Torrance? (Los Angeles, Burbank, Compton: rental, condos, low crime)

[j from chi]

Hello-
My wife and I are considering a job transfer I've been offered in West Hollywood. I had the option if I took the offer to either be located in Scottsdale, Arizona or West Hollywood. We currently live in Naperville, IL and will miss it very much. My wife and daughter both wanted California (figures) so we are in the process of doing research. We really like the South Bay area, Manhattan Beach specifically, but know we definetly cant afford it since we arent some top executive people who live off of 300k a year . I was searching around the site, and Torrance came up. It looks way more affordable than M.B. but still in close vicinity. We would like to spend no more than 800k, and could somebody tell me what that could buy? Is the town nice? Safe? Good schools? Or would you reccomend another area? We just want to live in a decent area with good schools for my 14 year old daughter and always be able to feel safe. We dont want a lot of crime. I also realize that the 405 is an 8 lane h**l with all of the traffic ...if there are any decent areas near W.H. worth considering, tell me. If there isnt anything, I will just take the offer in Scottsdale.

Thanks,
Jerry

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[MG1]

Torrance is okay. Schools are okay by CA standards. Some parts of Torrance are getting a bit of influence from the nearby gang banger areas (Compton, Gardena, Carson).

If your work is in WH, and you're willing to spend up to $800,000 to purchase, why not look around West LA? Or for that matter, since you were planning on a commute anyway, look into the San Fernando Valley, my personal preference being in Sherman Oaks. It wouldn't be a horrible commute from there, and Sherman Oaks is a wonderful area that will get you quite a bit for the prices you can afford.

Sherman Oaks is a great area, too. I would definitely avoid Scottsdale, AZ, if I were you. It's horrible in the summer (4 months of the year is untolerable heat, even if they call it a dry heat, an oven is also a dry heat). Scottsdale also has a reputation for being very fake and snobby, and that's saying a lot considering CA isn't nearly as snobby as the Scottsdale punks (this is addressed in http://nevercoldcall.typepad.com/scottsdale_sucks/, a website called "Scottsdale Sucks", sort of a tongue-in-cheek examination of the area).

Scottsdale will, however, get you a lot more for your money, but what is "a lot" anyway?

Originally Posted by j from chi

Hello-
My wife and I are considering a job transfer I've been offered in West Hollywood. I had the option if I took the offer to either be located in Scottsdale, Arizona or West Hollywood. We currently live in Naperville, IL and will miss it very much. My wife and daughter both wanted California (figures) so we are in the process of doing research. We really like the South Bay area, Manhattan Beach specifically, but know we definetly cant afford it since we arent some top executive people who live off of 300k a year . I was searching around the site, and Torrance came up. It looks way more affordable than M.B. but still in close vicinity. We would like to spend no more than 800k, and could somebody tell me what that could buy? Is the town nice? Safe? Good schools? Or would you reccomend another area? We just want to live in a decent area with good schools for my 14 year old daughter and always be able to feel safe. We dont want a lot of crime. I also realize that the 405 is an 8 lane h**l with all of the traffic ...if there are any decent areas near W.H. worth considering, tell me. If there isnt anything, I will just take the offer in Scottsdale.

Thanks,
Jerry

[j from chi]

MG1-
Thanks for your help. I will look into that area as well. I looked up San Fernando itself as a city and it seems close to W.H. We also had fun on realtor.com and found some in B.H....some condos. My wife was surprised at how many there were, and there were countless rental properties. We will definetly look into San Fernando Valley and possibly Burbank. We've heard some good things about Burbank too. Is that area decent as well? What can I get for my buck out there? Just looking for the right place to raise my daughter and live. Also if anyone else has info on Torrance, please post.

Thanks again ,
Jerry


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[MG1]

What's funny is that you won't like at all the city called "San Fernando". You really will need to stay away from there. But the region known as the "San Fernando Valley" has some of the best and most excellent SoCal living, and then a few areas northside that are destroyed. Sherman Oaks is excellent, and as good as anywhere you can live in SoCal, as is Encino, Tarzana, Burbank (which you mentioned), and Studio City, to name a few. Areas to stay away from in the SFV are San Fernando (the city), Reseda, much of Van Nuys, Canoga Park, and Pacoima, again to name a few.

It is still possible to get a nice three or four bedroom home in Sherman Oaks for under $800,000. Check the typical places like Yahoo RE and other basic RE websites and you'll see what I mean.

