Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach could be good options that cover most of the things you're looking for. And I'd pick these areas over nearby Torrance.
If you don't have a family yet, I would forget about the 626 area, with the exception of Pasadena, which has most of what you're looking for other than being further away from the beach. Pasadena strikes a good balance as a suburban community with more of a city feel. Plenty of amenities/shopping in Old Town Pasadena and restaurants (including close proximity to a lot of great Chinese food in the SGV), but also quiet pockets with tree-lined streets where you can go for a nice walk and enjoy some quiet.
As far as OC, it is less dense compared to LA County. If you look into OC, I'd consider Huntington Beach or Newport Beach. They are definitely more in the vein of Hermosa and Redondo in terms of a more chill vibe, but they are just larger cities with some bigger shopping centers and more commercial office space. Nearby Irvine is the main job hub in OC, so if you both find good jobs there, I would strongly consider Huntington or Newport. For younger folks without kids, these areas are arguably the best spots to be in if you're looking to live in OC.
Hermosa Beach and Redondo Beach could be good options that cover most of the things you're looking for. And I'd pick these areas over nearby Torrance.
If you don't have a family yet, I would forget about the 626 area, with the exception of Pasadena, which has most of what you're looking for other than being further away from the beach. Pasadena strikes a good balance as a suburban community with more of a city feel. Plenty of amenities/shopping in Old Town Pasadena and restaurants (including close proximity to a lot of great Chinese food in the SGV), but also quiet pockets with tree-lined streets where you can go for a nice walk and enjoy some quiet.
As far as OC, it is less dense compared to LA County. If you look into OC, I'd consider Huntington Beach or Newport Beach. They are definitely more in the vein of Hermosa and Redondo in terms of a more chill vibe, but they are just larger cities with some bigger shopping centers and more commercial office space. Nearby Irvine is the main job hub in OC, so if you both find good jobs there, I would strongly consider Huntington or Newport. For younger folks without kids, these areas are arguably the best spots to be in if you're looking to live in OC.
Thank you for your thorough insight! Any thoughts on the gateway cities like artesia, cerritos, la Miranda, Lakewood, signal Hill and the OC counties close to LA county like cypress and fountain valley? Or are all these areas more so just quiet residential areas? I think cerritos looks to be the most busy out of the ones I listed above.
I'm not going to criticize any area ("different strokes" and all that...) but the more I know LA and the OC, the more I know my likes and dislikes keep bringing me back to one area and that's the west side.
Even within that, the perameters have shrunk to the point of these two locations:
North of Montana but between 4th St. and 19th St. Walkability and all the shops along Montana make this the ideal location for NYC transplants.
The other is Santa Monica, downtown between Ocean Dr and 4th St and Arizona to Marguerita.
North of Montana is perfect for a young family. Downtown only until grade school.
And of course, rent for a year before you even think of buying. Go on to Trulia.com and see what you'll get for your money. Sounds exciting! Good luck!
Location: Midwesterner living in California (previously East Coast)
299 posts, read 395,023 times
Reputation: 595
Quote:
Originally Posted by nycdweller1234
Hey everyone,
My girlfriend and are will be moving to the LA/OC area in the next year or two from Queens, NYC. We are in our early 30s, professionals (healthcare). I'm looking for some guidance regarding which neighborhood I should do some more research on. I've already done some research but I think the best info comes from people who have actually lived in those areas or its surrounding areas. As of now, we don't know where we will be working but that will be of course a major deciding factor regarding where we will live but I don't think it hurts to be researching into potential neighborhoods.
Essential requirements
1) Accessible to other areas of LA/OC by car. We don't want to be living in north San Fernando Valley or Mission Viejo which would limit job opportunities due to an extended commute time. Also we have family in Irvine/SGV so it would be nice to visit those areas here and there.
2) Within 45 mins - 1 hour of LAX. We like to travel internationally and have family outside the country that we would like to visit. We also want to make it easier for them to visit us.
