New to SoCal, Need Help with Location! (Torrance, Vista: apartment, hotels)

[hyperdrive]

Hello, everyone! I'm about to start working full-time in Torrance, and my girlfriend of a few years is about to start graduate school at UCLA.

In terms of location, we've been considering finding a place somewhere in the middle, probably closer to her, and obviously we're looking for a safe area as well as being somewhere where you can't see/hear the airport lol. For whatever location you may suggest, if my work hours are flexible, is there a certain time of day that would make both our commutes about 45 min or less each way?

Our budget for now is at about $1800/month, but at the same time we also don't wanna spend so little that we end up in a bad neighborhood. We also don't need anything too big. anywhere between 450 to 650 sq ft is fine. In my opinion, $1500 to $1600 seems ideal, but what do you all think?


From browsing forums and random googling, so far I've come up with a few places such as PDR, MDR, Westchester, and El Segundo. What are you opinions on those 4 or on other places you'd recommend? (in terms of how the neighborhood is and how the commutes to UCLA and Torrance would be)

Please free to give any enlightening comments/suggestions in addition to answering these questions. We really appreciate it! Thank you very much!

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by hyperdrive

Hello, everyone! I'm about to start working full-time in Torrance, and my girlfriend of a few years is about to start graduate school at UCLA.

In terms of location, we've been considering finding a place somewhere in the middle, probably closer to her, and obviously we're looking for a safe area as well as being somewhere where you can't see/hear the airport lol. For whatever location you may suggest, if my work hours are flexible, is there a certain time of day that would make both our commutes about 45 min or less each way?

Our budget for now is at about $1800/month, but at the same time we also don't wanna spend so little that we end up in a bad neighborhood. We also don't need anything too big. anywhere between 450 to 650 sq ft is fine. In my opinion, $1500 to $1600 seems ideal, but what do you all think?


From browsing forums and random googling, so far I've come up with a few places such as PDR, MDR, Westchester, and El Segundo. What are you opinions on those 4 or on other places you'd recommend? (in terms of how the neighborhood is and how the commutes to UCLA and Torrance would be)

Please free to give any enlightening comments/suggestions in addition to answering these questions. We really appreciate it! Thank you very much!

All nice places, fit within your budget and wont kill you commuting to Torrance.

The problem is - getting into Westwood during the week is awful. One of you is going to get the longer commute - which one?

[JTGJR]

Originally Posted by hyperdrive

as well as being somewhere where you can't see/hear the airport lol.

This disqualifies all four of the cities you mentioned.

[jaypee]

I vote for MDR or Culver City ... or you can suck it up and live in/around Westwood.

[smokingGun]

lots of undergrad & grad students at UCLA live in Culver City & Mar Vista/Palms environs. The commute isn't that bad, especially if you don't have to be in class exactly at 9 on the dot. fwiw another poster said he commutes from Santa Monica to Torrance & says he averages 25 min before 7am and just 35 min after 4:30pm. I think he may be underestimating the commute home in the late afternoon but it's in that ballpark.

[Dunbar42]

You may want to consider Culver City or east Palms with the new Expo Line that goes from Culver City to USC. It's probably a 20 minute train ride.

[jaypee]

Originally Posted by Dunbar42

You may want to consider Culver City or east Palms with the new Expo Line that goes from Culver City to USC. It's probably a 20 minute train ride.

His gf goes to UCLA, btw.

[Samoi137]

Originally Posted by smokingGun

lots of undergrad & grad students at UCLA live in Culver City & Mar Vista/Palms environs. The commute isn't that bad, especially if you don't have to be in class exactly at 9 on the dot. fwiw another poster said he commutes from Santa Monica to Torrance & says he averages 25 min before 7am and just 35 min after 4:30pm. I think he may be underestimating the commute home in the late afternoon but it's in that ballpark.

Back when I was a student at UCLA, I lived in a small apartment in Culver City (well, actually a little enclave of L.A. surrounded by CC on 3 sides, but my address was CC). Traffic wasn't bad but that was a few years ago. Santa Monica would be more pleasant (closer to the beach, for one thing), but I'd guess it's pricier. Getting from CC to culver City by bus would be easy. I'd guess driving to Torrance would take more than 35 mins. in rush hour but may not be bad.

Even close to LAX you may not hear plane noise IF the soundproofing on your place is good enough. We've been in hotels near LAX and hard no plane noise and been in others where we were bothered by it.

[LASam]

The West LA (Sawtelle) neighborhood has nice options in your price range. That's the neighborhood south of Brentwood, east of Santa Monica, west of the 405, and north of Mar Vista. I commute to El Segundo from that area and it's about 30 minutes each way. The Santa Monica Big Blue Bus serves that area and your wife can take that to UCLA and not even worry about driving. Just another option...

Map of the area below:

http://projects.latimes.com/mapping-...hood/sawtelle/

[hyperdrive]

I wouldnt imagine grad classes running into rush hour traffic though.. Regardless, what would you say is the best way to get into Westwood during the week, and at what times?

Originally Posted by 1200RT

All nice places, fit within your budget and wont kill you commuting to Torrance.

The problem is - getting into Westwood during the week is awful. One of you is going to get the longer commute - which one?