Palms. South of Rancho Park and about five miles south of campus, Palms is a neighborhood bristling with apartments that are more affordable than housing closer to UCLA. A walk around Palms will reveal vacancy signs for investigation. If you are near the Santa Monica #12 bus route, which traverses Palms, or the Culver City #6 bus on Sepulveda, your transportation directly to campus is assured. Many students live in Palms, so carpooling is also a possibility. The eastern reaches of Palms are not the best or most convenient for students to live in. Palms has some convenience markets, a couple of laundromats and several ethnic restaurants, particularly along Venice Boulevard. There are supermarkets all around the periphery of the neighborhood. No movies here, but Palms isn't far from the movies of Westwood or Century City. Mar Vista. West of Palms, and four to six miles southwest of campus, Mar Vista is another neighborhood rich in affordable housing options for students. Single family houses still outnumber apartments, but apartment construction is widespread. Most UCLA family student apartments are in Mar Vista. One drawback is that parts of Mar Vista are poorly served by bus routes to campus. If you don't have a car, find an apartment near the Santa Monica #8 bus (National Blvd.), the #12 bus (Sepulveda), or the Culver City #6 bus (Sepulveda). This will make your commute much easier. The Mar Vista business center at Grand View and Venice is anchored by the Mar Vista Market. There are supermarkets on National and Sepulveda, and Whole Foods Market health food store is on National just north of Palms Boulevard. Fix-it shops and small ethnic restaurants complement standard fast food restaurants on main streets. Like Palms, Mar Vista doesn't have any theaters, but there are plenty in nearby neighborhoods. Also, Mar Vista has a large park and recreation center at Sawtelle and Palms, and it's not far from the beach.

Culver City. Culver City is an incorporated city five to seven miles south of UCLA and just south of Palms and Mar Vista. Rental prices tend to be affordable and the neighborhood pleasant, but travel to campus can consume about half an hour at rush hour. There are apartments between Venice and Washington Boulevards, and in the area off Culver Boulevard, south of MGM Studios. Further south, toward Jefferson Boulevard, luxury apartments and condos are common. If you don't have a car, you'll probably want to live near the Culver City #6 bus (Sepulveda) or one of the lines that connect with it, such as the #1 bus (Washington Blvd.) or #5 bus (Braddock). Culver City is freeway friendly and has shopping, services and good recreation facilities. Venice. Venice is a beach community six to seven miles southwest of campus. Modeled after the Italian original (complete with canals), it has always attracted artists and social activists. In the 80's, parts of Venice were gentrified, and the community reflects a mixture of trendy and neglected, pricey and rundown. You've probably heard about the Venice Boardwalk: bargains, rollerskaters, jugglers, and "Muscle Beach." (If you haven't, pay it a visit some Sunday afternoon.) Venice has some bargain housing left, but you need to look for it. Be careful not to settle for something that should be condemned just because the rent sounds cheap. High density, weekend tourists and almost impossible parking are tradeoffs for having sand and waves just footsteps from your door. As in all the beach communities, the weather in Venice can be cool; morning and evening fog is common. While much of Venice is peaceful, stay away from the beachfront after dark.