Best Neighborhoods/Schools near Glendale, CA (Santa Clarita, Pasadena: real estate, homes, safe area)

[riveredgeparrothead07]

My husband may be relocated to Glendale, CA (from NYC) for a job. We have two young boys (5 and 8). I'm looking for close-by, safe neighborhoods with good schools. At some point if the relocation happens, of course we will come out to look at neighborhoods, but I'm trying to have a targeted few in mind.

I hear traffic is really bad (and we know bad traffic) so we would want to be as close to his office as possible. However our focus is really on the kids safety and their education.

Is it possible to have a decent commute from the Santa Clarita area or is that too far?
I also hear that living in the valley is like living near the surface of the sun. Yes?

What areas might someone suggest outside of the valley that is good for young families? Some place where $600,000 would go a long way (ie, 4 bedrooms, updated kitchen, nice yard, etc).

Any suggestions would be great.
Thank you!

[BRinSM]

Originally Posted by riveredgeparrothead07

Is it possible to have a decent commute from the Santa Clarita area or is that too far?

decent is a relative term, though i think most folks would consider this decent (5>210>2>134)

Originally Posted by riveredgeparrothead07

I also hear that living in the valley is like living near the surface of the sun. Yes?

the valley gets warm, but not phoenix or vegas warm. 100 degrees isn't unheard of, but it's not regular. most days are low 90s in the summer. also, west valley is hotter than east valley by a ~5 degrees during the hottest part of the day.

besides that, $600k is very middle of the road for LA area real estate. sure there are plenty of cheaper places, but safety and public schools will be a concern at that price point unless you're willing to deal with a 20+ mile commute.

[UB50]

Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena are all good but $600K will not go far. You might be able to find a fixer in that price range, but I seriously doubt 4 bedrooms.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by UB50

Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena are all good but $600K will not go far.

Pasadena has some of the lowest ranking public schools in the area.

[riveredgeparrothead07]

Yes, Pasadena has already been crossed off of our list because the schools aren't good. Glendale and Burbank have some good schools, but money doesn't go very far there.

Thank you BRinSM for your helpful hints. My husband currently commutes around an hour. So, we were hoping for him to have a commute around 40 minutes or less. Would that would put us near Santa Clarita? Or even closer, Granada Hills?

I have that area in mind because there are good schools and 600,000(or a little more) can go farther there.
I appreciate everyone's advice!

[ccm123]

La Crescenta is close to North Glendale and a great, safe area, but you'll be likely be at the top of your budget. La Canada is also close, but homes there start at 1 million and up.

[Thecitykid88]

Originally Posted by riveredgeparrothead07

My husband may be relocated to Glendale, CA (from NYC) for a job. We have two young boys (5 and 8). I'm looking for close-by, safe neighborhoods with good schools. At some point if the relocation happens, of course we will come out to look at neighborhoods, but I'm trying to have a targeted few in mind.

I hear traffic is really bad (and we know bad traffic) so we would want to be as close to his office as possible. However our focus is really on the kids safety and their education.

Is it possible to have a decent commute from the Santa Clarita area or is that too far?
I also hear that living in the valley is like living near the surface of the sun. Yes?

What areas might someone suggest outside of the valley that is good for young families? Some place where $600,000 would go a long way (ie, 4 bedrooms, updated kitchen, nice yard, etc).

Any suggestions would be great.
Thank you!

Some good neighborhoods around glendale are Eagle Rock, Montrose, Pasadena, La canada 600k will probably not even get you a 2 bedroom...It won't even get you into nearby transitioning neighborhoods like Atwater Village and Highland park.

The valley is a good alternative like Northridge or Granada Hills. Good schools and prices are affordable.

[riveredgeparrothead07]

On average, when traffic is just traffic (and no accidents, etc), how long would you say it would take from Granada Hills or Newhall to get to Glendale during rush hour? Give or take, I know there are many variables.

[BRinSM]

i just checked typical traffic on google maps and it appears that i may have underestimated the traffic between santa clarita/north SFV and glendale. i thought the 210 through the la canada area was an easier drive than it appears to be.

[riveredgeparrothead07]

So, the 5 is better? And did Google maps give you a real-time traffic commute time? Or both are terrible?