Conquering Hollywood       The Board Game about "Making It" in the Movie Biz    FINDING A PLACE IN THE SUN For the newcomer, L.A. is a vast, never-ending maze of freeways and stucco buildings. Sure, there's the mountain range, which provides a dividing line. You know whether you're in the Valley or not. And there's the ocean, which sets the parameter of where things do, in fact, end. Even so, there are so many neighborhoods on the grid and all sorts of confusing things about this city. Like the two streets called Santa Monica Boulevard. Like the fact that Wilshire and S.M Blvd. are parallel, until they cross each other. The editors of ConqueringHollywood.com have lived in just about every L.A. neighborhood there is -- from Redondo Beach to Silver Lake to Sherman Oaks. Our advice for people moving to L.A. is to couch-surf for as long as possible. Once your friendships are worn out, make your apartment search as simple as possible by knowing what part of town you want to live in -- before driving around filling out applications. To break Greater Los Angeles down into its major parts, take a look at a MapQuest or Thomas Bros. overview of the entire city. Or, take a look at the Conquering Hollywood game board. L.A. is basically a square, with one corner taken out by the Pacific Ocean. In essence, there are four corners, or districts, if you will. Here is a Personality Power test that will help you pick your "corner" of the city. Aqua for the beach. Purple for the Northside. Gold for the Hills, and Brick Red for everywhere else on the Westside. (The Valley is off our radar these days, but very nice for those who don't mind going over the hill everyday.) Do you like seclusion? Do you like trees and quiet nights at home? Are you OK with difficult driveways? If so, head for Gold in the Hollywood Hills. The neighborhoods on the hill include Beverly Glen, Laurel Canyon and Benedict. Lots of producers in the Glen, musicians and lawyers in L.C., and actor types in Benedict. Prices are higher to the West, and cheaper to the East, in general. But you'll pay a lot to be above ground when the Big One hits. Do you like to be outdoors? Would you choose a bike ride along the Coast over a trip to the mall on any given Saturday? Do you want the sweet taste of the ocean breeze -- even you can't see water? You're Aqua. Head for the trendy-funk of Ocean Park, Santa Monica, or the artist colonies of Venice. To save moulah, look at renting in L.A. general as you head away from the beach on Washington Blvd. And psst ... Playa del Rey is a well-kept secret for good reason. Do you have to be in the middle of things? Are cross streets and coffee shops your cup of tea? Clearly, you're Brick Red. Start looking in Westwood or West L.A., if money is no object. Culver City to pinch pennies. On the outskirts of the Red quadrant, there's Westchester by LAX. But then again, that will cost you. Do you have to be near chic restaurants and movie stars? Is a t-shirt for $45 a find in your mind? If so, you're Purple. Start with Malibu and the Palisades. Scale down (not much) to upper Santa Monica, north of Wilshire and west of 26th Street. Brentwood is another stop on your tour. Or, take in Beverly Hills and so-called Beverly Hills Adjacent. Even lower Melrose. But beware, there is no price shopping in this quadrant. Our final words of advice for the Los Angeles newbie? Avoid the well-known areas, but live close by, in favor of saving money. That is, if your career and artistic sensibilities can stand it... Shot in the Dark? Looking for a place to live in L.A. can be a shot in the dark ... These Conquering Hollywood players don't know which way to turn. LINK SCOUT How about an apartment search site for people that have animals? Pets-people.comoffers a comprehensive listing of rentals that allow pets. The listings are by neighborhood and price, so you can start with where you want to live, and then scan for your price range. The rentals are coded for apartment or house -- cats only, or dogs and cats. Best thing is that most of the listings are found nowhere else. One of the ConqueringHollywood.com editors found a second-floor apartment with assigned parking, six blocks from the Pacific, that let her hairy Australian Shepherd to move in. For under $1,200. Talk about the inside scoop. (Pun intended.) NO CAR, NO WAY! If you live in L.A., you must have a car. But don't buy a car in the city. Instead, drive across country from New Jersey with the best thing you can buy that'll make the trip. Not an option? OK, fly to L.A. and get someone to drive you out of town to buy wheels. Try the Long Beach Chyrsler Jeep, at 2800 Cherry Avenue in L.B., for example. Whatever you do, don't try to deal with some guy paying big rent to have a car lot in L.A. Trust us on this one. ABOUT THIS SITE Actors! Producers! Directors! Writers! Just a Nobody? Do you want to make it in the entertainment biz? First things first. Move to L.A., get a car, an apartment, a job ... and a screenplay. This Web site is all about the board game that will teach you the inside story of what you have to do to be competitive in the race to make HIT MOVIES! Whether you're a nobody or a player, everyone in Tinseltown wants to be KING OF HOLLYWOOD!