Student Blog
Living in LA

Currie Hall (No Affiliation with Food nor the NBA) ⟩
January 8, 2018, by Kaitlyn

Housing and Transportation Living in LA

After high school, I moved out to downtown Los Angeles to attend USC for undergrad and lived there for four years. Once I decided that I was going to go continue at USC (but this time on the Health Sciences Campus), I knew that it was the perfect time to move and make a (slight) change.

I am a big believer in growing wherever you are planted. Thus, finding the right place to live is imperative to me in so many ways. Is it reasonably close to friends and family? Is it safe? Is it comfortable? Are there opportunities for socialization in the nearby area? Are there good restaurants (huge food lover here) around?! There are a lot of considerations when finding a new place to live and I wanted to make the right choice as I embarked on this new journey.

I had a few options in mind, but I ultimately decided to move into an apartment building located on the USC Health Sciences Campus called Currie Hall. I moved there on the first day it opened, so I’ve been living there for about a year and a half now. If you’re interested in moving in, the following are some pros and cons.

Pros:

The “commute” — My commute is about a 5-minute walk across the street to the Center for Health Professions building. It sure beats sitting in traffic for an hour, that’s for sure!

The residents — Almost everyone in the building is a student on the USC Health Sciences Campus. Thus, you’ll run into medical, physical therapy, and pharmacy (just to name a few) students all the time! It’s in the norm to see people walking around in scrubs and/or a white coat. It’s a great experience to be in such a interdisciplinary housing setting filled with future healthcare professionals! I personally live with a pharmacy student and a medical student!

Safety — I feel very safe in this building. There are many “checkpoints” at every doorway/entryway where your key is required. DPS is also only just a phone call away if they’re ever needed!

Proximity to “new” cities — I frequent the Arts District, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Downtown, and Pasadena quite frequently because they are all within close driving distance (this also means cheap Ubers/Lyfts)! All of the cities I just mentioned have different “personalities,” so it’s nice to feel like I’m still exploring new places around LA. *Tip: Arts District, Silver Lake, and Echo Park have amazing hidden gems when it comes to restaurants so definitely keep your options open! My current favorites are Mohawk Bend and Cliff’s Edge (again, big food lover here).

The apartment & building itself — Like I mentioned before, I moved in the first day it opened so it is BRAND NEW. Some notable perks: an in-unit washer/dryer (a life saver!), a balcony, your own bathroom, your own walk-in closet, furnished when you move in, a gym, a BBQ grill/patio area, a pool and jacuzzi, study rooms, etc. The staff is also great as well!

Cons:

Far from the beach — Unfortunately, it is far from the beach, which is one of my greatest loves! With traffic, it takes me about 45 minutes to get to the coastline. I also have friends that live on the west side of Los Angeles (i.e. Santa Monica, Culver City) so it can be inconvenient at times to get to them.

Everything is within some kind of driving distance — Although it is the most convenient option when it comes to school, it is not the most convenient when it comes to going to the store or running errands. For example, Trader Joe’s and Target are about a 15 minute drive away in the neighboring cities. Sometimes this feels a bit isolating, but it hasn’t bothered me too much because I have a car.

Holiday Breaks=Ghost Town — It is eerily empty when winter, summer, and spring breaks roll around because most residents go home for the holidays!

“Dorm”-like? — I have to agree and disagree on this one. Yes, it does feel like a dorm in that everyone there is a student but we are also all graduate students. This means that we’re all busy — studying, going off to clinical rotations, working . . . you name it! We’ve got a lot of responsibilities on our plate so you definitely won’t get those freshman dorm experiences you had in college.

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I may have picked the closest option to campus, but don’t be afraid to venture out as well! I have many friends who commute from neighboring cities like Silver Lake, Echo Park, Alhambra, Pasadena, and Downtown. I know people who commute from Culver City, Manhattan Beach, and Santa Monica as well! My best piece of advice: Determine what’s important to you and pick a place you know you will be happy in.

If interested in learning more about Currie Hall, click here.

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Some Alternative Transportation ⟩
December 1, 2017, by Bryan

Housing and Transportation Living in LA

I thought this post might be useful for anyone considering applying/attending USC who lives outside the LA area! I currently live in Redondo Beach and driving to campus is definitely taxing. It takes a little over an hour each way and there are plenty of cohort members who commute all the way from the OC! For those who are looking for some alternative and cheaper forms of transportation/parking, here are a few.

