Jewish Community in the Valley (Los Angeles, Burbank: relocate, luxury, hospital)

[CamaroGuy]

Burbank also has a fairly large Jewish population.

[MovingFromTexas]

My husband will be working in the Westwood area. That is why we are trying to decide if the West Side makes the most sense (despite the higher cost) or if the Valley would be workable and still a nice community.

[puffle]

Larger selection in the city I would imagine. Sherman Oaks is very close to Westwood and probably quite a bit less, I think?

[katenik]

Originally Posted by puffle

Larger selection in the city I would imagine. Sherman Oaks is very close to Westwood and probably quite a bit less, I think?

this is very misleading. the valley to the westside is a horrendous commute, so the fact that these places are arguably "close" as the crow flies is irrelevant if you have to make the drive at rush hour twice daily.

[jessemh431]

Yeah. Traffic over the mountains is horrible.

But, homes can be found cheaper in the valley. It's just a matter of a hellish commute and cheaper(ish) housing vs. easy(er) commute and more expensive homes. The westside would probably make life more enjoyable by spending less time on the road.

[Maine2009]

Originally Posted by MovingFromTexas

We are in the process of deciding whether to relocate from Texas to Los Angeles. We are looking for a warm, welcoming Jewish community with a cost of living that would allow us to keep our children in Jewish Day School. Since the cost of living is lower in the Valley, we have been advised that we would be better off moving to the Valley as the West Side is too expensive. Can anyone share any information about the Jewish Community in the Valley?(Sherman Oaks and Encino would be the preferred communities as the Western Valley would be a VERY long commute)

We would specifically like to know if there are interesting, intelligent people in the Jewish Community in the Valley. Also, we would like information on how easy it is to make friends. Thanks!!

Hi MovingFromTexas, There is a huge Jewish community in the valley. Encino, Tarzana, Sherman Oaks, Studio City,and Woodland Hills (especially South of Ventura Blvd) have areas that are as much as 20% Jewish. Calabasas, and further out in Agoura Hills also have very high Jewish populations and are safe upscale communities in which to raise children. All of these areas however are very expensive. Fixer homes can cost way in excess of $1,000,000. Cheaper areas such as West Hills, or living North of the Ventura Blvd in "nice pockets" are often not as nice, but are more affordable. Crime tends to be higher for the most part North of Ventura Blvd, so keep that in mind.
As far as commutes go....traffic in the Valley is bad everywhere!!! I live in the Western part of the Valley, about 18 miles from my work and it takes me 30min-1 1/2 hours to commute to work each way. My wife travels about 25 miles each way. Most people that aren't "central" usually have a long, and tiring work commute, but are often doing these commutes for a safer and less conjested community to live in when they are away from work. We deal with the awful commute to get away from the awful congestion on the weekends ...for us its worth it .....Good luck in your decision making, and welcome to LA.............

[MovingFromTexas]

Thank you so much for all the advice. We are trying to figure out if we can make the finances work to move to the West Side. One thing we are also concerned about is that the state income tax in CA seems very high. Money Magazine listed the tax at 9.3%. Is this really what you all are paying? Yikes!

[lusterwings]

Originally Posted by MovingFromTexas

We are in the process of deciding whether to relocate from Texas to Los Angeles. We are looking for a warm, welcoming Jewish community with a cost of living that would allow us to keep our children in Jewish Day School. Since the cost of living is lower in the Valley, we have been advised that we would be better off moving to the Valley as the West Side is too expensive. Can anyone share any information about the Jewish Community in the Valley?(Sherman Oaks and Encino would be the preferred communities as the Western Valley would be a VERY long commute)

We would specifically like to know if there are interesting, intelligent people in the Jewish Community in the Valley. Also, we would like information on how easy it is to make friends. Thanks!!

Texas is probably more friendly when it comes to people, but on the other hand, I know a lot of highly regarded, and very persponable jews living in the Valley. As for intelligence, grace, interesting, I would certainly say so. Did you expect for anyone to tell you otherwise?

Sure, there is the person here and there that has given someone a swipe, but for the most part, yes, intelligence runs rampant.

There are some very good Jewish schools in the valley, and there are not Jewish communities, but rather pockets. Try Sherman Oaks Area, and Studio City.

Best of Luck

[MovingFromTexas]

FYI - Texas is the LEAST friendly place we have ever lived. Its a very large, anonymous place to live - and the people here seem to prefer it that way. Our neighbors go out of their way to avoid interaction (head down, avoid eye contact - even with our children). People here are focused on keeping up with the Jones, spending as much money as possible (making sure everyone knows how much money they have), and not much else.

We are trying to get our kids to a more normal part of the country (but we are limited to parts with a good Jewish community). Right now, its either L.A., Chicago, or South Florida. We appreciate any opinions people can offer.

[jessemh431]

Don't go to south Florida. I know the weather can be tempting and there is an extremely percentage of Jews there (just consult this map: http://files.blog-city.com/files/aa/17043/p/f/jewish.gif (broken link)) but the people are superficial and I don't find a good place to raise a family. Miami is great for singles to live in Miami Beach, but not for families. It's one of the poorest cities in America as well.

My first choice would be LA. But, if it's too expensive, Chicago is also a great city, just be prepared for tons of snow. If you don't like snow too much, don't move there. You can find very nice homes there for not nearly as much as here. Don't get me wrong, it's still expensive though. The downtown is very active and large and fun with a never ending selection of cafes and restaurants and good shopping. They even have beaches in the summer. However, the Jewish population isn't as high.

Another place to consider would be Denver. Maybe even NYC or Boston.