45 to 50 minute commute worth living by the beach? 1.7K Normal? (Long Beach: apartment, rentals)

[TidyAtac]

Sorry for another thread...

My lease is over in 3 weeks and I need to figure out what to do ASAP.

Work: Fountain Valley, by the 405 (6 miles north of the south coast plaza mall)

Choices to live:
1. Belmont Shores: 25 Minute Commute
2. Redondo Beach: 45 to 50 Minute?
-How is the Redondo beach area? I'm leaning towards this option... Seems cheapest out of the 3 south bays but with a bike trail so...
3. Hermosa beach: 45 to 50 Minute?
4: Manhatton Beach:45 to 50 Minute?
-Too expensive and hard to park? Congestion getting on the 405? Seems to be a bigger Asian population than Hermosa and seems yuppie.
5. Torrance:40 Minute? only 1.3K.. which is much less
Cheaper rent.. but is it worth it..


Is 1.7K normal for what most people pay? I'm an Asian professional in the early 30's.
A lot of my friends are saying that a 45 to 50 minute commute will kill me eventually and that I should stick to Belmont or some place super close to work.

I spend most of the weekends in LA at least once a week. I spend at least once a week in Hermosa/Manhatton beach area.

I could find cheaper rent inland but... I'm wondering if its worth it to be cheap (lease places from private owners)..

I think the beach lifestyle would be fun for biking, boarding, running.... Plus, its so much easier to drink at bar and walk or bicycle back home...

The OC is kind of boring and not walk-able to anything and over priced but I guess that's Cali in general....

[kasuga888]

At early 30s, if your dream is to live near the beach or in a cooler area, you should do it before you get older and potentially have other responsibility or less time at hand. I am asian professional too, and i feel that the mindset sometime is too much of being "practical" vs following an adventure.

Can't you find something near costa mesa, new port or hungtinton beach for that amount?

[TidyAtac]

Originally Posted by kasuga888

At early 30s, if your dream is to live near the beach or in a cooler area, you should do it before you get older and potentially have other responsibility or less time at hand. I am asian professional too, and i feel that the mindset sometime is too much of being "practical" vs following an adventure.

Can't you find something near costa mesa, new port or hungtinton beach for that amount?

Thanks! Yeah, some of my friends also said that live by the beach while at least once in my life.
I'm in Costa Mesa now by the South Coast plaza mall at the Enclave and pay around 1700. Its kind of boring around and nothing is really walk-able...

I go to LA at least once week (usually twice)..... Huntington beach is super crowded and far from LA.
Moving out here, I never realized how expensive it is to live in Cali or how suburban the OC is.

[Jardinbelle]

Newport Beach. South Bay is a crazy commute.

[HayBay]

I'm not in LA, so I cannot comment on traffic.

I plan to live by the beach myself when coming there in a couple of months. My cmmute will be 30-40 mins (varies on my class hours). And I don't mind that commute, because living in a place you want, is what you should do.

ATM, I Travel a lot to school, so 30-40mins won't be as bad. And plus, the beach is a MAJOR Plus. Many will ask "do you plan to swim daily ... but it's not about swimming or going to the beach daily, it's the feel, the smell of the beach and stuff.

Live whatever you think will make you happy, check the areas out, test the commutes and stuff, and decide.

[timtemtym]

I moved to LA two years ago and everyone told me I had to live by the beach! I moved to Long Beach and got my beach experience. It's something every new californian should experience! Now I can move inland to an area more affordable and more to my lifestyle, but I'm glad I did it.

I would check out Huntington Beach and the Huntington Harbor area. It's a close walk to the beach and rents are high but the area is nice and affordable condos are there! Check out hot pads or pad mapper for open rentals. You can get much cheaper going that route than going with a complex or managed property.

I would not want to drive from anywhere in LA county down to Costa Mesa. The traffic isn't always horrible, but when it is, it gets bad. People commute down the 405 to Irvine for work and when there is a wreck, it gets pretty bad. If you can get to your work from the 22, that would be a better option. In that case, I'd look at the condos along Bellflower south of PCH. It is in the marina area of Long Beach and walking distance to lots of great coastal stuff plus there are younger people in the area since it's near Cal State Long Beach.

In that area, you could easily take 7th street which becomes the 22 freeway and not even deal much with the 405.

[kasuga888]

Originally Posted by TidyAtac

Thanks! Yeah, some of my friends also said that live by the beach while at least once in my life.
I'm in Costa Mesa now by the South Coast plaza mall at the Enclave and pay around 1700. Its kind of boring around and nothing is really walk-able...

I go to LA at least once week (usually twice)..... Huntington beach is super crowded and far from LA.
Moving out here, I never realized how expensive it is to live in Cali or how suburban the OC is.

LOL, same here. I saw the ads before moving here and found places advertising for 1000 ish. But when i came to look at them, they were either a junky place or junky area (long beach!) or the ad was fake.

You can try ktown or dtla if living near the beach was not critical. Those are urban area and gives you closer proximity to the night life area. I originally thought of living in downtown long beach, prices for private condo seems to be cheap. The downside is the pollution from the port and the people seems rougher.

[TidyAtac]

Originally Posted by kasuga888

LOL, same here. I saw the ads before moving here and found places advertising for 1000 ish. But when i came to look at them, they were either a junky place or junky area (long beach!) or the ad was fake.

You can try ktown or dtla if living near the beach was not critical. Those are urban area and gives you closer proximity to the night life area. I originally thought of living in downtown long beach, prices for private condo seems to be cheap. The downside is the pollution from the port and the people seems rougher.

Well, I'm thinking about DTLA.. Google Maps says that its a 50 minute commute during rush hour going on the 5 to 605. However, I don't really believe it... (34 miles). I've done the commute after work once and it took 50 minutes but there was no accidents and good weather.

South bay by the beach (hermosa, manhatton, redondo) takes 50 minutes as well due to the length of time it takes to get on the freeway and the 405 S by Westminster to Fountain valley (30 to 32 miles).

Ktown is out of the question since that would be an 1 hr 15 minute commute during rush hour according to Google maps but its probably more like 1.5 Hrs.

So either south bay or DTLA.. I've heard DTLA is expensive though and loud... 1725 is my absolute max on rent...Since I have to take consideration utilities. 600 sq feet is the min size apartment that would be acceptable.

[Cream1]

Originally Posted by TidyAtac

Well, I'm thinking about DTLA.. Google Maps says that its a 50 minute commute during rush hour going on the 5 to 605. However, I don't really believe it... (34 miles). I've done the commute after work once and it took 50 minutes but there was no accidents and good weather.

South bay by the beach (hermosa, manhatton, redondo) takes 50 minutes as well due to the length of time it takes to get on the freeway and the 405 S by Westminster to Fountain valley (30 to 32 miles).

Ktown is out of the question since that would be an 1 hr 15 minute commute during rush hour according to Google maps but its probably more like 1.5 Hrs.

So either south bay or DTLA.. I've heard DTLA is expensive though and loud... 1725 is my absolute max on rent...Since I have to take consideration utilities. 600 sq feet is the min size apartment that would be acceptable.

Just live close to work. You're going to torture yourself with all these crazy commutes. You wont be able to enjoy those areas on the weekdays b/c you'll be too tired from driving.

[ExeterMedia]

South Bay to OC commute is horrible. Don't believe the "internet traffic reports", your door to door times will easily be 10-20 minutes on top. I wouldn't do a daily commute like that from anywhere in LA County that is not Long Beach basically.