Where to live within 30 minutes of downtown? (Glendale, Pasadena: for rent, hotels)

[Steven234]

I will be working in downtown LA (across the street from Pershing Square). What are my options with a 30 minute commute? Work hours are flexible, usually from 10 to 6.

Some things I'm looking for:

* 30 minute commute or shorter (driving, public transit, or walking)
* Around $2000/month for rent (somewhat flexible)
* Convenient parking is a plus

Honestly I'm not sure exactly what I'm looking for. I'm single in late 20s so a dating scene would be nice. I don't have any particular outdoors hobbies.

[JohnG72]

Live Downtown. Walk to work.

Other reasonable options are:

Gold line rail - South Pasadena and Pasadena
Red line rail - ktown, Hollywood, Los Felix, and North Hollywood

Drive - Glendale, silver Lake

[disgruntled la native]

You've got a lot of options within your budget and commute. It depends on you and what you're looking for.
If you're more artsy or hipster you could do Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Los Feliz..
Quieter and suburban? Pasadena, maybe Glendale or Burbank.
I'd vote for DTLA too so you could walk to work, but... You'll get less for your money there than adjacent areas and there are other issues.

[saybanana]

Downtown is not a small area. It is a huge area with many districts and neighborhoods. So there are many areas to choose from. 20 years ago, Downtown was dead. Little housing choices. Then slowly so many renovated buildings and new construction. Downtown has mostly new, "luxury" housing with high rent prices. Attracts mostly single/couples 20s 30s 40s professional types rather than family/kids types. Lots of bars/lounges/restaurants in an urban area. All the neighborhoods within 3-5 miles of Downtown are primarily lower income-working class with varying gentrification levels. Mostly Asian and Latin American majorities. As you go away income levels are similar or they change to more middle class and change of dempgraphics in some areas. A lot of the gentrification is happening/happened in areas to northern half. Koreantown, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Highland Park, Eagle Rock. These areas are getting more expensive to due to b gentrifying/or fully gentrified. Lots of hipster/millennial types in the 20s 30s 40s here mixed in with older immigrant generations being priced out. The nightlife in these areas are smaller. A few bars many neighborhood restaurants rather than full on nightlife. PLaces like Hollywood and Downtown are main nightlife places in LA with lots of hotels. So if you want to be more central to that lifestyle choose these. Even Koreatown is in that mix, but other areas are more residential/village type of areas where bars/restaurants are more local.
I would say all the above areas are within 5-7 miles or 30 minutes from Downtown pershing square using public transit and driving in medium rush hour traffic.

Other areas to consider are Pasadena and South Pasadena which have Metro rail connections to Downtown near 30 minutes commute. Also North Hollywood arts district area which is about 30 minutes. Pasadena is a small city has some nightlife near Old PAsadena. while South Pasadena is more suburban with small town features rather than small city. North Hollywood is gentrifying but the Arts District is gentrifying with good public transit.

Those are all the areas within 30 minutes. You can look further 30-1 hour will expand your areas to Beverly Grove, Fairfax District, West Hollywood, Studio City, Glendale, Burbank, Culver City, Santa Monica which have mix of ages good amount of 20-40 somethings.

[BGS91762]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

Live Downtown. Walk to work.

Other reasonable options are:

Gold line rail - South Pasadena and Pasadena
Red line rail - ktown, Hollywood, Los Felix, and North Hollywood

Drive - Glendale, silver Lake

Glendale is 15 minutes from Downtown on Metrolink. Much nicer and more comfortable than Metro. Burbank is also a close commute on Metrolink.

[JohnG72]

Originally Posted by BGS91762

Glendale is 15 minutes from Downtown on Metrolink. Much nicer and more comfortable than Metro. Burbank is also a close commute on Metrolink.

He works by Pershing square.

Time getting to metrolink+waiting for next train+transfer to redline at union station and you are looking at way more than a 30 minute door to door commute.