Commute From Calabasa (Culver City, Manhattan Beach, Calabasas: homes, neighborhood, public schools)

[Titans]

I am thinking about taking a job in Culver City and living in Calabasas. What is the commute like (worst case/best case)? Anything closer to Culver City with good public schools (two kids 8 and 11)? Income $130K.

[morefromcali]

Hi Titans,

That commute is tough. The Sepulveda Pass (that part of the 405) is very very congested most of the time, so even though mapquest suggests a 30 minute commute you are really talking about a commute time between an hour and two hours.

That being said, Culver City is actually a pretty nice place to raise a family. The schools are decent and there are some nice older homes on tree lined streets that you should be able to afford with 130K income. You could also try Playa Del Rey, although that plugs you into LAUSD which is tricky. If you do go with LAUSD, try and find a neighborhood that goes to a "school for advanced study" as those tend to have very active parent bodies that demand excellence out of the system. The neighborhood around Clover elementary is still fairly affordable for West LA and Clover is an excellent school not far from Culver City, for example.

Best of luck!

[newportbeachsmostwanted]

On a salary of $130k, I would pick Manhattan Beach-hands down. Blue ribbon schools, clean beaches, family area, nice people, great shopping, and a stunning downtown. Commute will take .25 compared to Calabasas.