Commuting from Rancho Cucamonga to Century City (Riverside, Moreno Valley: real estate, apartment)

[Rob from Philly]

Hi, I just moved to SoCal from the Philly area (as if you couldn't tell). I currently work at a fantastic place in Century City, however my fiancee absolutely refuses to move anywhere further west from Riverside than Rancho Cucamonga. It's cool, I moved here for her, and she's right in that we can't afford anything in the LA area right now.

ANYWAY...we compromised by renting for a year in Rancho Cucamonga before we decide where to buy a house. (She originally wanted to live in Moreno Valley...but after realizing it would mean about 6 hours in the car for me, and about $1k in gas each month, she backed off).

When I mapquest the route it's pretty much all on the I-10 west. Mapquest says it should take 1 hour, but I know the SoCal rule is generally double the time. Still, that's not too bad.

Can anyone tell me what to realistically expect? I need to be at work by 8 on the dot, can I leave at 6 and make it the 52 miles?

Thanks, I just need a realistic average time so I know when to leave. I'm going to take a day off the monday after I move to drive in and get a feel for the commute. Any help anyone can give me is GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!

[David Aguilar]

4 hours in the car, per day, isn't too bad?

Are you loco?

Not to be too harsh, but either drop the job and find one closer to Riverside, or dump the fiancee and move near Century City. What kind of life do you expect to lead if you are in your car for 1/6 of the day, not being productive?

If I were you I'd leave at 5.

[Rob from Philly]

Love the job and love the fiancee, so I can't drop either. My job pays an excellent salary, with plenty of room to grow. Hers, however, isn't so great. I'm trying to convince her to move to LA and get a job here, she'd make more money and neither of us would have a commute, but she's resisted. I won't get into a rant here about how I moved cross country and she can't move 60 miles from her family, etc. She's just convinced that we won't be able to find a place near LA that's affordable. I lived in a house for 10 years prior to moving, so I want a home for me and her and my son.

Well, thanks for the input. If I have to leave at 5, so be it. It's only for a year. Hopefully in one year I can convince her to move to LA and make more money, and we can afford a home in that area.

Anyone else agree that it'll be a 3-hour commute in the morning?

Thanks!

[David Aguilar]

Your lives will be so much better if you live closer to work. If her job is disposable, it wouldn't be too hard to find a better paying disposable job in LA.

Has she ever lived away from her family before? If she's not ready to move an hour away (weekend drive time), you have an issue here. She should be as committed to you as you are to her.

I personally would leave at 5, because the commute is always different and that way you would have time to kill, not time to make up. You could always grab breakfast or something once you got near work. Have you tried looking into MetroLink as an option? I'm not sure if it goes that way or not but it might save commute time if you can take it.

[Hazel Eyes]

Rob...You're too nice! I'd be telling MISSY she needs to compromise! You will get extremely tired of driving each day. My husband drove to Century City each day from here, (not too far from Rancho) and it wiped him out....He didn't get home until late and we just didn't have family time....

Wow, you moved across country to be near her and she can't give a little? I know this isn't the Relationship forum, but somethings not right here...

[missionhome]

You need to move!!!!!!
I would rather live in a townhome than a single family home in Rancho Cucamonga if I have to commute 4 hours per day. You won't have any time to enjoy that home anyhow so you might as well move. Just think about it. If you get off work at 6PM, you aren't home until 8PM or even later. That sucks!!!

Prices are coming down. What is your budget for a home in rent or purchase??? You might be able to get a nice home or townhome in a place much closer to Century City.

[EscapeCalifornia]

Originally Posted by missionhome

You need to move!!!!!!
I would rather live in a townhome than a single family home in Rancho Cucamonga if I have to commute 4 hours per day. You won't have any time to enjoy that home anyhow so you might as well move. Just think about it. If you get off work at 6PM, you aren't home until 8PM or even later. That sucks!!!

And have zero life during the week due to getting in so late and having to go to bed so early. Then on the weekends, all he'll want to do is sleep till noon, drag himself to the couch, and veg. Forget going anywhere that involves driving on the weekend. If the fiancee is willing to put you through that before you're even married, GET OUT WHILE YOU CAN. ITS NOT GOING TO GET ANY BETTER.

[MIKEETC]

No way would I do that commute.

[Rob from Philly]

^^Thanks for the input. I'm starting to feel a bit like you all do. I mean I moved my son all the way out here (my ex-wife was okay with everything, as she has family in O.C.), and she won't budge about moving closer to my work. She thinks in her heart that I'll get so sick of the commute that I'll just want to find a job in the I.E. She wants a huge house like her friend in MoVal has, and all we could afford right now in the LA area is a small condo or 3-bedroom in a not-so-nice area.

The problem is, the money is in LA. I looked for a job in the I.E., and the two I found in my field required me to take a $7k-$10k pay cut over my job in Philly. I mean, with the cost of living so high in SoCal, the good salary I make in Century City is only slightly higher than what I made in Philly, factoring in all the extra expenses.

I think we'll just live in Rancho for one year, then I'll get here to find a job in LA. She can pretty much work in any field, while all of my experience is in Commercial Real Estate.

I know this isn't a relationship forum, but I feel as though Hazel Eyes is right. I mean, the only reason we were going to stay in the I.E. was so that her mom could watch my son...but now we're going to use daycare anyway, so what's the point? I know myself, I'll be so tired and irritable and she'll complain that all I want to do is sleep and veg out. This one year will definitely be a good test.

I'll just leave at 5 every day, if I get in early, great. It's getting home at 8-9 that will be the pits.

Thanks again!

[Rob from Philly]

Originally Posted by David Aguilar

Your lives will be so much better if you live closer to work. If her job is disposable, it wouldn't be too hard to find a better paying disposable job in LA.

Has she ever lived away from her family before? If she's not ready to move an hour away (weekend drive time), you have an issue here. She should be as committed to you as you are to her.

I personally would leave at 5, because the commute is always different and that way you would have time to kill, not time to make up. You could always grab breakfast or something once you got near work. Have you tried looking into MetroLink as an option? I'm not sure if it goes that way or not but it might save commute time if you can take it.

I did look at the Metrolink; in fact there is a station not 2 minutes from the apartment we'll be renting. However, it lets me off at Union Station, which is still like 15 miles from work. I'd have to take a bus, which some estimate can take over an hour. So right now driving is the only option for me. But thanks for the suggestion. I'll have to check out other stations, there's on at Cal State the might actually be closer.