WHAT would you do, if you were in my shoes......... (Ladera Heights: to buy, professionals)

[aliali]

Great advice from everyone. Thanks.
As of now I am thinking about renting, unless I find something which is beaten down in price and a great buy. My work hours should be from 6 am to 5 m. My understanding is that the closer I am on South Bay the shorter the commute. And it could take upto an hour to commute from Century City to Redondo in the evening. Would it be an hour, under best case scenario or on average? Also, would Palos Verdes be too too far?

Thanks everyone for all your advice.

[aliali]

Just an update for everyone, who have been helping me out.
I am working with two realtors for a rental. South of Lax and norh of LAX.
The agent that is showing me rentals south of LAX, is trying to convince to rent in Palos Verdes and is saying that at 5pm or so from Century City, it should take me an hour to commute. Or stay in Redondo and shave of five more minutes.

The agent north of LAX, is trying to convinc eme to stay in Sherman Oaks or Cheviot Hills. I hav eheard on this forum that Sherman Oaks is going downhill. Is that True?
And any opinions on Cheviot Hills?

Thanks

[DontH8Me]

Originally Posted by aliali

Just an update for everyone, who have been helping me out.
I am working with two realtors for a rental. South of Lax and norh of LAX.
The agent that is showing me rentals south of LAX, is trying to convince to rent in Palos Verdes and is saying that at 5pm or so from Century City, it should take me an hour to commute. Or stay in Redondo and shave of five more minutes.

The agent north of LAX, is trying to convinc eme to stay in Sherman Oaks or Cheviot Hills. I hav eheard on this forum that Sherman Oaks is going downhill. Is that True?
And any opinions on Cheviot Hills?

Thanks

I would love to challenge that agent that thinks he can get from Redondo Beach to Palos Verdes in 5 minutes after 5:00 pm. Does he mean crossing over to the PV border from Knob Hill? Because that's about the only distance I can imagine doing in 5 minutes at that time of day.

I would steer clear of any agent who was trying to goad me into somewhere specific like that - it makes you question their integrity.

[hockyis1]

Originally Posted by DontH8Me

I would love to challenge that agent that thinks he can get from Redondo Beach to Palos Verdes in 5 minutes after 5:00 pm. Does he mean crossing over to the PV border from Knob Hill? Because that's about the only distance I can imagine doing in 5 minutes at that time of day.

I would steer clear of any agent who was trying to goad me into somewhere specific like that - it makes you question their integrity.

I agree. I lived in El Segundo for quite a few years. There is NO WAY that you can do that commute in 5 minutes. The freeways are slow that time of day, and as soon as you get off the freeway, especially near Palos Verdes, you have another 15-20 minutes getting to your house.

If you take surface streets from Redondo to PV, you're looking at an even longer commute. Plus, you paying for the image to live in PV, it's somewhat of a status symbol to live there.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by aliali

Just an update for everyone, who have been helping me out.
I am working with two realtors for a rental. South of Lax and norh of LAX.
The agent that is showing me rentals south of LAX, is trying to convince to rent in Palos Verdes and is saying that at 5pm or so from Century City, it should take me an hour to commute. Or stay in Redondo and shave of five more minutes.

The agent north of LAX, is trying to convinc eme to stay in Sherman Oaks or Cheviot Hills. I hav eheard on this forum that Sherman Oaks is going downhill. Is that True?
And any opinions on Cheviot Hills?

Thanks

Living in Culver City and being a native of the West Side, I know a bit about Cheviot Hills, not far away.

It's a nice neighborhood, with a predominately Jewish population, entirely residential (except for its northern border on Pico), mostly SFRs, some apartments, mostly built just after WW2. It used to be upper middle class in the part closer to Beverly Hills and Century City, and middle class in the part closer to Palms. Nowadays it's become upper-middle/upper class due to high real estate prices - it's gone from being "North Culver City" to "South Beverly Hills" if that explains anything. This is a result of people who would have moved to Beverly Hills, Westwood,etc. in the past being priced out and having to look southward.

It is zoned for some truly horrendous LAUSD schools (that have been horrendous since long before the other west side LAUSD schools were - it shares the same schools with Palms) , but then so are WeHo/Fairfax, Hancock Park, the Hollywood Hills, Los Feliz, etc. Nothing wrong with living there at all, although there are similar parts of the West Side that would be a bit cheaper.

