Hello, Info on LA Suburbs Please

[Boy'sMom]

My husband just accepted a job in LA because there is no work in his field in the Southeastern part of the US - which is where we currently live. I have posted another thread somewhere else but cannot find it. This one is on my favorites list and easily found.
I have read many comments about LA. I'm more than a little frightened after reading! I'm a small-town girl. Will I be eaten alive? Where should I look for a place to live. My husband will be going out there in Feb 2008 to start his new job. I wlll stay until school is out in June. Then my boys and I will join him and I will look for a teaching or principal job. Where should we look to find a SAFE, decent place to live? My hubby will be making in the lower $100,000 to start and my teaching salary should be around $50 - 60K. (I've calculated the cost of living difference - it's 86.4% higher to live in LA than where we live now.) We love our church, soccer, hiking, biking, traveling, etc. I've been searching the net every place that I can think of to help out with our search. He will have some time to look but only experience can help the most.
Gangs, grafitti, crime - all of that stuff scares me. I know LA will be nothing like Appalachia (I've been to both!), but I'd like a smaller community - maybe <350,000 people. Whree should we look?

[UB50]

Originally Posted by Boy'sMom

My husband just accepted a job in LA because there is no work in his field in the Southeastern part of the US - which is where we currently live. I have posted another thread somewhere else but cannot find it. This one is on my favorites list and easily found.
I have read many comments about LA. I'm more than a little frightened after reading! I'm a small-town girl. Will I be eaten alive? Where should I look for a place to live. My husband will be going out there in Feb 2008 to start his new job. I wlll stay until school is out in June. Then my boys and I will join him and I will look for a teaching or principal job. Where should we look to find a SAFE, decent place to live? My hubby will be making in the lower $100,000 to start and my teaching salary should be around $50 - 60K. (I've calculated the cost of living difference - it's 86.4% higher to live in LA than where we live now.) We love our church, soccer, hiking, biking, traveling, etc. I've been searching the net every place that I can think of to help out with our search. He will have some time to look but only experience can help the most.
Gangs, grafitti, crime - all of that stuff scares me. I know LA will be nothing like Appalachia (I've been to both!), but I'd like a smaller community - maybe <350,000 people. Whree should we look?

You need to start your own thread for this... This thread is old and I don't know how many people will even see your post.

[Boy'sMom]

Thanks, that'll take some time, I just registered today after reading for days. I'll take your advice!

[FamilyCorner]

Originally Posted by CBaillo

exactly, and thats the only point i myself ever tried to put forth...if uve got a lot of money, youll love l.a...but if u dont (which most people who are coming in to CA dont), be prepared for the worst described here, because those neighborhoods are where youll be living.

I'm actually replying to a very old post so I don't know if the original member will see this, but what would you say is "a lot of money"? What does someone need to earn to live in a neighborhood with good schools and low crime?

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by FamilyCorner

I'm actually replying to a very old post so I don't know if the original member will see this, but what would you say is "a lot of money"? What does someone need to earn to live in a neighborhood with good schools and low crime?

Renting or buying? House or apartment? If you want to buy a house, figure $500K+. The first mortgage qualifying web site I found says you'll need to make almost $150k/yr to buy that house if you have $50k cash on hand and minimal debt besides the house. For renting, you can probably get something around $2000/mo for a townhouse. Given the old rule of needing to make 3x the rent, you'll need to year at least $72k/yr.

[esgreenwood]

I am incredibly disheartened by Richard's post. There are many suburbs throughout the city that are diverse, incredibly safe and part of a vibrant, beautiful, and exciting culture. I do not understand why settling in an exclusively "white" suburb should be someone's main priority when moving to L.A., but rather that they receive the community and support that they (and their family) need.

[flo2900]

because that`s his right!

[Mistycal]

As a mixed latina & black woman, I am saddened and shocked by the comments made by Richard & Fastfilm. How dare you catagorize people based on their skin color. There are white gang members, theives and rapists. This country was built by the sweat of immigrants. It's suppose to be "the melting pot". People with such narrow-minded views make the world a hateful place. You need to learn to judge people on the content of their character instead of their race. Good and bad people come in all shapes, sizes and colors. Which are you? Don't worry. That was a retorical question.