Help, i'm moving to so cal in June, need a good family location (Los Angeles: apartment complex, for rent)

[katenik]

if there's no commute to consider, then you should live where there are good schools. unfortunately, that eliminates a great deal of LA, even many of the better neighborhoods. of course, if private schools are an option, then you can live practically anywhere.

for family-friendly and good schools, i would look at south pasadena, or, if having the beach nearby appeals to you, el segundo.

[mizzc]

Thanks, i'll do some research on Woodland Hills and Warner Center, also what about Santa Monica? My child is currently enrolled in a montessori school and I am going to visit Santa Monica montessori school when I visit again in March. Any information on a great montessori school would be appreciated.

[TheRealAngelion]

If you are able to pay $3500 a month for two bedrooms, you actually will have some nice options available to you. I was going to recommend Santa Monica to you, but I see you already have it on your list. I personally would choose Santa Monica over Long Beach, but LB does have a larger black population, if that means anything to you, and is less expensive.

You might also consider Beverly Hills. If you search Craigslist and Westside Rentals, you will find nice apartments in the $3000 price range. The city itself is mostly populated by Jews and Persians, but the schools are excellent. I know many people who live outside of Beverly Hills petition to get their kids admitted to the high school, so there is some diversity there. I am not sure about the elementary and middle schools. BH is completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, so you will definitely be surrounded by and in the midst of a lot of ethnic and racial diversity even if your street and immediate neighborhood are not that diverse.

Another place I strongly recommend you consider is Park LaBrea. This is an oasis right in the middle of LA and in one of the best locations, Miracle Mile/Fairfax District where there is tons of shopping, coffee shops, cafes, restaurants, markets, museums, even two big and popular malls--all within walking distance. It's a massive apartment community built circa 1940 with more than 10,000 residents. The community offers many amenities and park like grounds that are ideal and safe for children. In fact, I estimate that a third or perhaps close to 50 percent of residents are families with children. It's also very diverse with white, black, Asian, Latinos, Indians, Jews, Christians, Muslims, etc.--all of whom are mostly college educated, professional, and upwardly mobile people. I am friends with a white Jewish couple who are raising their two kids there and also know a gay, black, male doctor who is raising his adopted daughter there as well. It's a community where people actually socialize and have holiday parties together. Here's a link to Park LaBrea's web site:

Los Angeles California Apartments - Home - Park La Brea Apartments

Lastly, you might also consider Playa Vista. I would liken this community somewhat to Park LaBrea but it's newer and on the Westside near the ocean. It's a planned community of both owner-occupied residential and rental homes populated mostly by upwardly mobile professionals, including numerous black professionals. It's also close to LA's wealthiest majority black neighborhood, Ladera Heights. Here's a link to their web site:

West Los Angeles Homes and Condos, West Side LA Luxury Homes : Playa Vista Real Estate

[mizzc]

TheRealAngelion, thank you so much! That was really very helpful, Park LaBrea certainly seems like what i'm looking for. I actually thought about BH, but honestly, I think it may be too materialistic and shallow for me and my child. Maybe i'm being naive coming from the midwest, but I was of the opinion that status is mostly all that counts in BH, on and money:-). Are the apartment dwellers there 'looked down upon' so to say by the homeowners? I've seen some nice apartments there that are in my price range, however I only plan on renting for a year and I don't think i could afford to purchase a home there and I wouldn't want to move my child out of the school district once the year was up. I am looking for a nice upper middle class neighborhood, but I don't want to be someplace where everyone is just after the latest 'it' bag or high end vehicle...been there, done that..the COL is so much higher in LA,..I just want a place where people are content and plant roots and stay in the same place for years..I've had enough of chasing materialistic things..thats too much pressure, especially moving to a new city. Thanks again for all your help!

[timelesschild]

Good schools, upper middle class, down-to-earth (non-pretentious) and diverse... South Pasadena. It is a separate city from Pasadena. Check it out...

[FinnishAmerican]

This seems like a stupid advice:

But COMPTON. Seriously, there are safe areas in Compton and Gated communities. Awesome! Also: CPT is cheaper than other areas in L.A.
And its gentrifying, I'd think, not as bad as in the 90's. Watts still sux tho

[mizzc]

South Pasadena sounds like a nice area, Compton on the other hand, sounds a bit scary:-)..all I know about Compton is on the news and its usually not too great. I'm from Cincinnati and we certainly have terrible neighborhoods here, (people here tend to riot every 5 or 6 years or so:-), but are not any areas i'm afraid to drive through, however living in them is another story. I don't want to be a 'sitting duck' I drive a nice car and suv, and I don't want to take a chance of going down the wrong street in an unfamiliar city. Crime happens everywhere, i understand that but coming from the midwest, Compton is scary:-). No advice is stupid though, I appreciate everyone willing to help me.

[jackhand]

El Segundo is peaceful - like a small mid-west town, right by the ocean. You won't believe you are in LA. Check out their library and small shops.

[katenik]

no one moves to compton unless they are leaving someplace similar or worse. trust me, you do not want your child growing up in compton, and you certainly don't want him going to school there.

[mizzc]

I pulled up apartments in El Segundo, but i only found apartments near it, none actually in it, i need to get some help in clarifying parts of the city, Playa del ray, Playa Vista, Hermosa beach, Redondo beach all seem to be in close proximity to ES, would I be ok in any of the above mentioned areas? This is so frustrating, but I would be at a total loss without everyones input..thanks!