Town like Bay Area's Lafayette in but in LA/OC area (Oakland: low crime, homes)

[jpcook]

Can anyone tell me if there is a town similar to Bay Area towns Lafayette or the Oakland Hills town Montclair or Mill Valley in the LA/OC area, commutable to Cerritos? The things I think the above towns have going for them are: lots of recreation nearby, nice downtown, freeway accessible, homes with larger lots, low crime (not Montclair, but most crime is kept in the flats), small-town feel, good wealth distribution and variety of housing stock, good schools. We are coming out for a reconnaissance visit in 2 weeks and are madly trying to narrow down our options so we're not driving all over the place looking for a town to settle in. What is Monrovia like? Also should Tustin or Yorba Linda be contenders? Thanks for all help.

[youngmoney]

Yorba Linda would be a perfect bet for you my friend. Yorba Linda is everything that is great with Lafayette.

-Families
-Schools
-Strong religious culture
-Low Crime
-Quiet Neighborhoods
-Suburban
-Wealthy
-and reallly nice!

[jpcook]

Thanks, youngmoney! We'll definitely keep it on our list then.

[lam09]

I'm considering moving back to ca from nyc (lived in the south back in the 90s). I was in the north briefly and loved it, deciding that if I came back, I'd stay in the north. Can't decide on the nicest area. I'm looking for a Lafayette-like town, but the surrounding areas seem very nice, as well. I'd be starting over completely; car, job, place to live, etc.

Can anyone give me a quick summary of the area?