification. I thought I was answering a question
about a real family. Your answers seem to say that this is a
theoretical question for a theoretical scenario so I will answer based
on assumptions instead of specific feedback. I will have something for
you shortly.

~ czh ~

Hello killerwhale9-ga,

This was a fun search. Los Angeles is a very interesting town that
offers a tremendous variety of working, recreation and housing
options. I?ve collected a selection of resources to help you get
started taking into account your scenario of a young couple with one
child. Considering that he will be working at UCLA in Westwood and she
will be flying out of LAX, choosing the neighborhood where they want
to live will be the first assignment. Los Angeles is comprised of many
distinct neighborhoods and a collection of incorporated cities.

I suggest that you start your explorations by getting familiar with
the geography and demographics of the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
Next, do some more focused research on the communities that look
interesting. Finally, evaluate where you will be able to live
considering your budget constraints.

The amount of information available is overwhelming. I?ve barely
scratched the surface with the links below.

Wishing you well for your project.

~ czh ~


================================
LOS ANGELES ? VISUAL ORIENTATION
================================

I suggest that you orient yourself by conducting some image searches
and browsing the search results for anything that interests you. This
will help you familiarize yourself with the geography of the area, the
names of regions, neighborhoods, cities, the look and feel of
transportation, housing, public spaces, parks and other services.

Below I?ve provided some starting points but I suggest that you modify
your searches to look for topics of specific interest to you.

http://images.google.com/images?q=los+angeles&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images
los angeles

---

http://images.google.com/images?q=los+angeles+metropolitan+area&hl=en&btnG=Search+Images
los angeles metropolitan area

---

http://images.google.com/images?svnum=100&hl=en&lr=&q=los+angeles+freeways&btnG=Search
los angeles freeways

---

http://images.google.com/images?svnum=100&hl=en&lr=&q=los+angeles+suburbs&btnG=Search
los angeles suburbs


After you?ve gotten a visual orientation to Los Angeles, I also
suggest that you do some general exploration using Google Maps. I
especially recommend that you use the Satellite and Hybrid versions to
give you a better understanding of the influence of topography on the
layout of the city and its suburbs.

In addition, I suggest that you download the free version of Google
Earth to do some in-depth exploration. This is a wonderful tool to
help you get a feel of the entire metropolitan area and to get a sense
of the distances involved and why the suburbs have evolved the way
they did. Be sure to use zoom in and out to get close-in and panoramic
views of the places you?re interested in.

http://maps.google.com/maps?svnum=100&hl=en&lr=&q=&btnG=Search&sa=N&tab=il

---

http://earth.google.com/


Finally, you might want to rent some DVDs of movies that are set in
Los Angeles to give you a broader visual impression.

http://www.answers.com/topic/list-of-movies-set-in-los-angeles


===================================================
LOS ANGELES ? METROPOLITAN AREA, SUBURBS, GEOGRAPHY
===================================================

After you?ve gotten oriented visually and geographically, I suggest
that you review some of the official websites offered by the city and
county of los angeles and various cities that you might be interested
in.

://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=los+angeles&btnG=Google+Search
Los Angeles

---

http://www.ci.la.ca.us/
City of Los Angeles

---

http://lacounty.info/
County of Los Angeles

These are very comprehensive websites that give you lots of
information about demographics, housing, transportation and other
services.


http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=10442
LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY PROFILE
http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/localProx.php?local=10442&locTGroup=Communities&dist=10&distLbl=miles&searchStr=&parseMethod=&sec=0
Communities near Los Angeles, CA


=====================================================
LOS ANGELES ? COST OF LIVING STATISTICS, DEMOGRAPHICS
=====================================================

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0883960.html
Cost of Living Index for Selected U.S. Cities
You can see that Los Angeles is one of the most expensive cities in
the US and the cost of housing is astronomical.

