Advice on apartments in Glendale...Americana at Brand? (Burbank, Merced: 2014, lease)

[Sunshine107]

Hi, I would appreciate any advice on apartments in Glendale. I need to get a 6-month lease, and it needs to be a two bedroom or more. Schools are not an issue. I was looking into American at Brand. Has anyone lived there and can give advice on the area? My most important criteria is safety. I wanted an apartment that is secure as far as people walking into and out of the building, and also safe parking. My daughter needs to be out there for six months, and I (or other people in the family) will be traveling back and forth. The reason I thought American might be good is if we only have one car then at least there is plenty to do there.

Any advice would be appreciated. Thank you!

[jamills21]

Where are you working?

[Sunshine107]

In Glendale on Flower Street.

[pretendingtowork]

Too much traffic in that area of Glendale.

[Sunshine107]

Too much traffic at the Americana? Would it be hard to get out in the morning to get to work? I am not familiar with anything in Glendale. Any advice would be appreciated.

[RaymondChandlerLives]

Originally Posted by Sunshine107

Too much traffic at the Americana? Would it be hard to get out in the morning to get to work? I am not familiar with anything in Glendale. Any advice would be appreciated.

By LA standards, nah. Your commute is really short, no need to hop on a freeway, so a little traffic won't be an issue anyway.

Amenities within walking distance is a huge plus there. It's in the downtown area.

The Residences at the Americana at Brand, Glendale CA - Walk Score

Glendale was recently named one of the safest mid-sized cities in America: Glendale, CA Named Safest Mid-sized City in America

[SandyCo]

Glendale is safe unless you're a pedestrian. I've read of a few vehicle/pedestrian accidents, and a good friend of mine was hit by a car there (her legs are now held together with rods and pins).

[pretendingtowork]

Glendale traffic sucks and the drivers are asses. Especially around rush hour and lunch time near the Americana it is a pain. I avoid Glendale like the plague. However you are just going to Flower st. so the commute won't be bad. As far as Pedestrians/bikers go, there have been quite a number of incidents in the area, but to be fair, all of LA County has a problem with it.

[Sunshine107]

Thank you all for your advice. I thought Americana would be nice because it seems very convenient with everything being in one place. Like I said, my biggest concern is safety. It seems like it is a very secure building.

As far as pedestrian accidents, are the drivers just bad drivers? Or is it because of speeding? Would it be better going over to Burbank - closer to the Glendale side though? If so, any recommendations on apartments there that are very secure?

[Texamichiforniasota]

Originally Posted by Sunshine107

Thank you all for your advice. I thought Americana would be nice because it seems very convenient with everything being in one place. Like I said, my biggest concern is safety. It seems like it is a very secure building.

As far as pedestrian accidents, are the drivers just bad drivers? Or is it because of speeding? Would it be better going over to Burbank - closer to the Glendale side though? If so, any recommendations on apartments there that are very secure?

I'm am always a little extra careful when driving/walking in Glendale. They have the highest car accident rates in CA. Just keep an eye out for the erratically driven Mercedes and BMWs with dealer plates blasting loud music, and you should be ok. In reality, the area is safe from a crime standpoint, and you'd still have to drive through Glendale to get to work, so you might as well live there. One warning, never use your ATM/debit card at the gas station pumps, only your credit card. Stealing credit card info is the only crime common in that area, and better they take a credit card which is automatically protected against fraud than to have them empty out your bank account.