Live in LA-Area work in Santa Barabara (Los Angeles, Burbank: taxis, to live in)

[pathrunner]

Traffic-LESSER. But not by much. That would 4 a.m.

[1200RT]

I think you're still missing the point.

There is only 1 highway from LA to SB (101). North of Ventura, if there is congestion, the drive will be unpredictable. Its not about rush hour, its about lack of options between the two destinations. There is no alternative route due to the santa ynez mountain range. Unlike most commutes where you can take an alternate, that will not exist for this drive.

Trust me - I spent years driving between my house in LA to my parents in SB...

[bigjoefatz]

The reliability and predictablity (or lack thereof) is acknowledged.

[highlanderfil]

Originally Posted by bigjoefatz

Me Too! Another q: During the summer months, does the commute time get better with school being out / folks on vacation (reverse commuting from LA to SB in the am, SB to LA in the evening)? Or is the difference negligible/none/worse?

You'll see a difference, but you're really differentiating between greater and lesser piles of crap.

Originally Posted by bigjoefatz

What time is rush hour typically? Does leaving at 5am usually give you a traffic-less commute?

Leaving at 3 a.m. is even better. Not sure why you'd want to, though - and you'll still be stuck in traffic on the way back.

Why are you so hell-bent on living in L.A. despite clear evidence that you shouldn't?

[bigjoefatz]

Originally Posted by highlanderfil

You'll see a difference, but you're really differentiating between greater and lesser piles of crap.Leaving at 3 a.m. is even better. Not sure why you'd want to, though - and you'll still be stuck in traffic on the way back.

Why are you so hell-bent on living in L.A. despite clear evidence that you shouldn't?

I'm not hell-bent on living in L.A. I am hell-bent in trying to understand how bad it is to live in L.A while commuting to SB.

I would also appreciate some additional thoughts surrounding the original question I posed (no matter how foolish people think the commute actually is).

Given that I am uprooting for a job, if living in the LA-area ends up giving my family the most comfortable living arrangement, and the consequence is that I have a 2 hour commute each way, then so be it. That's all.

[westminster88]

Originally Posted by bigjoefatz

1. Daily Driving commute from LA to SB within 1.5 hours (and ideally 1 hr 15mins)
2. Easy public transportation access into Downtown LA (ideally the Metro, but Bus is fine too)
3. Walkable neighborhood with stores
4. Price is not a factor (of course it actually is a factor, but I want to hear recommendations without that key input and just on the above 3 points)

Based on preliminary research it seems that Sherman Oaks, Studio City and Westwood/UCLA area are contenders. What about WeHo (maybe?), Santa Monica (probably not). Anything else I should look into?

.

^^^ your original criteria

Originally Posted by bigjoefatz

Given that I am uprooting for a job, if living in the LA-area ends up giving my family the most comfortable living arrangement, and the consequence is that I have a 2 hour commute each way, then so be it. That's all.

^^^ modified criteria, but OK.

Let's start with Westwood/UCLA. Dicey public transpo to DTLA, but only 'grading on the curve,' and depends on your definition of easy.

Not 1.5 hrs to SB. Before you try to suggest you'd be on a reverse-commute on the 405, know that that term doesn't hold much water here.

WeHo marginally better to get to DTLA, much worse to get to SB.

Then the SO/SC pair. Mediocre bus/train access to DTLA. Marginally better to SB. Not 1.5 hrs with any consistency.

Why the need for public transpo to DTLA? If that went away there are family-friendly options that might bring you within the margins of your desires.

[pathrunner]

Is there some reason why Los Angeles is "more comfortable" than Santa Barbara?? I just don't get this line of thinking. Santa Barbara is a bucolic area compared to Los Angeles. If I had a family with small children I would definitely want to live in Santa Barbara over Los Angeles.

I think you want that alone time in the car.

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by bigjoefatz

I'm not hell-bent on living in L.A. I am hell-bent in trying to understand how bad it is to live in L.A while commuting to SB.

I would also appreciate some additional thoughts surrounding the original question I posed (no matter how foolish people think the commute actually is).

Given that I am uprooting for a job, if living in the LA-area ends up giving my family the most comfortable living arrangement, and the consequence is that I have a 2 hour commute each way, then so be it. That's all.

The reason you're getting as many confused replies are you are - Santa Barbara and its surrounding areas is (by most) considered a vastly nicer area to live than LA. Many people move and retire to SB after living in LA. Surrounding communities (montecito, carpinteria and even SB proper) are home to some of the wealthiest people in the nation. One of the most expensive properties ever listed in the US is in Carp. Many might not admit it, however given the opportunity, most in this forum would likely choose to live in SB vs. LA any day (myself included).

[vincenze]

People who live this way in LA rent small rooms near jobs where they spend most workday nights. When a Friday night comes, they are gone.

[bigjoefatz]

Don't necessarily need DTLA, I just figure that my wife is likely to get a job in DTLA. Truth is, who knows. She may get a job in Ventura in which case this conversation becomes very pro-SB/Ventura county favorable.

Why not live in SB -> not saying I won't, but seems a bit on the quiet side. All things being equal, I want to be surrounded by noise. I am not ready to retire.

Small room in SB for Mon-Thur and then LA Fri-Sun --> yeah thought about that, not ideal for me, but I get it.

Does the commute get any better (or more consistent) from say Burbank?