1. Metrolink Trains. A number of my cohort members take this train from Fullerton/Irvine/OC area and it is a great option! The train has seats to sit on and study or sleep and also travels straight to Union Station, from which you can board a USC shuttle to take you to Health Science Campus. The downside with these trains is that the departure times are pretty limited so you will probably have to wake up pretty early and leave campus by specific times.
2. Metro Bus. I personally take the silver line 910/950 which goes straight from Gardena area/91 fwy entrance in the South Bay all the way to LA+USC Hospital which is close to the Health Science Campus! The commute consists of just one bus and takes about ~1hr to get to HSC. A major benefit is that the Tap Card bus pass (which works for all other Metro lines as well!) is 107$/semester. You can purchase a Tap Card online through USC and pick up the sticker on HSC campus.

If you do end up driving and are looking for other potential parking options, there is metered parking available on campus that expire in 4 hour intervals (1$/hr) as well as free parking available on Valley Street right next to campus, across the train tracks. If you search “Lincoln Park” into your maps app, you can find free street parking around that area. Finding street parking along Valley gets tough, however, so definitely give yourself some time to find a spot and walk to class.

Hope this makes your commuting lives a little easier!

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My Favorite Holiday ⟩
November 21, 2017, by Bryan

Life Hacks Living in LA

More than the food, football, and even times with family, I love Thanksgiving because it forces me for at least one day to stop complaining (“OMG Adult Rehabilitation is so tiring”) and try to focus on expressing gratitude. So, here are a few things I am thankful for in relation to OT and my time here at USC:

1. Cohort B. Wow, it is an understatement to say that all my classmates at OT school, especially my cohort, are some of the best people I have had the opportunity to work with. I am especially grateful for cohort B because with the grind of the semester, they definitely see the worst of me. Whenever I am tired or grumpy or just over having to write short term and long term goals for ADLs, my cohort members consistently great me with a smile or ask me how I am doing. It has been a very unique and uplifting experience to feel so cared for throughout the rigors of balancing graduate school and life.
2. Eric Cohen Student Health Center Free Coffee. I was honestly thinking about making this #1. Free coffee from Eric Cohen Student Health Center is the lifeblood of this program for me.
3. Fieldwork educators and experiences. I have been really lucky with some great fieldwork placements throughout the program (inpatient rehabilitation facility for adult rehabilitation, pediatrics acute inpatient rehabilitation, and clubhouse setting for adults with developmental disabilities). At all three sites I had great clinical instructors/supervisors who challenged me as a clinician and helped me grow in applying what I learned in class into practice. I grew in the skills of building interpersonal relationships and establishing rapport with clients and their families. I learned how to study and come prepared to fieldwork the next day only to have all my plans thrown out the window and need to adapt to an entirely new situation and circumstances.
4. Student Ambassadors. Last but not least, it has been a great privilege to be part of the Student Ambassador team this year. I honestly thought the position would be a really tough time commitment throughout the semester, but I am surprised how fun it has been giving tours and information sessions as well as presentations to prospective students. I realized how much I enjoy getting to know other people and seeing their own discovery of OT grow. It has also been so fun working with my fellow Ambassadors! It is difficult to see friends in different cohorts, so I am grateful we get to work together.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

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Falling In Love With A New Occupation ⟩
October 30, 2017, by Ali

Life Hacks Living in LA

With week ten of the semester comes midterms, unfinished projects, and the overall stress of finishing classes while choosing classes for next semester. I found myself getting caught up in the stress of it all, going straight from class to work to home only to continue studying or working until bed and then starting it all over the next day. Then one day last week, I came home to huge brown box on my front porch. My parents had mailed me a boogie board. They knew both how stressed I had been and my love for swimming in the ocean.

I had been talking for months about wanting to go to the beach on the weekend, but never found myself actually making the short twenty-minute drive. This surprise present was just the motivation I needed, as I have always wanted to take up boogie boarding but never actually knew how or owned the board. So last week, with October weather in Los Angeles being so warm, I took my new board to ocean! An eight five-degree weather day at the beach is hard to pass up.

The fresh air and salty water was the just the refresher I had been craving in the middle of the semester. It felt so good to do something like boogie boarding, which has no inherent value besides being enjoyable and fun. To engage in something purely for the sake of leisure without any productive value or in the hopes of reaching a goal, was something I had not done in a long time. There are so many occupations out there, and I am so glad I was reminded to try out a new one. I love being a beginner at something again and the joy of learning a new skill just for the sake of learning it. In the middle of occupational therapy school this semester, I was reminded of the power of occupation and the therapeutic value that meaningful activities have on our lives. I am feeling ready to take the rest of the exams and projects I have ahead (with my boogie board in my hand).

