Need advice on areas to live in Los Angeles (Pasadena: home, neighborhood)

[chill22]

Hello,

I'm contemplating a move from Boston and I really like LA and the surrounding area. I love the weather, the beaches, the cultural diversity, the creative energy, the good food, the overall friendly and laid back attitude, the plethora of things to do and things going on and the proximity to incredible national parks. I grew up in the Boston area but I've lived all over the place. I've been back in boston for about 8 years now and although there are alot of great things about the area and my family is here, I've always considered myself more of a west coast person and I'm itching to get back there.

Based on the couple of times I've been to LA I've gathered that the key to living there is to choose a neighborhood/ area that you really like and make that your home base from which you can explore the rest of the city. I'm a single woman in my late 30s with a graduate degree. I'm interested in a place with a strong community feel where I might have a good chance of meeting people. I would love to be near the water or at least near natural and open spaces. I am progressive minded and a creative type and also very active and athletic. I'm excited about the prospect of being in a city where the men out number the women because I am looking to meet someone - I've heard both sides of the coin about dating in LA but it definately seems alot better than where I am now - Boston.

I'm not sure what my income will be yet as I have a few things to sort out before I seriously consider a move but I wouldn't move there unless I had a really solid job prospect and could be sure of some financial stability. My income range would probably be in the neighborhood of between 55K-75K. I've heard that you want to live near where you work in LA to avoid the stress of traffic and I would certainly try to do that but at this point I'm more interested in hearing about the best areas to live based on what I said above.

I remember really liking the feel of Manhattan Beach but I didn't spend enough time there to make a fair judgement. On the downside it seemed out of my reach pricewise and also seemed to be more family oriented. Although I'm not opposed to being around families and married couples, I am single and looking to meet someone so ideally I'd like to be in a community with more people like myself.

I hope I didn't ramble too much here! I would really appreciate any insight or advice you can offer!

Thanks!

[disgruntled la native]

Maybe the more modest parts of the Westside (West LA, Mar Vista, Palms), maybe Sherman Oaks/Studio City, maybe Silver Lake or Echo Park. It depends where your job is, and it would help to know more of your interests.

Manhattan Beach is a little pricy and very family oriented though it fits what you need also. But most jobs won't be so close to Manhattan Beach.

[yby1]

If you liked Manhattan Beach, but want to be social and meeting people on the dating scene, then Hermosa Beach is for you.

[chill22]

Thanks for the input. I liked Hermosa Beach as well so maybe I'll look into that. In terms of my interests I'm a designer and an aspiring entrepreneur so I'm interested in art and innovation. I'm not a "hipster" though - I grew out of that phase in my early 20s and while I have nothing against hipsters per se I'm not seeking that crowd out. I do like hip restaurants, shops and the like though and I appreciate the quirky, unique and eclectic. I definately don't want to live in a strip mall and/or cultural wasteland type of place. That is one thing I'm not particularly fond of in LA - parts of the town and surrounds seem to be loaded with places like this. Alternately that is one of the great things about the Boston area - the general absence of strips malls. And as I mentioned above, I'm very active and athletic and I love nature and open spaces. Any other recommendations besides Hermosa Beach?

Thanks!

[chill22]

One more thing to add. I don't consider myself to belong to any one particular "scene" and I would prefer to live in a place with a good mix of people from different cultures, social scenes and walks of life. Probably no place exists like that but I find places with a healthy mix of different people the most intersting to me. Above all - a place that has a good vibe.

[yby1]

Check out Venice/Sunset Park as well.

[dvduval]

For the strong, community feel, I would recommend Pasadena or Studio City (or along Ventura blvd somewhere). Hermosa Beach is good too.

[lrmsd]

Originally Posted by chill22

Thanks for the input. I liked Hermosa Beach as well so maybe I'll look into that. In terms of my interests I'm a designer and an aspiring entrepreneur so I'm interested in art and innovation. I'm not a "hipster" though - I grew out of that phase in my early 20s and while I have nothing against hipsters per se I'm not seeking that crowd out. I do like hip restaurants, shops and the like though and I appreciate the quirky, unique and eclectic. I definately don't want to live in a strip mall and/or cultural wasteland type of place. That is one thing I'm not particularly fond of in LA - parts of the town and surrounds seem to be loaded with places like this. Alternately that is one of the great things about the Boston area - the general absence of strips malls. And as I mentioned above, I'm very active and athletic and I love nature and open spaces. Any other recommendations besides Hermosa Beach?

Thanks!

Easy: Santa Barbara!!! And visit LA on the weekend....[lol-Just kidding, sort of....You might want to check it out, though....along with Laguna Beach.] [I also hail originally from the Boston area/metrowest]

[Pito_Chueco]

Santa Monica or Venice.

[goodheathen]

Santa Monica likely would be slightly better than Venice, for cultural and outdoorsy reasons and perhaps safety also. Those probably are the only two places to currently seriously consider.