3) Safe - no explanation needed.
4) Within our budget, we will likely make a combined income of around 200k, looking for 1BD rents around 1500-3000 a month (of course lower the better).
Ideal requirements
1) Diverse cuisine with an emphasis on Asian food - ideal area would be in or close to an area with Asian culture/food as we are both Asians but diversity would be nice too.
2) Not a "boring" neighborhood. Ideally we would like to live in an area with things to do like shopping/outdoor activities (hiking, beach, biking). Basically not looking for a retirement neighborhood.
3) Having a "city" feel. This is probably unrealistic coming from NYC but the better "city-like" feel the area has, the better.
Things we do not particularly care about
1) Bars and clubs. Neither of use are into these activities and I think its actually worse to have these around for us.
2) Space. We are used to small spaces. Currently we are living in a 1 bedroom 600 sq ft apt, so we are used to it. Of course a larger apt/more space would be nice.
3) Good schools, no kids currently, will not be important for maybe 10 years.
So far my research has lead me to these areas (no particular order)
LA County:
1) Torrance
2) Pasadena
3) Long Beach:was high on my list due to "city-like" vibes but seems like crime is higher than other interested areas (guess that should be expected for a "city-like" area).
4) Hermosa Beach
5) Redondo Beach
6) 626 area: this would probably the easiest area to settle in but concerned that it might be "too Asian" and lack the diversity I'm used to in Queens, NY. Also perhaps a bit far from the beach?
OC: haven't really looked too much into OC yet but my general take away is that it is a much calmer LA county
1) Huntington beach
Hello!
I would skip on Redondo and Hermosa. They're nice areas, but are not particularly diverse (at least by LA standards). Torrance is diverse, with a lot of Asian culture, but can feel sleepy. Long Beach is fine, as long as you stay within 0.5 miles of the ocean. OC is technically in the same metro area, but feels like another world. Lots of Asian culture down there too, but the urban/city vibe is noticeably lacking. You get it in tiny bubbles (Newport, HB, etc), but it pales in comparison to NYC or LA proper for that matter.
I think you should start off closer to the city. After a year, you can decide if further out communities are actually more your speed and potentially relocate there. My recommendations in order of what makes the most sense (based on your original post):
#1 Sawtelle (occasionally called "Little Osaka"):
This is located on the Westside of LA.
It is diverse: 48% White. 20% Asian. 22% Hispanic
A lot of young professionals choose to live in Sawtelle. Housing options are primarily small/mid-sized apartment and condo buildings. It's going to be a bit more on the pricey side (2600+ for a 1 bedroom).
There is a neighborhood park. It's not a big one, but it's sufficient size to have a dog run, community pool, picnic areas, and open grassy area for leisure.
Access to LAX from there is about 20 - 25 minutes one way (can be as much as 45 minutes in the middle of rush hour traffic during non-COVID times).
There's also a street called Sawtelle Blvd. It's three blocks of pan-Asian boba cafes, restaurants, and stores. That area is walking/biking/e-scooter distance to some other great urban neighborhoods like Brentwood, Westwood, and Santa Monica. You would be within a 20-minute bike ride to the beach.
It's reasonably safe.
#2 Pasadena
Pasadena is a great place (specifically referring to Old Pasadena area and immediately south of it). It's diverse, has metro train stations, and is very close driving distance to all the pan-Asian culture of the San Gabriel Valley. Also Pasadena is very close driving distance to excellent mountain hiking. Area is reasonably safe. Rents in the heart of Pasadena are not as expensive as Sawtelle, but certainly not "affordable"
The downsides are the distance to LAX and the summertime air quality/heat (compared with the cleaner air and mild temperatures of the communities closer to the ocean).
#3 Koreatown (Ktown):
Obviously, one of LA's most well-known neighborhoods for Asian culture.
