Raising a family in Los Angeles (Santa Clarita, Torrance: apartment complex, new home, neighborhoods)

[jm999]

Hey everyone. I'm a married 25 yr old father of 2 and have been offered a job in LA. I've been out there to visit before and loved it. However I'm hesitant to make the move. I'm mostly concerned about my children. Is LA good for family life? The job is in Culver City so the places I have been looking at have been in Culver City, Santa Monica, Redondo Beach, Torrance, etc...

I would really like to hear from other people who have moved out to LA with kids and how their kids adjusted to such a vast metro area. I would rather not hear from people who are just here to bash LA because I've read that in just about every other thread. I know I would love living there because I've been there and absolutely wanted to stay. But I can't stomach moving there unless I know my kids will be OK. Any insight would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

Joe

[artichoke63]

I wouldn't raise any kids here. Hell, I don't even want to raise my dog here.

[jm999]

Care to go into a little more detail? Do you have kids or know anyone raising a family in the LA area?

[DontH8Me]

Well, speaking from experience, I would say that LA isn't exactly idyllic for raising kids, but taking the right precautions can make it seem alright to them.

There are certain variables which you cannot control here (i.e. smog) but others that you can (like where your kids go to school).

I was born and raised in the area, moved away and lived abroad for about 8 years, and then came back with a three year old. Anyone who lived here in the 70s/80s, and is now raising children of their own, will tell you that it "ain't what it used to be". But you can make it work if you want it to. What age are your kids, and what environment are they used to? I think adults underestimate a child's capacity to accommodate to new surroundings, the question is do you WANT them to accommodate to this.

Honestly, if I could find a place with similar weather (even forsaking the beach if I have to) that wasn't as congested as it is here, I would prefer to raise my kids there. I know for a fact that I could buy a 6 bedroom palace in another state with the equity I have on my little 2 br house here in LA, but I won't because I don't 'do' winters and I don't take high humidity all that well either. I'm still looking though!

But to get back to your question, what are the concerns you have with your kids being "OK" here in LA, maybe I can put your mind at ease.

[jm999]

My kids are 9 and 5 and in Elementary school. We have bounced around quite a bit. We started out in downtown Rochester but began gradually moving out towards the suburban areas to avoid the awful city schools around here. Now were living in a smaller town on the outskirts of the city in a fairly nice apartment complex. As far as environment, they are used to going outside and playing with other kids around the complex, going to the pool, going for walks and bike rides, etc...

I'm even considering living further away from LA like Valencia or Santa Clarita as those communities seem much more family oriented. I personally would be in heaven living blocks from the beach and work, but my kids come first. And yes, I'd be willing to commute 2 hours to make sure they have a good quality of life. I'm already accustomed to 1+ hour commutes.

So what do you think? Should I give the Southbay/Westside area a go or should I just look at areas further out?

Originally Posted by DontH8Me

Well, speaking from experience, I would say that LA isn't exactly idyllic for raising kids, but taking the right precautions can make it seem alright to them.

There are certain variables which you cannot control here (i.e. smog) but others that you can (like where your kids go to school).

I was born and raised in the area, moved away and lived abroad for about 8 years, and then came back with a three year old. Anyone who lived here in the 70s/80s, and is now raising children of their own, will tell you that it "ain't what it used to be". But you can make it work if you want it to. What age are your kids, and what environment are they used to? I think adults underestimate a child's capacity to accommodate to new surroundings, the question is do you WANT them to accommodate to this.

Honestly, if I could find a place with similar weather (even forsaking the beach if I have to) that wasn't as congested as it is here, I would prefer to raise my kids there. I know for a fact that I could buy a 6 bedroom palace in another state with the equity I have on my little 2 br house here in LA, but I won't because I don't 'do' winters and I don't take high humidity all that well either. I'm still looking though!

But to get back to your question, what are the concerns you have with your kids being "OK" here in LA, maybe I can put your mind at ease.

[jm999]

Originally Posted by DontH8Me

But to get back to your question, what are the concerns you have with your kids being "OK" here in LA, maybe I can put your mind at ease.

My concerns are with safety, having other good-natured and decent kids around that they can befriend and socialize with, parks and activities, and so on.

[artichoke63]

the best thing for kids is stability. every time you move for YOUR job, you rip them away from their network of friends and everything they now. It's awful for them.

[jm999]

Originally Posted by artichoke63

the best thing for kids is stability. every time you move for YOUR job, you rip them away from their network of friends and everything they now. It's awful for them.

Are you a parent? Have you raised kids? My kids are actually very excited at the prospect of moving to California. If I thought it would be even remotely harmful to them I wouldn't consider it. If you have something valuable to add to the conversation then I'm all ears, but if you're just bored and looking to argue on the internet then I recommend that you find someone else to bother.

[artichoke63]

Originally Posted by jm999

Are you a parent? Have you raised kids? My kids are actually very excited at the prospect of moving to California. If I thought it would be even remotely harmful to them I wouldn't consider it. If you have something valuable to add to the conversation then I'm all ears, but if you're just bored and looking to argue on the internet then I recommend that you find someone else to bother.

No, I'm not looking for an argument. I'm just telling you the truth. Moving is never easy for children. It's awful for them. You can talk kids into anything, even into thinking this is going to be an "exciting" move for them. They have no concept of what California is like. How on earth do they even know what to be excited about? Moving children who are already in school who have playmates around the country, to a new home every few years, is never a good thing. You aren't moving here for your family. You are moving here for you and your job offer. I hope it works out well for you.

Artie

[morefromcali]

Hi

I have two kids, ages 4 and 7, and I live in West Los Angeles. I have lots of friends in both Culver City and Santa Monica. Both are fine school districts, although Santa Monica is better, IMHO. Both have neighborhoods where people still walk and where your kids can play with other neighborhood kids. Both are areas which are relatively safe, for an urban area. The difficulty comes from the fact that traffic makes it hard to get places, and so your afternoon time is often taken up driving rather than doing fun stuff, and many many many of the kids are overscheduled so socializing can be tough.

We are moving, and traffic, quality of life issues such as overscheduling and difficulty scheduling playdates etc did factor into our decision. But primarily we are moving because we wanted to live in a community where we could afford a decent house and to have me still stay home with the kids. If we had more money, and I had more tolerance for the urban congestion, we would be staying.

If you love LA, Santa Monica and Culver City are both fine places to raise your kids.

Good luck to you.