Looking to Move to LA Area (Glendale, Pasadena: rentals, motel, houses)

[Sinbad]

My wife and I and 3 sons are looking to move to the LA area this summer. One son is working in Hollywood and the other two are school age 12 & 13. My job is flexible and mobile. We are looking for a good safe area where we can rent a 4 or 5 bedroom house in a good school district not too far from Hollywood (Melrose Ave). A few people have mentioned Burbank, Pasadena, South Pasadena and Glendale as possible choices. Being from the east coast we are seeking feedback to narrow our choices down. Also if any other place fits my criteria I would appreciate feedback. Thanks in advance.

[1200RT]

Sinbad,

We really need your budget to assist.

[Sinbad]

The most I would like to spend is about $3200, my preference would be between $2000 and $2800

[HarryKerry]

Hancock Park and Windsor Square are just blocks from Paramount and the rest of Hollyweird, and are good neighborhoods. However, can you afford it? As stated in previous post, we need financial details.

South Pasadena is very expensive somewhat far to Hollywood for newbies who may need to get there quickly or may work very late at a studio, and Pasadena is a few miles further north. The only possible advantage to South Pasadena or Pasadena is that you can take Metro to the heart of Hollywood, but that would be during the working hours, not for late night. Glendale is closer with a heavy Armenian population who now run the city, but Hollywood is accessible by street routes, but sometimes Los Feliz Ave. becomes a parking lot just to get less than a mile. Burbank is a common place for those families coming to LA for their child in showbiz and is also close to the Burbank based studios like Warner Brothers.

[Sinbad]

Thank you very much HarryKerry for that information, I have not heard much about Hancock Park or Windsor Square, Do you know anything about their schools. One of the biggest factors for us is a good school district (High School and Middle School). It definitely looks like South Pasadena is out because that is the 3rd time I have heard about how expensive it can be. My budget max is $3200, but I would prefer to stay within $2000 - $2800.

[Sinbad]

Two other places that have come up were Studio City and Valley Village. I heard both were nice but the schools in Valley Village is not that great. Does anyone know anything about those areas as well. Thx

[altoidboy]

Studio City and Valley Village are wonderful places to live, but I've heard the schools can be hit and miss. They are in LA ISD which is generally not well regarded. But if you get up in the Studio City hills, to be blunt, they are expensive houses with well-off people, and the schools might be better.

I would suggest Burbank, which is a nice, clean place to live and has wonderful schools (it's not part of LA ISD). I'm pretty sure you'd find a rental house in that price range, as I've seen small 2br's go for around $2000, so a 3-4 bedroom should be right in your sweet spot. The one big asterisk is that there's not a direct route to Hollywood so you have to take surface streets and wind through the mountains. I live in Burbank, go to Hollywood regularly, and it takes 30-35 minutes to get to Melrose. That's not horrible, but it's not great either if you need to do it daily.

Strategically, I'd suggest doing some searches on Craigslist and WestSideRentals (it's a pay site, unfortunately, but that's one of the most popular rental search sites here). Find a few candidates that look like they might fit the bill, and post the addresses here. Lots of people here can tell you more about the neighborhoods and start to give you a better idea of what it'll be like here.

I advise everyone: LA can be so hit and miss, with one street beautiful and the next block ghetto. If you can at all, I recommend coming here and staying in a motel while you scout out a place to live. Or take an exploratory trip. The rental market is highly competitive, and the best properties get listed then get taken within hours.

Good luck...we're here to help!

[BRinSM]

i think burbank will be your best option for price and proximity to hollywood. $3k should get you a decent 3br detached house. burbank schools are also independent of those in LA city and are generally well regarded.

[CaliInChappaqua]

You should also look in La Crescenta. Great schools (part of Glendale Unified) and reasonably close to Hollywood.

ETA: Glendale schools aren't universally good, but the schools in La Crescenta are.

[tranza]

South Pasadena and Pasadena is not known to have good school district. Wealthy people in Pasadena send their kids to private school and it's expensive to live here. La Canada which is close to Pasadena have good schools but it's expensive. Try Woodland Hills, good school but it maybe expensive, worth looking into.