Pasadena vs. Burbank vs. others (Riverside, Glendale: middle-class, rental, how much)

[guyhebert]

Hi!! My wife and I will be moving to the LA area this summer and have realized that we have a lot to learn before doing so. I will be working in Westwood and she will be working in Pomona, which is of course not ideal but we can't afford to be picky these days. It does seem that we will have flexibility in our schedules so that we won't have to drive at peak rush hour.

We are looking to rent something with 2 bedrooms, preferably a house, and are hoping to keep the rent under $1800 or $1900. Of course, having the best combination of commutes given our circumstances is a priority. We think that the area of Pasadena/Burbank/Glendale might enable both of our commutes to be as bearable as possible. Are there other areas that may work better?

Are there ways in which one would compare Burbank vs. Pasadena (we have seen several posts in which folks say that Glendale is not such a great place)?

Does anyone have any tips for the commute (carpools, buses, trains) ?

What do you think? Pasadena, Burbank, Glendale, or something completely different?

Thanks...

[vegaspilgrim]

What you're attempting to do here is beyond scary. Neither of those three cities are convenient to either Westwood or Pomoma-- those choices don't make any sense. You need to be further south, closer to the 10 freeway or even 60 freeway.

A place like Alhambra would be 100x more convenient to either destination (although still nuts). In theory, Alhambra to Pomona would be somewhat of a "reverse commute," although I wouldn't bank on it.

The only location that would be convenient for public transportation both ways is if you lived in downtown LA or even "Chinatown," right near Union Station. Then you could take the Metrolink San Bernardino Line or Riverside Line to Pomona and a commuter bus from downtown to Westwood. This actually might be your best option.

Was your idea living in Pasadena near the Gold Line, so one of you would take that to Union Station, then a commuter bus to the westside? Then the other one would drive the 210 to the 57 to Pomona? I see the logic in that-- much better choice than Burbank or Glendale, still not a happy situation though.

[Charles]

I would think that going east on the 210 in the morning would be slightly against traffic so I'd maximize that drive by choosing BUR over Pasadena thus minimizing the drive on the 134/101 to 405. But that is only one slight consideration. It might not make a difference at all.

Check this out during the times you will be commuting

Sigalert.com - Personalized Traffic Reports

[BRinSM]

I work with a few people here in century city (very close to westwood) that commute from the burbank area and it seems to be reasonable using the canyon roads rather than the freeways. I've heard it can take them as little as 20-25 minutes, but upwards of an hour depending on traffic. unfortunately the big blue bus #10 doesn't go to westwood, but you could look into the commuter express 534 if you want to use public transportation between downtown and westwood.

[uptown_urbanist]

There are nice parts of Glendale - people on these forums are often very quick to dismiss entire cities as "bad" or otherwise undesirable.

Your commutes are going to be bad no matter how you do it, but do check out the commuter rail schedule to Pomona as an option. At least on the train you could read or relax. You could either live near Union Station, or if you lived somewhere like Los Feliz or Hollywood you wouldn't be too (in the grand scheme of things) far from Westwood, and you can get downtown to transfer to the train in about 15 minutes.

I can't speak to driving time (I'm a non-driver myself) but Pasadena is a great area. You should be able to find a house for rent in your budget. Pasadena has good and bad areas, but I know the area around PCC is decent and has plenty of house rental signs up (or at least it did six months ago - assuming that's still the case). I know friends in both Burbank and in Glendale, and they're happy with where they live. Still, I LOVE Pasadena. It's a pretty place, it is very much a city in its own right, has a bustling downtown, is right by the mountains, and has a fascinating history and a strong sense of identity. Your commute won't be great, but I know plenty of people who live in Pasadena who do it. The public schools aren't well regarded, but if you don't have kids right now that won't be an issue.

[Tasksgirl]

Nice PARTS of Glendale?? Glendale is GORGEOUS and completely safe. It's one of the safest cities in California and has been ranked so many times. Those who say it's bad must be basing this on the 91204 zip code in the very southern edge of Glendale. Yes, this area is a "TINY" bit rougher but my husband grew up here and I have lived here 5+ years and even though we are 2 blocks from L.A. we feel totally and completely safe and comfortable. Glendale is a much nicer area than much of Pasadena. Glenoaks (northern parts of Glendale) is just breathtaking.

But honestly, I think Burbank would be the best for you. It seems to be more popular with the white middle-class. Glendale has a large Armenian community, and good size hispanic and Asian communities.

[nmnita]

Glendale is beyond just nice, it is as close to perfect as it gets, Pasadena is an interesthing place but Burbank for commuting and the least expensive of the 3 I believe. Regardless, what you are going to be doing is a real challenge to say the least...Terrible commute!!!!

Nita

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by Tasksgirl

But honestly, I think Burbank would be the best for you. It seems to be more popular with the white middle-class. Glendale has a large Armenian community, and good size hispanic and Asian communities.

I think it's unfair to make sweeping generalizations about what a person would or would not like based on the poster's (perceived) race. Glendale is a diverse place, and that diversity includes plenty of middle-class white people.

[drshang]

Glendale is fine and safe, just not very trendy, which is probably why it gets a bit of a bad rap sometimes. I don't think any of these cities are really great choices with the exception of Pasadena because of the Gold Line, but I'm not sure if you can really do public transporation to Westwood anyway in a reasonable amount of time. Look at Monterey Park/Alhambra. They have a high Asian population (and perhaps the best Chinese food outside of Asia)...I don't know how much that bothers you if at all...but are safe and reasonably priced.

I'd also at least consider downtown LA too. There are some neighborhoods that I think are fine there (no house obviously) like Little Tokyo, and would make for a reasonable halfway point between Westwood and Pomonoa. Not 100% on the public transporation options from there but that's something that you can look into.