Help moving to Valley (Glendale, Lancaster: fit in, apartment complexes, rental)

[tqorqt]

Help, I'm moving to the S.F. Valley this summer and want a decent apartment that's affordable and not gang infested I know that's alot. I'm coming from Lancaster which I wouldn't wish on anyone. I don't think I'll fit in Tarzana because I'm mixed race. I'm a Computer Networker by trade.(CCNA)

[SandyCo]

Welcome, Tqorqt! Most of the San Fernando Valley is of mixed race these days, so you might be just fine in Tarzana. Also, please give us a price range that you'd be willing to spend on an apartment, because "affordable" can mean many things to many different people. If I were you, I'd take some time to actually come down here and take a look around. Neighborhoods can vary street by street, so don't sign any rental agreement until you've seen and inspected the place very carefully! Good luck.

[greggd]

Will you work in the valley?

[montevista1]

If you see a sign in Spanish do not rent in this area, everywhere else is good! As racist as this sounds its the truth.

[newportbeachsmostwanted]

Originally Posted by montevista1

If you see a sign in Spanish do not rent in this area, everywhere else is good! As racist as this sounds its the truth.

Area with many border-hoppers=signs in Spanish.
little education/skills=crime.


oh and 2+2=4.

[UB50]

There are signs in Spanish all over the valley. It doesn't mean anything. My favorite sign in Spanish is "Mariscos" because that means "Seafood"!

Everything really is block by block so you should come down and explore before you pick a place to live. The Holiday Inn in Glendale offers rooms by the month. You can stay there for a month and find a good place to live!

[perks]

I'm a former Lancaster resident myself. I actually liked it out there, except for the 2-hour daily commute to the Westside!

I guess the first thing I would need to know is where you'll be working. It isn't too difficult to cross the Valley quickly during non-peak hours, but the commute can be tough depending on where you're going.

Generally, anywhere south of the 101 freeway is going to be a good area; it will certainly cost you a little extra, but you can still find some decently priced apartments there if you do your research.

The west end of the Valley (Woodland Hills in particular) is generally pretty good, but will be a dismal commute if you'll be working in L.A. a lot. Same goes for Granada Hills and Porter Ranch on the north end.

North Hollywood has some very nice pockets if you know where to look (of course, it also has some really nasty parts!). Ditto that for Northridge (near CSUN is actually pretty good if you don't mind living around co-eds!), which is one of the more reasonably priced, non-crime-ridden areas.

One nice thing about the Valley is that renting a house isn't ridiculously expensive if you have a roommate to split the cost with. Even in areas where the apartment complexes are scary, the single-family neighborhoods tend to be better.

You'll definitely need to spend a good chunk of time getting a basic feel for the area if you aren't already familiar with it. Figure out what areas meet your needs as far as transportation, shopping convenience, and safety. Then, once you've found a good location that has the right vibe for you, be sure to come back and walk around it at night.

[montevista1]

Its one thing to have a spanish sign at a mexican eatery and its another to have a sign in spanish for insurance, pay day loans, pawn shop, market, bank etc.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by perks

Ditto that for Northridge (near CSUN is actually pretty good if you don't mind living around co-eds!), which is one of the more reasonably priced, non-crime-ridden areas..

I haven't spent too much time in the West Valley recently (my friends in the Valley are in the southeastern part) but I did live in Northridge in the 80s and I do remember one part of Northridge, around Parthenia St. if I remember correctly, as being rather scary back then - and that was a time when the Valley had fewer scary neighborhoods than today. Given what's happened in the interim to the valley, I highly doubt it would be better now.

[CBaillo]

Tarzana is definitely not whitey only. Actually nowhere in that area is.. It's pretty culturally diverse. You'd be in eat out heaven, because every type of food is available on Ventura Blvd. If you want to stay affordable, don't go south of Ventura Blvd. The further north you go from ventura Blvd. the cheaper, usually.

But before we bought our house in Simi, we lived in Encino, it was great for young living. On the go, everything you could want close by....