New to LA, need advice (Long Beach, Orange: safe area, buying, school)

[Brushbell]

Hello forum, in mid-march I'll be moving to LA and I've just got some lifestyle questions I thought maybe someone on here could answer.

Preferably living within 30 minutes of Fullerton State University (hopefully Long Beach)

What is the best/cheapest gym in the area?

How easy is it to get around in a car (when buying groceries for example)

Are there neighborhoods in that area that are safer than others?

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Getting around by car here can be a frustrating endeavor. It depends on the time of day and if you're crossing over or under any freeways.

Parts of LB are nice, others are fairly dangerous, especially to the immediate east of downtown.

[socal88]

I am assuming that you will be a student at Cal State Fullerton.

I would suggest living closer to school. Unless there's something you really like about Long Beach, I would not suggest living there. It will take you up to 45 minutes to get to Fullerton if there's traffic and if you want to live in one of the better areas of Long Beach, you'll need to shell out a bit.

The Fullerton area is a safe area and has a thriving restaurant/bar scene with lots of college students and other young adults. Orange is also another option. That way, you'll be in a safe area and it will be easier to get to/from school and to get groceries, etc.

As far as a gym, if you are a student at Cal State Fullerton, their gym should be free.

[Vary]

I agree with socal88--look at Fullerton and Orange instead of LB. You don't really want to deal with that commute to class in the morning.

[DJIntegrity]

Somewhat recent graduate of CSUF here! Yeah, you'd probably want to live as close as you can to school, although I think that applies to everything in LA since it's a car-oriented city. When I went to CSUF, I worked in Long Beach (405/710) so I used to have that commute but I was fortunate that it was around noon when traffic was light. When evening rush hour hits, the 91 E gets ugly and in the morning, 91 W gets busy since everybody is trying to get to the 605.

Whitter is another place to consider. My area (LA/OC border) is a relatively nice area to live since it's mostly suburbs - all the interesting stuff is in LA or OC.

24 hour fitness is probably the most popular commercial gym (buy membership from Costco), but as mentioned, CSUF tuition includes gym membership; it's a nice gym from what I remember.