Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California > Los Angeles
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 05-26-2013, 05:54 PM
 
21 posts, read 40,829 times
Reputation: 14

Advertisements

So, in a bit over a month, I'm going to be graduated and moving down to LA, where I've got a job as an engineer in the Carson / Wilmington area. I had an internship there last summer, and was living in a corporate housing place in Seal Beach. I liked Seal Beach well enough, but the commute was a little on the long side, and Seal Beach is dang expensive to rent in, so I was looking around where to live. Need a 1 br, and would like to keep it under $1300 or so. Leaning towards Long Beach (or maybe Torrance), but Long Beach is huge, and I'm not really sure where would be a good place to live. Any thoughts?

Also, I was planning on heading down after graduation (June 15th, I start July 8th), because I really don't want to sign on a place sight unseen, would two weeks or so not be enough? Or do I need to be trying to reserve a place now?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 05-26-2013, 05:58 PM
 
Location: Las Flores, Orange County, CA
26,329 posts, read 93,734,875 times
Reputation: 17831
https://www.padmapper.com/
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-26-2013, 11:39 PM
 
1,940 posts, read 3,562,489 times
Reputation: 2121
two weeks is plenty of time to walk around/drive around areas you like and call numbers. There are several places near me (traffic circle area) for rent. Two units are for rent in the condo complex down the street, they're newer, shiny and include washer/dryer for usually 1100-1300 depending on the landlord (individually owned). It's "The Palms" condos, very nice. From there it's an easy drive up redondo 3 lights, then left on spring and there's an entrance ramp to 405 north. It usually takes me about 10-25 minutes (25 if traffic is bad bad) to get up around Avalon in Carson.

If I were you, I'd look at the 90815 and 90804 zips of LBC to keep a reasonable commute and have a great neighborhood. Use hotpads.com or pabst kinney to see online listings. Your price range is totally reasonable for the area.

Torrance would mean less traffic, but there's a reason they call it Snorrance/Borrance/etc... It's kind of a family place. It's super nice though and crime is usually not as bad there, but I've never had any issues in the east half of Long Beach.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-28-2013, 12:10 AM
 
823 posts, read 1,784,001 times
Reputation: 453
You really need to see the area before signing a lease Long Beach is a huge city (5th largest in CA). Westside would be closest to your job, but crime, gangs, poverty are a problem. East LB is my favorite, but it's the furthest from your job. Taking PCH or Willow may be better than the 405 to 110, but that's a lot of street lights to hit. East LB is just as bad a drive as Seal Beach.

I used to work in Torrance by Main and Sepulveda when I lived in the poorer Central area of LB. The drive down Willow (turns to Sepulveda) didn't take too long. You know, Wrigley, Bixby Knolls, Los Cerritos are nice areas of LB and it took me about 15 minutes to the Picks your Parts junkyard in Wilmington (PCH and Blinn) where I had to visit for work. I personally can't stand that area though. The white plumes of smoke/pollution coming from the nearby refineries and all the other pollution there made my head hurt each time I visited. Luckily, I don't go there often now.

You're probably a chemical engineer working for the refinery? My chemical engineer friend got a job in Torrance, not with a refinery, but something similar, and he hates his commute to work from Garden Grove--that's in Orange County, so stick with LA County.

So try Bixby Knolls. Lots of apt buildings (new and old), shops, restaurants, charm, etc.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-28-2013, 06:57 AM
 
21 posts, read 40,829 times
Reputation: 14
Not a chemical engineer, materials engineer, but I will be at a refinery.

Lots of good info... I'll definitely check out Bixby Knolls, and look a little closer at Torrance too. For what it's worth, I have little interest in the beach and would prefer a quieter area.

I know a lot of the other engineers live in East Long Beach, so I guess the commute wouldn't be too bad. Seal Beach wasn't bad itself if I hit the lights just right on PCH, it's those days you hit them wrong that really gets you...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-28-2013, 10:52 PM
 
1,319 posts, read 2,196,222 times
Reputation: 651
Don't rule out San Pedro.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 05-29-2013, 02:31 PM
 
21 posts, read 40,829 times
Reputation: 14
I've heard that parts of San Pedro have a less than savory reputation. Any thoughts on what parts of San Pedro would be good to live in?

Same question on Torrance really too, I've heard the West side of Torrance is better than the East. Any truth to that?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-09-2013, 08:00 PM
 
98 posts, read 847,545 times
Reputation: 73
Funny, I just gave answers to both these questions in two different posts, see here

https://www.city-data.com/forum/los-a...edro-area.html

https://www.city-data.com/forum/los-a...rrance-ca.html
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-11-2013, 07:21 PM
 
829 posts, read 2,954,780 times
Reputation: 374
i absolutely love seal beach, and if you could afford it i wouldnt rule it out...

even on pch where seal meets long beach near the barnes and noble/movie theater shopping area, that may get you a little closer...
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 06-12-2013, 03:04 PM
 
21 posts, read 40,829 times
Reputation: 14
Oh I love Seal Beach too... Nice downtown, quiet, good restaurants, a nice beach, easily walkable. I'll definitely look around, and see if there's anything that catches my eye, but I'm not super confident on finding something in a price range that doesn't make me shriek a little bit.

Should be heading down that way next week to try and find a place.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram


Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > California > Los Angeles
Similar Threads

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top