Is commute from Sherman Oaks to West. L.A. doable? (Santa Monica: neighborhood, elementary schools)

[chipshot9999]

Hi, new to this forum and need advice.

I'm in my early 30's and moving from upstate NY to LA area with my girlfriend and her 2 year old daughter. My job is in West L.A., but we'd like to look for a "suburban" type area with a "neighborhoody" feel, where we can walk our 2 year old around in a stroller.

My top choice is Sherman Oaks, but I'm concerned about the traffic during rush hour. Does anyone know how long the commute is, and what the commute is like (i.e. bumper to bumper, etc)?

Can anyone suggest other areas closer to west L.A. with a "suburban feeling" similar to Sherman Oaks? I've heard Brentwood is nice also.

Thanks

[CESpeed]

Brentwood or Westwood would be good choices and you don't have to worry about commute times. You may want to check out Santa Monica. The commute will not be fun because almost everyone who lives in the Valley works in West LA or Downtown. Since you are new, it might be a good idea to do a search aboutthe areas you are considering. There are lots of posts about your question.

[amc760]

the consensus seems to be that it'll take at least an hour going from anywhere to west la in rush hours.

[katenik]

brentwood is a great choice, if it is within your budget. if not, look for a quiet little neighborhood in culver city. it's not nearly as chi-chi, but there are plenty of young families there, who probably would like to live in brentwood, too, if only they could afford it. downtown culver city is one of the few areas of "LA" (it's actually a separate municipality.) that has been revitalized in a meaningful way in recent years. and if you plan to stick around long enough to care, some of the elementary schools there are good.