Looking for helpful info on relocating to Southern California!! (Los Angeles: extended stay, best cities)

[karlag]

My husband has a potential job in the Rolling Hills area of LA. I hear this area is really expensive. We have 2 young girls~1 just started 1st grade and the other will be in Kindergarten next year. So schools are a very important issue. I know nothing about California! I'm a small town Arkansas girl. What are the best cities in this area as far as low crime rate, family friendly, affordable housing?? Websites, personal experience, ANYTHING that will help give me more info!!! Much appreciated! Thanks!

[ZenMaster2008]

I'll ask since someone eventually will.....
What do you consider affordable? Everyone will need an estimated budget to better assist you.

[Island_OnThe_Land]

Rolling Hills and the surrounding cities (Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, etc.) all have EXCELLENT public schools. Crime is very low. Very safe, very pleasant area for sure.

That said, as you noted, the PV peninsula is very expensive. The only other downside to living in palos verdes is that it is somewhat isolated from freeways and easy access to the rest of Los Angeles. Though I am sure that for many people that live there that suits them just fine.

Some good areas to live that are nearby include: Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach.

Best of luck to you.

[MuffinCups]

Karlag, You did not say if you are looking to rent or to buy. As far as the school district in Palos Verdes/Rolling Hills they are among the best schools in Southern California. There is also a private School Chadwick School.

The city of Rolling Hills/Palos Verdes is absolutely beautiful, virtually no crime, other than occasional white collar crime that can happen anywhere. The only graffiti I have seen was on the McDonalds on Silver Spur & Crenshaw when it closed. No gang presence or crime to speak of.

Houses in Rolling Hills & Rolling Hills Estate start close to $1 million dollars, homes in Palos Verdes start around $650K, unless you look on the eastside that is closer to San Pedro. The area is at the edge of Los Angeles county bordered by the Pacific Ocean. Townhomes & Condos sell for less depending on the size you want.

Many of the residents of RH are doctors, lawyers, business owners, retired actors, and many retired senior citizens who worked for schools & aerospace and bought during the 60's & 70's when the homes were selling for less than $100K.

If you do look for a home, ask to stay away from the area that has peacocks roaming free, they are noisy & messy.

Once you visit, you will never want to leave. The only downside, as the other poster said is the distance to the Harbor freeway, and lack of stores & restaurants.

There is an open air mall with J. Jill, Ann Taylor and other high end stores, & a movie theater & skating rink, but you will need to drive (3-8 miles) to Torrance, Redondo Beach or Manhattan Beach for a better selection of stores & restaurants.

If you look for housing in the surrounding areas, try: Redondo Beach, Torrance, Lomita, or the South Shores section of San Pedro, the ex-mayor of Los Angeles lives there and many of the homes have ocean views.


Here are a few links:

Palos Verdes Unified School District

Palos Verdes Peninsula News

HOME - The Daily Breeze

Hope this helps and good luck.

[bhcompy]

for school ratings: California School Performance Maps

closest family friendly city that is considered "affordable": Torrance

You may have to commute and the question is how long of a commute can your husband tolerate. If you want top notch schools, you will have to sacrifice. If you can handle good schools(not the best, but they offer great opportunities for those good students that want/qualify for advanced classes), then areas like Long Beach and Lakewood may be a bit more affordable, but looking at a 30-45min commute or so at least.

In the end though, your budget really makes the difference. If you're looking to buy a house, you'll need at least 400k to get into a decent family area with decent schools in this part of the southland.

[JTGJR]

All of the above is pretty accurate with the exception of being able to find a decent home in PV for $650K. Condo maybe. Also MuffinCups, I wouldn't lop in Lomita or South Shores as options if schools are of concern- unless Private is an option and even that's iffy in Pedro.

As for the schools on the PVP, they're top notch. Usually on the Top 100 Nationwide list at the High School level. I don't know what the PVUSD policy is on cross-boundary students. It's possible that your husband's company might be able to pull some strings since they're located in Rolling Hills.

Further, as mentioned, South Torrance would be your next best bet. Since your DH would be commuting against traffic, I'd go so far as to say you could look as far north as West Torrance (I know, sounds funny- north to W. Torrance) and still have only about a 20-30 min commute to RH. Quite possibly, South Redondo might even be reasonable. Any further north in the South Bay would begin to drag commute-wise. Homes in all of the above areas would range from $550K - $1M+ for a 2BR/1B. Check the Dataquick website and select the LA Times Real Estate Chart to get an idea of median prices for homes and condos.

[stuffavail]

Rolling Hills is GREAT. You are on the Palos Verdes peninsula sometimes, in this age of acronyms, called PV. Good schools, cool temps. Nearby Torrance has great schools also but you'll want to work around the refineries as in El Segundo.

In terms of buying a home, the most affordable places there are around $1.5M....then go up. Manhattan Beach is nice, Redondo Beach. Long Beach is nearby and has all manner of price ranges from places you dont want to be to an enclave called Naples.

It all totally depends on your budget....and whether you will be looking for a single family home or a condo.
Generally speaking, prices rise and fall with proximity to the ocean, good schools, the hills, and access to work areas (downtown, westwood, studios, etc).

Do you know any of the missing pieces?

[karlag]

Well, our income wouldn't be great at first so 1500 would be probably max and I'm not sure that's even possible there!! Thanks so much for all of the info everyone!!

[karlag]

Oh and that would be renting...not even possible for us to buy with those prices!!!

[ehcsrop]

No 1500 rents in PV. Not that many businesses either. I think Torrance is your best bet. I've worked in the Torrance neighborhoods between Sepulveda and Pacific Coast Hwy and they seemed middle class and nice enough.

If I were moving to a new city, I think I'd try an extended stay hotel or short term rental to get my bearings. Wherever you go in LA County there's bound to more ethic diversity than any place you've ever been. The schools may look a little odd to you.