Harvard Westlake school need infos pls (Los Angeles, Huntington Beach: appointed, 2013, lawyers)

[London29]

3639 Weslin Ave, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 | MLS #16-162384 | Zillow

This one is very nice and within the budget. Is the neighborhood good or average?

[majoun]

Originally Posted by London29

3639 Weslin Ave, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 | MLS #16-162384 | Zillow

This one is very nice and within the budget. Is the neighborhood good or average?

The street's a bit remote, but that's also an excellent neighborhood. (If you're OK with being in the city of L.A. )

Sherman Oaks and Studio City are both nice and safe areas.

[katenik]

Originally Posted by London29

I did not mean live right by the beach. I meant that I want to be able to go there during the day without having to travel. I was just implying that a place like Passadena is way too far.
I know that the beach cities are too far from the school although an HW parent my husband met on Thursday live in Marina Del Rey and they kids apparently take the bus.

I am planning to go there soon to assess the distances and be more familiar with the whole area.

Well, you did say in a post above that you want your kids to be able to walk to the beach after school, which does require living "right by the beach."

Assuming that being farther than walking distance is acceptable, you might consider Playa Vista. Adjacent to Marina Del Rey (which is mostly mid-rise condos and townhomes), with lots of new-build single-family homes (on very small lots, though), and young families. Close to 405 Fwy, which will (eventually) take you to the Valley. If you prefer older, more established neighborhoods, Mar Vista is also worth a look. Cheviot Hills (broadly, Beverly Hills-adjacent) is farther from the beach, but has larger homes, and an easier (well, shorter) commute to the Valley. If you want to be closer to your kid's school (but farther from the beach), Sherman Oaks or Encino would be ideal, as larger homes with pools are common in the Valley, and it is generally more affordable than the more desirable areas of the LA basin.

That said, allow me to suggest that, unless your lifestyle is centered on the water (i.e., you surf or sail regularly), you should not get too hung up on being near the beach. Find a house that you love, that is near where you must be every day. If you work from home, and can live anywhere, live near your children's school[s]. The beaches of So CA might sound great from your vantage point in Texas, but, truth be told, most people in LA don't spend much time there, especially once they are settled, with families. Traffic in the LA area is terrible, almost all of the time. Unless you live in one of the beach cities, getting there will be a hassle from almost anywhere, especially when the weather is most suitable for hanging out at the beach. (It is only consistenty warm at the beach in the summer and early fall. The rest of the year can be overcast and chilly. We even have names for our cool spring weather: May Gray and June Gloom.) On the westside, it can easily take an hour or more to drive from Beverly Hills to Santa Monica, fewer than 10 miles away, at any time before 10 am and after 2 pm. There are lots of places in LA to stroll, sit in the sun, and have a cup of coffee. You don't need to be at the beach to do that.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by katenik

Well, you did say in a post above that you want your kids to be able to walk to the beach after school, which does require living "right by the beach."

Assuming that being farther than walking distance is acceptable, you might consider Playa Vista. Adjacent to Marina Del Rey (which is mostly mid-rise condos and townhomes), with lots of new-build single-family homes (on very small lots, though), and young families. Close to 405 Fwy, which will (eventually) take you to the Valley. If you prefer older, more established neighborhoods, Mar Vista is also worth a look. Cheviot Hills (broadly, Beverly Hills-adjacent) is farther from the beach, but has larger homes, and an easier (well, shorter) commute to the Valley. If you want to be closer to your kid's school (but farther from the beach), Sherman Oaks or Encino would be ideal, as larger homes with pools are common in the Valley, and it is generally more affordable than the more desirable areas of the LA basin.

