Top 10 Best Places to Live in LA (Long Beach, Glendale: best city, private schools)

[TrojanDLA]

Originally Posted by Charles

So where would you raise your (if you had them) kids in Southern California?

I grew up in the Verdugo Hills area (Glendale, Pasadena, Arcadia, La Cresenta, La Canada, etc.) and they are great neighborhoods. Unfortunately, as it has been a trend in the last 10 years, the school are not what they used to be.

Your question includes Orange County, right? Between LA or OC, I would choose OC to raise my family. Irvine, Newport, HB, Anaheim Hills, Tustin off the top of my head, but honestly, there are several great cities to raise families in OC. If you are flexible and just want to live in the LA/OC area, then choose OC for family. Home prices are similarly expensive, but the school systems are several notches above, especially if you live in Irvine.

[Cattknap]

Originally Posted by TheRealAngelion

It’s nice to see people sticking up for Long Beach. I think it gets a bad rap, unfairly. Mostly because of the media and rap music. The truth is Long Beach is not even in the top half of the 322 cities ranked as the most dangerous in the nation. One of the reasons I included Long Beach on my list is because unlike many of the other cities, it’s still a place were a moderate income family can live and have excellent public schools to send their kids to from K-12. It has 16 public schools including 1 high school with a “Great Schools” rating of 8 or better. A second high school has a rating of 7, which isn’t bad. I also agree that LB has a lot of great neighborhoods that some people just don’t seem to know about and the city offers a lot of shopping, recreation and entertainment amenities.

Our 27 year old son is a product of Long Beach schools - he graduated from Polytechnic High School, graduated Magna *** Laud from UCLA and is in his last year of law school and will soon be sworn into the Navy Jag program.

[Cattknap]

Long Beach

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/Cattknap/cfiles2296.jpg (broken link)



Heartwell Golf Course:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v215/Cattknap/p_heartwell.jpg (broken link)

[Sorcerer68]

Keep in mind that there are lots and lots of households in Los Angeles that don't include children. For those who do, education is a patchwork of sorts in L.A. and one can't simply rule out an area due to LAUSD. Hancock Park has it's Hancock Park Elementary, Silverlake has Ivanhoe, Mt. Washington has Mt. Washington Elementary...there are bright spots in this lackluster school district. Also, there are many charter and magnet schools. My good friend (who is currently on welfare) has her two sons on scholarship at charter schools in Los Feliz. That said, here's my list. It's diverse as not everyone has the same taste:

1. Pasadena/South Pasadena
2. Santa Monica
3. Hollywood Hills East (including Hollywood Dell, Beachwood Cyn, etc)
4. Hancock Park
5. Los Feliz/Silverlake
6. Burbank/Toluca Lake
7. Studio City
8. Malibu
9. (South) Redondo Beach
10. West Hollywood/Sunset Strip

[Sorcerer68]

Originally Posted by Cattknap

Long Beach

Although it didn't quite make my list, Long Beach is a perfectly underrated, underrespected area. I was down there last week and was amazed at the changes to Downtown in the last 2 years (I stayed on the Queen Mary for a week).

[agranville]

I also agree that LB is underappreciated. I visited there and loved it. The area is beautiful and The Queen Mary is awesome!

[majoun]

Originally Posted by Sorcerer68

Keep in mind that there are lots and lots of households in Los Angeles that don't include children. For those who do, education is a patchwork of sorts in L.A. and one can't simply rule out an area due to LAUSD. Hancock Park has it's Hancock Park Elementary, Silverlake has Ivanhoe, Mt. Washington has Mt. Washington Elementary...there are bright spots in this lackluster school district. Also, there are many charter and magnet schools.

Those are all elementary schools. Name ONE high school in LAUSD that's NOT a charter or a magnet that's a "bright spot". You can't, anymore.

Marshall (which Silver Lake is zoned for) and Fairfax (which Hancock Park is zoned for) are HORRIBLE schools. Not sure what HS Mt. Washington is zoned for.

[Sorcerer68]

Originally Posted by majoun

Those are all elementary schools. Name ONE high school in LAUSD that's NOT a charter or a magnet that's a "bright spot". You can't, anymore.

Marshall (which Silver Lake is zoned for) and Fairfax (which Hancock Park is zoned for) are HORRIBLE schools. Not sure what HS Mt. Washington is zoned for.

You completely missed my point. Charter and Magnet schools are far more accessible than people think. I also said bright spots, not a wonderful school district. You're right about regular public high schools. Thankfully there are Magnet schools which are still public. These are the answer to lousey regular schools.

My larger point is that many households don't include children and to base a "top 10" list mostly on school districts doesn't serve them. My list includes areas with stellar school districts and stellar areas period.

[LivingLikeAGradStudent]

This approach presumes that life is based on living in the same place for a dozen years for the sake of the kids. As noted, many of the better urban areas in and around the city (Hancock Park, Fairfax, West Hollywood, Silver Lake) have wonderful elementary schools and, frankly, a much better quality of life than a farther-flung suburb. When it comes time for high school, then make a choice. And plenty of people look for solid areas with close-in amenities once the kids have hit the college-and-beyond road.

[TheRealAngelion]

[quote]

Originally Posted by LivingLikeAGradStudent

This approach presumes that life is based on living in the same place for a dozen years for the sake of the kids.

I think for most parents living in the same area or place until their child/children graduate high school is preferred. Moving around when growing up can be very disruptive. I know from personal experience.