New job at Moreno Valley. Which place would be the best to live in? (Riverside: apartments)

[apparex]

Hi guys,

I am on the verge of accepting a new job in Moreno Valley. I will be starting work around November. Currently live in Michigan.

I am single and have no kids so school district doesn't matter. I am not sure how traffic is over there but I don't want to be commuting more than 30 minutes one way to work. At the same time I don't want to be too far from LA. I have friends in Santa Monica and might be visiting them during the weekends so I don't want a very long drive there. I am looking for a Studio/1bhk apartment and my budget is $1300 a month.

Looking through the forums it seems that a lot of cities in the Inland Empire have high crime rates. I have lived in the Detroit suburbs (suburbs are very safe) and spent a lot of time in Detroit but I don't know how it compares to places like San Bernardino. Example, for me Chicago is far more dangerous than Detroit even though Detroit is more notorious. So I am not sure if these Inland Empire cities are actually dangerous or just gained notoriety due to their history.

I have done a rough shortlist on cities to live: Riverside, Corona, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga. Can you please tell me how good or bad these places are and also give me any other suggestions you may have?

Thanks

[BGS91762]

Originally Posted by apparex

Hi guys,

I am on the verge of accepting a new job in Moreno Valley. I will be starting work around November. Currently live in Michigan.

I am single and have no kids so school district doesn't matter. I am not sure how traffic is over there but I don't want to be commuting more than 30 minutes one way to work. At the same time I don't want to be too far from LA. I have friends in Santa Monica and might be visiting them during the weekends so I don't want a very long drive there. I am looking for a Studio/1bhk apartment and my budget is $1300 a month.

Looking through the forums it seems that a lot of cities in the Inland Empire have high crime rates. I have lived in the Detroit suburbs (suburbs are very safe) and spent a lot of time in Detroit but I don't know how it compares to places like San Bernardino. Example, for me Chicago is far more dangerous than Detroit even though Detroit is more notorious. So I am not sure if these Inland Empire cities are actually dangerous or just gained notoriety due to their history.

I have done a rough shortlist on cities to live: Riverside, Corona, Chino, Chino Hills, Rancho Cucamonga. Can you please tell me how good or bad these places are and also give me any other suggestions you may have?

Thanks

Any of those cities would be good. Chino and Chino Hills are about halfway between LA and Moreno Valley and your commute would be against the heavy flow of traffic.

[13Bulldog]

Chino Hills, Rancho, Redlands.

[apparex]

Originally Posted by BGS91762

Any of those cities would be good. Chino and Chino Hills are about halfway between LA and Moreno Valley and your commute would be against the heavy flow of traffic.

You mean traffic moves from IE towards LA in the morning and vice versa in the evening?

Also would I get decent-nice apartments in my budget?

[BGS91762]

Originally Posted by apparex

You mean traffic moves from IE towards LA in the morning and vice versa in the evening?

Also would I get decent-nice apartments in my budget?

Yes that is the the main commute direction. Not bad at all going the opposite way.

[Megatron10]

Honestly, 1300 a month is not going to get you much. Raise yourself to 1400 a month and a lot more opens up.

Chino or Rancho will get you to Moreno Valley in 40ish minutes and to Santa Monica in about an hour and ten to an hour and twenty. Chino is fine and safe, however apartments will be older, from the 70s and early 80s. You will get a nicer/newer apartment in Rancho. Rancho also has Victoria Gardens, a very nice outdoor shopping/dining district. Corona you will get a very nice apartment for 1400, however it will take you longer to get to Santa Monica.

You need about 1600 a month for Chino Hills, so strike that off your list.

[horseartist]

If you're going to be working in MoVal, you might consider the Sycamore Canyon area near UCR. Nice apartments, and the prices are well within your budget.

Rents are around $1,100 a month in that area.
for some of the listings. You can search around the area, but Canyon Crest is a great area for apartments.

UCR (University of California Riverside) has a medical college now, and the student population is growing. But they just put in new dorms, so the apartments around that area are also looking better for other renters.

Riverside is a gorgeous city (unlike San Bernardino to the northeast), and the commutes on weekends to your destinations will be light (Friday night traffic goes the opposite way). Strong sense of community, decent night life (unlike MoVal, which DOEs have a lot of crime).

Best of luck.

[CWDev]

Have you thought of going south a few minutes? The Temecula Valley is nice. Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar are all very nice places. The setting can be more rural if wanted. $1300 a month will get you a nice place to live not surrounded by ghetto, drugs and crime. Moreno Valley is only about 20 minutes away and with little traffic. This area is slightly more conservative if that is what you are looking for. It gets a little warmer here than say Chino but not much.

[Yagashna]

Originally Posted by CWDev

Have you thought of going south a few minutes? The Temecula Valley is nice. Temecula, Murrieta, Menifee, Wildomar are all very nice places. The setting can be more rural if wanted. $1300 a month will get you a nice place to live not surrounded by ghetto, drugs and crime. Moreno Valley is only about 20 minutes away and with little traffic. This area is slightly more conservative if that is what you are looking for. It gets a little warmer here than say Chino but not much.

How sad...all these nice places are 40-45 miles away from San Jacinta where I might work

[Yagashna]

I was looking at these places in the gated community.
Apartments for Rent in Moreno Valley, CA | Legends at Rancho Belago - Home or Reserve at Rancho Belago or The Overlook at Rancho Belago

Looks quite decent to me