El Segundo questions (Los Angeles, Inglewood, Santa Monica: real estate, condo, houses)

[ChicagoGuy]

Might be moving there for work, I have the usual questions about quality of life, safety, etc. One other thing, the sewage plant, oil refinery, and LAX are nearby, so it seems the area would be rather.....toxic. True? Just askin'

Thanks for the help!

[robin2226]

All of the big three of the Defense Co. have plan in El Segundo , Boeing, Northop Gruman, Lockheed Martin.

I DONT think toxic is a question in El Segundo. Just take a look of the housing/appartment price in El Segundo you will see.

[JTGJR]

Hey ChicagoGuy. I've worked in El Segundo for 22-years and have lived on the Westside of ES for about 15 years or so. LAX noise can be a nuisance for those on the north side of El Segundo, and the Hyperion plant has a few off days per year. I can say that I've never smelled any emissions from Chevron in my time living here. "Toxic" is not a term I've ever heard associated with our town.

El Segundo is a small, quiet town with a mix of old timers, who want the 50's back, to young professionals who want a good quality of life for themselves and their families- at half the cost of Manhattan Beach. The police and fire are highly regarded throughout the South Bay and the bulk of the "crime" occurs on the east side of PCH/Sepulveda which is the commercial area of ES. The school system ranks in the top 10% in California. In relative terms, one doesn't need to be concerned if their children are outside after dark. El Segundo real estate has held its own over the past year with a modest 1.5% median increase for a SFH at $850K for 2007. I believe the median condo price is in the neighborhood of $500K- much due to demand. As a result, there are a number of new condo projects currently in progress.

Downtown El Segundo is quiet and quaint with a mix of local fast food American, Mexican, Italian, Chinese and Japanese as well as a couple of more upscale dining establishments. Outside of the residential area, there are major chain retailers (listed in another thread close by) in addition to some high end eating establishments.

Then, of course, there are the other beach cities just minutes away to the south. The plus side of being close to LAX is, if you travel, being just a short cab ride away. If your job is in aerospace, you'll be traveling east-west instead of north-south with the commuter traffic each day.

If you're a party guy looking for wild night life, you're not going to find it in El Segundo. But if you're looking for a quiet, safe and friendly city in Los Angeles county, you should definitely view it as an option- especially if you have children. All-in-all, despite LAX-Hyperion-Chevron, El Segundo is a hidden jewel IMHO. And my family, who are all in Chicago, love to visit this time of year for some reason.

If you have other questions, feel free to send me a Direct Message.

Good luck.

[ChicagoGuy]

thanks, much appreciated. I can see why your family wants to get out of Chi this time of year!!!!

[Charles]

Anybody know what is going up at the SW corner of El Segundo Boulevard and Douglas Street?

lax - Google Maps

[JTGJR]

I forget exactly what they're doing, but it's storm drain replacement or something like that. Been going on a couple weeks. Wreaking havoc at the corner of Sepulveda and El Segundo Blvds. though.

[sam222]

All the beach cities are the same. Same tiny houses that crammed one on another, no parking space. I would rather live in Inglewood or Century city

[LASam]

The construction on El Segundo Blvd seems to be never-ending... the've been doing a lot of work on Nash too lately.

[1200RT]

I work in ES. No complaints. While i live in Santa Monica, I would consider living in ES without hesitation.

And to elaborate on an above comment, ES Fire and PD are very good departments.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by JTGJR

I forget exactly what they're doing, but it's storm drain replacement or something like that. Been going on a couple weeks. Wreaking havoc at the corner of Sepulveda and El Segundo Blvds. though.

I was just at Sepulveda and El Segundo yesterday; I don't recall any construction but I may have been focused on traffic.

Regarding the Douglas/El Segundo, It looks more like a lot or parcel which is under construction (see the google image link I provided).