Is Los Angeles/Southern California a Good Place to Raise Children? (San Diego: rental, houses)

[Lucario]

Originally Posted by hsw

Like any vast urban region, LA can be a great place to raise kids in right suburban areas....

Great places to raise kids are obviously subjective, personal judgments

I tend to think any place w/many parents who themselves are high-achievers in their careers; are focused on trying to be good parents; and kids who are smart, ambitious and want to learn and out-achieve their parents largely define a desirable place to raise kids

In LA region, only two places I'd consider excellent for raising kids are: BevHills/Brentwood and Irvine

BH/Brentwood are obviously the land of >>$10MM houses and need to spend $30K+/yr/kid for private schools, as the public schools suck, as in 95+% of CA (or NJ/CT/NY for that matter)

Irvine is relatively middle-income, upwardly mobile; arguably among two best public school dts in CA (only rival is PaloAlto); coastal climate and air quality; newer housing stock; close to OC tech corridor and newer shopping....

"Diversity" is an absurd criterion IMO....Irvine is heavily Asian and random whites; lots of engineers and small business owners....NJ's comparable ShortHills is heavily Jewish, random whites and Asians; lots of NYC financiers and lawyers...it's a free country; people live where they can afford and desire

Given the free-fall of housing prices, prob smarter to rent something for a yr or two and watch the cratering occur....

First of all, thanks for the info. Again, just the type of stuff I'm looking for. I actually considered moving to Irvine 20 years ago but went back East.

As for the bolded comments, if you're African American and upper-middle-class, you have to consider diversity. You can't live in, say, Watts, Compton or Inglewood. You can't live in all-white rich, or all-white poor areas. There has to be a balance. You have to do a tragic, but necessary dance in order to assure your children's (and yours, and your spouse's) psychological well-being. If you're black, you can't always live where you want or can afford. I wish it were that way, but even in 2009 with a black President-elect, it is not.

[Lucario]

Originally Posted by fatmancomics

If you're doing good were you are I wouldn't be thinking about moving at all. Like someone else said, why uproot your family? Your kids are almost through their schooling and you should wait until they graduate and go to college or work. Once they're done with school, you can move wherever you want. You say you have your own business and that's something to consider as well because you will need to open your business wherever it will make the most money (what's your business by the way?) and even then it will be a risk because you'll be the new kid on the block.
Again, if you're doing well where you are and your kids are already in good schools, wait until their schooling is done to take a risk like this. That way, if your business fails, they won't suffer for it. Just my two cents.

Hi. No, I am not planning to move any time soon, although I have been considering getting out of NJ because I hate the weather, among other things. If we were to move, it would be after a year or more of research, consideration and planning. I am just putting out very preliminary feelers at this point. The kids are preteen, so it will be a while before they are out of HS. Our business is done almost exclusively via computer/Internet; we both consult in different areas of the pharmaceutical industry, so we don't worry about where we live as long as the work continues to flow.

[the one]

LA is a great place. i took the kids ice skating in pershing square over the weekend.
then we walked around downtown.

LA is great. lots to do.

[Lucario]

Back to the thread. If I move, it may be later this year, and it would probably be Orange County or somewhere close. Any more thoughts?

[Lucario]

Originally Posted by mini_cute

Quite frankly, I think LA is a bad place for raising children unless you live in Beverly Hills or some rich hills. Even then I wouldn't want to raise my kids there. Even if the school your child goes to has less of a gang presence, it is still easy for them to be exposed to all the bad elements in LA. Los Angeles is considered gang capital to a lot of people and if not gangs, than shallowness and loose morals run rampant. There's this whole LA mentality that ruins so many of our youths. I believe 20 years ago it was much better, but now it has changed. Like another poster mentioned earlier, I highly urge you to consider San Diego (particulary North County) as it has better schools, and is a much better environment for raising children. Orange County is pretty good though, especially Irvine.

Here's a school performance map: California School Performance Maps

Just zoom in on the region and the little indicator flags will show up.

Can you give me more info on San Diego North County and Irvine?

[NewportBorn]

Originally Posted by KnoxTown

Safety from the cops?

Hahaha, there are always crooked ones.

I would also check out areas in Pasadena.
But I would venture to say, SD is better suited for a family.

[missionhome]

Originally Posted by Sunil's Dad

Can you give me more info on San Diego North County and Irvine?

Please see "Pictures of Orange County" in the Orange County forum to see pics of Irvine and the surrounding South OC area.

[TheRealAngelion]

As someone said in an earlier post what is considered a great place to raise a family is very subjective and depends on one's personal choice and preferences. If I had children, I would raise them in LA like I was, however, I would likely send them to private school because I feel they would get a better education than in most of LA's public schools. But again this is a matter of personal preference. I know well educated, smart, successful people who still send their kids to LA public schools. Now granted their kids are mostly in AP/Honors classes so they aren't your typical average students. But there are a few options like some of the magnet and charter high schools. LA residents can also petition to send their kids to schools in smaller, better rated districts like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and South Pasadena, for example.

One of the great things about the LA area at large is that there are a number of smaller cities and communities that have good public schools. The downside however is that the cost of living can often be higher in these areas.

If you are focused on moving to Orange County, you will be fine and probably a lot happier than in NJ, however you don't have a large concentration of black familieis in the OC, so if you are concerned about diversity this is something to consider but not to be alarmed about. How you raise your children is far more important.

[Lucario]

Originally Posted by KnoxTown

Safety from the cops?

Have you heard about the Oscar Grant execution by BART cops in Oakland?

[naomisday]

South Pasadena--Pasadena Area is really nice, I am not sure about the schools-----

I am in the Bay Area, if I had to live in LA and had a family I would consider there...

I have heard good things about Ladera Heights//

Pasadena is really nice though....I have to agree with the previous posters on South Pasadena