Help a mom--South Fairfax and West Pico? (Los Angeles, Santa Monica: affordable apartment, to rent)

[SJU]

Hi everyone!

I am a single mother from Indiana (I have a 9 year old girl), and recently got a job in Los Angeles. I'm looking for an affordable apartment near my work (the commute alone will be culture shock), and I found a place on Hi Point St off Pico and Fairfax. Can anyone who is familiar with the area let me know what it's like? I may need to rent sight-unseen, which is very scary to me.

Thanks for any help at all!

[PureHapa]

The area is so-so, not good, not great. It's pretty central to everything. Near "Little Ethiopia" - a block of Ethiopian restaurants on Fairfax between Pico and San Vicente. Many immigrants from all over the world. Russian Jews, European, Hispanic, Africa - you name it - the area is truly a melting pot.

Your daughter will have a big culture shock. Where is your new job? We can help you target different areas depending where the job will be.

[SJU]

Thanks for the response! My office will be very near 405 (just east of it) in between Santa Monica Blvd and W Pico. I really can't go over $1600 per month, and I absolutely cannot commute more than 10 miles...the closer the better. Am I making a horrible choice?

[PureHapa]

I'm trying to be as objective as possible here, but I personally would not live in the city of Los Angeles as a single mom with a child unless I had some fantastic, high-paying job. No problem as a single person - it would be an adventure, but having a child in most Los Angeles public schools is not something I would do.

Why do you want to leave Indiana? Just for a regular job?

[SJU]

Really? Why is the area so densely populated and the schools so crowded? There must be something great about living there, right? Or is it just the weather?!
This company offered me 75k. A lot more than I make now, but with the cost of living increase, I'll probably break even. Just looking for a big change, really.
About the schools, what is the charter school programs like? I hear a lot about them, but don't know much.
Thanks!

[PureHapa]

There are a lot of great areas here, but that particular set of blocks isn't that good. It's dense, traffic is thick, houses and apartments are old, shoddy strip malls are nearby, no neighborhood parks, etc.

I would look NW to Beverly Hills environs, North to West Hollywood, West to West Los Angeles/Westwood, and SW to Culver City. Not far from where you're looking, but all nicer areas.

As far as LA public schools - they are known to be substandard, despite how much money they rake in. I don't know anything about charter schools, sorry.

[Vicman]

Originally Posted by PureHapa

There are a lot of great areas here, but that particular set of blocks isn't that good. It's dense, traffic is thick, houses and apartments are old, shoddy strip malls are nearby, no neighborhood parks, etc.

I would look NW to Beverly Hills environs, North to West Hollywood, West to West Los Angeles/Westwood, and SW to Culver City. Not far from where you're looking, but all nicer areas.

As far as LA public schools - they are known to be substandard, despite how much money they rake in. I don't know anything about charter schools, sorry.

Here's what we can do.

To find out your zoned public schools for a given apartment complex, enter the address here: http://search.lausd.k12.ca.us/cgi-bi...xec=schfinder0

How do the neighborhood schools stack up? That is what www.greatschools.net is for!

In some places, the neighborhood schools are so filled that excess kids are sent to other schools.

Also, look into LAUSD magnet schools. Seminars for the schools are sometimes held. If you have questions, you can send them to "Ask a magnet Yenta" at http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/schoolme/2007/01/ask_a_magnet_ye.html (broken link)

[GeorgeSpigott]

Yes, the advice from Vicman is spot on. The lotteries for charter schools are usually done in March, so you're probably out of luck there and the Magnet school application deadline was back in January. If you don't like your neighborhood school assignment, check out open enrollment on the LAUSD site - schools with extra openings accept students outside of their district. Good luck. The weather's great here, but there are a lot of drawbacks, especially in the education department.

[morefromcali]

Hi SJU,

I really wouldn't take that apartment. That neighborhood is so-so and the schools there are less than so-so. With a job just off the 405 between Santa Monica and Pico, you really might try Culver City. The schools are better, and the housing is more affordable than most of West LA. Charter Schools are ok at the elementary school level, but I think they become less of an option for middle school and high school and you said your daughter is 9. The magnet schools are often really great if you can get in but as a newcomer you won't have any points accumulated so unless your daughter is highly gifted (and of course she may be) you probably won't get in to a good one. Best of luck

[RobE]

Culver City's crime stats aren't bad (robberies are high, but that is the only stat above the national average).

The other posters are right. The LAUSD is a disaster. The mayor of L.A. recently tried to take it over, but that was rebuffed. There has also been talk about splitting it up, though a lot of that is the wish of parents in the San Fernando Valley. Good luck.