[puffle]

Originally Posted by aliali

Just an update for everyone, who have been helping me out.
I am working with two realtors for a rental. South of Lax and norh of LAX.
The agent that is showing me rentals south of LAX, is trying to convince to rent in Palos Verdes and is saying that at 5pm or so from Century City, it should take me an hour to commute. Or stay in Redondo and shave of five more minutes.

The agent north of LAX, is trying to convinc eme to stay in Sherman Oaks or Cheviot Hills. I hav eheard on this forum that Sherman Oaks is going downhill. Is that True?
And any opinions on Cheviot Hills?

Thanks

No, Sherman Oaks is not getting run down. There are a number of great restaurants and shops all along Ventura Blvd. from Sepulveda Blvd. to Laurel Cyn. If you lived there it would take you about 40 minutes to Century City and about the same or an hour back in the evening taking Beverly Glen or Benedict Cyn.

[artichoke63]

The market will come down. I would not buy anything now in California.

Artie

[jlrobe]

Originally Posted by miracle

sorry!!

A town feeling in a conmuting time of less an hour in Los Angeles is not reality, but some places as Pasadena, San Marino, Malibu??, Agoura Hills, Westlake Village, or Newport may be the closest to town you will get in Los Angeles metro. Try Pasadena, walkable and oldtown areas, nice....expensive but not as much as the Hills or Westside. South Bay is far from town feeling, and in summer days is horrible.

If you thikn Pasadena is a smaller town feel than HB, MB, or el segundo, you are dreaming. The summers here are >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> than Pasadena. July in Manhattan, sunny and 85 degrees with an ocean breeze and no smog. Pasadena is 115 degrees in stiflying smog chocked heat. Pasadena has ghettos, nice areas, big buildings, wide streets, and 100k+ people. It is a mid size city with its good parts and bad parts. How is that a small town exactly? I like pasadena, but you are a bit lost. Also, pasadena more walkable than MB?!?!? Whaaa? I can walk the length of manhattan beach in 30 minutes. MB has bike trails and completely pedestrian streets (i.e., no cars allowed). Actually, I bike across HB, RB, and MB routinely. I can bike across three cities in 30 minutes without ever seeing a car.

Anyhow. I think you are horribly misrepresenting the south bay.

[miracle]

Originally Posted by jlrobe

If you thikn Pasadena is a smaller town feel than HB, MB, or el segundo, you are dreaming. The summers here are >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> than Pasadena. July in Manhattan, sunny and 85 degrees with an ocean breeze and no smog. Pasadena is 115 degrees in stiflying smog chocked heat. Pasadena has ghettos, nice areas, big buildings, wide streets, and 100k+ people. It is a mid size city with its good parts and bad parts. How is that a small town exactly? I like pasadena, but you are a bit lost. Also, pasadena more walkable than MB?!?!? Whaaa? I can walk the length of manhattan beach in 30 minutes. MB has bike trails and completely pedestrian streets (i.e., no cars allowed). Actually, I bike across HB, RB, and MB routinely. I can bike across three cities in 30 minutes without ever seeing a car.

Anyhow. I think you are horribly misrepresenting the south bay.

I dont misrepresent the south bay, cos I dont talk about that area, I talk about the most town experience you can have in a conmuting short time to Downtown Los Angeles, and South Bay is not close to nothing but LAX, Hermosa is 23 miles while Pasadena is only 10 miles. I now the high quality of life in South Bay cities, and I know Pasadena is not a small city, but you can get a real town feeling in many areas of that city, and still you will be in the core of metro Los Angeles, and having major services in and around, while if you are living in South Bay what you will find 10 miles around is South-Central LA or LAX!!!, I think is very different living there than living in Pasadena, Im talking about a town feeling in an urban environment not a town feeling in a beachside southerncali white-only city.

[Sorcerer68]

[quote=jlrobe;462221] Pasadena is 115 degrees in stiflying smog chocked heat. QUOTE]

Dude, not even Vegas is that hot every day in the summer. Pas summer days are usually high 80's.