Lakewood-- good or ghetto? (Long Beach, Riverside: renting, homes, transfer)

[vegaspilgrim]

I'm looking for personal, first hand experience here, the kind of stuff that can't be reduced to statistics. This is the first of a number of inquiries I have trying to hone in on a location here. Currently living in the Bay area, starting a new job in December and will be moving to somewhere in the LA area.

My job requires me to be mobile, serving my clients at their offices and homes, wherever they are located. I need a place that has excellent access to freeways going in all directions, accessible both to Orange County and most of LA County (I realize it's HUGE and obviously I can't cover all of it) on a regular basis, with occasional trips into Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties. I could care less about urban excitement or nightlife spots-- I'll drive to those spots when necessary, don't need to live there. I'm looking for a middle class, middle of the road area, relatively safe. I want to stay out of the action-- just a normal, boring, quiet community where nothing happens. Does this sound like Lakewood or am I getting the wrong impression? I'll probably be renting a house-- doesn't have to be big, but has to be a single family house, at least 2 bedrooms-- at least starting off. I'm looking to spend up to about $2000/mo on rent, can budge a little bit, but not much. Married and have a kid coming soon on the way. Spare me the snotty comments which I'm sure will come having read this forum for a while. I just want the facts.

How does Lakewood compare to nearby Bellflower, Norwalk, or Cerritos? What are considered the better parts of Lakewood?

[NaplesRes]

Lakewood may work.

I recommend East Long Beach. Check out College Park or Los Altos. If you could up the budget a little look at El Dorado Park. If you can budge even more look at Park Estates or Bixby Knolls. All are safe, close to the freeway, and quiet single family, bedroom communities. Another area to look at is Rossmoor in Los Alamitos but that will put you in the Park Estates/Bixby Knolls price range.

[ferretkona]

Originally Posted by LA_Geography

How does Lakewood compare to nearby Bellflower, Norwalk, or Cerritos? What are considered the better parts of Lakewood?

For the most part Lakewood is the best of your list. Avoid the west side of the mall. Avoid East Lakewood (look on the map east of the 605), mostly trailer parks. I grew up in Lakewood and would move back in a minute, except we are retiring to Yosemite where we have land.

Cerritos is a very Asian town, the city does not allow auto work in your own driveway: ae carwashing, changing the oil or battery.

Norwalk to me has always seemed very ghetto. Some nice areas.

Bellflower is a very old town, and trying to stay old. There are nice parts on the fringe. South where Lakewood borders. North where Downey Borders.

Downey is pretty nice on par with Lakewood. City police instead of county sheriff.

[bhcompy]

I agree with ferretkona. Pretty much everything west of the 605 to Clark or Lakewood Blvd would be good to great. There are some neighborhoods in east Lakewood that are nice as well, mostly between Del Amo and Centralia all the way to the county line(Coyote Creek)

As far as quiet, it varies from neighborhood to neighborhood of course, but there are some more quiet than others. You'll just have to check out the neighborhoods before you rent.

ferretkona mentioned Downey as well, and that city is similar to Lakewood in some parts, but varies more neighborhood to neighborhood.

For Bellflower, one of the best parts of it(last I lived there) was the neighborhood around Caruther's Park. I don't know what it's like now, but it was a nice middle class neighborhood and a lot of people owned horses and would ride them on the street.

Norwalk is mostly less desireable, but there are some decent neighborhoods. Procede with caution.

Cerritos is as others have said. Primarily asian, strict with parking on streets and driveways and anything you do in them, and a little more snooty. It will probably by the quietest of the bunch though.

Other areas you may want to consider that may be in the $2000 range are East Long Beach(which is basically the same as most of Lakewood), Cypress, and western Buena Park

[Chowhound]

Originally Posted by LA_Geography

I'm looking for personal, first hand experience here, the kind of stuff that can't be reduced to statistics. This is the first of a number of inquiries I have trying to hone in on a location here. Currently living in the Bay area, starting a new job in December and will be moving to somewhere in the LA area.