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In the Mood for Food: Eating in LA ⟩
September 27, 2017, by Kaitlyn

Living in LA

I really love people and I also really love food. So, it makes sense that being able to share a good-tasting meal with people I care about is one of my favorite occupations. Fellow student ambassador, Erika, did a great job of naming some places you can visit in Los Angeles in her most recent blog post. Since I have been asked time and time again where the best places are to eat from students new to LA, I have decided to compile a small (yes, I said small) list of just some of my favorites based on areas around LA. Disclaimer: I am a vegetarian so some of these restaurants tend to stray on the veggie-friendly side!

Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA)

Bottega Louie | Bottega Louie is the mecca of all things Instagram-worthy and aesthetically pleasing. The restaurant itself has high ceilings, white walls, and gold accents, making for a clean look all around. My favorite: all flavors of the macarons and Portabello Fries.

Maccheroni Republic | This Italian restaurant is on the smaller side, but they have a great outdoor patio with lights strung across the top. My favorite: Bianchi & Neri pasta (without meat).

Mendocino Farms | The DTLA location is at FIGat7th, so make sure to stop by the other stores and dessert places around! It also gets quite busy around weekday lunches since many corporate people working downtown will go there for lunch. My favorite: Vegan Banh Mi sandwich.

Hollywood/Mid-City

Bossanova | Bossanova is one of those restaurants I choose when I can’t figure out where else to eat or am too lazy to figure out where to eat. Everything on this menu is so good and their portions are huge. My favorite: the Plantains.

California Chicken Cafe | I’ve never been here when it wasn’t busy, and that’s because their wraps and salad are REALLY good and everyone knows it. They still have the best salads I’ve tasted to this day. My favorite: ironically, the Chinese Chicken Salad without the chicken.

Republique | If you’re looking for a pretty place to eat, this is it. My favorite: Avocado Toast.

Arts District

Urth Caffe | Urth Caffe is my go-to restaurant every single time I want to go out to eat. It has gotten to a point where my friends say to me, “Where should we eat? And don’t say Urth Caffe again.” It’s healthy, the vibe is casual, and I know it’s pretty much going to taste the same every time I go. My favorites: Hummus and Tabouli salad and Blended Green Tea Boba (I know, boba isn’t healthy but everything in moderation I always say!).

Wurstkuche | I don’t eat meat, but from what I’ve heard the sausages are really good here! If you’re wondering what I order, I get their fries! The fries that they serve here are good. Like, really good. My favorite: Fries with Chipotle Aioli and Pesto Mayo.

Amazebowls | When I went to undergrad at USC, Amazebowls was just a food truck on Hoover. Now, they have their own place and I can feed both my stomach and my withdrawals from Hawaii. My favorite: anything on the menu.

Silverlake & Highland Park

Sqirl | Sqirl is a very low key and understated place for brunch/lunch. You never would notice it just driving by! However, it is recommended time and time again by both hipsters and non-hipsters alike. My favorite: Brioche Toast with Ricotta and Specialty Jam of the Day.

Maximiliano | The best outdoor patio for dinner and t-a-s-t-y pizza! My favorite: the Bianca-Verde Pizza.

Koreatown

Cafe Mak | Cafe Mak is another place I frequented during my undergraduate years at USC. It is still my favorite cafe to study at because there is a plethora of outlets, great Wi-Fi, not many people know about it, and you can order your food at the press of a button (literally, there are buttons on the table). My favorite: Iced Vanilla Latte.

Ubatuba Acai | My standards for acai bowls are a little high since I go to Hawaii very frequently and lived there for 3 months this past summer. I’ve tried almost every acai bowl place in the LA area and I will say that this place (and Amazebowls) are comparable to the ones in the Aloha state. My favorite: anything on the menu.

Santa Monica

Swingers | If you’re out in Santa Monica, this diner is the best place for late night eats. They offer food that is vegan, vegetarian, and meat-friendly! My favorite: Vegan Nachos and Stuffed Grilled Cheese.

Blue Plate Taco | It gets pretty busy here so expect somewhat of a wait. I recommend going here for dinner after a shopping along 3rd Street Promenade or before/after visiting the pier! It’s along PCH so you get a great view of the ocean. My favorite: Veggie Tacos.

The great thing about southern California is that there is so much diversity, and with that comes a lot of diversity in food! With that being said, be open to everything and anything because there are hidden gems everywhere.

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