Living in Gardena, Hawthorne, Torrance....pros and cons (Los Angeles, Compton: apartment complexes, rentals)

[jaay11]

Hello everyone. First, let me say this is an awesome resource and I've learned a lot about my future state just from taking in comments from the threads here. Thanks to all the contributors

I'm relocated to CA soon and looking to live in either Gardena, Hawthorne or Torrance. I'm married with a pet and no kids. I was offered a nice rental in Gardena (S. Mariposa Ave.) but not sure if that is a nice neighborhood. Schools are not an issue for us and we are not the partying type (i.e. clubs not an issue either).

Anyway, just thought I'd get some feedback regarding places to live. I plan to work in El Segundo.

[MtnSurfer]

Ok cool,

I grew up in the South Bay and know these areas very well. First off the thing you have to realize about LA is that you have a lot of diversity in terms of cultures and social classes.

There is a phenomenon in which you can have 'bad side of the tracks' in many areas. So on one side you have more crime, gangs, car thefts, tagging, prostitution, noise (think loud thumping rap rattling your windows) and things that you really don't want to be a part of, trust me.

Then on the other side of the street things settle down quite a bit, especially as you go more blocks away from the 'bad side.' While I can't give you 'all' these boundry lines as there are just too many and they can sometimes migrate, I can give some general guidelines that will help.

First piece of advice: error on the side of caution! What does that mean you ask? Well move to one of the nicer areas 'then' decide if you want to live closer to the other side of the tracks.

So with that in mind here is how it generally works. The closer you get to the coast the nicer are the neighborhoods and the more expensive the rentals/homes are.

Back when I was growing up at the beach we used to say there was 'No Life East of PCH' that is Pacific Coast HWY. Of course that wasn't true. But PCH was one boundry line. One the other side was fine just not quite as expensive or as close to the beach. As prices rose to astronomical rates most locals were forced more inland unless they already owned their homes. Before we moved away from LA we lived in Torrance which for the most part is safe and yet more affordable than Hermosa/Mahattan Beach where I grew up.

But even in Torrance you have to be careful as you head east. The closer you get toward Western Ave the worse things get. My wife and I used to manage an apt complex on 'the other side' of Western and experienced many of the problems mentioned above. East of Western is known as LA Strip which has a lot more drug and gang problems. We used to hear gun shots on a regular basis there. Some of our tenants had random bullets shoot thru their windows at times. Needless to say we moved out of there.

Then Gardena is a real mixed bag. While there are nice parts such as El Camino Village (just north of El Camino College) there are a lot of gang, drug and crime problems out there, especially as you go east of the college. Gardena is a lot more spotty with a decent pocket in one place and a bad area in another. But the crime is very real there. I would stay away from the area you mentioned for example. Hawthorne is similar to Gardena with a lot of bad areas and some ok ones mixed in. Also if you plan to live in an apt. the apt. neighborhoods tend to be worse because it is cheaper to live there and it is much more transient.

Back to my original piece of advice. How about starting out safer like in Redondo Beach or Torrance even if it is more expensive than those cheaper areas of Gardena. This means you get a smaller place or pay a little more for greater peace of mind. Again you can always move to a 'cheaper' area later after you get a feel for the area.

Second piece of advice while living there - Always be aware you are living in a larger city with the potential for crime. That means be more alert of your surroundings without being paranoid. Most of this means there are certain neighborhoods you don't really want or need to drive through. So any time you are considering a neighborhood to live in you should visit it first. Use all your senses to see if it appears safe. Look for signs of problems. Listen to ppl walking by. Go at night (if it is safe for that) to check things out.

There will always be someone who says I live in Gardena and it is great in 'my' neighborhood. But what they fail to mention is that there was a shooting at a liquor store just down the street and someone was killed.

Bottom line - it is always 'better to be safe rather than sorry' especially while living in LA. Error on the side of caution without being paranoid. There are real dangers which can be addressed and avoided most of the time.

Derek

[2Easy]

Hard to say without knowing where you live now and what you're comfortable with. El Segundo is nice and quiet and if you're already working there...

[CelticViking]

[quote=MtnSurfer;7272502] East of Western is known as LA Strip


I have never heard of this before...and i am familiar with l.a...not doubting you, but just interested in what areas you are referring too.
thanks

[MtnSurfer]

[quote=CelticViking;7281935]

Originally Posted by MtnSurfer

East of Western is known as LA Strip

I have never heard of this before...and i am familiar with l.a...not doubting you, but just interested in what areas you are referring too.
thanks

It is also known as Harbor Gateway. Basically it is a narrow 'strip' of land connecting LA with the harbor communities. It starts at Western Ave and goes east a bit - not sure how far.

Here is a recent article based on a quick google search - not the kind of place I recommend moving to:
Boy, 6, shot in head in Harbor Gateway area - Los Angeles Times

[CelticViking]

I know the harbor gateway has a lot of problems, just never heard of it referenced as that....thanks for the reply.

[MtnSurfer]

Yeah, alot of times the police and other locals refer to it in that way. It got so bad while we were there that the police raided our neighborhood in large numbers. There were helicopters, FBI, plain clothes police, uniforms, SWAT, etc... They blocked off the street on both sides and came in in force with guns drawn going house to house. After the raid was over they put notices on all our tenants doors stating that "You are living in drug infested gang zone. You should move for your own safety." - pretty crazy stuff!

[CelticViking]

Yea the whole harbor area has a pretty bad rep, of course not everywhere, but it is populated heavily with latino gangs. For example have you heard of ghost town wilmington? Thats a bad area in the harbor area. They have been talking more and more how ghost town is getting worse and worse, especially with the racial problems between lation/blacks, and as im sure you know the harbor area is populated heavily with latinos. L.A is funny in the way that an area can look nice, but at the same time the area can be heavily gang territorial. I think the area you are talking about goes from western to normandie? am i correct on that?

[MtnSurfer]

I think so. Here is a good description of it: Harbor Gateway.

Even though it may technically end at Normandie, the problems do not end there as you head east. With Compton, Carson and Wilmington to the east you have a whole host of new crime, gang, etc... related issues that are not small by any means. You have to be very careful which streets you drive down let alone try to live on. And colors of skin and clothing become a serious issue.

[vegaspilgrim]

How is the part of Gardena along Artesia Blvd from Vermont westward? I've driven through this before and it doesn't look that bad-- a lot of new and clean looking strip malls with modern Asian supermarkets, some decent looking apartment complexes. I've also driven down Redondo Beach Blvd near Western Ave and it didn't feel that scary. It certainly didn't feel like I was in "south central." Then again I'm sure looks can be deceiving. What's your opinion of this?