Whats your Thoughts on Brentwood, L.A.??? (Torrance, Vista: rent, condominium)

[Diesel25]

I too am moving to Brentwood or West Hollywood in September. I don't have a job lined up because I feel as if companies will not look at my resume without a California address. I'm a college graduate, completed a year of my MBA (personal decision to postpone my degree) and I have a couple of years of work experience.

How difficult will it be for me to find a job? Is it as competitive as other job markets? I currently live in Boston. I have a couple of months savings, i just don't want to wait months before I find work.

Thanks!

[Lindy_TT]

Does anyone have pictures of Brentwood they would like to share with everyone? I am dying to visit, but can't leave where I am at the moment.

[Lindy_TT]

My husband and I spoke with a gentleman this weekend about California. He couldn't understand why anybody would want to live in Brentwood, L.A. He said it is HORRIBLE on traffic, and its becoming a gang area at nights, so much that we wouldn't step foot in there after the sun sets. I don't really know what to think of this because I can't find anything about Brentwood, ghetto and/or gangs in the same sentence, or even post. Maybe he was confused.... but I don't know. He lived there many years and named a few nice areas he would recommend over it, like Marina Del Rey, La Jolla (although thats San Diego, not LA), the OC, Laguna, and others I have read on this forum. I was sad to hear this about Brentwood. Are people beginning to come into the area to start crimes bc it IS a nicer, wealthier area? PLEASE HELP!! This saddened me to hear, but I want to hear ALL sides of the spectrum before setting my sights on one destination. Thanks!!!

[fastfilm]

Lindy, I think whoever gave you this "advice" about Brentwood might suffer from early onset Alzheimers and is confusing it with someplace else, or was sufficiently jolted by the O.J. Simpson trial that he can't differentiate anymore. Resident Fairweathergolfer is on the mark, your early onset guy is not. (In his defense, if he were referring to all Los Angeles becoming a gang area, then technically he's correct, as Brentwood is part of Los Angeles.) Brentwood is one of the few places in L.A. that I would feel safe jogging at midnight, down the landscaped median of San Vicente. Brentwood is wealthy, and safe.

Here's the current LAPD crime map for the area. Piffle! There's nothing but theft of property from automobiles. If the link isn't specific, go to LA90025, intersection San Vicente and Barrington, and a mile radius for a week.LAPD | e-policing and crime stats

The dog question is the more difficult one, actually. L.A. landlords are not generous regarding our beloved canines, which I why every dog owner I know in L.A. has sacrificed mightily to become a homeowner. A good tactic for dogowning renters is to try to find a guesthouse: individual rental spaces are less likely to draw unfounded criticism from other renters. When I rented, I offered a "caca clause" to landlords, which was that ANY property damage attributable to a dog would be paid for by me, uncontested.

[JackSparrow]

Brentwood is a horrible place. There's poor people everywhere!!! Homeless people and animals roam the streets. Housing is affordable, but since there's no indoor plumbing- no one wants to live there. It's far from the beach, and the temperature is outrageous. Pigs regularly fly through the treetops too...

[Lindy_TT]

God, I am so happy to hear this. What he was saying had me SO confused. I don't know what he was thinking or where he was thinking about. I really like Brentwood, from what I hear, and was mad he was saying those things, but I honestly can't defend the place. I don't know anything about it.

[fastfilm]

Lindy, if you did watch the O.J. Simpson trial, then you know a lot about Brentwood! (the disputed 15 minute chase from his large estate north of Sunset in Brentwood to his ex's nice, toney townhome south of San Vicente in Brentwood, witnesses safely walking their dogs in Brentwood at the time of the murder at 10p.m., etc.) And our friend Jack S. is retorting how absurd it would be to think of Brentwood as anything other than a safe, expensive area 10 minutes from the ocean...

[jessemh431]

maybe he's just jealous that you're moving there and he's not.

[hgclyde]

Brentwood is a nice area of LA and not much closer to Downtown LA. In fact Brentwood is next door to Santa Monica so close is relative. Plenty of shops and restaurants. Temps are cooler than downtown thank to the sea breeze and low cloud plus fog. Great neighborhood to be had. Downside is traffic Wilshire, San Vicente, Sunset, Bundy, Barrington,and Montana. Other than that Brentwood is terrific.

[natt]

I lived just down the hill from Brentwood in West L.A. for about 8 years. Can't add much more to what others have said, except that I think Brentwood's great, I loved spending time there and always felt comfortable. Loved the restaurants, and always enjoyed biking in that part of town. I miss Dutton's Books! I could never afford to live there, unfortunately!

If you're looking in listings that say they're located in Brentwood, but are actually located south of Wilshire, that area isn't really considered Brentwood, but West L.A. It's a lot more affordable and a lot of young professionals and students live around there. I used to live near Barrington and Santa Monica and enjoyed it. Lots of stuff within walking distance, lots of variet (including two indie movie houses).