Pasadena / LA (Los Angeles, Glendale, Orange: apartment, crime, house)

[bkkm]

Hello all,

I will be spending a semester in LA and would really appreciate some information on the best/safest neighborhoods to live, since I know very few about the area. I will be dividing my time between Westwood (doing some graduate research at UCLA) and Pasadena (where I will be taking some art classes). Since housing seems to be considerably more expensive and harder to find in Westwood, I thought Pasadena could be a good choice.

While browsing this forum, however, I found out that not all areas in Pasadena are great to live in... Are there any areas I should avoid, or any I should look for in particular? Is the area near N Hill Ave. & Mountain St. good to live in?

Of greatest importance for me is safety, but a neighborhood where I could walk to cafés/restaurants/grocery would also be nice.

And, lastly, I saw that google maps estimates the commute between Pasadena and Westwood in 35 minutes, or a little over an hour with traffic. Is this a fair estimate? Can it take much longer than that?

Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

[UB50]

I don't believe there are any really terrible areas in Pasadena though I must admit I don't know of the two streets you mentioned. Pasadena is a separate city from Los Angeles and has the Pasadena Police Department. Personally, when I look for places to live, I try to stay away from areas patrolled by the LAPD. Since Pasadena has their own police department, I consider this to be good.

35 minutes is a really insane commute time. They must have done that in the middle of the night on a holiday. I would look for the commute to take an hour most of the time, AT LEAST! There is no direct freeway route to UCLA from Pasadena.

As far as walkable neighborhoods -- many of the areas in Pasadena are extremely walkable. In a lot of them, you should be able to find restaurants, grocery stores and almost everything else within a mile or so of your house.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by bkkm

And, lastly, I saw that google maps estimates the commute between Pasadena and Westwood in 35 minutes, or a little over an hour with traffic. Is this a fair estimate? Can it take much longer than that?

If you really are going to be spending half your time in each place and you will be traveling at random times during the week and during the day, perhaps consider something in the San Fernando Valley, maybe a little closer to the 101/405 intersection (favoring the commute to UCLA). Maybe Sherman Oaks or Studio City. From there to UCLA it will probably be 30 minutes worst case using Beverly Glen (405 is an option if it isn't jammed). To Pasadena, maybe 30-45 minutes worst case.

Here's a neat little tool for getting an idea on what you get for different amounts of money. Here it is centered on Studio City:

http://www.housingmaps.com/?c=losang...pa&p=1000_1500

[nmnita]

Have you thought about Glendale? It would be close to Pasadena or closer than Westwood but not all that far from Westwood either.

As for the area you are talking about in Pasadena, it would be safe, but I am not sure about how walkable when you are talking cafes etc. I think you are going to find the Los Angeles area very different from your present home.

Enjoy!!!

Nita

[uptown_urbanist]

Originally Posted by bkkm

Hello all,

I will be spending a semester in LA and would really appreciate some information on the best/safest neighborhoods to live, since I know very few about the area. I will be dividing my time between Westwood (doing some graduate research at UCLA) and Pasadena (where I will be taking some art classes). Since housing seems to be considerably more expensive and harder to find in Westwood, I thought Pasadena could be a good choice.

While browsing this forum, however, I found out that not all areas in Pasadena are great to live in... Are there any areas I should avoid, or any I should look for in particular? Is the area near N Hill Ave. & Mountain St. good to live in?

Of greatest importance for me is safety, but a neighborhood where I could walk to cafés/restaurants/grocery would also be nice.

And, lastly, I saw that google maps estimates the commute between Pasadena and Westwood in 35 minutes, or a little over an hour with traffic. Is this a fair estimate? Can it take much longer than that?

Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Yes, Hill and Mountain is safe, and there are restaurants and cafes within walking distance. That said, there are parts of Pasadena that offer more options within shorter walking distance. Hill and Mountain is pretty residential, and the bulk of the closest businesses to that address are on Washington, which is about half a mile to the north. So.. it's walkable in the sense that there are nice sidewalks and safe streets, but no so walkable in the sense that you'll be able to have much selection of businesses within a five minute stroll.

