Riverside/smog (Pasadena, Rancho Cucamonga, Burbank: foreclosure, purchase, living)

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by hockyis1

You're going to go from Temecula to Downtown LA in 1hr and 20 min?? Unless you're traveling at a VERY odd hour (like prior to 5:30am or coming home after 7pm), there is no way you can make that time to downtown.

You'll be battling two of the worst freeways in southern california...in the morning, the I-15 going north, and the 91 going west are horrendous! And it's the same thing in the afternoon - all the traffic flows out of downtown into orange county/riverside county. You're talking an AVERAGE 2.5 to 3 hour commute (each way)...

I hate to say it, but as much as I love Temecula and Murrieta, if you are working in downtown L.A., you will be looking at a 2.5-3 hour commute every day, one way. That will get majorly old!

[da jammer]

Originally Posted by jeffncandace

I hate to say it, but as much as I love Temecula and Murrieta, if you are working in downtown L.A., you will be looking at a 2.5-3 hour commute every day, one way. That will get majorly old!

AMEN! I made a great living in the IE for many years....some people just have to figure out they don't have to go into OC or LA to be able to live a terrific life with a house payment they can afford. I know the IE doesn't get a lot of respect just yet but there was a time when OC was looked down on big time by the LA folks

[valenciacf]

Ok, thks a lot for the info. In any case I don't have to be everyday downtown LA at 9:00 am. So I can plan to leave a little earlier or a little later 2 or 3 times a week. Is it a good option to take 215 north and then 60 west? Or just take 15 north and then go to 60?
Can anyone tell really a difference in air quality between Temecula/Murrieta and Menifee/Elsinore areas? I heard is much hotter north.
Thank you everyone for your help!!!!

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by valenciacf

Ok, thks a lot for the info. In any case I don't have to be everyday downtown LA at 9:00 am. So I can plan to leave a little earlier or a little later 2 or 3 times a week. Is it a good option to take 215 north and then 60 west? Or just take 15 north and then go to 60?
Can anyone tell really a difference in air quality between Temecula/Murrieta and Menifee/Elsinore areas? I heard is much hotter north.
Thank you everyone for your help!!!!

The 215 will take you farther east than you want to be, adding quite a bit to your drive. The 15 to the 60 would be your best bet but really none of it is great. You will get stopped at the 91/15 interchange and if you go the 215 not only will you be going out of your way, but the 60 thru there, especially thru the UCR area, is really bad.

I just moved from Temecula/Murrieta after living there for about 6 years. Yes, you CAN tell the difference in the air quality and it is cooler there compaired to towns north. This is because of the "Rainbow Pass", bordering Temecula on the southwest side of town. Pacific breezes blow thru every afternoon, cooling the area and keeping the air clear (compaired to most of So Cal.) That is how Temecula has wineries, whereas the towns north don't because they are too hot.

BTW, Menifee is cooler than Elsinore, and nicer.

Good luck!

[RobE]

The smog in the entire Riverside region is pretty bad, especially during the summer. Can you afford Diamond Bar or Brea?

Can you take the train to your job from Irvine? Look into Metro Rail and see if that might be an option. Irvine is safe, has good schools and the air isn't too bad. If that is out of your price range and you have to go Riverside, that commute will be hell on earth. As for living areas, there have been a lot of foreclosures in Moreno Valley (I wonder if the infrastructure has caught up with the building boom there yet as well) and you might be able to hard bargain yourself a pretty nice middle class place. Good luck.

[valenciacf]

But Diamond Bar and Brea are much more polluted than Temecula area, right after LA. Same situation with Moreno Valley.
I have to drive and cannot use trains, since I have to drive from one customer to another. And Irvine is a little bit pricey. On top of that we are a mixed couple (b & w) and we are looking for areas more diverse and open minded, specially for schools more mixed. What we are really concerned about is air quality (son with asthma) and good (and diverse) schools. Concerning the cost of renting we can afford to pay around $1800 for a two bedroom anywhere but the possibility of buying in the future a house is more difficult. So that's why we are looking at Temecula area to rent a nice house for a year and if we like it after one year we can go ahead and buy.
To be honest, what we are concerned about is the surrounding ambiance, meaning how liberal or conservative and how racist the community can be. We have lived in LA, San Francisco, San Diego and Spain, so maybe Temecula will be a little cultural shock. But oh well, we want to try.
Thank you all for your postings. This forum is just great and really helpful!
Anymore comments will be really appreciated. Thks again.

[Cincy2LA]

I have to drive and cannot use trains, since I have to drive from one customer to another.

valenciacf:

Don't rule out Metrolink so easily. I have talked to people who park a car in downtown LA during the week. They ride in on the Metrolink from San Bernardino and then use their car while in town. Good luck!

Back to the thread...

Wow. I've heard the air quality in Riverside is a problem, but I thought it was manageable. This thread has given me second thoughts. Our story is posted: <http://www.city-data.com/forum/calif...-4-months.html>. Are there alternatives to Riverside for "affordable" housing, Metrolink connectivity to Irvine, & better air quality?

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by valenciacf

But Diamond Bar and Brea are much more polluted than Temecula area, right after LA. Same situation with Moreno Valley.
I have to drive and cannot use trains, since I have to drive from one customer to another. And Irvine is a little bit pricey. On top of that we are a mixed couple (b & w) and we are looking for areas more diverse and open minded, specially for schools more mixed. What we are really concerned about is air quality (son with asthma) and good (and diverse) schools. Concerning the cost of renting we can afford to pay around $1800 for a two bedroom anywhere but the possibility of buying in the future a house is more difficult. So that's why we are looking at Temecula area to rent a nice house for a year and if we like it after one year we can go ahead and buy.
To be honest, what we are concerned about is the surrounding ambiance, meaning how liberal or conservative and how racist the community can be. We have lived in LA, San Francisco, San Diego and Spain, so maybe Temecula will be a little cultural shock. But oh well, we want to try.
Thank you all for your postings. This forum is just great and really helpful!
Anymore comments will be really appreciated. Thks again.

Temecula is nice, but it is definately a Republican stronghold in the midst of Democratic California. You will find more conservative people there than in the areas you have previously lived in. That being said, because you are still going to be in Cali and not Mississippi, you should'nt have probs with the race thing for the most part. I have found that lines in Cali are drawn more financially than racially, but there are execptions to every rule. Good luck!

[Screenial]

Does anyone else find it slightly crazy that people are choosing to live farther out of town to avoid the smog, but then commuting into LA driving their smog producing car? Will this vicious cycle ever change????

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by Screenial

Does anyone else find it slightly crazy that people are choosing to live farther out of town to avoid the smog, but then commuting into LA driving their smog producing car? Will this vicious cycle ever change????

Only when So Cal invests in mass transit from the I.E. to the coast...who knows what or when that will be.