Walkable LA Neighborhoods? (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Pasadena: best neighborhoods, rentals, houses)

[BklyntoLA!]

My fiance are hoping to move to LA in the next year and will be coming from NYC. We're eager to have a more laid back lifestyle with more space and nicer weather but we really like the walkable neighborhood feel NYC offers. What are the best neighborhoods in LA where you can have a nice home with a yard/patio and still be within walking distance of restaurants, cafes, bars etc? We understand driving is a must but would love to be able to walk when possible! We're pretty much a blank slate at this point so please help!

[NaplesRes]

Originally Posted by BklyntoLA!

My fiance are hoping to move to LA in the next year and will be coming from NYC. We're eager to have a more laid back lifestyle with more space and nicer weather but we really like the walkable neighborhood feel NYC offers. What are the best neighborhoods in LA where you can have a nice home with a yard/patio and still be within walking distance of restaurants, cafes, bars etc? We understand driving is a must but would love to be able to walk when possible! We're pretty much a blank slate at this point so please help!

Belmont Park or Belmont Heights in Long Beach. You'll get a yard , nice home in an upscale area that will not look like your neighbor's (ie no tract, cookie cutter crap). You'll be within a few blocks of 2nd Street (the main drag of coffee shops, retail, eateries, etc.) There is also the every day stuff on the street (hardware store, dentists, barber shope, etc.) Very safe, great schools if that's an issue and a really laid back, welcoming atmosphere. People are always outside so the neighborhood is very interactive with a sense of community. You'll park your car Friday evening and won't get in it again until Mon morning.

All that said, you need to live by your work wherever that is. Commuting in socal can be real tough.

[LaoTzuMindFu]

What is your budget?
Any kids?
Where will you plan on working?

$800k or more will probably get you a 1600 ft fixer one to three blocks north or south of Ventura Blvd in Studio City or Sherman Oaks (S.C. between Laurel Canyon and Coldwater Canyon; S.O. between Van Nuys and Sepulveda). There are plenty of walkable restaurants, bars, bookstores, Starbucks, markets, etc. in these areas.

[18Montclair]

This websites take on LAs most walkable hoods.

Los Angeles's Most Walkable Neighborhoods - Walk Score Neighborhood Rankings

[timelesschild]

It really, really, REALLY depends on where you will be working. Some other walkable communities in LA include Santa Monica, Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Pasadena (look along the Colorado Blvd. corridor), parts of Alhambra, South Pasadena, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, and there are plenty more. I'm just telling you the ones I personally know of.

What line of work are you in? Some types of businesses tend to cluster around certain parts of the city - that could give you another variable in the sorting process.

[timelesschild]

Originally Posted by 18Montclair

This websites take on LAs most walkable hoods.

Los Angeles's Most Walkable Neighborhoods - Walk Score Neighborhood Rankings

That is a wonderful map, Montclair!

[BklyntoLA!]

To clarify: We will be looking to rent (not buy) probably a 2BR small house or apt in the $2,000-2500 range. No kids. Most likely will work in public relations/non-profit world not in entertainment. Thanks for the tips and please keep em coming!

[NaplesRes]

Originally Posted by BklyntoLA!

To clarify: We will be looking to rent (not buy) probably a 2BR small house or apt in the $2,000-2500 range. No kids. Most likely will work in public relations/non-profit world not in entertainment. Thanks for the tips and please keep em coming!

for rentals in the belmont area check out Gazettes Town-News > Front

[uptown_urbanist]

It's going to depend on where you're working, as others have noted. There are plenty of places to choose from (I agree with timelesschild's list), and, for what it's worth, I lived in the LA area for 3 years and never drove. I liked both of my neighborhoods for different reasons, but both were very walkable; Hollywood is a very dense, urban neighborhood, filled with tons of restaurants and bars, and with great public transportation. There are some small houses for rent still within walking distance of the action. Never lived in Los Feliz, but that would be another very nice area to check out. Same with Silver Lake and Eagle Rock. I also lived in South Pasadena, which has tons of small houses with yards in that price range; since you don't have kids and won't be as worried about public schools you could live a very enjoyable walking lifestyle in Pasadena. Pasadena is an easy train ride (gold line light rail) to downtown LA, is filled with rental houses with yards, has many very walkable neighborhoods, and is home to many nonprofits.

In any case, your life will be much more enjoyable if you can, if at all possible, live somewhere near your work; you'll have many options for neighborhoods, so if possible find the job first, then the neighborhood. Personally, though, I'd start by targeting Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley, as there's both a large concentration of nonprofits, it offers what you're looking for, and it's an easy commute to downtown LA, another hub of nonprofit work.

[Jonah1979]

I'd have to recommend Pasadena, look for a nice place around Colorado (old town) area. There are alot of restaurants, shopping, plus the train station!