Looking for the best way to live in LA (Los Angeles: real estate, rental)

[clementineb]

Hello,

My husband and I are considering moving to Los Angeles for his work. We live in Berkeley now and love it, and though there are things we like about LA, neither of us is relishing giving up our current lifestyle, especially now that we have a 1-year-old.

I've made it my mission to find the best possible place to live in or near LA. My wish list:
•a good neighborhood vibe with walkable amenities--good food store, coffee, dry cleaner, bookstore, etc.
•fair amount of green and/or ocean space
•interesting architecture
•a place that feels good to come home to

I've lived all over the country--from Missoula, Montana to Manhattan--and love aspects of both. The Bay Area actually feels like a good mix of small town and big city and I love living here (except for the cost of living, of course).

We're open to living in LA proper or in some magical small town near LA that no one knows about but has amazing coffee, good schools, and smart people.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated--oh, and note that though real estate prices are important overall, we'll be renting for a while before we commit to a place so it isn't as important as it might be otherwise.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Charles]

Where will he be working?
What is your rental budget?
What will your housing price range be?

[harahap]

Originally Posted by clementineb

I've made it my mission to find the best possible place to live in or near LA. My wish list:
•a good neighborhood vibe with walkable amenities--good food store, coffee, dry cleaner, bookstore, etc.
•fair amount of green and/or ocean space
•interesting architecture
•a place that feels good to come home to

Uhh... that sounds like Berkeley to me. But, okay, if you really wanna move to SoCal:

Neighbourhood vibe with walkable amenities:
Most areas have parts with a nice walk to amenities, as long as you find a place close to them. But, really, SoCal is car culture. From someone who lived in NorCal and moved here, believe me, it has a way of changing you into a driver.

Fair amount of green:
The Covina, Fullerton, Walnut, Pomona area is rather green. It's always pleasant when I drive through there.

Fair amount of ocean:
Well, just look at the beach cities. Malibu, Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Long Beach, Huntington Beach. Long Beach is the most affordable, Santa Monica mid-range, the rest pretty pricey.

Interesting architecture:
Pasadena has interesting commercial/public buildings. If you mean homes, well, I think the beach cities again.

Pleasant to come home to:
Ehh... I don't know how to interpret that. For me, it's what you make of the inside of your home.

We're open to living in LA proper or in some magical small town near LA that no one knows about but has amazing coffee, good schools, and smart people.

LA proper isn't really all that nice to raise a kid. Of course, people who were raised there would own me, and tell me why that's wrong. I'm just saying as someone who came here. Something akin to a mini-Berkeley, though, might be Claremont.

Sorry if I didn't narrow it down, and made it confusing, but I don't really know of any area that fits all your criteria.

[timelesschild]

Pasadena would fit all your parameters except good public schools. It truly is lovely, including the architecture of the homes. There are other towns great for this as well; however, a first question to ask is: where will you and/or husband be working? And what is your rent budget? I mean, there are STUNNING, lovely walkable communities in and around LA; the big questions are: where will you work, and how much do you want to pay?

[straight outta camden]

This is a tricky set of requirements, not because it's unusual but because it isn't. Just about everybody wants good schools and open space, and very large numbers of people want good coffee shops, pretty buildings, walkability etc. etc. As a result the places that do provide all these things are horrifically expensive. Or they have horrific commutes to west LA, where most of the high-paying jobs are (that's the problem with Claremont). The closest match is probably Santa Monica, but good luck ever buying a house there unless you have a million bucks or so lying around. Personally I hate Malibu--a bizarre mix of unreconstructed hippies and the super-rich, who have ruined what would be a pretty bit of coastline with their hideous houses ("22 miles of scenic beauty?" I think not). But there's lots of green space up there, which periodically catches fire.

LA isn't a terrible place to raise a kid. It's certainly not as bad as Manhattan, which is great for babies but lousy for toddlers and up, unless of course you are a billionaire. The general principle is to avoid the LA Unified School District.

[clementineb]

Originally Posted by Charles

Where will he be working?
What is your rental budget?
What will your housing price range be?

Hi,
Thanks for your reply (and to everyone else, too)...
My husband and I are both writers and currently we both work at home. In LA, he would be working some from home, but also in Burbank and in Santa Monica. Our rental budget is approx. $2500 or so a month...and if things turn out as we hope career-wise, our housing budget will be in the 750K range. (Not a lot, I know, but more than we could afford now)...

Thanks again!

[clementineb]

Originally Posted by timelesschild

Pasadena would fit all your parameters except good public schools. It truly is lovely, including the architecture of the homes. There are other towns great for this as well; however, a first question to ask is: where will you and/or husband be working? And what is your rent budget? I mean, there are STUNNING, lovely walkable communities in and around LA; the big questions are: where will you work, and how much do you want to pay?

Pasadena is on our list....thanks for the tip. I've also heard that Sierra Madre is kind of "Mayberry" like?
And I also responded to Charles who had your same questions about where we work and what we can afford: we both work at home (though he'll also be working in Burbank and Santa Monica a bit); our rental budget is approx. $2500 or so a month...and if things turn out as we hope career-wise, our housing budget will be in the 750K range for our first home.

[NaplesRes]

Belmont Shore / Naples

[nickdahammer]

I would vote for South Pasadena: has a small-townish feel, green, quaint train station, farmers' market, etc. And you are still within striking distance to Pas or NELA, downtown, etc.

[CESpeed]

When I was growing up, LA was great and wonderful. It isn't like that anymore. I'm leaving because I want a decent place to raise a family, imho, LA isn't it. There are little quaint walkable neighborhoods around: Old Town Pas, Downtown Burbank, Downtown Culver City, Claremont, Larchmont Village, Los Feliz, Downtown Santa Monica, Covina. If your husband will be working in Burbank and Santa Monica, I would pick the where he would be going the most so you can cut down on your traveling time, they are both areas that will suit your budget well.