Work in Pasadena + Friends on Westside = Live in DT? (Santa Monica: lease, lofts)

[Monkified]

Hey folks, new to the forum but have been lurking for awhile.

I got a new job in Pasadena and will be moving from OC, however the issue is that most of my friends up there live near Santa Monica. I've gone through the forums and have often seen the mantra 'live close to work' but I feel like Pasadena to SM would be a tough drive every time I go visit.

Would downtown be the best compromise? I'm pretty sure that the drive to work won't be that bad from DT, although I've heard the resurgence in DT has upped the rent prices. Any thoughts or insight from people who have had similar scenarios?

Some extra details: Male, mid-20's, semi-active, rent budget ~$1500 (less is better - wanna save for a house someday!), Scorpio, and likes long walks on the beach

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

[Ceece]

I can tell you my daughter used to "live in the middle" and commuting left her too tired to go out often. She now lives close to work and is making new freinds in that area and often goes out with people after work, something she didn't usually do before. She still sees her more distant friends by taking turns going to visit each other but they often end up spending the night when they do. I don't know what the LA to Pasadena at rush hour drive is like but some people have more patience with that sort of thing.

[Cream1]

Unless you hang out with your friends as often as you go to work, then living in the middle is not worth it. Live close to work.

[nowincal11]

Downtown to Pasadena is an easy commute by car. Or you can take the Gold Line if your office is close by the train.

Downtown to SM on the weekends isn't that bad. Now with Downtown experiencing a resurgance, it is worth it to live there.

[drshang]

The problem with the "live in the middle" thing is you have to drive to both your social life and your job. Plus if you end up making new friends at your job they will likely live in the Pasadena area.

Although DT->Pasadena is an easy commute, it doesn't really put you that much closer to Santa Monica. Also keep in mind that when driving from Pasadena to Santa Monica on the weekends if you live close to the 110 there is only 10 extra minutes there...a drive you won't be doing that often anyway compared to your commute. The worst part of that drive is the part between DT and Santa Monica (mostly close to Santa Monica).

If you want to live in DT it's a nice neighborhood though, but keep in mind you are giving yourself a commute to work AND you are still quite far from your social life, anyway.

[SalParadise]

I used to live in downtown and getting to Santa Monica in the evenings (after rush hour) was pretty easy. A straight shot down the 10 Freeway.....as quick as 15 minutes (with no traffic).

However, I think you should choose to live where you WANT to live. Downtown is great but it's not for everyone.

[Monkified]

Appreciate everyone's feedback. Right now I'm probably leaning towards Downtown, as it's seems to have a bit more activities. But if I find I don't like it, I'll just head up to Pasadena when the lease it up. I'll be visiting both areas next week for the hunt

Thanks again!

[nowincal11]

Pasadena has a cool downtown too, but downtown LA is way better for a single person. The commute to Pasadena isn't that bad. Besides on weekends, why drive the extra 30 minutes to see your friends if you live in Pasadena?

Plus a lot of people go out Downtown now who live on the Westside.

[cmcgill]

Depending on where exactly you'll be working in Pasadena, you should consider living downtown and taking the Gold Line to work. My husband makes that commute everyday, and it's super easy. Driving is also a breeze -- you'd be going against most of the traffic, and it's a short drive. But the Metro is even better, because instead of focusing on the highway, you can read the paper, etc.

Whether you should live downtown or in Pasadena depends on the kind of person you are and what you're looking for in a neighborhood. When my husband and I moved to LA from the east coast, it took us all of two hours to see that Downtown was the place for us, even though it requires a short daily commute to Pasadena. We love it here. But for someone else, Pasadena might be the right choice. If you've visited both places, the differences should be obvious.

You can definitely find a nice place under $1500 downtown. There are several new properties that have opened recently (the Medallion at 4th/Main, the Metropolitain at 5th/Hill, the Arcade lofts on Spring) and that's keeping prices under control.

Good luck!

[subPrimeTime]

Downtown does put you in a nice middle ground. In fact, if you have a decent place downtown, it's likely that, on some occasions, your friends would want to go out in downtown instead of SM (they come to you, instead of you going to them).

Downtown has a lot of nightlife options, as does Pasadena.

If moving downtown though, do yourself a favor and live near Ralphs (the only major supermarket downtown). It's at 9th/Hope in the South Park area.