It's not as balanced diversity as Sawtelle. Numbers are 51% Hispanic. 33% Asian. 7% White. 5% Black
It's smack dab in the middle of the city. Aestheically speaking, parts of Ktown don't have great curb appeal. I'm talking strip malls, multi-lane roads, and concrete in the commercial parts of it. This is also a VERY densely populated neighborhood. Street parking can be a real pain. Only look at apartments with designated parking garages.
Apartment rental prices here are noticeably more affordable. You would be able to find a 1 bed or 2 bed very easily within your budget. Make sure the apartment is actually in Ktown and not in some less desirable adjacent neighborhood (Macarthur Park or Pico Union for example).
Distance to the LAX should work for you, though it's not as close as Sawtelle.
Not as safe as Sawtelle and Pasadena, but certainly not a dangerous neighborhood either.
#4 Downtown LA (DTLA):
Very diverse: White 28%. Hispanic 23%. Black 22%. Asian 21%
It's walkable, bikeable, with very strong metro train connections if you need it.
Not as affordable as Ktown, and can get really pricey if you're in one of the lux highrise buildings. But the apartment buildings often have more amenities and views.
Financial District/South Park area is the nicest section. That's the stuff around LA Live and Staples Center. Bunker Hill up by the Broad Museum is also nice. Basically, you want to live west of S. Olive Street.
Arts District and Little Tokyo are AWESOME. If you live in DTLA, you'll spend a lot of time hanging out in those spots. Just a bunch of super cool restaurants and bars in that area.
DTLA is overall the least "safe" of the options I listed. Parts of it are great. Other parts of it borderline "edgy-cool" and some parts of it are just straight up homeless central. If you have a low tolerance level for places that are not squeeaky clean or 100% pristine, you shouldn't do DTLA.
Thank you for your thorough insight! Any thoughts on the gateway cities like artesia, cerritos, la Miranda, Lakewood, signal Hill and the OC counties close to LA county like cypress and fountain valley? Or are all these areas more so just quiet residential areas? I think cerritos looks to be the most busy out of the ones I listed above.
Forget all these cities. They are sleepy, fairly boring residential areas.
Forget all these cities. They are sleepy, fairly boring residential areas.
It's all really just suburbia. Many NY's that have never lived out there think it might be a little like Miami. It's not. Most people in Socal eat dinner at 5pm and are in bed online at 9:30. The burgers and sunsets are nice though.
Thank you for your thorough insight! Any thoughts on the gateway cities like artesia, cerritos, la Miranda, Lakewood, signal Hill and the OC counties close to LA county like cypress and fountain valley? Or are all these areas more so just quiet residential areas? I think cerritos looks to be the most busy out of the ones I listed above.
Check out Belmont Shore in Long Beach. This is a pleasant walkable neighborhood close to the ocean. This location is also a short drive to lots of ethnic cuisine. There is the huge Little Saigon in Westminster,the Korean neighborhood in Garden Grove,some authentic Chinese cuisine in Westminster plus more in Cerritos,Little India on Pioneer Blvd. in Artesia and the Little Cambodia on Anaheim St. in Long Beach.
I'm a Queens native and lived there into my 30s. We love it in the South Bay beach cities (Manhattan, Hermosa, Redondo), but expecting it to be anything like NYC is setting yourself up for disappointment. Just a word of advice: accept it for what it is (lots of good things like proximity to the beach, great weather, good schools, lots of nearby restaurants and shopping, etc ) and try to keep comparisons to a minimum.
I would skip on Redondo and Hermosa. They're nice areas, but are not particularly diverse (at least by LA standards). Torrance is diverse, with a lot of Asian culture, but can feel sleepy. Long Beach is fine, as long as you stay within 0.5 miles of the ocean. OC is technically in the same metro area, but feels like another world. Lots of Asian culture down there too, but the urban/city vibe is noticeably lacking. You get it in tiny bubbles (Newport, HB, etc), but it pales in comparison to NYC or LA proper for that matter.