---

http://caps.uchicago.edu/resources/handouts_la.html
CAPS pathfinder: So You're Going to... Los Angeles 
General Resources for Relocation

Look here for info about cost of living, salary comparison, moving, etc.
City Information for Los Angeles and surrounding areas

---

http://www.scriptsales.com/DDReadMoving.html
MOVING TO LOS ANGELES ? Where to live

---

http://www.rent.com/rentals/california/los-angeles-and-vicinity/los-angeles/
Lots of good information here about getting familiar with LA.

---

http://swz.salary.com/CostOfLivingWizard/layouthtmls/coll_metrodetail_98.html
California Cost of Living - Los Angeles

---

http://www.bls.gov/ro9/cexlosa.pdf
CONSUMER SPENDING PATTERNS IN LOS ANGELES-RIVERSIDE-ORANGE COUNTY 

---

http://losangeles.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm
Los Angeles City, California Statistics and Demographics (US Census 2000)

---

http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/06037.html
State & County QuickFacts ? Los Angeles, CA County

---

http://www.muninetguide.com/states/california/municipality/Los_Angeles.php
Los Angeles Statistics



==================================================================
LOS ANGELES ? YOUR CASE STUDY (UCLA RESEARCHER / FLIGHT ATTENDANT)
==================================================================


UCLA Postdoctoral Researcher
----------------------------

http://www.ucla.edu/
http://www.ucla.edu/audience/faculty.html

---

http://map.ais.ucla.edu/portal/site/UCLA/menuitem.789d0eb6c76e7ef0d66b02ddf848344a/?vgnextoid=f7c7d154bf29a010VgnVCM200000dd6643a4RCRD
Faculty Housing Rates and Information

This site will give you an overview of university sponsored housing
prices and help you set your expectations.

---

http://www.housing.ucla.edu/housing/cho.htm
UCLA Community Housing Office.  
We are proud to offer rental housing assistance to UCLA students,
faculty and staff.  We list and accept ads for a variety of living
alternatives from the private sector.  These listings, updated daily,
include rooms in private homes, roommate situations, private residence
halls, apartments, houses, and guest houses.

---

http://www.ucla.edu/research.html
This site provides you a wealth of information about anything and
everything to do with the research programs at UCLA.

---

http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/gss/appm/aaprate.pdf
Academic Apprentice Salary Scales 
http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/gss/appm/gsr10stepscale.pdf
Graduate Student Researcher Salary Scale

---

http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/gss/postdoc/pdfund.htm
Postdoctoral Scholar Appointment Types & Criteria
Effective October 1, 2005, the minimum of the Postdoctoral Scholar
salary/stipend range is $31,668 or $2639/month. The maximum of the
range is $76,836 or $6,403/month. The rates will be adjusted in
subsequent years to the same extent as for other non-exclusively
represented non-Senate academic appointees.



Flight Attendant
----------------

http://www.latimes.com/classified/jobs/counselor/2002/la-102002counselor-attendant,0,5582253.htmlstory?coll=la-jobs-counselor-2002
Personal links between passengers and airline companies

A Salary.com survey indicates a typical flight attendant working in
Los Angeles is expected to earn an annual median base salary of
$53,067, with a range from $43,152 to $66,191. Beginners earn from
approximately $16,000 to $30,000 per year.

According to the United Airlines Association of Flight Attendants
contract manager, salaries vary slightly with each airline, but
entry-level UA attendants earn $18.24 per hour.

---

http://www.flightattendantcareer.com/hiring_info.htm
This site provides links to dozens of airlines and posts current
hiring and interview schedules.

---

http://www.afanet.org/default.asp?id=96
Association of Flight Attendants

The Association of Flight Attendants is not involved with hiring at
airlines. Hiring in the aviation industry is dependent on the needs of
the individual airline. We are not able to provide employment
applications or specific requirements for a particular airline. Listed
below are airlines that are currently hiring and/or accepting
applications. We have indicated what union, if any, the flight
attendants belong to. Check the airlines? websites for additional
hiring information.

---

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos171.htm
Flight Attendants

Earnings 
Median annual earnings of flight attendants were $43,440 in May 2004.
The middle 50 percent earned between $31,310 and $67,590. The lowest
10 percent earned less than $23,450, and the highest 10 percent earned
more than $95,850.



