Where should I live? Accepted job in Compton (Long Beach, Torrance: apartment, loft)

[Jusgotzsoul]

*I am living in Michigan but I have recently accepted a job in Compton California. *I am planning to get an apartment with my brother who already lives in Van Nuys. Where should we live? *We are both in our late 20s and are looking for a place with a good club/bar scene. *I want to stay north of compton because I want to be close to my friends who mostly live in west L.A. *I was either thinking Pasadena or Hermosa. *How is the traffic on the 710 going south from Pasadena? What should we expect to pay in rent? Your help is greatly appreciated.

[alto100]

Those are both noble choices of where to live. There should be affordable places in Pasadena but Hermosa will be a premium the closer you get to the sand and that's most of the town. Traffic is always bad unless you can arrange flex hours. The best is around 6am or earlier when there is no traffic. Worked financial market hours for 20yrs in LA and it's the only way to get around provided you get to go home after 8hrs.

[JohnG72]

Assuming normal work hours, Pasadena is not a good choice. For your work location, best bar scenes are in Downtown Long Beach/Belmont shores, downtown LA, or Southbay(Redondo/Hermosa/Manhatten).

Rent on a nice two bedroom loft in DTLA runs around $2100-2500/mo.

I am pretty sure that Downtown LB is about the same. Belmont Shores is less expensive...probably $1600-1900/mo for an older 2bd. South Bay varies wildly.

A still nice, but lower cost alternative might be Culver City near their downtown area. 2 bedroom apt within 2-3 blocks of the main bar area is around $1600-1800/mo.

[Chicano3000X]

You better duck in Compton..

Spoiler

low flying birds..

[mrsltd]

Originally Posted by Jusgotzsoul

*I am living in Michigan but I have recently accepted a job in Compton California. *I am planning to get an apartment with my brother who already lives in Van Nuys. Where should we live? *We are both in our late 20s and are looking for a place with a good club/bar scene. *I want to stay north of compton because I want to be close to my friends who mostly live in west L.A. *I was either thinking Pasadena or Hermosa. *How is the traffic on the 710 going south from Pasadena? What should we expect to pay in rent? Your help is greatly appreciated.

Try Torrance. It will likely be less expensive than Hermosa and is still close to the beach.

As for ducking in Compton, my guess is you will be working around Artesia Blvd or thereabouts on the south side where it is mostly commercial/industrial. You will be fine. I'm not guaranteeing 100% safety, but thousands of people work in that area every day, day in day out, week in week out, year in year out. I think very few are ducking all the time.

Oh, and I know Torrance is more or less directly southwest but affordability is the thing.

[R-Tistic]

As always, I'd say Culver City is PERFECT. Right near the 405 (in most of the city) and it's a good halfway point. Traffic isn't as horrible in the Southern part of the city that's near 405 (Westfield/Fox Hills area)...maybe 25 min from Compton in moderate traffic, 45 if it's a bad day. It's right below West L.A.

[R-Tistic]

Pasadena is too far North and you have to go through the Downtown traffic. Hermosa has the worst location in L.A...ok, well really Palos Verdes does, but that whole Southwest corner sucks because there's no Freeway access anywhere close. It isn't too far from Compton though...and I'd even say you can do 405 South (which really goes East from there) to the 110 North, then 91 East for Compton. It just sucks when you try going to Hollywood, Downtown, and those places from Hermosa.