Which CA city for American husband, Japanese wife, and American-born son

[Jonah K]

In addition to Torrance, Gardena, and Tustin, the Sawtelle neighborhood of L.A. (aka "Sawtelle Japantown" and "Little Osaka"), Carson, Lawndale are worth checking out. Although they are probably "over-budget, Cerritos, Rancho Palos Verdes, Irvine, and Fountain Valley are good choices as well.

[thelopez2]

The locations of the community centers should give you an idea.
Participating Organizations

The 3 big Japanese auto makers had headquarters in the Torrance Gardena area less than 5 miles apart.

[LuvSouthOC]

Originally Posted by Lou

I'm thinking about moving from Philadelphia to CA and would appreciate your advice about which cities I should consider.

As the title says, I'm American, my wife is Japanese (she came to the US with me 11 years ago), and my son was born in the US shortly after she arrived. We've done okay in Philly, but the greater Asian presence and influence in southern CA cities would suit us better. I don't have much doubt about my son and I being comfortable, but I want to pick the best city for my wife. She'll always be very close to her Japanese culture and would be happiest in an area plenty of Japanese people (to include Japanese-Americans) and reasonably authentic groceries and restaurants. If there were a shop nearby with some Japanese staff, she might even consider working there. Would a particular southern CA city be best, or any particular area in one of those cities?

Laguna Beach...see this couple.

This Laguna Beach dream home was built on a budget — and lots of D.I.Y. - LA Times

[Masamune]

Thanks again for your suggestions. I did some quick online research, but need to do more.

Torrance seems like it would have lots of job opportunities. I get the impression that a fair amount of the Japanese community is Japanese nationals who were transferred to their company's US office.

From what I saw on a few YouTube videos, Sawtelle looks pleasant. I like the section of road with all the Japanese restaurants and shopping centers. It seems like the Japanese-American population is careful about preserving its heritage.

When I did a search for Gardena on YouTube, I found lots of videos about crime and police activity. I haven't looked further into it.

I'll look into the other areas too, but Torrance and Sawtelle have my attention. Just to get an idea of the size of the area, how long would it take to drive from downtown Torrance to Sawtelle? How is the public transportation in the area?

[Bert_from_back_East]

Originally Posted by Joe33

Yes, Torrance or Gardena. Lots of Japanese everything.

Gardena is very working-class and only a slight upgrade from Hawthorne, IMO.

Torrance is a significant improvement from Gardena, as it's solidly middle class, although spotty in some areas on the eastern side of town and very upscale in the areas closest to the beach and Palos Verdes.

Personally, I would recommend Palos Verdes for a Japanese-American family, if you can afford it.

[sacreole]

If you're considering Southern California, I would also recommend Gardena or Torrance in the South Bay area. As for Northern California, consider Sacramento (South Land Park, Pocket/Greenhaven) or San Jose (Japantown).

[Jonah K]

Originally Posted by Lou

I'll look into the other areas too, but Torrance and Sawtelle have my attention. Just to get an idea of the size of the area, how long would it take to drive from downtown Torrance to Sawtelle? How is the public transportation in the area?

It's approximately 20 miles from downtown Torrance to the Sawtelle area and takes about 45 minutes to drive with moderate traffic. As for public transit, there's the MTA's "trip planner," which indicates a travel time between 120 and 180 minutes. However, it's easier to use Uber or Lyft instead.

[bifocus]

No matter where you live in the Bay Area, there are plenty of Japanese people there. I am Japanese who had lived in the Bay Area (now I live in Philly which I kinda regret).

Bay Area is not as sprawling like the suburbs of Philly. From S.F to S.J, it would take only one hour and plus. So where you live would be dictated by your budget.

And many Japanese people over there are Tech Centric. It is particularly true for S.J. However, there are many Japanese "mama-san groups" in the bay area and your wife can meet many friends in that kind of groups.

Since the Bay Area is quite expensive, many had moved to East Bay. And there are many Japanese over there, too.

A couple of Japanese Facebook groups, which actually do meet regularly are "Wai Wai San Francisco", "Berkley Cho-nai Kai", and etc.

Good luck!

[bifocus]

People are mentioning about Torrance. And I have a question:

Since Toyota is moving out of Torrance, I bet many Japanese store will have to close and the community will shrink.

It is just my guess. I would like to know the reality. Someone?

[NewbieHere]

Torrance has so many Japanese restaurants, I would have to say it's Torrance. My secretary lives in Gardena, not sure I would recommend it but it's cheaper.