The parts of Pasadena people usually say to avoid are in the NW quadrant of the city, although even then some of the areas are safe (including some VERY nice spots) so you can't use that as an absolute guideline. Most of Pasadena is nice, but I'd take a closer look to make sure that it's a good neighborhood if the address is north of Orange Grove and west of Los Robles.

I would say that your commute to Westwood would be more like an hour at the very BEST of times, probably longer.

Have you thought about living somewhere in between the two? Pasadena is great, but it's a very long way away from Westwood. Somewhere like Los Feliz is safe, walkable with cafes, a grocery store, etc., and located between the two. Somewhere like Burbank could be an option, too.

Also, the driving time is going to be long, whatever way you split it. You might want to consider living somewhere along public transportation so that you at least have that option some of the time. If you did decide to live in Pasadena you could take the Gold Line (light rail) to downtown and then get an express bus to UCLA; at least you could get some reading done that way. Unless you're speeding at 3 am I honestly can't imagine any commute from Pasadena to UCLA taking only 35 minutes. Factor in parking time and your commute will get even longer.

[bkkm]

Thanks so much for all the replies!

From the replies I've got, I see that commute can really be the greatest problem... Could anyone tell me a bit more about the neighborhood around Sherman Oaks or Studio City? Is it safe there? And is it possible/likely/unlikely to find a walkable spot there, near some cafés/restaurants/grocery?

Thanks again! This forum is wonderful!

[CALGUY]

Read th PM I sent you.
Bob.

[Island_OnThe_Land]

Originally Posted by bkkm

Thanks so much for all the replies!

From the replies I've got, I see that commute can really be the greatest problem... Could anyone tell me a bit more about the neighborhood around Sherman Oaks or Studio City? Is it safe there? And is it possible/likely/unlikely to find a walkable spot there, near some cafés/restaurants/grocery?

Thanks again! This forum is wonderful!

In general, Pasadena is VERY SAFE. It also VERY WALKABLE, esp. compared to the rest of So. Calif. I used to live there (over 10 yrs ago) and would love to move back someday.

There a "few" pockets where crime was an issue (generally Northwest Pasadena, north of the 210 Freeway). That said, I don't want to paint with too broad a brush as the crime in that area has gotten better from what I've heard. Overall, Pasadena is a WONDERFUL place to live: walkable, charmnig architecture, cultural activities, etc.

Yes, Sherman Oaks and Studio City are very safe and nice areas. Not as walkable or as charming as Pasadena. But if you live near Ventura Blvd you'll find some walkable areas.

[bkkm]

Hi all!
(first of all, sorry for keeping to threads going...but I am trying to keep the threads on topic, and this question is about Pasadena.

I've been browsing the forum for old threads, and I see people have mostly great things to say about Pasadena. I've also seen, however, that Pasadena is divided into a few areas (East, South, Old town etc), and some might be better than others. What do you guys think of the S Orange Grove Blvd at w California Blvd area, and a little south to it on Orange Grove Blvd? Is this, technically, Old town Pasadena? Is it safe/walkable?

Thanks a lot for all the help and patience... LA is a labyrinth for me, but it is gradually beginning to make sense.

[uptown_urbanist]

That's not really considered Old Pasadena, but it is definitely safe. Very upscale, actually; that part of Orange Grove used to be called "Millionaire's Row," and while some of the old mansions have been replaced by (large and very nice) apartment buildings, some remain (for example the old Wrigley Mansion, now called Tournament House and the HQ of the Tournament of Roses). So yes, very safe, and fairly walkable. Not as walkable as some areas (in terms of walking to lots of things; it's very walkable for walking for the sake of walking), but it's not too far from Fair Oaks and the area around Huntington Hospital, which does have a good selection of restaurants, shops, a grocery store, etc. South along Orange Grove is just as safe and nice, although less convenient from a walking standpoint until you cross over the 110 and are closer to the options in South Pasadena.