Please Help! Needing to move to LA on a budget with a family! Where to move? (Riverside: apartment)

[ayymms]

My family is transferring to LA due to my husband's job. He will be working in downtown LA. Are there any apts./home for rent that are decent, in a low-crime, safe area of town, no more than $1400 a month for a three bedroom? If so, what is the best, most affordable place to raise a family near LA where my husband would not have to be in the car commuting for hours?

[JohnG72]

No there aren't and thats no joke. You'll be hard pressed to find a 2 bedroom place in a safe neighborhood for $1400. And I'd be VERY cautious of ads proclaiming that price on a 3 bedroom place. For instance this one:

Very Clean in Quiet Neighborhood (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/apa/2744895141.html - broken link)

states that its in West Hollywood, which IS a nice area. But Western/Santa Monica is not anywhere near West Hollywood, and its is a bad neighborhood.

If you can bump your budget up to $1900-2200/mo you can rent a house in Lakewood, Whittier, Covina areas that are safe and have better than average schools. 1 hour rush hour commute to downtown from any of those places.

Or take the train in from Lancaster/Palmdale.

You MAYBE can find something in Santa Clarita....apartment or townhome. Theres a train stop there also, as well as a bus line too that goes directly to downtown. Again an hour commute. TBH, this is probably your best option as its a nice place with good schools for the most part.

[BRinSM]

Metrolink :: Welcome live near a stop out in riverside or san bernardino counties and maybe you'll be able to find a house for under $1500/month.

[MsMurphy64]

I wouldnt want to live in downtown los angeles. uk. find something north or south. I live in lakewood and use to drive to santamonic, which is about the same, and it was bout 1.5 hours. if you lived north of it, i think traffic would maybe be better.

i think it would be hard to get a 3 bdrm in a nice area for 1400. maybe a 2 bdrm in a medium area. dont know why rent is so high when the econonmy sucks so bad, there are soooo many places for rent but no one can afford them!!!!

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by ayymms

My family is transferring to LA due to my husband's job. He will be working in downtown LA. Are there any apts./home for rent that are decent, in a low-crime, safe area of town, no more than $1400 a month for a three bedroom? If so, what is the best, most affordable place to raise a family near LA where my husband would not have to be in the car commuting for hours?

Oh man.

-affordable in LA.
-$1400 budget for a HOUSE

This is a mess.

In many areas of LA that fit your criteria (low crime, safe, good for a family), $1400 is barely an adequate budget for a 1 bedroom.

[yamota]

Have you looked at Koreatown? True, some parts of K-town is downright sketchy, particularly south of Wilshire, but some areas are okay and it's just minutes from DTLA

[HarryKerry]

Many people confuse Downtown LA for other parts of the city, since they look and feel like a downtown. I can't tell you how many out-of-towners think Wilshire Center or Miracle Mile or Century City or even Westwood is "downtown" Please be more specific, such as the address of the building your husband will be working. This makes a huge difference in housing and transportation options.

It sounds like the burbs are the best bet for you, but far out burbs. Your best hope is to find something not too far from a Metrolink train station, and you hubby's commute to LA will be a breeze whilst you and your family are in suburbia. The problem is, you may find your price-point and what you want in places that are BEYOND a Metolink trains last station. Examine all the points along all the lines. Antelope Valley may be your only real hope, but it is DESERT out there. Same for hard-hit (but good for you) Riverside. Good luck and let us know what happens.