That said, allow me to suggest that, unless your lifestyle is centered on the water (i.e., you surf or sail regularly), you should not get too hung up on being near the beach. Find a house that you love, that is near where you must be every day. If you work from home, and can live anywhere, live near your children's school[s]. The beaches of So CA might sound great from your vantage point in Texas, but, truth be told, most people in LA don't spend much time there, especially once they are settled, with families. Traffic in the LA area is terrible, almost all of the time. Unless you live in one of the beach cities, getting there will be a hassle from almost anywhere, especially when the weather is most suitable for hanging out at the beach. (It is only consistenty warm at the beach in the summer and early fall. The rest of the year can be overcast and chilly. We even have names for our cool spring weather: May Gray and June Gloom.) On the westside, it can easily take an hour or more to drive from Beverly Hills to Santa Monica, fewer than 10 miles away, at any time before 10 am and after 2 pm. There are lots of places in LA to stroll, sit in the sun, and have a cup of coffee. You don't need to be at the beach to do that.

Getting to the beach wouldn't be as much of a hassle if you live right by the Metro...

[majoun]

Originally Posted by SupDawgs

Honest question, do you think the average H-W parent would let their high school aged DAUGHTER ride the metro alone to the beach on a regular basis?

The Expo Line? Yes. And that's the only Metro line that goes to the beach directly.
They definitely wouldn't want their teenage daughter on the Blue Line, but that doesn't go right to the beach.

[London29]

Thank you all for taking the time to answer and give advise.

We will go to LA in October for a long weekend and make a final decision. My daughter will have her interview and we will look at neighborhoods, experience morning traffic...

I know that we have to be there to truly know if the move is doable or not.

We don't need to be near the beach all the time but it is good to know that it takes about an hour from Beverlly hills to Santa Monica. I thought it would take less than 20 min. I am a bit off on distances... A good reason to be there to get more familiar with everything and be more realistic when talking about places that we can consider budget-wise and distance-wise.

Just to give you an idea on our actual commute right now, the school is 15 miles away from our home and it takes about 20 min when there is no traffic on the tollway. We leave home at 6:50am to get to school before 7:30.
Traffic here starts slowing down at 7am, as long as it we leave before 7 am, we are fine. I believe in LA, traffic is bad at all times.
Will give an update after our trip.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by London29

Thank you all for taking the time to answer and give advise.

We will go to LA in October for a long weekend and make a final decision. My daughter will have her interview and we will look at neighborhoods, experience morning traffic...

I know that we have to be there to truly know if the move is doable or not.

We don't need to be near the beach all the time but it is good to know that it takes about an hour from Beverlly hills to Santa Monica. I thought it would take less than 20 min. I am a bit off on distances... A good reason to be there to get more familiar with everything and be more realistic when talking about places that we can consider budget-wise and distance-wise.

Just to give you an idea on our actual commute right now, the school is 15 miles away from our home and it takes about 20 min when there is no traffic on the tollway. We leave home at 6:50am to get to school before 7:30.
Traffic here starts slowing down at 7am, as long as it we leave before 7 am, we are fine. I believe in LA, traffic is bad at all times.
Will give an update after our trip.

In the afternoons it can take an hour to get from Santa Monica to the 405 (which bisects the middle of the westside)

[katenik]

Originally Posted by London29

Thank you all for taking the time to answer and give advise.

We will go to LA in October for a long weekend and make a final decision. My daughter will have her interview and we will look at neighborhoods, experience morning traffic...

I know that we have to be there to truly know if the move is doable or not.

We don't need to be near the beach all the time but it is good to know that it takes about an hour from Beverlly hills to Santa Monica. I thought it would take less than 20 min. I am a bit off on distances... A good reason to be there to get more familiar with everything and be more realistic when talking about places that we can consider budget-wise and distance-wise.

Just to give you an idea on our actual commute right now, the school is 15 miles away from our home and it takes about 20 min when there is no traffic on the tollway. We leave home at 6:50am to get to school before 7:30.
Traffic here starts slowing down at 7am, as long as it we leave before 7 am, we are fine. I believe in LA, traffic is bad at all times.
Will give an update after our trip.

It isn't distance; it is traffic. That part of town is very congested throughout much of the day. At 2 o'clock in the morning, it would take 15-20 minutes, but that is not helpful to you, for obvious reasons.

[Boosane]

Stay in Texas we're full.

[London29]

Boosane, your location shows Seattle. Grow up and don't post if you have nothing relevant to say.