Moving to LA from London- what suburb suits us???

[NaplesRes]

Originally Posted by bhcompy

Well, Naples is in Long Beach, so that would probably be a good start.

You might like Surfside or Sunset Beach as well. Aren't "artsy" in a traditional sense, but definitely unique, fun, and very affluent.

Naples, Belmont Park, or Belmont Shore would all be perfect. All have what you're looking for and would be a very short commute as all are in Long Beach.

[Thawor]

Originally Posted by sals77

Hubby's work is at long beach, but he knows he'll have to drive if that's far from the action........ I'm not going to be working so need to make sure we live somewhere really nice. It's for 6-12 months so guess we want to make the most of it.

Well, if you want to see Hubby at all, then stay close to his work! Traffic is beyond imagination.

[stuffavail]

Originally Posted by sals77

Hey all,

We are aussies witha baby who are moving to LA from London. We have a 7 month old so want to be close to lots of services, parks etc.

We want an area equivalent to Notting Hill or Marylebone- anyone know the equivalent there? Quite affluent and good 'demographic' yet still artsy and fun. We would like nice restaurants and shopping close by.

Want a place where there's lots to do so I am not having to drive every day. Budget, I have NO idea what rents are, but our small 1BR flat in London was £550/week which imo was not cheap, could stretch a bit above this if we had to I guess.

Wouldn't mind close to the beach but prefer village-y atmosphere.

Any suggestions???

--------------------------------------------
The last people I helped move from London moved to Silver Lake. The village is casual and friendly and under a mile to Griffith Park which has everything.

Do you need a furnished place? Condo/flat with commerce all around is doable
One thought might be Santa Monica.
If L550 equals $893 then a monthly rent is just under $4000 for a 2 bedroom so baby has his/her own space.
Santa Monica might work OK.

What do you need in a village? Shops, Banks, Retaurants, Cleaners?

[mellybee]

I am from London and now live in Marina del Rey with a 20 month old. I would strongly suggest that you move to Marina del Rey, Santa Monica or the Venice Canals. There is a great sense of community here, lots of kids, culture and the beach! Some of the other areas suggested are very nice e.g. Naples, Belmont Shore etc. but you may find them a little quite/limited after having lived in London. I loved the Hollywood Hills but not with a baby...

[thao]

whoa whoa! has no one mentioned PV yet?
Palos Verdes (the entire peninsula) is great--- this is rolling hills estates, palos verdes estates, & rancho palos verdes. (rolling hills is a gated community)
it is so beautiful there! with your budget it is definitely affordable, and the commute to long beach wouldn't be bad (my friend from there commutes to santa fe springs, which is one of the gateway cities near cerritos--- way further away).

since you can most likely afford it, move to PV! it's gorgeous, safe, and close to big cities like torrance.

[JRE]

Do any of you care about knowing the locations of closed dumpsites in the area where you're planning to move?

[architennis]

^^ no..not really.

[impala666]

Rent a good apartment somewhere on Wilshire Blvd for a similar vibe to central London.
What is perceived here as cool suburbia will drive you crazy if you are only here for a short time, my guess is that you don't need three bedrooms with five bathrooms.
Good luck and have fun.
Sorry missed the bit about village like and near the beach,this makes things a little more complicated and you will need to drive to accomplish it.
If you do village like and near the beach you will have to drive for the best shopping and “city stuff”,if you live in the heart of the City you will have to drive for the beach as I said “complicated”.
Personally I don't like Newport Beach,Huntington or Seal (I'm not too keen on oil terminals and the Chemical industry at least not in my back garden!)
but you might so have a look.
Torrance may fit the bill.

[Jay100]

Originally Posted by sals77

Hey all,

We are aussies witha baby who are moving to LA from London. We have a 7 month old so want to be close to lots of services, parks etc.

We want an area equivalent to Notting Hill or Marylebone- anyone know the equivalent there? Quite affluent and good 'demographic' yet still artsy and fun. We would like nice restaurants and shopping close by.

Want a place where there's lots to do so I am not having to drive every day. Budget, I have NO idea what rents are, but our small 1BR flat in London was £550/week which imo was not cheap, could stretch a bit above this if we had to I guess.

Wouldn't mind close to the beach but prefer village-y atmosphere.

Any suggestions???

I'd try Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes, and Santa Monica.