Commuting to Pasadena- Better from East or West? (Glendale, Santa Clarita: houses, neighborhoods)

[wolcott123]

I am in the process of relocating to the LA area from the East Coast for a job in Pasadena. Trying to "cast a net" for house hunting and figuring out which is the better direction to go. Pasadena itself is an excellent area along with some of the really close towns like San Marino & La Canada, but money goes further the further out you go it seems and it is a hybrid role so not an everyday commute. I am fine with up to 1hr each way.

Which way would be more advantageous to commute? I've heard a section of the 210 goes 5 to 4 to 5 lanes east of Pasadena (Irwindale?), but not 100% sure.

Eastbound commute, I'd be looking at: Glendale, Burbank, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Porter Ranch, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, and Santa Clarita. Inventory in some of them is pretty limited and I don't have infinite money.

Westbound commute, I'd be looking at: Temple City, Glendora, West Covina, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Diamond Bar, Walnut, Chino Hills, and Upland.

[JohnG72]

Do you need public schools?

If so, then Temple City, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, etc are no brainers.

If you can’t afford San Marino, La Canada, etc, that part of SGV with San Dimas, Glendora, etc is quite nice. Mostly older housing stock, but middle and upper middle class neighborhoods that don’t exist closer to LA.

I don’t see La Crescenta listed but it’s another place worth considering.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by wolcott123

Which way would be more advantageous to commute?

Eastbound commute, I'd be looking at: Glendale, Burbank, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Porter Ranch, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, and Santa Clarita. Inventory in some of them is pretty limited and I don't have infinite money.

This is probably the better commute. Unless you're carpooling, the 210 going west is bumper to bumper from about 5:30 a.m. until 9 a.m., and again from around 2:30 pm until 7 pm.

[ccm123]

The westbound commute on I-210 during the morning rush hour will be heavier than the eastbound commute into Pasadena. The reverse will be true in the afternoon rush hours.

Some other areas to consider, which are close to Pasadena and are safe, livable neighborhoods: South Pasadena (separate city from Pasadena), Sierra Madre or Arcadia.
All three offer a relatively “manageable” commute to Pasadena. In Southern California, the best commute is a short one. Traffic can be a nightmare at times.

[wolcott123]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

This is probably the better commute. Unless you're carpooling, the 210 going west is bumper to bumper from about 5:30 a.m. until 9 a.m., and again from around 2:30 pm until 7 pm.

Good to know thanks

[ohio_peasant]

An alternative, depending of course on school-needs, is to eschew either the SGV or SFV, and instead to look for a place along the 110-corridor. This includes Eagle Rock, western edge of Pasadena, Hyland Park, Mt. Washington, Montecito Heights, Elysian Hills and Silverlake. The appeal is topographic variety (mountains), views, the privacy possible when houses aren't on flat gridiron streets, and occasionally some deals with older housing-stock that could use a light renovation. Also, the climate is milder. Both Valleys get scalding hot in the summer. Downtown LA is noticeably cooler than Pasadena... the thermal gradient is as much as 1 degree per highway mile, heading south along the 110.

[Lablitz]

Westbound commute because houses are cheaper there.

Monrovia and El Monte are pretty cheap and good commute to Pasadena.

[Angelino19]

Originally Posted by wolcott123

I am in the process of relocating to the LA area from the East Coast for a job in Pasadena. Trying to "cast a net" for house hunting and figuring out which is the better direction to go. Pasadena itself is an excellent area along with some of the really close towns like San Marino & La Canada, but money goes further the further out you go it seems and it is a hybrid role so not an everyday commute. I am fine with up to 1hr each way.

Which way would be more advantageous to commute? I've heard a section of the 210 goes 5 to 4 to 5 lanes east of Pasadena (Irwindale?), but not 100% sure.

Eastbound commute, I'd be looking at: Glendale, Burbank, North Hollywood, Sherman Oaks, Encino, Tarzana, Woodland Hills, Porter Ranch, Granada Hills, Chatsworth, and Santa Clarita. Inventory in some of them is pretty limited and I don't have infinite money.

Westbound commute, I'd be looking at: Temple City, Glendora, West Covina, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont, Diamond Bar, Walnut, Chino Hills, and Upland.

I think your best bet is looking for housing anywhere in the San Gabriel Valley. And you'll have more commute options.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by ccm123

Some other areas to consider, which are close to Pasadena and are safe, livable neighborhoods: South Pasadena (separate city from Pasadena), Sierra Madre or Arcadia.
All three offer a relatively “manageable” commute to Pasadena.

Remember that there's a world of difference in the price of a median home in South Pas ($1.8 million), Sierra Madre ($1.6) and Arcadia ($1.15), and areas further east such as Covina ($720k).

[ohio_peasant]

Originally Posted by CA4Now

Remember that there's a world of difference in the price of a median home in South Pas ($1.8 million), Sierra Madre ($1.6) and Arcadia ($1.15), and areas further east such as Covina ($720k).

South Pasadena is expensive because it's an island of excellent schools, surrounded by places with crummy schools - including "regular" Pasadena, where the pastime for more affluent people is to eschew public school entirely, sending their kids to private school. The other such local enclave is the curiously named "La Canada-Flintridge", whose schools are top-notch... but east of it (Altadena) and west it (Tujunga) things are much less favorable.

San Marino is its own animal... an old-money enclave, from back when LA was mostly rural. Some of those houses rival in grandeur and price, those of Brentwood or Bel Air.