O/T Where to live in Los Angeles

If you're looking for decent rent, stay away from Belmont Shores. You'll pay an arm and a leg, and have a bunch of uptight yuppie neighbors. I live in downtown Long Beach in a 1910 Craftsman, I can ride my bike to the beach and the stores, Pine street, movies, etc. It's not so bad here, as long as you stay above Anaheim St.. I agree with bootsonfire that there are places you don't want to be alone at night, but after 4 years here, I haven't had any trouble. We've made friends with all the cops on this beat, so if anything arises, they're pretty good to take care of it. Just my two cents...

 

I stayed in Belmont Shores with a friend back in the early 90's, I commuted to West Hollywood to work, on a good day it took an Hour to get there, but some days I left work at 6 and didn't get home till 9. Moved to West Hollywood to be closer to work, 1,200 a month for a one Bedroom off of La brea and melrose. Probably costs more now I'm sure.. I loved livin in Burbank!! On Chandler on the Tracks, That House was 900 Bucks for a 2 Bedroom, That was around 1993-95, Probably don't see that anymore. Hey, There's always Tujunga! Anyway I miss California, But I love my Very Cheap House payment up here in Hilllbilly land.

 

San Fernando Valley for sure. Affordable housing and lot too do. And all the fine Hispanic girls you can eat.

 

Belmont Shores is nice but since your so close the beach the houses are much closer together. not much room for car stuff, but you can find a place with a garage if you look for it...... now that i have been here for awhile. i would stay in Long Beach but move to the Bixby Knolls area. which is 10 mins N. of me. much more working class neighborhood. i want to see the home owner working on his house not the hired help.

sorry guys but i hate the valley. to much fakeness going on up there. everyone thinks their a rockstar.

 

Our family migrated from Belleville, Ill. to So. Cal. 'way back in 1962, finally settling in Simi Valley when it's population was about 6000 souls. It's alot different now but it still has that "small town" flavor, at least in my eyes. I raised my kids here and now they are raising my grandkids here. Besides......there are hot rods, street rods, lead sleds, rat rods and muscle cars hidden all over the Valley. Oh yeah, I'm not a cop either, I think that's a popular old wives tail anyway that the place is all cops.......actually that might be kind of cool.

 

What about Lakewood? Just north and east of parts of Long Beach. I lived there for about 4 years back in 87-90. Was a nice place with houses that had real 2 car garages for most part. Lakewood struck me as a good neighborhood where people mostly owned their houses and tried to keep it looking nice, kind of a working class neighborhood. It was a nice area, going up north was Bellflower and then Compton, you know the rep Compton has. Noth Long Beach was rough, is it still a rough area? Down by the beach in Long Beach is nice, but gets pricier closer by the beach.

 

I vote for Long Beach!

 

I grew up in South LA and the SFV in high school. I live up in Ventura now, but if I was to move back down there, it would be the Long Beach area. Cool ocean breezes vs. valley summer heat. LBC used to be pretty gritty back when I was a youngster. Now I look at the place and am amazed at what a nice job they've done there in terms of urban renewal. Being a sleazy sort of guy, I do miss the Pike though. Carny barkers, drunks, whores, junkies, my uncle who would pass out on the lawn while we followed drunk sailors around watching the mayhem till he would rise from his inebriated slumber and drag us back to my Ma...if she only knew. But, hell, all that is gone now and the worse you get is some bad parts of town...used to be the whole town!

 

Man the old pike was like disneyland if you were poor. Those were the days. Or at least that's where your parents would take you and tell you it was disneyland. Downtown's cool i just hate the parking situation. Lakewood is still pretty decent but the Cambodian gangs have been fighting with the Hispanic gangs lately. The pool hall i used to hang out at was in lakewood and they would have cops there every weekend. I still dig the almost bixby knolls/signal hill area, plus there's a great old school barber shop there.

 

main And 118th St...or 6th St And Central.

 

My wife and i live in Long Beach and we both really love it. We live near El Dorado Park, the 405 freeway and the 605 freeway so we can get to the freeways in just a few minutes ! I keep my car in Long Beach and i hit PCH almost every week-end for a cruise down the coast to hunington beach. there are some GREAT cars in Long Beach and some GREAT car shows too !!

