Hey Everybody:

Don't know if this is the proper thread, so my apologies if not...

This is an opinion question for everyone who has experience living in LA with jeeps.

I will be most likely attending law school at UCLA or USC. I do not know where I will live yet (maybe you can suggest some areas) but should I have any worries about keeping my jeep in the city? Will I be able to keep my top down, doors off, etc. I have a soft top. From what I've seen, I will have to commute from and to school, and USC seems (from talking to students) to have excellent security on-campus. So my main worry will be when my jeep is at my residence, where ever that will be. Are there any extra measures I should take to minimize the chance of vandalism/theft/damage to my jeep? Any info or anecdotal advice would be wonderful, as I am completely in the dark right now-but try not to scare me too much!

In advance, thanks a bunch!

 

I've lived in L.A. my whole life (with the exception of 4 years of college) and have never had a vehicle vandalized, broken into or stolen. Not to say it doesn't happen, but it has never happened to me. I leave my top down all the time and park it on the streets of L.A.-- honestly, I worry about birds crapping on the seats more than I worry about crime. My advice is just to not worry about it. Just don't leave anything you care about in the Jeep and get some decent insurance coverage and you'll be fine.

And welcome to SoCal!

 

Appreciate the response! I have heard that University Park is a little bit of a shady area, does that still hold true at all?

 

Really your biggest problem, is not going to Loyola.

I'm not sure you can rely on Doojer's opinion. He's a nice guy and all, but he's also a movie producer. I'm fairly certain that he lives on a Bel Air estate. He most likely has a Ecologically renewable PETA approved Rock Garden in his back yard.

Most apartment type housing in that area, is going to have secured parking. I lived in the Marina Del Rey area, and I did not have any security issues at all. Then again, I drove a 1978 Volkswagen van.

Recommendations on where to live, will be determined by your choice. USC and UCLA are not very close to each other. There are good areas around both. USC has some very bad areas around it though.

Sorry bout all the "smiles". My 4 year old picked them out.

 

Zing to doojer!

I'm glad to hear about the secured parking, that really eases my mind. I'm from Baltimore and I always fear leaving my jeep places. I heard Silver Lake is a place where some USC law students live? My real concern is how far will the nearest 4x4 spot be so I can let off some steam! Maybe that PETA approved rock garden?

 

LOL, actually PETA withdrew their approval after we set up a chicken coop and a pig pen....




:toung: (<---- those are for Brandon )

 

My sister lived in the graduate student apts at UCLA her 3-series got banged on by someones hand. I vandalism does take place but mostly by the occasional drunkard that decides to break something. There is secure parking in both schools. But I personally wouldnt leave my jeep anywhere around USC overnight very shady areas...Its sorta like at USC your car is more likely to be stolen but at UCLA your car is more likely to be vandalized. Thats just the vibe I got.

 

Westwood (UCLA) is very safe, so no problem there. Also campus security is very good. USC has also a very good security. Outside the campus can be shady, but it is getting much better than it used to.
I have gone to USC college football games (only when Notre Dame plays there - go Irish), and have parked my BMW X5 off campus, and never had any problems (Granted security is re-enforced during the games).

 

I have been a cop for 18 years, 12 of those years working patrol. I can count the number of times a jeep with a soft top has been burglarized on one hand. The best thing you can do is to leave it unlocked and by all means dont leave anything valuable in it. You may want to get "The Club" for it to make it a little harder to steal, or one of those bars that attach from the gas pedal to the steering wheel. Lojack is a good thing, too. If you have a manual transmission, that is good. A lot of the car theves around here dont like or know how to drive a stick. Unfortunately, vandalism to soft tops is way more common, but still not too bad. At least where I work.


I am not getting a soft top for my JK for the above reasons, but I guess I may be a little paranoid. When I want to take my top off, I will put on a bikini top.

 

UCLA is partially surrounded by an upscale neighborhood: Brentwood, but it's still LA. UCLA security is good, but unless your Jeep is locked up tight in a garage, I wouldn't leave the top down or the doors off overnight.

USC is surrounded by... well a charming area very much like war time Beruit (Crensaw to the West. Echo Park to the North. Downtown to the East. And lovely Slauson to the South.). I wouldn't park my Jeep on the street in or around USC. Yes, USC security is pretty tight, during the day.

Bottom line no matter where you decide to live or go to school out here: if you're parking your Jeep on the street it's best to lock it up tight: roof and doors (and maybe an alarm, too).

Lastly, congratulations on Law School. Both schools are good and close to the courts downtown. (After you get here and get settled, when you make your first trip down to the courts, you HAVE to stop and have a French Dip at Philippes!)