Good neighborhood for single guy in late 20s? (Long Beach, Pasadena: apartment, rent)

[dkh330]

I'm relocating to LA for work in the next 1-1.5 months and am starting to look for places to live. I've been lurking the board a good bit and have spent some time on CL, and I feel like I could benefit from some targeted recommendations.

I'll be working in Santa Fe Springs (near where I5 and I605 intersect) and would like to keep the commute relatively painless. I love driving, but hate stop-and-go traffic. I will also have a motorcycle, which I understand will let me use the HOV lanes. Not sure what my work hours will be yet, but I assume around 8-5.

I'm currently looking at locations in Downtown, Silver Lake, and Long Beach.

Can anyone familiar with these areas provide some perspective about what it's like there, and does anyone have other recommendations?

As far as my preferences/requirements:

- I'd like to be in a younger neighborhood where it will be easy to meet people. I don't need a vibrant late-night bar scene or anything, but convenient access to coffee shops, restaurants, and other good date/hangout sort of places would be a big plus.

- I'd love to be able to find a loft or loft-like place with an open floor plan. I imagine I'd need something in the 800-1000 sq-ft range (scaling down from a 3 BR, 2100 sq ft townhouse, but selling some stuff before the move). Budget in the neighborhood of $2K but ideally less.

- Only hard requirement is that I'll need 2 parking spaces in an indoor garage of some sort for my cars/bike. Ideally this would be non-tandem spaces in an attached building with restricted access.

Looking forward to enjoying the SoCal weather and geography. Thanks in advance!

[BRinSM]

there really aren't any cities particularly close to SFS that meet your requirements. besides the areas you already mentioned, i would add pasadena and the fullerton/brea area to your list. realize though that each of these locales is still at least a 45 minute drive in traffic by car. a motorbike could certainly shorten the commute.

[dkh330]

I've considered Pasadena and Fullerton but based on what other folks at the company have told me those areas are much more suburban with strip malls, older married couples, etc.

I just paid for the Loft Living LA tour for next week. I didn't really want to spend any money yet, but I figured being a complete outsider it would at least be an informative 3-4 hours.

[JohnG72]

So downtown probably fits your requirements. Marginal reverse commute, but the 5 is gonna stink from 710 to a few miles past the 605 both ways. Maybe a 30 minute commute on a bike...not sure how riding the middle of a lane works....

Everything else, you are good on. You will want to live near the FIDM or along Spring St from 4th to 7th, or in the vicinity. Currently I pay $1640/mo in a nice building in South Park for a 840 sq ft loft. Includes 1 parking spot. An extra spot in the lot I use runs $80/mo. If i wanted parking in the building I live in with two spots, it would be about $250/mo. As you can see this still meets your budget. The places on Spring are generally cheaper though parking is hard to come by on your budget. If you go to surrounding areas, things can get even cheaper. For instance I've seen 1350 sq ft units at Higgins building(2nd/Main) rent at $1600-1700/mo. You'd park in the garage next door and still be under $2K a mo.

For South Park, theres FIDM....tons of attractive young ladies EVERYWHERE. Ridiculous actually. For Spring St, theres some really decent low end bars and restaurants and just lots of people out. Spring St Bar(between 6th and 7th) actually is set up in a manner that forces you to talk to people...theres not individual tables.

There is one thing that really stinks about parking in public garages....you will pick up dings on your car like crazy. The only way to avoid this is to park on the top floor(assuming your garage doesn't fill up.)

[mayorhaggar]

I think you'd like Belmont Shores in Long Beach. Lots of shops and restaurants and bars on 2nd street and the housing there is really nice. Downtown Long Beach is nice too and has a lot of new condos. I really couldn't tell you about the highway commute to SFS though but if there's carpool lanes on the 605 it could be ok.

Also downtown Pasadena is really nice, I'd check it out.

[dkh330]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

There is one thing that really stinks about parking in public garages....you will pick up dings on your car like crazy. The only way to avoid this is to park on the top floor(assuming your garage doesn't fill up.)

Makes me sad. I'm the kind of guy who goes out of his way to find parking on the far end of the parking lot to avoid everyone else. No door dings on either car after almost 5 years.

Good to hear about everything else downtown. I am considering the west-side beach communities as well (Venice, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach) but from what I understand the commute would not be fun and any sort of covered parking would be hard to come by.

[mayorhaggar]

Originally Posted by dkh330

Good to hear about everything else downtown. I am considering the west-side beach communities as well (Venice, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach) but from what I understand the commute would not be fun and any sort of covered parking would be hard to come by.

Yeah that commute would suck. Long Beach has a nice beach town feel (shame about the oil wells along the coast though!) and should be way cheaper than those areas. I live in a 2br apartment just east of downtown for $1500, and it comes with a garage space. And I think that's expensive for Long Beach, I've seen 2br's for more like $1200 walking down the street in Alamitos Beach which is further east of me.

[detractor]

Originally Posted by dkh330

Makes me sad. I'm the kind of guy who goes out of his way to find parking on the far end of the parking lot to avoid everyone else. No door dings on either car after almost 5 years.

Good to hear about everything else downtown. I am considering the west-side beach communities as well (Venice, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach) but from what I understand the commute would not be fun and any sort of covered parking would be hard to come by.

Do not ruin you're 20's by spending 2 hours a day sitting on a freeway. It is not worth it. If you want to live by the beach, in a fun area, with other young singles and will be working in Santa Fe Springs definitely try coastal Long Beach (Downtown LB/Alamitos Beach to Belmont Shore/Naples) or North OC beach towns (Seal Beach, Sunset Beach).

You might be able to get away with living in the South Bay (Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach) which is a straight shot down the 105, but Venice is probably too far north when you have to get to Santa Fe Springs on a daily basis.

You do not want to be on the 5 freeway between downtown LA and Santa Fe Springs. It's a horrible experience.

[Charles]

Also, the 5 doesn't have diamond lanes. The 605 does. The 605 is pretty fast (relatively) in the PM heading south. So, Seal Beach, Long Beach...down south from SFS is probably a good consideration.

[R-Tistic]

I'd also say Culver City or somewhere in West L.A. Maybe even Marina Del Rey