longest commute (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Bakersfield: apartments, crime, loan)

[bluejeans]

What's the furthest away you've heard anyone living who works in LA? My guess is Bakersfield...

[fastfilm]

You CANNOT commute to L.A. from Bakersfield. This sounds like, literally, an urban legend! Mapquest may claim it's a three hour drive each way, but it's an unpredictable and rough commute for the supposedly temperate climate of Southern California. The majority of the sole route, the 5 freeway, is through 6,000 ft. mountain passes that frequently are closed due to snow throughout Nov. through Mar., and big rig truck accidents, as well as wildfires, close all lanes of the freeway just as frequently. The commute can vary from 2 1/2 hours to 6 hours each way, to never- when the sole route is closed (it's called "The Grapevine" in local parlance.)

[bluejeans]

Originally Posted by fastfilm

You CANNOT commute to L.A. from Bakersfield. This sounds like, literally, an urban legend! Mapquest may claim it's a three hour drive each way, but it's an unpredictable and rough commute for the supposedly temperate climate of Southern California. The majority of the sole route, the 5 freeway, is through 6,000 ft. mountain passes that frequently are closed due to snow throughout Nov. through Mar., and big rig truck accidents, as well as wildfires, close all lanes of the freeway just as frequently. The commute can vary from 2 1/2 hours to 6 hours each way, to never- when the sole route is closed (it's called "The Grapevine" in local parlance.)

These are the things an aussie can't see - how I must come to LA sometime, what with their $3 all day public transport pass - tell me, what IS the furthest commute you've ever heard of someone undertaking, working in LA? In Sydney, I've heard of 2 1/2 - 5 hours each way by train - the former can be witnessed every day, the latter is an urban legend...

[fastfilm]

WHAT all day transport pass, and to what end? We have commuter trains that only go about 10 miles, in a megopolis that spans hundreds of miles; we have a bus system that requires so many transfers that one realistically calculates a bus ride of roughly three times that which could be taken by car; and car trips take forever anyway due to our population of 4 million in L.A. proper, 9 million in the county.

And "county" is rather an eleastic word here. If you fly into Los Angeles, the thing that amazes most people is that the last half hour of descent overlooks solid development for hundreds of miles in all directions. All the "separate" city subsets that comprise L.A. have no breathing space between them, just solid development and its corollary here, 24-hour traffic jams. Do you remember that visual in the "Star Wars" movie of a planet of solid development? Think that.

Los Angeles had a commuter train system equal to those on the East Coast of America until the 1950s, when the train system was purchased by a Tire company who wanted to sell tires to car-owners so they promptly dismantled the entire train system. (The "Roger Rabbit" sub-plot was actually true!) The original routes were why L.A. developed these far flung communties.

Oh, let's say you arrive at LAX (airport.) You have to take a bus to the train, which will only take you Downtown. Downtown is comprised of office buildings, and the most dangerous people you probably have ever encountered. There's no where else to go by train, except Long Beach and Palmdale, the former being the port and its jobs, the latter being the desert and its jobs.

Your urban legends would be real here. Due to the median price of housing in L.A., ($550,000.00, with the NECESSITY of an $110,000.00 income to even qualify for a loan) many people opt to live in areas necessitating awful commutes to work. Locally, we NEVER refer to mileage, only hours of travel. R.e. Long Beach is one and a half hours away from the San Fernando Valley each way until approx. 9 p.m., then it's an hour away until approx. 5:30 a.m.

And by the way, 76% of the population here will not be able to converse with you or talk to you, because you speak English.

There are maniacs who drive 3 and 1/2 hour commutes each way. Most of them stop it after 2 years, as it drives them crazy and destroys all social life. They drive because there are no train or bus options for those distances.

[frankdogg]

I know mine is not the longest, but it is a killer commute for me.. I commute to LA (Hollywood to be exact) 5-6 days a week from the east side of Rancho Cucamonga.. It usually takes 1 hour 45 min to 2 1/2 hours one way. If something fun happens like rain or a police chase or something, it has taken me in excess of 3 hours one way... I have tried public transit which is faster on the Metro Rail and then the Red Line (subway)... until I have to get on a bus... they are pretty unreliable here and I find myself sometimes waiting 40 minutes or more for any bus to come by my stop... Why do i do it you may ask? Well, my wife commutes the opposite way to grad school, and once she is finished, we will move in closer... 1 1/2 years to go... and i am counting down every second.

[fastfilm]

You are making the best of a bad situation. Good for you!

[rrprop]

I'm from Wisconsin considering moving to the LA area because of a job. Talked to people who used to live in LA and they all agree Thousand Oaks is a good place to live if I'm going to be working in LA. Thousand Oaks seem like kind of a long drive to me if I'm working 5 days a week. What do any of you think the commute time is from Thousand Oaks to LA? No, we are not buying a house.....looking into apartments!! Looking to live in a city where the crime is fairly low, majority of the people speek english, and the smog really isn't a factor. I live in Wisconsin but work in Chicago, the area that I work and live is very smoggy!!! Looking to drive an hour to hour and a half if I have to.

Best Regards

[Jamileena]

Commuting is a way of life out here-people dont blink an eye if you tell them you commute an hour or more. Some people sit in traffic for hours.

Commute time from TO to LA depends on what time you will be on the road and where, exactly in TO you live and where in LA you will be working. It could take an hour or more (most likely) to get to work, and maybe even longer on the way home, especially on a Friday evening. Throw in the 23 freeway for a crosstown jaunt, and you can add another 30 minutes to go 5 miles distance. Almost better to go the surface streets and deal with the school traffic, signals, etc.

My commute from Ventura (north of TO) to North LA (Westlake Village) is 29 miles and usually takes me about 45 mins, to an hour to get there (and Im driving just like everyone else-80mph average). Friday evenings can get really congested with an hour to an hour and a half drive time. There is no other route I can take, Im a slave to the 101.

[Win]

Frankdogg - that is one wicked commute! Yuck!

[Mybellegirls]

A friend of mine is an attorney who has an office in Pacific Palisades. He lives in Park City, Utah. Delta loves this guy!