Likely moving to LA/OC, Need Your Advice, Jobs in Orange and Torrance, Where should we live? (Long Beach: 2014)

[Blitz2014]

***Sorry Mods for Double/Cross-Over Post, but I figured it would be appropriate for both OC and LA forums, Hope that is ok****

Hey all

So I've been on these forums for a few years, but it looks like this year, finally going to take plunge, and leave NYC/east coast for SoCal!!

I have a few job offers, but the one I am zoning in on is in Torrance.

My wife has a potential job offer in Orange, Orange County. Interviews were last week, and they went really well.

So now we are trying to figure out, where should we live, with my job potentially being in Torrance, and hers in Orange?

Our profile

- Mid 30s, no kids
- Hoping to start a family when moving to SoCal later this year
- Would like to either live in a 3 bedroom condo or house, rent for the first 2 years
- Would like to live in a very liberal area
- Would like to live in a cosmopolitan area, diverse
- Somewhat suburbia, but not too suburbia either (my NYC analogy is we would like to live somewhere like Park Slope/Jersey City, or even a bit more suburbia like Astoria/Bay Ridge)
- We would still like to enjoy some "trendy" bars/restaurants, even with starting a family
- Live in an area who are in their mid to late 30s, with young babies/children
- Our income will be around 600k/year
- I'm not sure what a 3 bedroom rent will be, but I guess our budget is around 6k/month? but can go up if needed, to 7 or 8k.
- We will have 2 cars as well

Open to ideas and suggestions, thanks!!

[JohnG72]

You can’t have all that as your commute will be the overriding factor.

I think your best bet will be Long Beach.

Bixby Knolls will make for the easiest commutes.

Belmont Shores is probably closest towards meeting your needs other than commute.

Downtown Long Beach/Bluff Heights might be worth looking at.

Both Torrance/South Bay and Orange are moderate areas with strong streaks of conservatism (ie Purple leaning red). And one of you will be left with and hour plus commute.

[Blitz2014]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

You can’t have all that as your commute will be the overriding factor.

I think your best bet will be Long Beach.

Bixby Knolls will make for the easiest commutes.

Belmont Shores is probably closest towards meeting your needs other than commute.

Downtown Long Beach/Bluff Heights might be worth looking at.

Both Torrance/South Bay and Orange are moderate areas with strong streaks of conservatism (ie Purple leaning red). And one of you will be left with and hour plus commute.

Thanks,

Yep, did some reading on LB neighborhoods:

https://www.uphomes.com/blog/best-ne...-beach-ca.html

I'm just a bit concerned about my wife's commute (LB/Belmont/Bixby to Orange), so may have to look for something in OC.

But LB, apart from wife's commute, looks great.

[JohnG72]

Originally Posted by Blitz2014

Thanks,

Yep, did some reading on LB neighborhoods:

https://www.uphomes.com/blog/best-ne...-beach-ca.html

I'm just a bit concerned about my wife's commute (LB/Belmont/Bixby to Orange), so may have to look for something in OC.

But LB, apart from wife's commute, looks great.

It’s 700 AM

Commute from Belmont Shores to Orange via 405 and the 22 currently shows as a 30 minute drive. It’s 19 miles and in general it’s a reverse commute. If the 405 is jammed, streets to the 22 is a reasonable option.

The issue with living at any of the midpoint locations distance wise is that they are suburban and fairly conservative.

There are parts of Lakewood and Long Beach that aren’t Belmont Shores that you may want to consider, but it’s all suburban and conservative leaning. OC areas like Cypress , Los Alamitos, and Seal Beach are pretty strongly conservative.