commuting to whittier (Downey, West Covina, Pico Rivera: apartment, home, living)

[rachel88]

Hi there,

I just relocated to los angeles from new york. I accepted a job in Whittier, does anyone have any advice on where to live if I'm working in Whittier. I found a great apartment in Culver City but i'm worried the commute will be horrible. I would really like to live on the west side and not downtown or in pasadena/glendale area. I know commuting in LA is bad no matter what but I don't want to be stuck in my car for 4 hours a day.
My route would be 405 south to 105 east to 605 north. I am a teacher so I would leave around 6:30 am and come back home around 3:00 pm. Would this help me avoid rush hour?

Thanks so much for any advice!

[LA-dude]

Well it really all depends on the type of lifestyle you want to lead. If you want a nice quiet suburban environment then you could actually live in Whittier and it gets nicer the further east and north you go. La Mirada is also nearby and is nice as well. Now if you like the hustle and bustle of the city and like enjoying the nightlife(clubs, etc...) then you would probably want to move to the Westside of LA. The 105 isn't really bad going east in the morning, but the 605 can get pretty bad in the morning both directions.

Well anyways, hope this helps

[rachel88]

Thanks for your help. I really do want to live on the west side so, I am glad to hear that the 105east is not that bad in the morning.

[lucero32]

Wow, I think that's a pretty far commute. The 605, North or South, can really be a nightmare especially where it meets up with the 5. Although you will be going against traffic somewhat, you will still hit some at 6:30. Also, being that you're a teacher, being late for work is really not an option. Plus, on Fridays you'll hit traffic no matter what. The same can be said of the 405 in general, which is generally crawling along from 3:00 p.m. onward.

I would test out the commute before I committed to living that far from my job. One thing you'll notice in all of these post is that people stress the importance of living as close to where you work. L.A. is a great city, but if you're spending hours of your life in traffic you will certainly learn to hate it.

[sgvkev]

The best areas for you near Whittier would be La Mirada, Brea, and La Habra Heights. The unincorporated areas of Whittier (south and west), Pico Rivera, Santa Fe Springs, La Habra, and much of the actual city of Whittier (anything south of Whittier Blvd and west of Painter) are areas to avoid. None of the recommendations are west of Whittier but west of it (Santa Fe Springs, Pico Rivera, Montebello, Commerce, and East LA) is gang-land. Stay as close as possible as well since most of the freeways in that area are known for their traffic... hope this helps.

[Paula Lynn]

My suggestion is ....... live as close as possible to your work. Other posters mentioned La Mirada, Brea and La Habra Heights. Take advise from these smart Posters Being stuck in traffic takes too much part of your day away. I have a friend who moved to Temucla - it's a 2-1/2 hour one way trip. Guess what? They're coming home.

[Sorcerer68]

If you want to work in Whittier, Downey and West Covina are my picks. Living on the west side and commuting to Whittier is a thought too horrible to entertain. If you want to live on the west side, find a new job.