Good place between downtown LA and downtown San Bernardino? (Pomona: rent, condos)

[puchica]

We are new to the area. My partner works in downtown San Bernardino and I work in downtown LA. We are looking for a cool, hip place/area/town in between LA and San Berdoo to settle, purchase a house, raise kids. We are used to and love urban living (restaurants, shops, public transport, walking everywhere, crime, etc.) but want to find a relatively safe place. We would be looking for homes in the $250k range. Where do you recommend?

[missionhome]

$250k isn't going to buy much (if any) of a single family home anywhere cool or hip (because cool and hip in So Cal equals expensive). You could probably get a condo for that price though in a decent area.

[Charles]

South Pasadena (or somewhere around the 210 between the 710 and 605) might be a geographically good candidate as I would think that the person heading east would have the traffic advantage.

Still, the budget may be an obstacle.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Maybe Baldwin Park (warts and all).

[MIKEETC]

There are numerous nice communities along the Foothill Freeway (210) corridor that would be nice places to live. Unfortunately, your budget of $250k is a little optimistic. Of course, with housing prices falling, I say give it a try, anyway.

[fatmancomics]

Seriously, what's up with all the $200K to $250K expectations lately? The market hasn't fallen THAT much. The only places you're going to find homes for that price in a nice neighborhood will be between horrible neighborhoods.
You get what you pay for, people!

[missionhome]

You might be able to do Rancho Cucamonga. You could get a small entry level home or nice condo for that price. However the commute to L.A. will suck. I'm sure the drive is very long and Metrolink trains will take about 1 hour and 10 minutes from RC to Union Station in downtown L.A.

San Bernardino should be an easy commute by car from Rancho Cucamonga. The only thing is it isn't going to be "hip or cool." It is just typical suburbia, lots of chain stores, sprawling, etc... not some "cool" place of hipsters.

[irvine]

Look at Claremont. Beautiful craftsman homes and a lively downtown next to the Pomona Colleges. La Verne and Upland have similar downtowns and attractive neighborhoods. All have Metrolink stations.

[missionhome]

Originally Posted by irvine

Look at Claremont. Beautiful craftsman homes and a lively downtown next to the Pomona Colleges. La Verne and Upland have similar downtowns and attractive neighborhoods. All have Metrolink stations.

I really wanted to recommend Claremont too. It is a great beautiful community. However it is probably one of the most expensive cities in that area and there isn't really even condos in the $250k price range. Single family junkers start at $400k in Claremont.

[uptown_urbanist]

That price is really low, at least for a house. Certainly low if you want somewhere hip, cool, good for families, safe, and that doesn't require a horrendous commute.

I'd look into Pasadena. Maybe there will be a condo for that price. You could commute to downtown LA on the gold line, if you wanted, otherwise the drive isn't too bad. Pasadena, at least many areas, would best fit your urban interests (and the hip/cool factor) better than would somewhere like Rancho Cucamonga.

South Pasadena is great for families (and walkable, has shops, public transportation, etc.) but you're not going to find a house for anywhere near that price. You could rent somewhere very nice, though.

Maybe Eagle Rock, too (urban, hip, good for families), although that's not going to be cheap, either, and it's not really a mid-point. Not sure what the commute to SB would be like from there.