Considering job in Alhambra, where is the closet area for singles? (Pasadena: apartment, rentals)

[HarborEastGuy]

Hello all,

I am looking at a job is Alhambra. I would like to know what city I should
consider renting in that is no more than 30 mins from Alhambra during rush
hour but still has an active 20-30yo singles scene?

Many Thanks..

***OPPS, I made a typo in the title.. I meant to say "Where is the closest area for singles"***

[BRinSM]

pasadena, downtown and silverlake would be good places to start looking.

[uptown_urbanist]

I moved to LA after I was married, so I'm not really up on the singles scene. Still, here's a stab at it: Downtown LA could work (not sure of how long the commute would be at rush hour, though), so could Pasadena. Pasadena isn't as good for the really young singles scene, but has a lot going on for later 20s and 30s. Eagle Rock has a lot of young people, lots of restaurants and bars, and is fairly close to Alhambra. I think I'd put Eagle Rock at the top of the list (it's technically a neighborhood in LA, not a separate city). Alhambra itself is a nice place and fairly affordable; not sure about the singles scene, but (depending on neighborhood) it's not so older or family-oriented that you couldn't live there and still spend your evenings exploring the other nearby places in addition to Alhambra itself.

[nmnita]

Pasadena would probably be the closest, next as uptown mentioned Eagle Rock.

Nita

[streetscenes]

Pasadena, Eagle Rock and downtown LA are all within an easy 30 minutes of Alhambra with Pasadena being the closest. Silverlake would be a little tougher as you would have to go past the 101/110 interchange (the 4 level of "for ever" interchange). My advice, live where you work. Alhambra would be a good place to start and it's an easy drive to whatever "scene" you may be looking for.

[the one]

alhambra has a small bar scene and a lively late night eatery scene (mostly asian fare). but it is still a bit sleepy in most parts of the city. for more activity look in pasadena which has a larger and more varied scene with plenty of nightlife and food options. eagle rock is ok, but still somewhat sparse. highland park would be the better option, but its a bit grittier. def has bars and such, but might not be everyones taste. downtown is def an option (for ALL tastes) and all those areas (ALH, PAS, EGLRK, HLNDPK, DTLA) are within a 30 min commute. good luck.

[HarborEastGuy]

Thanks for all the quick and very useful suggestions..

It would seem from the above posts that either downtown LA or Pasadena might work best for me.
I will be checking out craigslist for condo rentals in the $2000-$2200 range which have secure
parking.

Is it reasonable to assume that Pasadena will be safer in terms of my place not being broken
into or my second car stolen while I am away at work? And how does living in downtown LA
differ from living in Pasadena? I assume both areas are very compact and congested.

[uptown_urbanist]

Downtown LA and Pasadena are very different living experiences. Downtown LA is much more the classic, urban, busy downtown experience. You'll probably have to pay, possibly quite a bit, for two parking spots. Pasadena has a downtown, too, but it's smaller and more upscale. It's far more green and tree-filled, and has neighborhoods (even within walking distance of Old Pasadena, which is the heart of the action) with single family homes, smaller apartment buildings, and bungalow courts. You still might have to pay for parking, but it's probably going to be far less than what you'd pay downtown for two spots.

I've spent a lot of time in both downtown LA and in Pasadena and love them both, but they have little in common.

[HarborEastGuy]

Between Downtown LA and Pasadena, which is better for 20-30yo dating scene?
Is Pasadena safer (theft-wise) than Downtown LA?

[uptown_urbanist]

I'll let others answer the dating scene question. Both have a lot going on, and a lot of activities, bars, and restaurants. Are you going to have a chance to visit before you make the move (or sign a lease)? If so, you should get a pretty immediate idea of which place you'll like better for living if you just spend some time in both places.

Parts of Pasadena are very upscale and very safe, other parts are rough. It's a city with a lot of neighborhoods. Downtown LA has different neighborhoods, too, with some parts nicer than others. I assume that thefts-wise in downtown it's going to depend heavily on your building. If there's good security in your building I doubt you'd have anything to worry about. In most parts of Pasadena you won't have much to worry about either, assuming you take basic security precautions.