Originally Posted by j from chi

MG1-
Thanks for your help. I will look into that area as well. I looked up San Fernando itself as a city and it seems close to W.H. We also had fun on realtor.com and found some in B.H....some condos. My wife was surprised at how many there were, and there were countless rental properties. We will definetly look into San Fernando Valley and possibly Burbank. We've heard some good things about Burbank too. Is that area decent as well? What can I get for my buck out there? Just looking for the right place to raise my daughter and live. Also if anyone else has info on Torrance, please post.

Thanks again ,
Jerry

[dusesean1986]

I have come to bring great news, Torrance is an excellent place to raise a family. But, most importantly the 405 Freeway is undergoing major Construction in the West Los Angeles Area and should be flowing quite well, when the project is set to be completed by the end of this year. You can buy a home in Torrance for 800K, and even few parts of the backside of Manhattan Beach. I live in Manhattan Beach, I have for all 20 years, I can give you precise information on this area.

[morefromcali]

Hi,

I agree that the South Bay has some wonderful places in it, and that Torrance has a lot to offer. However, I am less optimistic than 1986 about the 405 construction. It will be a nightmare while they are doing it, and then it will help for a few months or years at best. I remember when the 105 came in and it was WONDERFUL for a little while. But now people have discovered it and it's as bad as the rest of them. I certainly wouldn't plan on a Torrance to West Hollywood commute as a long term plan. I think you will be exhausted by it fairly soon and then either feel like you need to move again, or change jobs. Better to pick a place closer to your job so your kids can settle in and join the community and you won't burn out.

Best of luck!

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by morefromcali

Hi,

I agree that the South Bay has some wonderful places in it, and that Torrance has a lot to offer. However, I am less optimistic than 1986 about the 405 construction. It will be a nightmare while they are doing it, and then it will help for a few months or years at best. I remember when the 105 came in and it was WONDERFUL for a little while. But now people have discovered it and it's as bad as the rest of them. I certainly wouldn't plan on a Torrance to West Hollywood commute as a long term plan. I think you will be exhausted by it fairly soon and then either feel like you need to move again, or change jobs. Better to pick a place closer to your job so your kids can settle in and join the community and you won't burn out.

Best of luck!

I think the South Bay areas are definitely better than the San Fernando Valley for folks working on the south side of the hill. The primary problem with the valley is the limited number of routes to get through the passes. At least with the South Bay, there are surface streets that run parallel to the 405, even if they tend to be crowded.

I heard a city planner (from somewhere back east) talking recently about the traffic woes in L.A., and his suggestion for the West L.A. area was to turn the 10 freeway into a boulevard. His reasoning was that the concept of the freeway caused congestion, because everyone drove a few miles to get to the freeway, then drove on it, and later, drove a few more miles to get away from it. If people just took the surface streets, then they would not crowd around the freeway, easing congestion.

Thinking about this, I think the idea has merit, but we would need quite a few more well designed boulevards to handle the traffic flow, along with well timed and controlled signals. There would have to be a lot of planning for other (parallel) routes for this concept to work well.

[Momzilla]

I have to say - being origanally born in Naperville IL - West Hollywood is great. However, I moved there when I was 10 and my parents and I have nothing in common. Think about yourselves and your family before you move there - the midwest is VERY different from California - and while you can get a good idea on paper about the area - if you can at all take a trip to visit before you move!

As a child moving from Naperville @ 10 - I loved California and I still consider it home. But it is a different place as I have said, and honestly you are likely in for less of a shell shock by moving to Scottsdale.

If you are insistant on moving to California - I agree with the other posters about the San Fernando VALLEY (not the city, lol). and Torrance - compared to what you are used to.... nope. You likely won't like it With California it is best to look WHERE the city is going and the influence from the near by cities. In 10 years your kids are not going to be able to afford to live near you - both me and my brother have moved out of California because of the price, leaving my parents with each of their kids over 400 miles away. And then combined with Torrance and the up and coming gang problem...

I honestly don't mean to be a downer - because I LOVE California - but take a harder look at Scottsdale. Seriously.

[dusesean1986]

Originally Posted by Momzilla

And then combined with Torrance and the up and coming gang problem...
.

With all due respect,

Torrance doesn't have a gang problem, go to muninetguide.com, and see the average household income in Torrance. Gangmembers don't reside in wealthy communities. I'd say there's 4 crumby streets in all of Torrance out of probably 400, and that's right next to Harbor City. I know because I've lived nearby for 20 years. I want to make sure our poster is receiving accurate information on her whereabouts.

[PureHapa]

I live in Torrance (Redondo Beach zip code), and work here as well. It's great. There's very low crime, good schools, good weather, good air, close to the beach, lots of shopping and restaurants. Dusesean's right, there is no gang problem in Torrance. Torrance has it's own PD and FD, and school district.

Most homes here were built in the 50s-70s. You can get a good home for $800k.