Compared to its southern neighbor of San Diego, Los Angeles isn’t a city dominated by its military presence. Chances are, if you’re headed to town on military business you’ll be stationed at the Los Angeles Air Force Base. The base is non-flying, but there’s still plenty of action on the ground. It’s the headquarters of the Space and Missile Systems Center, which researches and develops military space systems. Even if you’re not relocating to the base itself, you should still be aware that it serves all other active duty members of other military branches stationed in the area. If your list of questions about the area includes where to put all of your extra stuff once you move or are deployed, read on to find out what military members in Los Angeles need to know about storage.
Storage Near the Base
There are 277 storage facilities in Los Angeles. That’s a lot to choose from! How do you determine which one is for you? Start with the number one concern of self storage renters in mind: location. Los Angeles Air Force Base is in El Segundo. The military population (including families) is about 3,000. If you narrow down your storage facility options so that you’re only looking at those closest to the base, you’re still left with
a long list of great options. If you want a unit that’s so close you could actually walk to it from work, check out
Everest Self Storage. It’s only 1.3 miles away.
US Storage Centers in Hawthorne is just 1.7 miles away. You can access both of these facilities straight from the base by car in under ten minutes. Trust us, any commute that’s that short in Los Angeles is nothing short of a miracle. Besides these two facilities, there are 14 other storage facilities less than 10 miles from the base. That’s about 6,600 individual units. That’s enough space for everyone on base to have at least two units alone (not that we recommend that).
How Your Housing Affects Your Storage Needs
The first thing any newcomer to L.A. wonders about is where to live. Military members stationed at the Los Angeles Air Force Base face the same dilemma but fortunately have a little more help than the average Craigslister does. Military personnel and their families have access to privatized housing through
Terra Vista Communities. If you’re planning on taking advantage of this, remember that there can often be a wait list for a home. We suggest renting a storage facility and living somewhere temporarily while you wait to move up on the list. Your spot is based on your rank, so this should give you an idea of how long you’ll be needing your storage unit for. Another thing to keep in mind with Terra Vista Communities is the size of your new home. There are 365 different townhomes and apartments available through this housing option along with 30 historic homes set aside for officers and their families. Homes and apartments range from 1,190 square feet to 3,000 square feet. An easy way to determine how big of a storage facility you need is by comparing your current square footage and amount of bedrooms to that of your new home.
Security Considerations
As a military member, you’re used to being on the go. We know that you have more important things to worry about than whether or not your belongings are safe. If you’re active duty and your chances of being deployed are high, keep this in mind when choosing your storage facility. A good storage unit is secure (a
great lock helps), well lit and only accessible to renters and staff. Quiz your facility manager on topics like how often gate codes are changed, how often he or she walks the property and what procedures are in place to prevent theft. If you can, ask any current renters you encounter about their experiences with safety on the property. They’re unbiased and will likely be honest. And of course, don’t be shy when it comes to asking about military discounts. Not all facilities will offer them, but it never hurts to carry your ID with you and ask.