I think you should start off closer to the city. After a year, you can decide if further out communities are actually more your speed and potentially relocate there. My recommendations in order of what makes the most sense (based on your original post):
#1 Sawtelle (occasionally called "Little Osaka"):
This is located on the Westside of LA.
It is diverse: 48% White. 20% Asian. 22% Hispanic
A lot of young professionals choose to live in Sawtelle. Housing options are primarily small/mid-sized apartment and condo buildings. It's going to be a bit more on the pricey side (2600+ for a 1 bedroom).
There is a neighborhood park. It's not a big one, but it's sufficient size to have a dog run, community pool, picnic areas, and open grassy area for leisure.
Access to LAX from there is about 20 - 25 minutes one way (can be as much as 45 minutes in the middle of rush hour traffic during non-COVID times).
There's also a street called Sawtelle Blvd. It's three blocks of pan-Asian boba cafes, restaurants, and stores. That area is walking/biking/e-scooter distance to some other great urban neighborhoods like Brentwood, Westwood, and Santa Monica. You would be within a 20-minute bike ride to the beach.
It's reasonably safe.
#2 Pasadena
Pasadena is a great place (specifically referring to Old Pasadena area and immediately south of it). It's diverse, has metro train stations, and is very close driving distance to all the pan-Asian culture of the San Gabriel Valley. Also Pasadena is very close driving distance to excellent mountain hiking. Area is reasonably safe. Rents in the heart of Pasadena are not as expensive as Sawtelle, but certainly not "affordable"
The downsides are the distance to LAX and the summertime air quality/heat (compared with the cleaner air and mild temperatures of the communities closer to the ocean).
#3 Koreatown (Ktown):
Obviously, one of LA's most well-known neighborhoods for Asian culture.
It's not as balanced diversity as Sawtelle. Numbers are 51% Hispanic. 33% Asian. 7% White. 5% Black
It's smack dab in the middle of the city. Aestheically speaking, parts of Ktown don't have great curb appeal. I'm talking strip malls, multi-lane roads, and concrete in the commercial parts of it. This is also a VERY densely populated neighborhood. Street parking can be a real pain. Only look at apartments with designated parking garages.
Apartment rental prices here are noticeably more affordable. You would be able to find a 1 bed or 2 bed very easily within your budget. Make sure the apartment is actually in Ktown and not in some less desirable adjacent neighborhood (Macarthur Park or Pico Union for example).
Distance to the LAX should work for you, though it's not as close as Sawtelle.
Not as safe as Sawtelle and Pasadena, but certainly not a dangerous neighborhood either.
#4 Downtown LA (DTLA):
Very diverse: White 28%. Hispanic 23%. Black 22%. Asian 21%
It's walkable, bikeable, with very strong metro train connections if you need it.
Not as affordable as Ktown, and can get really pricey if you're in one of the lux highrise buildings. But the apartment buildings often have more amenities and views.
Financial District/South Park area is the nicest section. That's the stuff around LA Live and Staples Center. Bunker Hill up by the Broad Museum is also nice. Basically, you want to live west of S. Olive Street.
Arts District and Little Tokyo are AWESOME. If you live in DTLA, you'll spend a lot of time hanging out in those spots. Just a bunch of super cool restaurants and bars in that area.
DTLA is overall the least "safe" of the options I listed. Parts of it are great. Other parts of it borderline "edgy-cool" and some parts of it are just straight up homeless central. If you have a low tolerance level for places that are not squeeaky clean or 100% pristine, you shouldn't do DTLA.
Thanks for your input on those areas! Definitely appreciate the thoroughness. Yeah I think downtown LA and the west side is the closest I will get to NYC but I'm worried about the traffic. I know traffic/parking is bad in LA but I heard it's even worse in the downtown area. Since we are making the move, I think we might as well get used to the car life. Also most importantly my gf is a bit against the downtown area. I'll look into Pasadena further, thanks!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
