Moving from East Bay to LA - need housing advice (San Francisco: fit in, apartment)

[ldybg]

I'm relocating to LA from the East Bay/San Francisco area. My budget is $2500-$2700/month for a one bedroom in the city. If I move further out to the suburbs I would like a two bedroom since my money should go farther. My office may or may not be located downtown. They haven't told me for sure yet. I don't really care about the commute. I Uber and take the subway everywhere. Safety and convenience once I get home are my priority. Where are fairly safe neighborhoods with a grocery store, Target, etc. near by? Does that even exist in LA? I'm moving without a car so initially I need things to be pretty close until I can afford to buy one. I don't really hang out at bars so I'm not looking for night life. I just want a safe and clean building. LA is huge and I don't know where to start. Thanks for your help.

[Cloudwalker]

I'd look on the westside, somewhere around Santa Monica, Mar Vista, Culver City, West LA. With your budget, you can definitely get a 1 bedroom, and you can probably get a reasonable 2 bedroom in some of those places. Generally fairly clean and safe, close to the Expo line, buses and freeways. Some pockets are better served than others in terms of grocery stores, etc, but in most of those areas you should be able to find something within walking distance to a Ralphs, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, etc. Culver City may give you the best overall combination of what you are looking for.


You should care about the commute, because it can mean the difference between enjoying what LA has to offer and enduring it. Look for something within walking distance of the Expo line, which starts in Santa Monica and takes you through Culver City to downtown.


I'd stay away from Downtown LA and Venice. You can be safe in those places, but there are definitely issues.

[jacktravern]

Just out of curiosity, how can you afford $2700 a month rent but not a car?

[Ceece]

You SHOULD care about the commute. Even an Uber is going to have to deal with traffic, they don't fly.
But so many threads start out that way...I guess it makes it more fun or something.

[socal88]

If you aren't really into nightlife and don't necessarily care to be by the ocean, I'd look into the Valley or adjacent suburbs. On the west side especially, you pay a premium for ocean proximity and nightlife/other amenities, so if you don't care about those things, you'd just be throwing money away to live in a small, older place that's super expensive.

Glendale is a good option because in and around downtown, you have grocery stores, good eats, a nice shopping center, and places likes Target and Costco all within close distance. Plus, it's a safe city and close to downtown LA and other happening areas. Plus, there has been a lot of new apartment construction in the last several years.

Pasadena and Burbank could also be good options where there are still things to do, but your dollar will stretch a little longer for housing compared to some core areas of LA. And if you end up working in downtown LA, the commute isn't too bad.

In the Valley, Sherman Oaks and Studio City are other potential options. Plus, if you work downtown, you can take the red line metro from North Hollywood or Studio City.

My advice is to first see where you're going to work and then decide on the neighborhood. Not sure if you're thinking of taking Uber to work, but if you end up having to commute at least 45 minutes each way and travel at least 10 miles, you're going to be spending at least $40/day on getting to and from work. Nevertheless, there are various metro and bus options, which are relatively inexpensive.

[vanilla ice]

A one bedroom what? That is a pretty decent budget to work with. Its nuts here, but not that nuts.

[Angelino19]

Originally Posted by ldybg

I'm relocating to LA from the East Bay/San Francisco area. My budget is $2500-$2700/month for a one bedroom in the city. If I move further out to the suburbs I would like a two bedroom since my money should go farther. My office may or may not be located downtown. They haven't told me for sure yet. I don't really care about the commute. I Uber and take the subway everywhere. Safety and convenience once I get home are my priority. Where are fairly safe neighborhoods with a grocery store, Target, etc. near by? Does that even exist in LA? I'm moving without a car so initially I need things to be pretty close until I can afford to buy one. I don't really hang out at bars so I'm not looking for night life. I just want a safe and clean building. LA is huge and I don't know where to start. Thanks for your help.

You ask " Where are fairly safe neighborhoods with a grocery store, Target, etc. near by? Does that even exist in LA?" Such a ridiculous and uninformed comment.

[ccm123]

I'm a Bay Area native who's lived previously in Southern California for 20 years. One of the cities I lived in that I would recommend is South Pasadena. Safe, centrally located and it has a Gold Line (light rail) stop. Shopping & restaurants are in town. The city has a quaint, small town atmosphere and is commutable to Downtown.
The rents should fit into your budget. The nicest side is the east side towards San Marino, although there are no bad areas of town.

[Angelino19]

Originally Posted by ccm123

I'm a Bay Area native who's lived previously in Southern California for 20 years. One of the cities I lived in that I would recommend is South Pasadena. Safe, centrally located and it has a Gold Line (light rail) stop. Shopping & restaurants are in town. The city has a quaint, small town atmosphere and is commutable to Downtown.
The rents should fit into your budget. The nicest side is the east side towards San Marino, although there are no bad areas of town.

South Pasadena is a gem and so close to DTLA and Dodger Stadium.

[ldybg]

Originally Posted by jacktravern

Just out of curiosity, how can you afford $2700 a month rent but not a car?

Because car notes and insurance cost money. If I buy a car I'm looking at another $500-$600 in expenses. I'm not rich.