Based on the above information it seems that your couple would be
earning about $90,000 - $100,000 per year.



Housing Choices -- Working at UCLA and LAX
------------------------------------------

The general cost of living guidelines indicate you should expect to
spend about 35-40 percent of your monthly income on housing and
another 15-20 percent on transportation. This means you will be
looking for a rental home or apartment for roughly $3,000 - $3,500 per
month.


http://images.google.com/images?num=100&hl=en&lr=&q=los%20angeles%20westwood&btnG=Search&sa=N&tab=wi

---

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westwood,_Los_Angeles,_California
Westwood, Los Angeles, California

---

http://www.westlaonline.com/
West LA Online: News and information for West Los Angeles. Serving
Westwood, Bel Air, Santa Monica, Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Culver
City,

---

http://cgi.money.cnn.com/tools/houseafford/houseafford.html
How much house can you afford?

---

http://www.househunt.com/b-la-cty.htm
Cities in Los Angeles County

---

http://guests.themls.com/
Search for HOMES and OPEN HOUSES in The Greater Los Angeles Metro Area
This is a great site because you can pick the geographic areas from a
map. My preliminary search shows that unless you will be able to make
a substantial down payment you will not be able to afford to buy a
home on your combined $100,000 salaries.

---

http://realestate.nytimes.com/community/profiles/CA-Los-Angeles.asp
Community Profiles ? California ? Los Angeles County   

---

://www.google.com/search?num=100&hl=en&lr=&q=homes+for+sale+los+angeles&btnG=Search
homes for sale los angeles



Choosing a School and School District
-------------------------------------

http://www.projectappleseed.org/choose.html
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edu/poptopics/rankings.html
How to Evaluate and Choose a School

---

http://www.ehow.com/how_8083_evaluate-communitys-schools.html
How to Evaluate a Community's Schools 

---

http://www.greatschools.net/city.page?city=Los+Angeles&state=CA
Search for schools after you?ve made a list of possible cities to
live. Evaluate schools before making housing decision.

---

http://notebook.lausd.net/portal/page?_pageid=33,47493&_dad=ptl&_schema=PTL_EP
Los Angeles Unified School District

---

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Unified_School_District
The Los Angeles Unified School District ( the "LAUSD") is the largest
(in terms of number of students) public school system in California
and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City
Department of Education has a larger student population. As of 2005,
LAUSD serves over 710,000 students.


==================================
LOS ANGELES LIFESTYLES AND CULTURE
==================================

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-ca-nicole26mar26,1,2175611.story?coll=la-headlines-entnews
An Unflinching Eye on a Never-Have-Enough Town

---

http://www.43things.com/things/view/14186
move to los angeles

---

http://www.ithacahours.com/losangeles.html
Los Angeles: A History of the Future

---

http://www-rcf.usc.edu/~dowell/pdf/demographicdynamism.pdf
Demographic Dynamism and Metropolitan Change

---

http://www.mondotimes.com/1/world/us/5/242
Los Angeles newspapers, magazines, radio and TV stations.

---

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m5072/is_27_25/ai_105851581
Los Angeles resorts suit lifestyles from urban chic to surf culture:
Santa Monica, Beverly Hills lead county's top-tier resort destinations

---

http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FNP/is_21_44/ai_n15863637
Whole Foods goes Hollywood with Lifestyle Store

---

http://www.calendarlive.com/
Los Angeles Events

---

http://www.la.com/
Los Angeles City Guide

Wow. Thank you for all these resources, I now see LA is a much more
complex city than my short stays there had shown me. I guess I now
have some research to do ;-) These are great pointers and will help me
get the hang of my scenario. I might be back later for questions about
very specific details ;-)

Hello killerwhale9-ga,

I'm glad the answer was useful. Thank you for the five stars and tip.
Your comments about getting the hang of your "scenario" are
intriguing. Are you writing a book?

All the best.

~ czh ~

Indeed I am! :-) I've written several short fiction pieces set in LA,
but this is a longer project needing more detail and background ;-)

All the best, 
KW9