Moving to LA (Los Angeles, Long Beach, Glendale: apartments, rentals, townhouse)

[Corey_Hunter]

Hello and thank you for those that take the time to read my post and reply! I am a 23 year old that has been given the option to relocate to the company’s LA office in Cerritos. If I do take this job I would be moving with my wife and our year 1 1/2 year old daughter. I have never really been to LA so I need some help! What are some good locations that are safe for a young family? My wife is a stay at home mother so I would like to live in a nice quiet area with friendly people. So basically, is the Cerritos area safe? Or how about the Cypress area? I do not mind a little bit of noise, would be expected in a city like LA I would think, number one priority for me would be safety. We would like to get an apartment or townhouse to start with. Please do give some suggestions on apartments to look into. I would like to live in the Cerritos area if possible as it would be very close to my work, so if you know of any areas around that would be great. Thanks

[nowincal11]

Cerritos, Cypress, La Mirada, Santa Fe Springs, and most of Fullerton is good. Parts of Buena Park are ok too. Downey if necessary is ok too.

Would avoid Stanton, Hawaiian Gardens, Norwalk, Lakewood, and Garden Grove.

[disgruntled la native]

And all of those areas have nothing to do with LA. They're in Orange County or Long Beach area. So you aren't moving to LA. Anyway, Cerritos would be fine to live in.

[nowincal11]

Long Beach area still part of LA County and LA proper. When this individual goes back home and people ask where he lives, he will probably say L.A., not Cerritos, unless they know the area.

[iabhornc]

Excellent post(s), everyone (on this board.) I am considering a move to the L.A. area, but I don't know if I could live in the city of L.A. itself. I was on the other hand considering Long Beach or some of the other surrounding cities. I was wondering if I could get some opinions on Long Beach, Glendale, Venice Beach, Santa Monica, etc. (such as cost of living, lifestyle, commute time(s) to L.A., etc.) In other words, tell me why I should or should not move here.

[nowincal11]

Commute time to LA depends on where you are working. LA is a massive sprawling, urban city. If you commute to downtown LA Glendale is better, but if you commute to Century City, Santa Monica is better. It really depends where you are working.

As for the areas you listed:

Glendale is very suburban, although there is a downtown Glendale. You are close to Old Town Pasadena which is a real downtown. Glendale has a large Armenian population, the largest in America. If you commute to downtown, it's worth it to live here, but not if you have to commute to the West Side. Glendale is moderately priced for apartments, around $900- $1200 for a decent one bed. If you like nightlife, it is kind of lacking, have to go to Pasadena.

Long Beach: Although part of LA county, it is a city unto its own. There are half a million people in Long Beach. Parts are great, some are nasty. By the beach is pretty nice. It is also cheaper than the other beachside communities, I've seen decent one beds listed for $1100. If you commute to Orange County, Long Beach is pretty good. Downtown and the West Side are a bit far. Nightlife on the beach is pretty decent.

Venice Beach: Actually part of the city of Los Angeles. I find it kind of run down and a little sketchy, but that's part of the hype. A lot of people love it. Around $800- $1200 for a one bedroom apartment, but on the higher end for something nice. The boardwalk is pretty cool and you are close to Santa Monica and Century City. Nightlife is good and also due to close proximity to Santa Monica.

Santa Monica: Very affluent suburb of LA. One bedrooms run from about $1300- $1700, more if next to the beach. It is a walking community, close to Century City. If you work downtown, probably not your best option commute wise. There are tons of things to do here. Lots of nightlife and the beach is only a short ride away unless you live right there.

[iabhornc]

Originally Posted by nowincal11

Commute time to LA depends on where you are working. LA is a massive sprawling, urban city. If you commute to downtown LA Glendale is better, but if you commute to Century City, Santa Monica is better. It really depends where you are working.

As for the areas you listed:

Glendale is very suburban, although there is a downtown Glendale. You are close to Old Town Pasadena which is a real downtown. Glendale has a large Armenian population, the largest in America. If you commute to downtown, it's worth it to live here, but not if you have to commute to the West Side. Glendale is moderately priced for apartments, around $900- $1200 for a decent one bed. If you like nightlife, it is kind of lacking, have to go to Pasadena.

Long Beach: Although part of LA county, it is a city unto its own. There are half a million people in Long Beach. Parts are great, some are nasty. By the beach is pretty nice. It is also cheaper than the other beachside communities, I've seen decent one beds listed for $1100. If you commute to Orange County, Long Beach is pretty good. Downtown and the West Side are a bit far. Nightlife on the beach is pretty decent.

Venice Beach: Actually part of the city of Los Angeles. I find it kind of run down and a little sketchy, but that's part of the hype. A lot of people love it. Around $800- $1200 for a one bedroom apartment, but on the higher end for something nice. The boardwalk is pretty cool and you are close to Santa Monica and Century City. Nightlife is good and also due to close proximity to Santa Monica.

Santa Monica: Very affluent suburb of LA. One bedrooms run from about $1300- $1700, more if next to the beach. It is a walking community, close to Century City. If you work downtown, probably not your best option commute wise. There are tons of things to do here. Lots of nightlife and the beach is only a short ride away unless you live right there.

Thanks for the advice. I am looking to spend anywhere from $800-$1,200/month. I will be going again to the L.A. area in a month (as I write this) and I will be checking out at least two of those cities (Long Beach included.) What do you know about the area where L.A. Trade Tech is located at?

[nowincal11]

The area by the Trade Tech College is horrible. It is across the Freeway from downtown and on the other side by USC. I would not recommend living near there unless you live downtown.

Price wise, Glendale, Long Beach, and Venice are all well within your range. Commute wise, Glendale is the best. Best nightlife is Venice Beach, but the commute will be majorly difficult unless you are not driving during rush hour.

[disgruntled la native]

Yeah the area by Los Angeles Trade Tech is absolutely awful. About as bad as it gets. Don't live there no matter what.

[KATGRAFIX]

Originally Posted by iabhornc

Thanks for the advice. I am looking to spend anywhere from $800-$1,200/month. I will be going again to the L.A. area in a month (as I write this) and I will be checking out at least two of those cities (Long Beach included.) What do you know about the area where L.A. Trade Tech is located at?

I just found this site: American Post Box - Living ... it's got RENTALS listed. You know, it really does not matter where you are in LA, but the BEST place to live is the San Gabriel Valley, for many reasons. Party anywhere, live in San Gabriel Valley, and you got the best of it all. OK. you like the beach? try parking at the beach. You want Hollywood? hmmm... better live someplace else, and visit such a place, a lot safer. Lots of exciting places to visit in LA, but to live, you want safety, serenity, a lo-stress place is better than hi excitement... LA is a place where you might never know the people, who they really are.. Just get a nice place to rest your head, when the day is finally over. New people everywhere in Cali, and NOBODY stays the same, no matter where you live.