 

Or you can live near Wilmington and 103rd st...Theres this really old tower on the corner thats pretty famous called the watts towers....just dont wear the color red if you move into the area. Good luck

 

You're looking at an hour at least. Really depends on when you're going...M-Friday from 6-9:00 maybe 9:30, it's a mess, and if someone crashes, you could be looking at 2 hours. Thing is, there are alot of alternate routes you can take too.

From 10AM 'til about 1:30-2:00PM, barring accidents, you're looking at 20 minutes easy. Same for from like 12:00 midnite 'til 4:00AM. Hope that helps.
FYI Belmont shores is cool but not inexpensive...

 

Just watch whereabouts you choose in downtown Long Beach. If you see a lot of rainbow flags hanging from the houses on the block, watch your ass.

 

Hell, I'd rather deal with the Rainbow flaggers than some of my neighbors. I have several gay neighbors and at least they're clean, quiet and their places don't look like s**tholes. Downtown's the place to be if you're looking for a cool old house and cheaper rent, and there's quick freeway access...

 

Whatever you do, don't move to "City of Industry" and live downwind of "Vlassic Foods".

 

Lets see if i can get som more input

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA that blows dude!!! Vlassic hasn't been their in years, your talking about the one off of Nelson right next to Valley Blvd???

 

Hey if they are livin on your block...the property values go up!

 

If you can get a little craftsman bungalow house in LBC with your own driveway and yard etc. then do it. If you have to do street parking dont do it.

 

Yup, parking in Long Beach sucks, depending on what part you live in. I live in Whittier, so far so good. I am about 30 -50 min from everything (desert, mountains, beach, ect....).

 

I grew up in Fontana. It's a truck-stop city. All the smog from L.A. gets dumped into it. STAY AWAY!

 

Where you want to live might depend on what hours you work, not how far away. Example: if my gig starts at 6 AM, my commute from the so-called "Inland Empire" (Ontario/Riverside/San Bernarghetto) to Hollywood takes 1 hour, 20 minutes. A 7 AM start? An 8 AM start? Might as well get up at the same time as the 6 AM call, because you're going to spend most of the difference in traffic. You can easily spend 4 hours a day commuting here in beautiful SoCal...except Friday night, when it gets bad. Just check your temper and your handgun at the onramp, please.

 

Don't forget Thursdays -- busiest airport day of the week for some reason, and I live right up the street from LAX.

 

Posted earlier about drive times, etc. Went out to garage, did a little body work. Thought about your post. Key word: DAUGHTER. Forget drive times, places to hang out, etc. Your most important mission is to find a neighborhood with GOOD SCHOOLS. There are very nice neighborhoods all over the L.A. area that have absolutely crappy schools. I've always been a supporter of public education, but no more. Here, let my public school educated kid tell you:
Helo. I is a graduite of de skools hear in suthern cal. We's got reely nice teechers. Mos of my klasses only had furty or fitty kids in dem. Mos of de tyme, dey have one book fur evre too kids. don wurry about gangs. Da skools spen lotsa munny on cecurutie gards. Now my dad sez I kneed to go to junor kollege to lurn how to reed and rite. Hope youse find a kool houze.

 

My daughter is only a year old. I have the ability to move there and then find a better neighborhood down the road. Was lookin' @ Palmdale, Iknow Iknow it's like so far away. Yeah I know but I can buy a house there for under 300K In california a 3br 2ba 2 car garage that is un heard of

 

The bottom line is good schools=high priced housing. If you can't swing Orange Co., I'd try for the Temecula area. Newer community and I think the prices are decent. Good luck, When are you making the move?

 

Palmdale...dumpy town, great dragstrip!

 

CORONA. If your looking to rent or buy, theres decent prices to be had if you shop around. We rent a 3 bedroom 2 1/2 bath condo for 1400 a month. centrally located between san diego, LA and the desert; plus great schools.

 

Hey dante if your by belmont shores in long beach im really close to you.....Im about 30 min. I live close to santa monica dante.