Moving With Kids (Los Angeles, Inglewood, Westminster: apartment complexes, rentals, lawyer)

[teddybear1929]

Hi, I am a single mother moving to LA in the summer. I work as a lawyer and will like a safe area with good schools. I have 2 kids 14 and 4 and a dog. All help is needed. Thanks a lot I am looking for a place around $2,000 month for rent

[fastfilm]

You can count on the West side of L.A. (beach areas, everything west of Beverly Hills) to provide safe housing and reasonably good public schools. You don't mention where you're planning to work, and traffic congestion is a biggie here as much as safety. (Okay, it was actually deemed most congested in the nation.) Century City, Westwood and Beverly Hills itself have many private law firms, and Downtown L.A. as well. These areas are more easily accessible from the West side through surface streets. Anything to avoid the freeways here!

As a dedicated dog owner myself, I know you may have some trouble finding the right rental that allows dogs. I would suggest your googling some dog-friendly rental sites. I got around this when I rented by looking for tiny house rentals (which puts you outside of compatibility with apartment neighbors' excuses), and badgering the reluctant landlords into accepting my "caca clause" amendment to leases, i.e., that I would without fail pay for any and all damage to the property that could in any way be attributed to a dog.

[teddybear1929]

Hi

For my safe is the most important, I wake up early and I dont mind traffic as long as I live in a safe neighborhood that I can find good schools
thanks for all the help everyone can give me.

[Vicman]

LAUSD has a lot of bad schools and a few good schools.

If possible, if you will move to West Los Angeles (but not the San Fernando Valley), try to be zoned to Palisades HS. I believe being zoned to University HS comes as a second, even though a lot of people in Brentwood and Bel-Air do NOT send their kids to University HS.

Heck, I live in Houston, but I learned some of this stuff just by surfing on the internet. The internet is amazing, man!

[english_teacher]

Originally Posted by teddybear1929

Hi, I am a single mother moving to LA in the summer. I work as a lawyer and will like a safe area with good schools. I have 2 kids 14 and 4 and a dog. All help is needed. Thanks a lot I am looking for a place around $2,000 month for rent

Playa Del Rey is reasonable and safe. It's south (right next door to) of Marina del Rey,and immediately north (right next door to) of Westminster. Isolated, less cost, and close to the beach. I lived on Manitoba St. for a few years and was able to bike to the beach without the congestion of Santa Monica or El Segundo, etc.

The school districts throughout LA County are less than fantastic but there are plentiful private options.

[greggd]

Originally Posted by teddybear1929

Hi, I am a single mother moving to LA in the summer. I work as a lawyer and will like a safe area with good schools. I have 2 kids 14 and 4 and a dog. All help is needed. Thanks a lot I am looking for a place around $2,000 month for rent

Where do you plan on working? Are you looking for an apartment or home?
You can wake up early along with everyone else that wakes up early and sit in early morning traffic.

[Vicman]

By the way, Playa del Rey is zoned to:
* Paseo del Rey Natural Science Magnet (Zoned for Kindergarten only)
* Choice of Kentwood Elementary School and Loyola Village Elementary School (1-5)
* Orville Wright Middle School (6-8)
* Westchester High School (9-12)

Of course, please confirm the zoning patterns through LAUSD's school search engine (at http://search.lausd.k12.ca.us/cgi-bin/fccgi.exe ) and through the school counselors.

If you do not like the schools above, you can:
* Try an LAUSD magnet
* Try a private school

As for profiles:
* Paseo del Rey: http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/...school/ca/2317 (Remember: You are only zoned for Kindergarten)
* Kentwood: http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/...school/ca/2172
* Loyola Village: http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/...school/ca/2212
* Wright: http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/...school/ca/2503
* Westchester: http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/...school/ca/2481

Originally Posted by english_teacher

Playa Del Rey is reasonable and safe. It's south (right next door to) of Marina del Rey,and immediately north (right next door to) of Westminster. Isolated, less cost, and close to the beach. I lived on Manitoba St. for a few years and was able to bike to the beach without the congestion of Santa Monica or El Segundo, etc.

The school districts throughout LA County are less than fantastic but there are plentiful private options.

[newportbeachsmostwanted]

Originally Posted by english_teacher

Playa Del Rey is reasonable and safe. It's south (right next door to) of Marina del Rey,and immediately north (right next door to) of Westminster. Isolated, less cost, and close to the beach. I lived on Manitoba St. for a few years and was able to bike to the beach without the congestion of Santa Monica or El Segundo, etc.

The school districts throughout LA County are less than fantastic but there are plentiful private options.

Playa Del Rey is a pretty good community. It lacks everything but your basic needs- which is great! Keeps it quiet!

Playa Del Rey has an excellent school; Paseo Del Rey. It has won some awards! However, further up in the ladder the area schools deteriote. Westchester High School is NOT an option unless your kids are black and in gangs. (No joke!-This is where "Tookie" Williams first began recruiting for the crips.) The kids are bused in from lower-income areas around the airport and near Inglewood.
Playa Del Rey teens typically attend El Segundo High(Great school) or attend a private high school(such as St. Bernard, or Loyola). I am not sure what the cost of attending El Segundo High is for Playa Del Rey residents. It is a public school so I would expect it to be rather minimal.

There are a few distinct neighborhoods: The Hill, The Jungle, and East of Pershing. The Jungle is a rather dense section by the beach. It has homes, and some luxury apartments(2BR rents $2000+). "The Hill" is the nicest neighborhood. It is located west of Pershing and east of Culver/Dockweiler. I don't believe anything is on the market for less than $2 million. "The Hill" consists only of single family estates. NBA Laker coach, Phil Jackson, used to own a house there.

"East of Pershing," is divided by Manchester Blvd.
North of Manchester is almost entirely single family homes and movie stars.
South of Manchester is almost entirely apartment complexes. There is a high rental stock in the south, and a two bedroom will fetch about $1600.

Coolio(rapper/actor) just sold his bluff-side mansion in the north side for a measly $4 million.



(attached is the school district -in green. the district extends all the way to Century Blvd. a very rough area, and to the border of Inglewood)

[Vicman]

If you are interested in living in Playa del Rey but sending your kid to El Segundo schools, contact the district (website at http://www.elsegundousd.com/ ) and ask about out-of-district enrollment.

[teddybear1929]

Several people had recomended, thousand oaks, sherman oaks, glendale, studio city and burbank. I will be working around burbank, again, safety, schools... 2 kids 14 and 4 thanks and blessings