Professional couple moving from NYC Neighborhood Guidance (Long Beach, Santa Ana: low crime, neighborhoods)

[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

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by nycdweller1234

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.

You may, or may not, wish to live in OC for other reasons, but Mission Viejo is located in South Orange County, and there certainly are plenty of healthcare jobs here, as well as in nearby Irvine.

Also, Irvine is not in the SFV.

[vincenze]

Rowland Heights.

It fits your requirements:
45 minutes to LAX.
45 minutes to Irvine.
Chinese restaurants.
Heights mean hiking.

For the "city feel", you can live in Downtown LA: Koreatown, etc.
---
Of course, it's all meaningless.
If you settle in Rowland Heights and your work is in Irvine, you'll experience 2-hour commutes each way during rush hours.
You'll quickly forget about biking, hiking, and beaches.

[ccm123]

Pasadena may fit your needs, although commuting to OC (if work should bring you there) would be a stretch.

Pasadena is diverse, has things to do, parts have a city feel (not like NYC though!), close to Asian food “mecca” (SGV) and there’s access to the Gold Line Metro Rail to get to LAX.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by nycdweller1234

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).

What about Seal Beach?

[nycdweller1234]

Originally Posted by vincenze

Rowland Heights.

It fits your requirements:
45 minutes to LAX.
45 minutes to Irvine.
Chinese restaurants.
Heights mean hiking.

For the "city feel", you can live in Downtown LA: Koreatown, etc.
---
Of course, it's all meaningless.
If you settle in Rowland Heights and your work is in Irvine, you'll experience 2-hour commutes each way during rush hours.
You'll quickly forget about biking, hiking, and beaches.

Thanks will look into it. Wouldn't I be going against traffic though?

[nycdweller1234]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

What about Seal Beach?

I briefly looked it up. Not sure I want to live in an area where 1/2 the area is a national wildlife refuge. Thanks for the suggestion though!

[ElDiabloJoe]

Originally Posted by vincenze

Rowland Heights.

It fits your requirements:
45 minutes to LAX.
45 minutes to Irvine.
Chinese restaurants.
Heights mean hiking.

For the "city feel", you can live in Downtown LA: Koreatown, etc.
---
Of course, it's all meaningless.
If you settle in Rowland Heights and your work is in Irvine, you'll experience 2-hour commutes each way during rush hours.
You'll quickly forget about biking, hiking, and beaches.

Bwahaha Hah Hahahahahaha. Breath. Bwahhhhhh hah hahahahahaha!

At 2am, during Covid, if the Santa Ana's are blowing, and the freeways were recently replaved into velvety-smooth goodness. In a V-8. Floored.

[matzoman]

Don't expect anything to be like Queens out there. They don't call it 'Carifornia' for nothing. Not many parts of Socal that people can walk everywhere like in Astoria Queens or Flushing. You will miss the freedom and diversity of NYC.

[LA_Woman]

I think you're on the right track looking at the South Bay... Torrance, Redondo, Hermosa, Manhattan Beach. Only 15 minutes from LAX, lot of great Asian restaurants in Torrance, not as far from OC as Pasadena and other areas mentioned. Low crime.