North Redondo vs South Redondo (Redondo Beach, Culver City: rentals, condos, how much)

[gelaben]

Hello,

After touring a few houses in Agoura Hills, Culver City and Redondo Beach, my husband and I have decided to focus our search on Redondo Beach (wow, the 405 is CRAZY from Agoura Hills to Culver City... and I am used to Boston traffic). My husband is transferring to Culver City for his job and we found the commute from Culver City to Redondo Beach to be do-able. Lots of traffic but we did it for over a week and it took about 20-30 min...not bad. The schools systems in Redondo seem decent and the closeness to the beach is nice. My question is, is there a big difference between North and South Redondo? We are looking for a 2-3 bedroom townhouse around 550k (or less :-) and it seems that in that price range we are finding more places in North Redondo. Is South Redondo THAT much better? Is it worth waiting (and renting for a year) and finding a place in South Redondo? We need to find a place by 12/1. Also, if we must rent, does anyone have any suggestions as to the best place to find a house or townhouse to rent? We have looked on craigslist and there does not seem to be much for rent. Thank you for any comments/advice!

[Maggie618]

I live in South Redondo and I really do think it's a little nicer than North Redondo. It's closer to the beach and has a different vibe, in my opinion anyway. It's hard for me to explain though. We moved here 3 years ago and are renting (we're a military family and knew we would only be here 4 years and couldn't find anything in our price range to buy).

I would suggest WestsideRentals.com for searching for places to rent. It's worth the small fee they charge if you decide you want to view the owner's contact info. That's house I found the house I live in now.

I'm happy to answer any other questions you have about the area.

[gelaben]

Maggie, thank you for you response. I have read and heard that S. Redondo is a nicer place to live and I am hoping to convince my husband that we can rent for a year in S. Redondo until we find a place we can afford. It seems like the area near the Riviera is a nice area. Unfortunately we did not get down to see it and focused mostly on N. Redondo and S. Redondo near the pier.

If you do not mind me asking, how much do you pay for rent? It sounds like you rent a house? It seems like there are mostly townhouses (or even worse, condos). I am going to join westsiderentals.com since I have heard a few people recommend them. Thanks again!

[Maggie618]

We pay $2750 for a 3 bed, 1 bath. It's an older craftsman-style house with no air conditioning (which as a Texas native scared the hell out of me, but being so close to the beach, we really haven't missed it). We live a couple blocks north of the pier just across PCH (near Redondo Union High School). We have a small front and backyard, which is cared for every Friday by landscapers and is included in our rent. Our landlord also covers our water bill as part of the lawn upkeep.

[neenee99]

S redondo has a much more laid back vibe. The riviera area is the best. I've lived her for 12 years and can't imagine living anywhere else.

The only real plus to N redondo is closer proximity to the freeway. S redondo is further from the 405 and the 110, but in my opinion that's part of its charm

There are townhomes and condos in the upper 400's in this area. Good luck!

[gelaben]

Hi! I just wanted to give an update for anyone reading this post. We did end up moving to North Redondo. We ended up buying a 3 bed 2 bath townhouse (front unit) for under 500k. We are on a very family friendly street and will be able to walk my son to Kindergarten in the fall. Currently he attends pre-k in South Redondo. I do love South Redondo but we couldn't find a decent place in our price range. Everything seemed to be a fixer or needed A LOT of cosmetic work. The place we bought was move in ready. It is only 1.5 miles to the beach and a short few blocks to the off leash dog park. We have a balcony, a garage and a patio. We have walked or ridden our bikes to many parks/playgrounds around the area. We are also super close to the Hermosa Pier so we find ourselves heading there for dinner/lunch/fun. In other words we are very happy with our decision. My husband works in Culver City and it takes him about 30 min to get to and from work going up Sepulveda the whole way.

[Don9]

Originally Posted by gelaben

Hello,

After touring a few houses in Agoura Hills, Culver City and Redondo Beach, my husband and I have decided to focus our search on Redondo Beach (wow, the 405 is CRAZY from Agoura Hills to Culver City... and I am used to Boston traffic). My husband is transferring to Culver City for his job and we found the commute from Culver City to Redondo Beach to be do-able. Lots of traffic but we did it for over a week and it took about 20-30 min...not bad. The schools systems in Redondo seem decent and the closeness to the beach is nice. My question is, is there a big difference between North and South Redondo? We are looking for a 2-3 bedroom townhouse around 550k (or less :-) and it seems that in that price range we are finding more places in North Redondo. Is South Redondo THAT much better? Is it worth waiting (and renting for a year) and finding a place in South Redondo? We need to find a place by 12/1. Also, if we must rent, does anyone have any suggestions as to the best place to find a house or townhouse to rent? We have looked on craigslist and there does not seem to be much for rent. Thank you for any comments/advice!

In North Redondo you and your neighbor can open your windows and hand over a cup of sugar. Convenient for some but too close for me. North Redondo also has very narrow streets and homes with no front yards, and not much of a back yard either. On a warm day or night with windows open you can actually hear your neighbor sneeze, and you can reply Bless You! No kidding, I've done this!

South Redondo is better but still not enough elbow room for me.