Retiring in Los Angeles As A 65+ Year Old Widow...Advice? (Long Beach: apartments, to rent)

[LAForMe]

Hello, I am moving to Los Angeles later this year to be closer to my child who is 30 and for a lifestyle change. I have lived on the east coast my entire life and don't have family here anymore so I want to be close to my kid. I am looking to move to the west side of LA. I have a few general questions.

1. Are there any communities for widows or senior groups toward the west side of LA?

2. I am active senior and like to walk. Where are great walking paths or parks on the west side?

3. Any senior living apartments? I am having difficulty locating them online.

4. If you are a senior, what should I expect from this move? What kind of culture shock?

5. What are the safest areas for walking the street? Brentwood, Westwood? Culver City?

Thank you for your help. I am open to any thoughts or advice anyone has.

[Taiko]

I know that across from the Sony studio lot just west of Overland in Culver City there is a community. Culture shock depends upon where you are coming from. Compared to hills of Brentwood and Westwood, Culver City is on average more flat

[Exitus Acta Probat]

Originally Posted by LAForMe

Hello, I am moving to Los Angeles later this year to be closer to my child who is 30 and for a lifestyle change. I have lived on the east coast my entire life and don't have family here anymore so I want to be close to my kid. I am looking to move to the west side of LA. I have a few general questions.

1. Are there any communities for widows or senior groups toward the west side of LA?

2. I am active senior and like to walk. Where are great walking paths or parks on the west side?

3. Any senior living apartments? I am having difficulty locating them online.

4. If you are a senior, what should I expect from this move? What kind of culture shock?

5. What are the safest areas for walking the street? Brentwood, Westwood? Culver City?

Thank you for your help. I am open to any thoughts or advice anyone has.

Anything north of Wilshire makes for good walking. From Brentwood I like to walk down Washington Ave. in Santa Monica, sometimes all the way to the ocean, then back up Idaho or Montana. Nice scenery and it's very safe. Furthermore, you'll see plenty of affable seniors walking as well.

[eureka1]

You'll enjoy LA. It sounds as if you've never spent any time there, I would certainly do that before I made plans to move.

[HB2HSV]

OP,

If you can afford it, Brentwood for sure. Next is Westwood. Then look to just east of Westwood around Beverly Glenn. It's just west of the 20th Century Fox studios and it a nice area. There are a lot of walkable neighborhoods in Brentwood, and the surrounding areas. You will have access of higher end restaurants in Westwood & Beverly Hills.

[LAForMe]

Originally Posted by Exitus Acta Probat

Anything north of Wilshire makes for good walking. From Brentwood I like to walk down Washington Ave. in Santa Monica, sometimes all the way to the ocean, then back up Idaho or Montana. Nice scenery and it's very safe. Furthermore, you'll see plenty of affable seniors walking as well.

I looked on Google Maps and that seems very nice! Thank you.

[cornblitz]

Santa Monica is very walkable. Palisades Park is a gem, and then there is the beach path, and Montana has a nice mix of shops and restaurants.

[Sam Hobbs]

What kind of walking? Here in California you have options that totally do not exist on the East Coast. You can go on some healthy walks more challenging than streets. You will probably live about an hour's drive from the most strenuous hike you have ever been on.

I do not know which West side you are saying. There is the West side where Santa Monica is and then there is the West side of the San Fernando Valley. Some people talk as if the SFV is a different town but the City of Los Angeles extends to the majority of the SFV; all of the SFV except for incorporated cities like Burbank. Over a million City of Los Angeles residents live in the SFV.

For the Santa Monica area you should explore Topanga State Park. And there is a huge National Recreation Area called the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area (SMMNRA); Best Trails in Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area - California | AllTrails is one of many descriptions of that.

For socializing Runyon Canyon is a popular place to walk but since it is popular it is difficult to find parking that does not irritate the residents that live nearby.

Griffith Park is a popular and large park; the park where the Griffith Observatory is at.

You do not provide details of what kind of community you are looking for. Do you want to rent or buy? I will begin to receive Social Security in September so just today I happened to search for retirement communities. They are easy to find using Google. How are you searching? Leisure World Seal Beach is near Long Beach. That is probably too far away for you but you can look at that. This Google search might help, or perhaps this one.

[Ceece]

I've considered moving to be closer to my daughter in LA too, from NorCal, but I wouldn't want to live in LA prime. I've pretty much decided if I do make that move at some point I'm heading an hour south to Laguna Woods, the largest 55+ community in California where I could hopefully make a new life for myself while still being close for lots of back and forth visits. It seems to have everything you're looking for.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by Sam Hobbs

I do not know which West side you are saying. There is the West side where Santa Monica is and then there is the West side of the San Fernando Valley. Some people talk as if the SFV is a different town but the City of Los Angeles extends to the majority of the SFV;.

When people post on the L.A. subforum and refer to the West side, they mean West L.A., Santa Monica, Mar Vista, Venice, Brentwood, etc.

To the OP, where does your son or daughter live? Wouldn't h/she have some advice?