Relocating to Pasadena, Rent in Gated Community or a House (Glendale: real estate, apartment complexes)

[DantStation]

My family and I are moving to take a job in Pasadena. We haved research this forum and on-line extensivley. Recently visited the area and liked the following areas: Arcadia, LaCrascenta and Monrovia.

I don't expect the work assignment to last more than 4 years. With that said we have decided to rent instead of buy. My wife will stay home with our three sons. I want to make sure we are at a place she / we will feel comfortable and meet other people. We also want to have the flexibility to maximize our weekends and visit everything LA and he west coast has to offer.

Everything on this site recommends South Pasadena as the best place for families. But when visiting South Pasadena it just didn't feel like us so we ruled it out. We have had people recommend gated community apartments over a house. Our budget is $2,500 a month. We are unsure if we would meet other families in apartment communities. Any recommendations? The more we research we have done the more confused we become!

[streetscenes]

For Arcadia, La Crescenta and Monrovia I don't think you need to worry about safety and there are not a lot of gated apartment complexes anyway. If it were me I would rent a house, 4 years would be a long time in an apartment. You will meet some of your neighbors but most of the families you meet will be with activities with your kids. Besides school get involved with things like youth sports, boy scouts, etc. Assuming your kids are school age Arcadia would be the best of the 3 you mentioned, followed by La Crescenta which is in the Glendale USD. Monrovia schools are not as good.

[uptown_urbanist]

Who are these people who have recommended gated communities? Are they people who live in the area? There aren't that many gated apartment complexes, and there's no reason that you'd need to rent one for safety reasons.

With your budget and your kids I'd rent a house. It's nice to be able to take full advantage of the weather, and easier to send kids outside to play right in the yard. Some apartment buildings will be more family-friendly and welcoming than others, of course, but I think a house near a park with a playground would be easier.

[DantStation]

I am moving from Cincinnati. People who have lived in the area in years past 10+ year all seem worried about safety. Thanks for the suggestions. Outside of craigslist what are other good locations to research houses for rent? I will be commuting back and fourth beginning mid November. Once there what will be the best method for finding homes for rent?

[uptown_urbanist]

westside rentals has many house listings; I've personally had better luck with Craigslist, but know others who have had success in the Pasadena area with WSR. They charge a (relatively small) fee, though. Once you're in the area you can also walk/drive around your target neighborhoods and look for rental signs in the window. Sometimes the details listed are pretty minimal (some landlords don't even list number of bedrooms, which is frustrating) but on the plus side you can see if you like the block and neighborhood and if the house itself looks well-maintained from the outside. We found our last rental like that; the owner put the "for rent sign" in the window before she bothered to officially list it anywhere.

I wouldn't worry about safety; while I don't know all of the areas in the places you're looking at, I don't think crime is a big issue, at least not any more than it would be in any city or suburb. I know the least about Monrovia, but none of those areas are known for having problems with crime. It could be that your friends are thinking of specific neighborhoods in the general Pasadena area, and not your target communities in specific? Also, for what it's worth, Pasadena itself (especially the part now called "Old Pasadena") has changed dramatically in the past ten years. Other parts of Pasadena had some high-profile crimes in the 90s, and while there are pockets of crime in some areas (parts of NW Pasadena, for example), crime in general isn't an issue (beyond the basic common sense security precautions like lock your doors, etc.) for those not living in those neighborhoods.

Of the three places you mention Arcadia has the reputation for the best public schools. Arcadia also has the Arboretum, which would be convenient for your wife if she's staying home with the kids. The Pasadena area in general has a lot of kid-friendly options, though, so you'll be able to take full advantage of the opportunities wherever you end up living.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by streetscenes

For Arcadia, La Crescenta and Monrovia I don't think you need to worry about safety and there are not a lot of gated apartment complexes anyway. If it were me I would rent a house, 4 years would be a long time in an apartment. You will meet some of your neighbors but most of the families you meet will be with activities with your kids. Besides school get involved with things like youth sports, boy scouts, etc. Assuming your kids are school age Arcadia would be the best of the 3 you mentioned, followed by La Crescenta which is in the Glendale USD. Monrovia schools are not as good.

