Work in Temecula, live in L.A. ??? (Fullerton, Corona: living in, buses) - Los Angeles - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

andyves · 08-20-2010, 08:31 AM

Hi everybody,

Me & my GF are coming from France to California, and we have a big issue in terms of choosing a place to live. Indeed, I will be working in Temecula and she will go to the UCLA.

Hence, my question is: do you think there is a chance we find a location in L.A. that would put us at an equal and decent driving-time to Temecula and UCLA, or the traffic jams will definitively kill us? (I must confess I have read a lot of threads in the forum and commute times in L.A. seem to be incomparable to those in France, even than those in Paris...)

Additionally, we are still considering getting 1 or 2 cars. Are public transports such a nightmare in L.A.?

I thank you a lot for your help.

Narfcake · 08-20-2010, 08:51 AM

The traffic is going to kill ya.

UCLA is on the westside - and it's ALWAYS crowded there. Temecula is 100 miles (160km) away from there, which would be about a 3 hour drive each way.

6 hours each day, just on the road ... you're not working an 8 hour job; that's a 14-15 hour job. So ask yourself ... is that worth it?

andyves · 08-20-2010, 09:02 AM

Thanks for your post, but I was actually considering finding a place between UCLA and Temecula, i.e. on the East or South of L.A., so I could be at 1h / 1h30 driving time to Temecula and she approx. the same from UCLA.

Do you think it is an utopia?

BRinSM · 08-20-2010, 09:22 AM

the good news is that UCLA offers vanpools for students/faculty. if i were you i'd look around the fullerton area. your commute to temecula will be a 'reverse commute' around 45 minutes with minimal traffic and your GF can hopefully join a vanpool so she doesn't have to worry about driving every day. so you know, fullerton to ucla is still about a 90 minute drive (+/- 30 minutes depending on freeway conditions).

bouncethelight · 08-20-2010, 10:19 AM

andyves, I make that trip all the time, and the QUICKEST route from LA to Temecula is to take either the 10 or the 60 east to the 15. Please don't think about the 91 - it's a nightmare - truly. The 10 and the 60 are much faster.

I would look at communities along that route - and as close to the freeway as possible. If you're both commuting an-hour-and-a-half each way, every day, that's enough - you don't want to add to it. If you look at that route, Chino Hills and Diamond Bar look to be at about the halfway point - I don't know either community - I just drive through them! But perhaps someone else here can give you some advice on the actual communities in that area, and which ones are the best fit for you!

andyves · 08-20-2010, 03:24 PM

Thanks for your advices.

BRinSM, Fullerton seems to be a good option, but even if I will be in the reverse commute, don't you think the 91 is going to be overcharged (as mentioned by bouncethelight)?

bouncethelight, are you driving often from L.A. to Temecula? Where in L.A. are you driving from? How long does it take you to get to Temecula? I was actually considering Whittier, on the west to Diamond Bar, which (according to Google Map) set me at 1h20 from Temecula and (according to the forum) doesn't seem to be that bad.

Do you think I can rely on Google Map for this or is this too far away for my route (i.e. through early driving)?

Damned, I did not expect L.A. to be that complicated with commute! Hard life!

BRinSM · 08-20-2010, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyves

Thanks for your advices.

BRinSM, Fullerton seems to be a good option, but even if I will be in the reverse commute, don't you think the 91 is going to be overcharged (as mentioned by bouncethelight)?

bouncethelight, are you driving often from L.A. to Temecula? Where in L.A. are you driving from? How long does it take you to get to Temecula? I was actually considering Whittier, on the west to Diamond Bar, which (according to Google Map) set me at 1h20 from Temecula and (according to the forum) doesn't seem to be that bad.

Do you think I can rely on Google Map for this or is this too far away for my route (i.e. through early driving)?

Damned, I did not expect L.A. to be that complicated with commute! Hard life!

going east in the morning, the 91 isn't bad, neither is the 15 south. at least this was the case 5 or so years ago when i used to commute from orange county to corona on a regular basis. living near the 60 or 10 is also an idea, but i think the fullerton area is much more fun and lively since you didn't mention anything about children. just remember that living in fullerton or thereabouts should be contingent on whether your GF can find a vanpool or some other way to UCLA, driving herself everyday would be absolutely terrible.

wrcousert · 08-21-2010, 07:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andyves

Hi everybody,

Me & my GF are coming from France to California, and we have a big issue in terms of choosing a place to live. Indeed, I will be working in Temecula and she will go to the UCLA.

Hence, my question is: do you think there is a chance we find a location in L.A. that would put us at an equal and decent driving-time to Temecula and UCLA, or the traffic jams will definitively kill us? (I must confess I have read a lot of threads in the forum and commute times in L.A. seem to be incomparable to those in France, even than those in Paris...)

Additionally, we are still considering getting 1 or 2 cars. Are public transports such a nightmare in L.A.?

I thank you a lot for your help.

Transit in LA is pretty good. It's horrible in Temecula.

Is there any possibility of her going to UCR instead? UCLA and UCR are both part of the same state run system.

andyves · 08-23-2010, 06:33 AM

wrcousert, do you mean it won't be such an issue getting out of L.A. but I will get a lot of commute in Temecula? Do you know how long this might take from the start of the 15 (i.e. Corona to Temecula)?

Actually, my GF has already been admitted to a program in UCLA, so UCR is not an option... Btw, since she is going to have courses in the late afternoon (from 6.30 p.m. to 9 everyday), do you think she will get commute or is the way East L.A. / UCLA at this time of the day a reverse commute?

BRinSM, thanks for the tipp and the Van Bus, the problem is that these buses are driving in the very early morning and back in the afternoon, which does not match with my GF's courses hours.

I thank you all again for your help, it's hard to figure out how commute is like in a city when you're living thousands miles away from that place!

andyves · 08-23-2010, 06:41 AM

[quote=bouncethelight;15553894]andyves, I make that trip all the time, and the QUICKEST route from LA to Temecula is to take either the 10 or the 60 east to the 15. Please don't think about the 91 - it's a nightmare - truly. The 10 and the 60 are much faster.

Bouncethelight, you make the trip all the time, where are you driving from in L.A.? How long does it take you to Temecula?