Relocating from UK - Working in Santa Fe Springs Help! (Long Beach: for rent, home)

[Jules251]

Hi,

We are a couple in our early 30's (no kids) and are in the process of relaocting to California. Visa's etc are not an issue but we are in some serious need of help regarding areas to live.

We have a budget of around $2,500 per month for rent, our main commute will be to Santa Fe Springs. We would like to live somewhere where there is a vibrant downtown (or city centre as we would know it), near to bars, restaurants and shops. Ideally we would like to be able to walk rather than use the car all of the time.

We have limited knowledge of the area but will be able to visit prior to settling so suggestions can be taken seriously. We have no preference at the moment as to whether we are close to the beach or not and equally do not have preference to type of accomodation (save for having two bedrooms).

We have initially looked at areas such as Brea, Huntington Beach, Diamond Bar, Chino Hills.

Any help is much appreciated!

Thanks

[Joe Van Fossen]

Your budget is actually good enough to get you into a single family residence is most of the areas you've mentioned. I would take Chino Hills and Huntington Beach off the list if you want a decent commute to work. Diamond Bar is really nice (I grew up here, moved to S. OC and came back during my last few years of college), but it's better for families than young couples--not very walkable and no downtown.

Fullerton would be a good option. There's a great downtown area there and it's not very far from Santa Fe Springs. Depending on where you live, it can be very walkable. There are a lot of cafes, shops, bars and restaurants in the downtown and surrounding areas.

Brea is a good option too. Relatively close to Santa Fe Springs. Their downtown is more of a newer development with some chain stores, restaurants and a couple of movie theaters. It's very nice, but Fullerton's downtown has a bit more of a historic charm. If you live close to downtown Brea or the mall, it can be pretty walkable too.

[Jules251]

Thank you for responding this forum has been our life line since we first knew that we were moving, will certainly have a look at Fullerton as this isn't an area we have visited yet.

Happy New Year!

[Joe Van Fossen]

Happy to help... Happy New Year!

[Barbee123]

Originally Posted by Jules251

Hi,

We are a couple in our early 30's (no kids) and are in the process of relaocting to California. Visa's etc are not an issue but we are in some serious need of help regarding areas to live.

We have a budget of around $2,500 per month for rent, our main commute will be to Santa Fe Springs. We would like to live somewhere where there is a vibrant downtown (or city centre as we would know it), near to bars, restaurants and shops. Ideally we would like to be able to walk rather than use the car all of the time.

We have limited knowledge of the area but will be able to visit prior to settling so suggestions can be taken seriously. We have no preference at the moment as to whether we are close to the beach or not and equally do not have preference to type of accomodation (save for having two bedrooms).

We have initially looked at areas such as Brea, Huntington Beach, Diamond Bar, Chino Hills.

Any help is much appreciated!

Thanks

I thought Long Beach, CA would be a great area for you; Belmont shore. It has a great walking area. Or off Ocean Ave in Long Beach, Great views as well as a great downtown.

[Jules251]

Hi,

I am aware that my original post is still being read. My husband and I finally decided on Huntington Beach he relocated nearly a year ago and I joined him in July last year. Anyone who has relocated knows that we are still very much settling in but are enjoying our time here. We are very happy with our accommodation (although extremely pricey) the local area is great for us and we now have a puppy to entertain. Many things have been a challenge from getting our driving licences, SSN and work permit (for me) but on the whole we are there now. If anyone is reading this and needs advice please message me I would be happy to offer any I have and hopefully assist in making any transition easier for you. I appreciate that no two situations are the same and can only offer what I have experienced first hand. I am now faced with the challenge of obtaining employment and I will wait to see where this road takes me.

Jules

[kwong7]

I grew up in northwest Huntington Beach (Huntington Harbour) and really enjoyed the seclusion. I realize you must be living near downtown which is a very different experience. There are a few bars and a lot of restaurants to enjoy and it's great that you can stumble home after a few rounds. The spring and summer times can get crowded and at times a little rowdy, but the weather and view is fantastic.

My wife, then fiancé, studied at LSE for an LLM and lived in Covent Garden back in 2007. We will never forget that experience and wished there was a place in the US like Central London. It was sterile like Irvine (London sanitation cleaning the streets at night, CCTV, community parks and gardens, etc), had a lot to do (like NYC), and had a ton of friendly drunk folks wandering about after 6pm. If downtown HB had CCTV, a Tesco, theater, and bike lanes, I would strongly consider moving in.

[mrsltd]

Originally Posted by Jules251

Hi,

We are a couple in our early 30's (no kids) and are in the process of relaocting to California. Visa's etc are not an issue but we are in some serious need of help regarding areas to live.

We have a budget of around $2,500 per month for rent, our main commute will be to Santa Fe Springs. We would like to live somewhere where there is a vibrant downtown (or city centre as we would know it), near to bars, restaurants and shops. Ideally we would like to be able to walk rather than use the car all of the time.

We have limited knowledge of the area but will be able to visit prior to settling so suggestions can be taken seriously. We have no preference at the moment as to whether we are close to the beach or not and equally do not have preference to type of accomodation (save for having two bedrooms).

We have initially looked at areas such as Brea, Huntington Beach, Diamond Bar, Chino Hills.

Any help is much appreciated!

Thanks

Don't forget Whittier and La Mirada! They're next door to Santa Fe Springs and Whittier especially has the walkable areas going with the restaurants and such.

[LuvSouthOC]

Another alternative is West Covina. Not a bad place.

[Harrier]

Sounds like the OP is settled in H.B.