Possible Job in Santa Monica, Where to Live with Wife and 1 Child? (Los Angeles: condo, daycare)

[echoParkDate]

Originally Posted by Cloudwalker

One of, and probably the main, reason that Santa Monica is more expensive than it's immediate neighbors such as Venice and Mar Vista, which offer the same types of amenities, is the school district. The average price per square foot in Mar Vista is $712, in Venice it's $821, and in Santa Monica it's $1096. There is an immediate and significant price difference literally as soon as you cross the street out of the school district. That difference in price is the premium for living in SMMUSD.

And by the way, it may surprise you but married people with kids frequently do find the time and the money to surf, hike, do yoga, and yep, even occasionally party and go to clubs.

SM rental prices are not high because of the school district, very few renters have kids, so the quality of the schools is irrelevant. Most SFR homeowners in SM send their kids to private school anyway, especially once they are in middle/high school.

Yes SMMUSD is good (compared to LA), but really that's not why it costs a lot to live there.

SMMUSD's enrollment has been declining for years as the area gets more affluent and fewer parents send their kids to public school.

And some young parents on the westside do indeed do all sorts of fun things. But realistically, a young family living on $150k a year and saving up for a down payment in SM is going to have a very modest lifestyle, lots of Netflix and frozen pizza. An evening out means $100 for a babysitter, how often would you be doing that on their budget?

[Taiko]

Originally Posted by GlaiveGuy

40 minutes each way is about my maximum. I've been doing 70-80 minutes each way for over a year where I am and it is driving me insane to both be in my car so long and also see so little of my son.


Thanks again!

GG

The problem is depending upon where in Santa Monica you will be working the bulk of that 40 minute window will be just clearing the immediate area

[varanj_16]

Originally Posted by echoParkDate

Again, it comes down to WHY you are making the move.

If you are in your 20s, like to party, go to clubs, surf, hike, yoga, etc., then paying the high costs of living in SM might make sense. For a married couple with a kid, to me it seems like wasted money. You aren't going to have the time or money to do the things that make living in SM worthwhile. So why live in a shoebox?

EXACTLY or if you are like me with a wife but still like to enjoy life..then SM is good.

[CA4Now]

^^ I agree. Having lived in both Venice and West L.A. (although a long time ago), Santa Monica has it hands down over Venice, Mar Vista, and some of the other cities in that area.

And the mention of the "same type of amenities" being a qualifying factor for choosing one city over another is just not accurate.

[karenburge]

My daughter lives in Mar Vista where the school is excellent. They are just 15 minted from the beach and near Santa Monica. I'm not sure what rent they pay but they found an old place which is cheaper than most in that area. So yes, Culver City/Mar Vista/West LA is a good area for families and if you search around ou can probably find something to match your needs and salary for now. Good luck.

[GlaiveGuy]

I’ve seen some nice listings for apartments and condos in SM/WestLA/Culver City.

I’m also considering going further north to Sherman Oaks where we might have a better chance at renting/buying a single family house. Looking at commute times this morning it’d be about 35-40 minutes drive into SM where I’d be working which I’m fine with me (though I’ll keep checking each morning and evening this week to verify).

How is Sherman oaks as a place to live?

[echoParkDate]

No way you are getting from Sherman Oaks to SM at rush hour in 35-40 mins. More like 1:15.

In so cal, commute distances are irrelevant. What matters is traffic. You can have a 10 mile commute that takes 2 hours.

Traffic into SM in the mornings and out in the evenings is brutal. Unless you live in Santa Monica or very close by, you are going to be spending a lot of time in the car.

[GlaiveGuy]

The times I quoted were from Google maps with Traffic factored in, but I concede its only a single data point. I'll keep an eye on it each morning and evening through the week.

[jw2]

Originally Posted by echoParkDate

No way you are getting from Sherman Oaks to SM at rush hour in 35-40 mins. More like 1:15.

In so cal, commute distances are irrelevant. What matters is traffic. You can have a 10 mile commute that takes 2 hours.

Traffic into SM in the mornings and out in the evenings is brutal. Unless you live in Santa Monica or very close by, you are going to be spending a lot of time in the car.

I don't live in the traffic parts of SoCal but I am curious. Where is the 10 mile commute that can take 2 hours? I can walk that in 2 hours

[Taiko]

Originally Posted by jw2

I don't live in the traffic parts of SoCal but I am curious. Where is the 10 mile commute that can take 2 hours? I can walk that in 2 hours

Just about anywhere on the Westside the first five miles to clear the business areas can cost an hour if one car breaks down.