My opinion exactly. Monrovia is nice, but the schools are not nearly as good.
Gated apartments are not the easiest to find, nor would you meet a lot of neighbors. Apartment dwellers are usually more transient and not inclined to be as friendly.
Nita

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by DantStation

I am moving from Cincinnati. People who have lived in the area in years past 10+ year all seem worried about safety. Thanks for the suggestions. Outside of craigslist what are other good locations to research houses for rent? I will be commuting back and fourth beginning mid November. Once there what will be the best method for finding homes for rent?

Your best bet really is to find a realtor. The more desirable houses are usually managed by a local real estate company. You may also want to check realtor.com. You will, at least get some ideas.

Nita

[SickAndBroke]

Originally Posted by DantStation

My family and I are moving to take a job in Pasadena. We haved research this forum and on-line extensivley. Recently visited the area and liked the following areas: Arcadia, LaCrascenta and Monrovia.

I don't expect the work assignment to last more than 4 years. With that said we have decided to rent instead of buy. My wife will stay home with our three sons. I want to make sure we are at a place she / we will feel comfortable and meet other people. We also want to have the flexibility to maximize our weekends and visit everything LA and he west coast has to offer.

Everything on this site recommends South Pasadena as the best place for families. But when visiting South Pasadena it just didn't feel like us so we ruled it out. We have had people recommend gated community apartments over a house. Our budget is $2,500 a month. We are unsure if we would meet other families in apartment communities. Any recommendations? The more we research we have done the more confused we become!

Pasadena is packed and prices are very high there.
i have lived here for 50 years and want to tell you to check out Sunland ca, look at south side of town, also burbank has some nice rentals too.
but in sunland you can get a very nice home in a very good safe neighborhood. drive to glendale is very fast.sunland has a close net civic minded group that helps keep the crap down. avoid tujunga some parts are nice but the main pasrts are low class.

[uptown_urbanist]

I've got to stick up for renters: they are not necessarily more transient, and they are just as friendly as homeowners. In South Pasadena I threw a block party (and yes, I was a renter); it was mostly the renters who showed up. I know people who have rented (both apartments and houses) for years, even decades, while at the same time people who buy houses aren't necessarily interested in community or sticking around. In the LA area it often makes financial sense to rent, so you get a larger percentage of people (including permanent residents) who choose to do so, unlike some regions of the country where there's a rush to buy. There's no difference between apartment renters and house renters, other than apartments tend not to have very many bedrooms, so in general you'll find fewer families with kids. Not to get overly touchy about this, and while I have been transient due to job issues (especially in this economy), I've always been a renter (in both apartments and houses) and consider myself to be friendly, active in the community, and often more involved than my neighbors who were lucky enough to have had the financial means to buy a house when it was actually affordable for middle class people. In South Pasadena (which I know you're not looking at, but just as an example) people move there and rent for the schools: they are not planning on going anywhere. They rent because the houses are very expensive. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, and they are just as friendly and involved and stable as anyone else.

The Pasadena area also has a lot of bungalow courts, which are sort of a cross between apartments and houses (small houses clustered in a "court" around a common area); it's a nice compromise, and they're popular with families. Most are smaller, though, so given that you have three sons I think your best bet is going to be a house.

I would also disagree about the realtors having access to the most desirable home rentals. They might have some, and maybe they do at the really top end of the spectrum, but while $2500 will get you something perfectly nice, it's not outrageously luxurious mansion budget, either. I know many people who have rented very nice places in the Pasadena area (including me) and none of us have worked with a realtor. The local real estate companies that do handle leasing and management of houses advertise in the same places everyone else does: places like Craigslist and Westside rentals.

[comingfromcarlsbad]

Ive done a TON of research, and as of now the best schools in the area is in La Crescenta
Arcadia is a close second....but La Crescenta has the best ratings