USC grad works downtown. Should I live in Venice or SM w/ no car? (San Francisco: apartments, neighborhood)

[TrainerJ1]

Hi everyone! I'm 24 years old and live downtown because of my work. I love my work and do not plan of leaving my well paid 3x/week occupation. My dilemma is two-fold, but first a little about myself.

Health and Fitness is my passion, I am a fitness model and love exercise! I grew up in a small town near San Francisco and I very much like the community feel where you actually know the people in your neihborhood. I'll be at the gym everyday, and i'd love to live near other organic liberal like minded people.

First, I have don't a car and would rather not get one if I don't have to. Do you think it's realistic to commute from the westside, around mid-day, to downtown and then back to the westside after 8pm by bus on a tuesday, thursday, and saturday?

If yes, then if money was no option, should I live in Venice Beach or Santa Monica? Any specific streets?


Yours in health,



TrainerJ

[SalParadise]

Or live in Culver City within walking distance of the Expo line.

[mayorhaggar]

Riding the Rapid bus from downtown out to the Santa Monica area really really sucks, it takes at least 90 minutes and is really pokey, and the buses get really crowded. I'd definitely look into somewhere near the Expo Line or at least somewhere more transit-friendly like Koreatown.

[saybanana]

The Metro Expo Line can get you to DTLA-Culver City in 30 mins most of the day. The 733/33 can get you down to Venice Beach in under 20 mins. The 534 Metro Bus express can get you from Expo CC to Santa Monica via 10fwy in under 20 mins. I think the Big Blue Bus will have a new express route from Expo CC-DTSM soon but those have limited hours. Thats the fastest way to get from those Beach cities to DTLA. I think the BBB10 Rapid can go from SM beach to DTLA in under an hour non rush hour.

[TimTheEnchanter]

I think the Big Blue Bus is pretty fast to Downtown, but it has limited stops. You need to look at the specifics of it.

[BRinSM]

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

I think the Big Blue Bus is pretty fast to Downtown, but it has limited stops. You need to look at the specifics of it.

Big Blue Bus - Rapid 10

i would live in SM over venice. venice is nearly as expensive, but the apartments are generally older and more run down. updated units in venice are crazy expensive.

[TrainerJ1]

Originally Posted by mayorhaggar

Riding the Rapid bus from downtown out to the Santa Monica area really really sucks, it takes at least 90 minutes and is really pokey, and the buses get really crowded. I'd definitely look into somewhere near the Expo Line or at least somewhere more transit-friendly like Koreatown.

Originally Posted by SalParadise

Or live in Culver City within walking distance of the Expo line.

Originally Posted by saybanana

The Metro Expo Line can get you to DTLA-Culver City in 30 mins most of the day. The 733/33 can get you down to Venice Beach in under 20 mins. The 534 Metro Bus express can get you from Expo CC to Santa Monica via 10fwy in under 20 mins. I think the Big Blue Bus will have a new express route from Expo CC-DTSM soon but those have limited hours. Thats the fastest way to get from those Beach cities to DTLA. I think the BBB10 Rapid can go from SM beach to DTLA in under an hour non rush hour.

Originally Posted by TimTheEnchanter

I think the Big Blue Bus is pretty fast to Downtown, but it has limited stops. You need to look at the specifics of it.

Originally Posted by BRinSM

Big Blue Bus - Rapid 10

i would live in SM over venice. venice is nearly as expensive, but the apartments are generally older and more run down. updated units in venice are crazy expensive.

Thank you for the answers everyone. I genuinely appreciate it! I looked at the schedules of every bus/rail route mentioned this seems to be the fastest for me:

Ride my bike 25min from SM or Venice to the Culver City Expo line. Then another 25min trip to downtown!
On the way back, take the 733 metro Rapid Line or the Big blue bus, which is ~50min.

[TrainerJ1]

Okay w/ a little exercise it definitely seems doable living by SM or Venice and working in DT!

So the second part of my dilemma, I'm a fitness fanatic who loves a neighborhood feel, and would like to be around other healthy, like-minded people.

Is Santa Monica a better fit because of the clean organic liberal crowd? Or is Venice better because it's a smaller community w/ young fitness fanatics?

[BRinSM]

Originally Posted by TrainerJ1

Okay w/ a little exercise it definitely seems doable living by SM or Venice and working in DT!

So the second part of my dilemma, I'm a fitness fanatic who loves a neighborhood feel, and would like to be around other healthy, like-minded people.

Is Santa Monica a better fit because of the clean organic liberal crowd? Or is Venice better because it's a smaller community w/ young fitness fanatics?

santa monica has a much larger exercise crowd than venice. if you're ever in town, check out palisades park, the san vicente median, and the 4th st. stairs during daylight hours and you'll see dozens if not hundreds of people exercising in some capacity.

people also run along the beach path between the two cities, but in venice you're pretty much limited to this area. anyways, i used to do triathlons and knew a ton of people who lived in/commuted to santa monica in order to train.

[TrainerJ1]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

santa monica has a much larger exercise crowd than venice. if you're ever in town, check out palisades park, the san vicente median, and the 4th st. stairs during daylight hours and you'll see dozens if not hundreds of people exercising in some capacity.

people also run along the beach path between the two cities, but in venice you're pretty much limited to this area. anyways, i used to do triathlons and knew a ton of people who lived in/commuted to santa monica in order to train.

Wow it sounds like Santa Monica is my place!

Do you have any specific recommendations for areas or streets that have a friendly younger croud?