From: Wales.Larrison@ofa123.fidonet.org
Newsgroups: alt.callahans
Subject: e: Acceptance
X-Sender: newtout 0.02 Sep 21 1992
Date: 30 Sep 92  22:19:04

Apologies to the rest of the patrons, but this bounced as email, so
I am reposting as a general message
  
To: carole@rembrandt.Eng.Sun.COM
  
Hi Carole!
  
>Earlier today, I received my acceptance notification to California
>State University (CSU) Long Beach for the Spring Semester 1993
>which starts in January.
   Congrats!
  
>Besides wanting to spread the good news, I need information pretty
>quickly. Such as:
>  When does the semester start? (When in January?)
   Hmmm... They have a rump session during the month of January -
called Winter 93 Session.   Goes from 4 Jan (1st day of instruction)
to 22 Jan (Last day of instruction).   I assume you don't want that.
   The "real" semester starts 21 Jan 93, first day of instruction is
26 Jan, finals 17-21 May, and last day is 28 May.   Those're
probably your real urgent dates.  (Source CSULB bulletin, 92-93)
 
>  A place to share, preferably with older female students (I'm 37).
> 
>  Areas in Long Beach that I should consider (good/bad places,
>etc.).
    Hmmm... maybe I can offer a few hints.  I'm a Long Beach native,
currently live about 5 miles away, and have lived within 5 miles of
CSULB for a decade or so.
    Most of the neighborhoods around campus are pretty good.  Avoid
downtown Long Beach or most of Signal Hill.  Low rents but shabby
areas and gang activity.
   If you can afford it, the "cool" spot is Belmont shores, which is
about 3-5 miles from CSULB on the Southwest side (around 2nd street,
and between it and the ocean).  High density housing, but a very
young, active population.  2nd street is full of interesting small
shops, restaurants and several bookstores.  A good place to walk,
eat and enjoy -- but "pretty cool".  Rents are somewhat expensive,
due to the proximity to the beach.
   Other livable places include (I'm assuming you're looking
within walk/biking distance -- not a more distant 5-10 miles): Seal
Beach, near the Long Beach/Signal Hill traffic circle, north of
campus in Lakewood, and Westminster/Huntington Beach.  Seal Beach is
about 5 miles from campus, a very nice small beach-type community,
but is more expensive due to the beach location.
   I used to live near the traffic circle - just east of it on "Park
Avenue".  Nice neighborhood - mixed residential and small (6-20
unit) apartment houses.  Walking distance from the college - about
20 minutes through a very nice residential neighborhood (used to jog
from home to CSULB, along one side of CSULB, and back in the
mornings).  Liked the neighborhood very much.  Apartment rents (this
is circa 1986) were very competitive to elsewhere, since while the
area did include students, it wasn't a beachy crowd and you weren't
paying for the fancy beach neighborhood.
   If you're willing to go 3-5 miles north of campus, you're heading
into Lakewood.  Straight middle-class suburban neighborhood for the
next 10 miles.  Pretty good area -- some pockets of gentility, but
no really bad neighborhoods.  I would expect prices to be pretty
reasonable for an apartment there. Wide streets and several
alternative routes to campus. Rapid transit a bit sparse, so either
drive or use a bike.
   Right now I live South-east of the campus in the Huntington
Beach/Westminster area.  There's a bus that runs (OCTD Route 60?)
from here to CSULB every 45 min or so -- most neighborhoods are
pretty good, until you get 5-10 milest east of here and get Asian
and Latino gang activity.  No idea on apartment rents.
   For you -- sight unseen and no idea of your preferences or
circumstances -- I'd recommend near the traffic circle (east side,
Park Avenue), then north of campus, then Belmont shore/Seal Beach,
then Huntington Beach/Westminster area.
   If you can afford it, spend a day or two looking at neighborhoods
and checking prices.  There are several obvious places right near
the campus -- but for those I'd be concerned about price gouging and
a noisy student population. (If you need to, Long Beach Airport is
very convenient, uncrowded, and has good daily/hourly connections to
the Bay area).  I'd recommend looking for rental ads in the Long
Beach Press Telegram  or the Orange County Register, then the Los
Angeles Times (get the regional edition).  I found my last 2
apartments in the area by driving around suitable neighborhoods and
looking for "for rent" signs.  Took about a day to find something
suitable -- but that WAS about 5 years ago.
 
>  Anything that you think I need to know before moving down there.
   I've heard that class space is tight.  Don't know about the
Journalism program, though, and the upper level classes are less
competitive than the entry-level lower level classes.
   Also -- this area is pretty expensive to live in.  But, you're
coming from the bay area, so prices should be about the same.
  
> I've been accepted for the Journalism program.  It's going to be
>weird because I'll be older than the majority of students.  Any
>older students that I can connect with?
   I'm not a student (was considering chasing another degree at
CSULB though).  I work full time, but drop me a line if you're stuck
for someone to talk to since I drive by CSULB going to and from
work.  I'm also 37.
 -----------------------------------------------------------------
 Wales Larrison                         Space Technology Investor
  

--- Maximus 2.00