Early 30s Single Female Professional Moving to LA - Where to Live? (Santa Monica: apartment, crime)

[alexisl007]

Hi, everyone! As the title suggests, I am a single female in her early 30s who could be potentially relocating to LA by the end of the year for work. I went to USC but graduated a decade or so ago, and have not lived in LA since.

My office would be right near the corner of Avenue of the Stars and Santa Monica Blvd (Century City).

I would like to know what neighborhoods are best for single, young professionals (or childless couples who still socialize and have lots of single friends) around their mid 20s to mid 30s. Not interested in living in a sedate neighborhood with a lot of families.

Nor am I interested in somewhere too hippie/hipster/artsy (I'm a very 'boring' ex-lawyer from Connecticut who is rarely seen without pearls and believes it is a crime to wear black in the daytime between Memorial Day and Labor Day - LOL!).

The ideal neighborhood for me would have a very active bar/restaurant scene where a good time can be had with like-minded people without the velvet rope try-hards or anything too artsy/eclectic. I'm used to living/socializing in large cities (New York, Hong Kong, London etc.) so a sleepy neighborhood might, well, put me to sleep!

I am also a competitive runner and need to be in a runner-friendly neighborhood.

Also if I could minimize commuting time/distance, that would of course be great.

For what it's worth, Santa Monica has been recommended to me by more than one of my friends from college (just take Olympic to Century City?). What about neighborhoods like Brentwood, West Hollywood, Venice Beach, Marina Del Rey?

My budget for an apartment would be ideally no more than $2500/month but absolutely not over $3000/month.

Thank you for any and all help!

[disgruntled la native]

With your budget you can afford an apartment anywhere in the city. Even a 2br in certain cases. So that part you don't have to worry about.

I think Santa Monica is your perfect fit. Not bad of a commute to Century City. Has everything you listed. Up and coming hip area, close to the beach, safe and beautiful, and while there is a party scene it's pretty tame and laid back. The kind of place where you go for happy hours and loungey places, not VIP bottle service clubs.

Plus people run around the beach all the time in santa monica.

Brentwood is boring, Venice Beach is too artsy and weird for you, Marina del rey is far away and doesn't have much going on, West Hollywood sort of fits what you want but it's a little more out there and sketchy than santa monica.

[harhar]

Santa Monica.

On a side note, I always "forget" about Century City.

In one moment I'm in Santa Monica, the other, BH. It's like the area between the 405 and Wilshire doesn't exist.

...Don't ask...

[BRinSM]

all the locations you mentioned will work for you. lot's of runners at the beach and along san vicente. from the poster who said MDR is too far, i disagree, i made that commute to century city from MDR and it's 30 minutes on a bad day.

[disgruntled la native]

^How would you get from MDR to century city? The commute from santa monica to century city is 30 min on a bad day. MDR would be an hour easily.

While all locations may work I believe SM best fits OP's needs. MDR is further and has less of what she wants.

[JohnG72]

All of the above as well as the South Park and Financial District in downtown.

One visit to Dowtown/USC and youll be astonished.

[BRinSM]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

^How would you get from MDR to century city? The commute from santa monica to century city is 30 min on a bad day. MDR would be an hour easily.

While all locations may work I believe SM best fits OP's needs. MDR is further and has less of what she wants.

washington to either overland or motor. when i commuted by scooter, it would only take 15-20 minutes. i loved MDR, great running around the marina or along the beach path and a handful of good bars/restaurants down by the pier. i could also get up to venice and main st very easily.

[disgruntled la native]

washingotn moves but overland and motor are congested.

olympic is a straight shot from SM to cc

[alexisl007]

Thank you everyone. I figured Santa Monica would be the best bet. Can someone tell me more about West Hollywood though? Like what the scene is like for single youngish professionals in their mid 20s - mid 30s? Is it safe to run along the streets (I know that in LA the neighborhoods can change very quickly).

Is Brentwood more for families?

How easy do you think socializing/meeting people is in Santa Monica, West Hollywood etc.? I have this one fear that I'll know absolutely no one in LA except my one really close friend who has a husband and a new baby boy, and a few college acquaintances (for some reason all of my close USC friends either moved to NYC or abroad)!

[BRinSM]

west hollywood won't be nearly as runner friendly as the beach cities.