City vs. Suburbs and School Info (Los Angeles, Irvine: crime, houses, neighborhoods)

[Nysee53]

am visiting the Los Angeles area in late August, I am checking out a relo possiblity (never has worked out for me). I am trying to do a little research to see if I could make a smooth transition from my current neighborhood which I love and what to stay in, but a job offer might make us consider it.

Some of my friends have moved to LA and some like it and then others move back to our area. I have been told that the La Canada Flintridge area is the best for good public schools, safety, and housing. I found some houses that I like in the area and I was reading about the high school and it seems to be very well regarded. One of my best friends who moved 6 years ago lives in Hancock Park and she and her family love it, even though it is in the city. I am a little concerned about looking in the city because of LA's reputation for crime and poor public schools. I don't have a problem paying for private schools if we relocate to the city, but I would like to know what our private options for non-parochial high schools, as well as neighborhoods that offer nice housing for the upper bracket range, and are safe for a suburban kid to navigate. I read about Irvine in Money magazine, but I don't know much about it. I'd appreciate any recommendations.

[Charles]

Google California school performance maps

[Nysee53]

OK, thanks for the recommendation. Do you know of any nicer city neighborhoods and private schools?

[bhcompy]

most private schools are religious in nature around here(assuming by non-parochial you mean non-religious), not that it means they arent good academic schools

as far as nicer neighborhoods, the la basin is a huge area with terrible commutes, so you need to be more specific on where your relocation opportunities may be

[katenik]

you mentioned hancock park as a possible area of interest. one of the best girls' private secondary schools in the city is located there. it's very competitive, and very expensive, but, by all accounts, well worth it for the girls who attend. they receive a superior education.

Please wait...

other well-regarded private day schools include:

Harvard-Westlake School

The Archer School for Girls

Wildwood School

i also wouldn't rule out the better parochial (generally catholic) schools. some of them are comparable to the best secular institutions in quality of education, and are half the cost. i'm thinking of schools such as crespi, immaculate heart, notre dame academy, and campbell hall (episcopal).

if you like communities with older, more "stately" homes (similar in style to hancock park properties, and the complete opposite of those cookie-cutter mcmansions one finds in places like irvine), you might consider san marino. the public schools there are excellent.

[Nysee53]

Thanks for the recommendations. We don't want a religious school, unless it is presbyterian than it might work. Right now I am into more established older communities and that is why I am into La Canada. How are the schools in Beverly Hills? I will do more research on San Marino.

[missionhome]

Originally Posted by Nysee53

Thanks for the recommendations. We don't want a religious school, unless it is presbyterian than it might work. Right now I am into more established older communities and that is why I am into La Canada. How are the schools in Beverly Hills? I will do more research on San Marino.

Beverly Hills schools are top ranked. 8/10 is sort of the cut off for top performing schools. A sample of the city's school scores: Hawthorne Elementary (10/10), El Rodeo Elementary (9/10), Horace Mann Elementary School (9/10), Beverly Vista Elementary (9/10), Beverly Hills High School (9/10). All the elementary schools are K-8 so there are no dedicated middle schools.

Also, the San Marino Unified School District is excellent. All four schools in the school district have top ranking schools scoring 10/10. It has that established community feel too. I believe a portion of San Marino is in Pasadena Unified. Be sure to buy a home in San Marino Unified because Pasadena Unified has a lot of lower performing schools. The high school students living in the Pasadena Unified portion of San Marino attend Pasadena High for example, which scores 6/10 and is much lower than San Marino High's 10/10.

Best of luck!

[JTGJR]

Chadwick School in Palos Verdes might be an option as well. K-12 Education running $19-25K per year. Then again, PV High and PV Peninsula High consistently rank in the Top 100 high schools in the country.

[timelesschild]

Where is your potential job opportunity? La Canada is a VERY long way from Irvine. They can't both be potentials for your home, for the same job opportunity.

I would like to second the earlier suggestion regarding San Marino. It is gorgeous, established, safe, with great schools. It's like heaven on earth - if you can afford a house there - which you apparently can do. A lot depends on where your potential job is located. If it's in downtown LA, San Marino would be reasonable.

[Nysee53]

The jobs we are looking at would be in Harbor City, CA and West Hills most likely. My husband is used to driving a little over 60 minutes to work. Right now I think we like Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, and La Canada Flintridge. It was hard for me to look in San Marino because it was hard to find newly renovated homes. I am willing to do a renovation myself because I have a background in house flipping and home building. The recruiter my husband is working with recommended an area called Encino which is close to West Hills, but I don't know too much about it. We are still trying to find a top notch private school. Does anyone have a clue as to where the elite of LA send their kids? I am looking for a high school.