Places to live near UCLA

[photogirlla]

Originally Posted by cowcat

Okay, we've decided to accept the UCLA offer. We head out there for several days in June to visit and scope out some neighborhoods.

We are going to concentrate on neighborhoods in Santa Monica and in Westwood. Are there any particular neighborhoods to focus on? Maybe a better way to phrase that is, are there particular neighborhoods we should absolutely avoid?

Using our TJ's proximity method of house hunting, we noticed that there is a TJ's on Pico Blvd and one coming soon on Glendon Ave just south of UCLA. Are these two areas what you would call nice, walkable, family-friendly neighborhoods?

TIA,
CC

Haha TJ's is very important. I live in Westwood in a condo-- it's a great area--rents vary alot try CL or westsiderentals.com to find a place.
The Blue bus rocks if you live on the West side-- there is even one that goes downtown ( I used to for jury duty, it was brilliant). It is much cleaner than the city buses which aren't that bad-- if you know NY , the difference is far less upscale riders, but in Westwood its mostly students. Around UCLA houses are expensive and rentals are filled with students, but it is walkeable and pretty. There is a TJ's south on Westwood/National which I walk to. Very nice neighborhood.
You can also try Palms-- there are some nicer areas and less nice areas, around the TJ's on Sepluveda and Palms. I see alot of people walking with kids around there.
Santa Monica-- you can get houses cheaper south of Pico-- I think its safe, its just less upscale, its near the SM airport. We looked at a house with a pool there a few years ago that was $2500. 1000sq ft house should be easy to find.
Congrats and good luck--UCLA is a GREAT school .

[cowcat]

Thanks for the tips!

So it sounds like that the entire westside area centered where I-10 meets I-405 is fairly homogenous in terms of safety and amenities? Here in Detroit, you can literally see the boundary that separates Detroit from Grosse Pointe - Beirut on one side, utopia on the other.

Also, how kid-friendly are the little neighborhood parks I see dotted on the map? Do they generally have upkept playground equipment or are they just a patches of grass with some benches?

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by cowcat

Okay, we've decided to accept the UCLA offer. We head out there for several days in June to visit and scope out some neighborhoods.

We are going to concentrate on neighborhoods in Santa Monica and in Westwood. Are there any particular neighborhoods to focus on? Maybe a better way to phrase that is, are there particular neighborhoods we should absolutely avoid?

Using our TJ's proximity method of house hunting, we noticed that there is a TJ's on Pico Blvd and one coming soon on Glendon Ave just south of UCLA. Are these two areas what you would call nice, walkable, family-friendly neighborhoods?

TIA,
CC

Oh God, Cowcat, I love you! You are my kind of people! Yes, yes, yes, find a place near TJ's. And no, there aren't really any bad areas in Westwood or Santa Monica. Follow your nose, and you can see which areas are best.

I'm so thrilled for you, attending and/or working at my alma mater UCLA. I almost wish I could be 20 again, and live there and go back to my studies.

You can't go wrong with your plan. Good luck!

[Lovehound]

quote=cowcat;3764966]Also, how kid-friendly are the little neighborhood parks I see dotted on the map? Do they generally have upkept playground equipment or are they just a patches of grass with some benches?[/quote]

No, they're very kid friendly, but you want to keep an eye on your kids, and keep an eye on strangers. It's that way anywhere in the city, SM not excluded. But the parks are very nice, very nice.


(My experience: I worked at 26th and Cloverfield for 2 years.)

[cowcat]

The area sounds absolutely wonderful.

The TJ's method has never led us wrong. We hardly know LA at all, but just looking at the TJ's map, I can see that we probably don't want to live in a large central portion of the metro that stretches from I-110 to the Orange Freeway. There's no TJ's until you hit Chino Hills!

I will be teaching at UCLA. We feel very fortunate - like we won the lottery or something. We've been trying to get back to CA for several years now. Apparently, over 300 people applied for this position. How does one process odds like that? It's absolutely insane. I know many people say CA isn't what it used to be, but things just are different out here in MI. For one, how can the University of MI have a 8 billion dollar endowment but fund students and faculty so poorly? I believe UCLA's endowment isn't even 3 billion, but they seem to treat their community much better. I think it's the CA difference. If it's coming from high taxes levied against the hard-working citizens of CA, I feel bad, but I'll take it!

[GinaJ]

Congrats on the job. I had moved from Mi to Ca. I didn't live in LA but went there for many apts. I am not sure how often you have been there but coming from MI the traffic is a nightmare. I would try to focus on the best place to live closest to your work. Five miles once took me 30 minutes. I know many who have always lived in Ca are used to that but for me it was quite a change. Good luck and I second craigslist or even apartment.com or rent.com

[CaliColls]

I just accepted a job at UCLA and will be moving out there in the beginning of February. I am looking for an SAFE area to live that would be somewhat close to UCLA. I am from Chicago so I know how all cities have bad a good parts - I would want to be in a safe part of LA. I have heard that buses run to UCLA from all over - would that be a safe/good option if I don't live right by UCLA? Any information would be helpful seeing that I don't know much about the area. Thanks in advance!

[BRinSM]

go to www.bigbluebus.com and look at all the lines that run to and from UCLA. Anywhere within walking distance of one of these bus lines will be a reasonable place to live and within a reasonable distance as well. Culver City and the LA MTA also have bus lines that run to UCLA, but I am less familiar with their schedules/maps. Just remember that a 1br apartment in the least expensive area anywhere within 5-10 miles of is going to start at around $1200.

[LASam]

Originally Posted by CaliColls

I just accepted a job at UCLA and will be moving out there in the beginning of February. I am looking for an SAFE area to live that would be somewhat close to UCLA. I am from Chicago so I know how all cities have bad a good parts - I would want to be in a safe part of LA. I have heard that buses run to UCLA from all over - would that be a safe/good option if I don't live right by UCLA? Any information would be helpful seeing that I don't know much about the area. Thanks in advance!

I would recommend looking into the neighborhood west of the 405 centered around Santa Monica Blvd.

[greggd]

This thread needs closure......cowcat?

It would be nice to see the end result of all the questions and inquiries once in a while. I just wonder if they ended up in the westside or are they an addition to the sea of valley-to-ucla commuter crowds.