My job requires me to be mobile, serving my clients at their offices and homes, wherever they are located. I need a place that has excellent access to freeways going in all directions, accessible both to Orange County and most of LA County (I realize it's HUGE and obviously I can't cover all of it) on a regular basis, with occasional trips into Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura counties. I could care less about urban excitement or nightlife spots-- I'll drive to those spots when necessary, don't need to live there. I'm looking for a middle class, middle of the road area, relatively safe. I want to stay out of the action-- just a normal, boring, quiet community where nothing happens. Does this sound like Lakewood or am I getting the wrong impression? I'll probably be renting a house-- doesn't have to be big, but has to be a single family house, at least 2 bedrooms-- at least starting off. I'm looking to spend up to about $2000/mo on rent, can budge a little bit, but not much. Married and have a kid coming soon on the way. Spare me the snotty comments which I'm sure will come having read this forum for a while. I just want the facts.

How does Lakewood compare to nearby Bellflower, Norwalk, or Cerritos? What are considered the better parts of Lakewood?

Lakewood is good, avoid bellflower, Cerritos is good, avoid Norwalk.

Just my humble opinion.

[AlongTheI-5]

I grew up in Lakewood in the 60-70s, lived in Norwalk in the 00's. Cerritos sounds like your best bet if you want access to LA/OC. The I-605 and State 91 freeways cross in Cerritos, with the I-5 not far away.

[ghost123]

Originally Posted by NaplesRes

Lakewood may work.

I recommend East Long Beach. Check out College Park or Los Altos. If you could up the budget a little look at El Dorado Park. If you can budge even more look at Park Estates or Bixby Knolls. All are safe, close to the freeway, and quiet single family, bedroom communities. Another area to look at is Rossmoor in Los Alamitos but that will put you in the Park Estates/Bixby Knolls price range.

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What about schools in and around the area of Lakewood? I have a daughter who is in elementary school. My family and I are considering Lakewood to move to. My concern is her schooling. Do I have a good choice to choose from regarding public and private elementary schools in this area? What about public and private high schools?

Thank you so much for any input on this.

[NaplesRes]

Originally Posted by ghost123

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What about schools in and around the area of Lakewood? I have a daughter who is in elementary school. My family and I are considering Lakewood to move to. My concern is her schooling. Do I have a good choice to choose from regarding public and private elementary schools in this area? What about public and private high schools?

Thank you so much for any input on this.

Don't know anything about Lakewood schools. Sorry.

The schools in East Long Beach and Los Alamitos are good to great. My personal favorite regarding elementary schools is Naples Elementary because of it's size and parent involvement, but there are many good ones.

[ferretkona]

Lakewood shares with other school districts. BUSD shares money to Mayfair High and Bellflower High.
Lakewood High is in the Long Beach school district. Lakewood residents have fought for years for their own school district.

Cypress has a first class school district.

[bhcompy]

Originally Posted by ghost123

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What about schools in and around the area of Lakewood? I have a daughter who is in elementary school. My family and I are considering Lakewood to move to. My concern is her schooling. Do I have a good choice to choose from regarding public and private elementary schools in this area? What about public and private high schools?

Thank you so much for any input on this.

use the performance maps listed on the cypress thread you posted in. there are also three very good private high schools in the area. St Josephs(All Girl), St John Bosco(All Boy I believe), and Valley Christian(which also has a jr high).

Publically, lakewood has a problem with 3 or 4 different school districts being in the area. The community has tried for years to get their own district, but it's been a tough road. Stay away from schools in the Paramount district for sure. The schools in Bellfower unified are fair to good, the Long Beach schools can be state average to great. The ABC district schools arent very good in east Lakewood and Hawaiian Gardens (except maybe Palms Elem and Tetzlaff and Haskell Middle schools), but the ones in Cerritos just north are good if you can manage a transfer or if you live within those boundries.