job in San Bernardino, apt where? (Pomona, Fontana: apartments, to rent, crime)

[poteacher]

I have been trying to move to the L.A. area for 5 months. Finally, I have been offered a job in San Bernardino, but I don't want to live there. Does anyone have any ideas for a good place to rent an apartment that's close to civilization, but not too far a commute to SB.

(am under pressure from friends in West L.A. area not to live too far east, but on them...i gots ta make a living!)

thank you.

[fastfilm]

I feel for you on two levels: my husband is an LAUSD teacher, and I also have West L.A. friends who cannot empathize with those who have to work and still can't afford million dollar WLA housing.

My suggestion would be to live in Redlands. You might as well have decent, safe housing to come home to after a hard day's teaching. There might even be guest houses to rent, as this is an older area.

Living in San Bernardino will limit you to only occasional forays to West L.A., downtown, Hollywood, etc. or any place where you'll hook up with your friends. You would be next to the 10 freeway at least for those planned journeys, which might be easier for you, going against most traffic at night or on the weekends.

My husband says LAUSD blows hot and cold in hiring policies. Some years they say there's too many teachers (ha!) and fire a few, other years they say oops! no teachers! So keep consistently checking in L.A....

[Twinkle Toes]

Good call! Redlands. It's close to SB, but it is a nice, safe, quiet place to live and not too terribly expensive. Plus, if you need to you can still get into LA in a reasonable amount of time. Plus the bigggest benefit of all ... 5-6-7-8 Dance Studio is there!!! If you saw the show last night (So You Think You Can Dance) you'll know that my boy Benji from 5-6-7-8 won last night. (Okay, I'm partial to Benji and Heidi - I train with them!)

[poteacher]

thanks for your quick replies fastfilm (i was hoping you would respond) and Twinkle Toes! Redlands seems soooooooooo far from L.A., but if you say it is a reasonable distance, I will look into it.

I was originally looking at apartments in Claremont/LaVerne, Rancho Cucamonga and Brea. Any info about those places?

[Twinkle Toes]

Well, Redlands is pretty far from LA, but my husband travels from Palm Desert to LA, which is at least an hour further! So, to us Redlands is closer. Claremont is a nice, but expensive area. Rancho Cucamonga used to be nice but from what I see when I go down there to shop now, it's all like gang territory. I wouldn't live there. Too scary and congested with traffic for me. LaVerne is too close to Pomona - another gang infested crap hole. So, out of those four locations, I would choose either Claremont or Redlands. Just my opinion.

[fastfilm]

I'm seconding TwinkleToes' opinion: if you can afford Claremont, that's the ticket. If not, go for Redlands. Why torture yourself by living in a craphole if you don't have to?

La Verne is famous for having the Farmer John Bacon pig abbatoir, and its surrounding kitsch mural of pigs and farmboys frolicking that extends around the whole huge complex. This is not a place you'll want to live. Gangs or not, it smells bad!

[rdukes412]

wow - all the negative comments about the area you were looking at are rather surprising to me. i lived in rancho cucamonga all my life until recently (only left for price reasons). my parents still live there, along with many other family and friends. i would move back to rancho anyday!! i love it. no big gang problem and everything is still really nice and clean. there are older bad parts of town - but all cities have that - you just stay away. rancho's bad areas are really noticeable and you would know not to live there by looking at it - no hidden problems. the newer parts of town are very very nice although geared more toward the upper middle to upper class residents. the new apartments run around 1600 a month and up. the older apartments in good areas run 1100 and up. the traffic is only bad if you are coming from a small city or not used to southern california traffic. it's much better than anything closer to LA.

i worked for the claremont police department for a time and know that it is really safe, pretty and nice - but rather expensive. my dad did lived in la verne for a while and my cousin went to school there. it is nice and cute but again kind of expensive. there are older parts of town i wouldn't live in, but again, they are noticeable and you just stay away from them.

my aunt loves brea. but i have no particulars on it.

i actually would not reccomend redlands - i consider it too far if you are interested in going to LA.

san bernardino is not a bad place to work - i just wouldnt get an apartment there. only a house in a nicer area (and there are no apartments in those areas). if you like moutain living, there are mountain communities right near san bernardino that you could move to in the local mountains but they would make your drive to LA even longer.

good luck with the possible move.

[TornadoAlley]

Originally Posted by poteacher

I have been trying to move to the L.A. area for 5 months. Finally, I have been offered a job in San Bernardino, but I don't want to live there. Does anyone have any ideas for a good place to rent an apartment that's close to civilization, but not too far a commute to SB.

(am under pressure from friends in West L.A. area not to live too far east, but on them...i gots ta make a living!)

thank you.

Apple Valley or Hesperia is good and cheap rent ($800). Rancho Cucamonga is good ($1600). It had its bad years but has changed and is better. I would pass on Redlands, Fontana, San Bernadino. Honestly, its a bad area.

[Caliguy2007]

I've stayed with a friend in Rancho Cucamonga for a few months and I liked the area.

Rancho Cucamonga is a Nice and Safe City and it has alot of Parks and alot of Shopping Centers nearby.

Originally Posted by poteacher

I have been trying to move to the L.A. area for 5 months. Finally, I have been offered a job in San Bernardino, but I don't want to live there. Does anyone have any ideas for a good place to rent an apartment that's close to civilization, but not too far a commute to SB.

(am under pressure from friends in West L.A. area not to live too far east, but on them...i gots ta make a living!)

thank you.

[spoiledmama]

Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Highland (East) are good places. The housing is cheaper in the desert (Hesperia) but still a commute through the Cajon pass. Prices of housing are dipping to a median $335K in Hesperia and the crime has increased .... My sister lives in Redlands and loves it... I visit Rancho ALOT and the close proximity of retail stores is amazing.. but the whole area seems a little crowded.... good luck.