Just got a job in Culver City.. (Inglewood, Vista: apartments, amusement parks)

[Lima_beans]

So im going to make the move down from Chicago at the end of September. My office is in Culver City right now, but is talking about maybe moving to Marina Del Ray.

Just visited LA last weekend and think I got a pretty good feel for the areas I would want to live in. I dug the new downtown culver city area, and I also liked the Venice Beach area so Im going to be looking in those areas for 2 bedroom apartments. Some people warned that there are some less-desirable areas in Venice I should avoid, but I wasn't sure how to identify them.

If there are any other areas you guys recommend I should check out let me know, Im looking for something very close to work so I can avoid commuting by car (would prefer under 10 miles so I can bicycle). Also really would like something that is under a mile from stuff to do like resteraunts/coffee shops/grocery stores.

Anyways, since im so pumped about moving, thought I would list some of the things I really liked about LA when I visited:
-- obviously great weather (so sick of Chicago winters)
-- tons of vegan/vegetarian food EVERYWHERE.
-- huge farmer markets, i hear are open year round.
-- eating healthy is 'cool' here.
-- Beach volleyball Mecca, (I am really into volleyball)
-- lots of soccer too it seems like, another sport I like.
-- more bicycles than I expected given LA's reputation, saw them everywhere.
-- amusement parks! corny i know =p
-- culturally diverse. I love this aspect.
-- great restaurants, another food one, but i loved the pick of nice fancy restaurants, to little taco carts.
-- Seems to be a lot of cool places near LA to visit (very unlike Chicago).
-- really good place for my industry (video games).



The only things I didnt really like were
the traffic,
the strip malls
the sprawl

But im hoping to minimize these downsides by living close to work and in a community that has stuff nearby. I will probably end up buying a car anyways though just so I have more freedom for my social life and extracurricular activities.

[Bronze18]

Well congratulations! I would "welcome you to L.A." but I still have another month until I'm a resident. What kind of work do you? (if you dont mind me asking)

[BRinSM]

if you choose venice, you're best off living south of venice blvd. north of venice, especially north of abbott kinney (all the way to rose) is known as oakwood and houses what is left of the gang population in venice. however, i have a friend that lives in the heart of oakwood and visit him regularly. i've had no issues. i live up the street from him (north of rose). this area is known as ocean park and is in the city of santa monica. i like it a lot! other options since you would like to bike to work would be to live near the ballona creek bike path, which will get you very close to downtown culver city without having to ride on many city streets. playa del rey, marina del rey, and playa vista will be the coastal areas with easiest access to the bike path and all are very nice areas. just beware of the ride home because you would be riding directly into the wind coming off of the ocean. other options are to live in culver city, which has some very nice areas and reasonably priced rents. adjacent palms is very similar to culver city, but located in the city of LA. venice blvd also has a bike line that goes from the coast all the way to downtown LA I believe. You could certainly live near this street and be able to bike to work fairly comfortably. Venice is very expensive, but the neighborhood just east, known as mar vista, is much more reasonably priced, yet not as interesting. the only other places that I can think within a reasonable bike ride to culver city would be up robertson in the beverly hills or west hollywood areas. it is certainly pricey up there though and your commute home would be uphill, though not too steep. however, if your company does move to the marina area, that would be an awful commute.

congrats and good luck on your move!

[Lima_beans]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

other options since you would like to bike to work would be to live near the ballona creek bike path

I had not heard of this bike path before, Found more stuff about it on google, and it looks like it will be very helpful for the areas i am looking into. Thanks for the heads up!

Originally Posted by Bronze18

Well congratulations! I would "welcome you to L.A." but I still have another month until I'm a resident. What kind of work do you? (if you dont mind me asking)

Looks like we will be moving there at about the same time then . Im in the video game industry.

[mark85]

Yeah, living in MDR would be very convenient to bike to Culver City on the Ballona Creek path. Probably a 4 to 6 mile ride. There's an apartment building right next to the path where the breakwater starts (next to the UCLA boat dock at the end of Admiralty, I think) and I saw a vacancy there on Craigslist not too long ago.

I'm not sure how safe the path is at night, though, since it passes by the gang area of CC. I used to ride there occasionally and once had a bottle thrown at me from over the fence (and this was daytime). Luckily they missed

You could also check out places in the Playa Vista development, just south of MDR around Lincoln. Electronic Art's office is right there.

[Sorcerer68]

I'm partial to Venice but you spend more on housing. Culver City downtown is really nice now that they've done something with it. There aren't as many people there taking advantage of it but maybe that will change with time. Venice has gentrified a lot. Even the "bad" areas aren't that bad anymore. I agree, south of Abbot Kinney isn't as nice. Venice itself has some grit but to some of us, that's a good thing. It had a sizeable gang population 15 years ago but pretty much all of them have moved to Inglewood.

Let me know the good vegetarian restaurants you see. East Hollywood/Los Feliz/Silverlake/Echo Park have some good ones too. There's even a burger joint with half of the menu vegetarian. I was on the Santa Monica pier yesterday remembering all the reasons I like it over there.

The key to dealing with sprawl is to look at it as 1000 different towns. Stay in yours, have recreation in others if you like. Live where you work.

Good Luck!

[LASam]

Welcome to LA! I hope your experience here is as great as mine has been so far (moved here 1.5 years ago from Columbus, OH). You definately will want to get a car so you have the freedom to explore SoCal, and you're 100% correct that you want to live near where you work.

[CESpeed]

Considering your likes list, you'll be happier staying in Culver City. The parts of Venice that are desireable are expensive (I lived 1/2 block froom beach. 2 bd/1 bath $2400. The singles went for $1100) The commute from Culver City to Marina del Rey is not bad unless you have to travel down Lincoln Blvd.

[varnish]

i live in Culver city near the ice-skating rink. moved from missouri to LA 9 years ago. i have always lived on the westside (mar vista, west l.a., santa monica) and love it. 5 years ago i worked in downtown culver city and then there was NOTHING to do.. especially for lunch - options were slim... now it is absolutely awesome! my wife and i love that we don't have to trek all the way to hollyweird or santa monica to get great food. in fact we can leave, park and be walking to the restaurant in 15 minutes which, in LA, is really something.

now my office is near venice and robertson - which is on the edge of culver city. i can quickly walk downtown for lunch action (and do all the time). if you plan on riding your bike i would say keep the move as close to work as possible. my bike commute is about 2.5 miles and takes about 15 minutes - leisurely on my beach cruiser, mind you (it is intentionally slow..i commuted to burbank for two years - 45 minutes or more)

i am a big proponent of culver city. you have the arts district www.ccgalleryguide.com all the great restaurants downtown, tons of close grocery markets, and trader joe's, the helms bakery..and father's office (one of the best burgers ever), the ballona creek is very handy - especially if you want to get to the beach on the weekend with no car action... sony studios, plus tons of other creatives (my industry), culver city also has an ever growing farmers market downtown every tuesday, the pacific 12 movie theater, the culver hotel (where the Munchkins stayed while filming The Wizard of Oz) i could go on. the city of culver city has also been playing their cards smart, imo, about redevelopment.

good luck on your move...oh, and six flags out here in Valencia is RIDICULOUS...it totally smokes great america.

[CESpeed]

And just think Culver City was able to redevelop and change CC for the better without destroying the basic ambience of the city or it's basic character that people move to it for.