A meager lifestyle for workers who cater to the high-flying

[Liberal_in_LA]

Leon, his wife and their two young sons had just been turned out of an apartment they shared in Hawthorne. The principal tenant complained that her utility bills were too high, so the Leons took their meager belongings and began walking away with nothing but a prayer.

That's when they saw the sign.

"It said one-bedroom apartment, $800," said Leon, 38, who lights up at the memory.

Actually, it wasn't an apartment in the conventional sense. It was a garage that had been divided into a bedroom, kitchen and parlor. But that's not an uncommon living arrangement in Los Angeles, where a low-wage economy and a high-rent market result in great hardship for thousands of working folks — the very people who keep the city running and the money flowing.

Leon, who works as a cook for an airline catering company specializing in overseas flights — at times preparing lobster and other delicacies for high-rolling first-class travelers — knew the rent would cost more than half his monthly income. But he convinced the landlord to let him pay the down payment over three months, and the family moved in.
http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-lopez-flying-20150419-column.html

[1939]

1. I would hate to tell you......

what it was like in an army town back in the 50s and early 60s. Lots of guys had to move into the barracks and send their wife and kids back to live with her folks. One nasty trick was to have the rent based on four weeks which gave the landlord thirteen months of payments instead of twelve. Fortunately, we were young and flexible way back then.

[Thinkingabout]

2. A lot of people do not require a home with a garage with elevators.

It is more important to be happy, warm and food in your stomach. If John or Jane down the street has a nicer home, then good for them.