OT: Help with relocating to Eastern LA suburbs
I need some help with relocating to California. This board always seems to have great advice no matter how random the question, and I know there's a big MGoCommunity out here.
I'm currently working a 3-month assignment in Chino (yes, I'm aware of how lame it is) and there's a good chance I'll be working here long-term in the next few months. However, I think I'd go insane if I had to live here for more than just this short stint.
My wife is still in Ann Arbor but she will be joining me for the long-term job. She thinks her best opportunity for work (she's in the biology/natural science field) is either in LA or Pasadena. So my primary question is...where should we try to live?
We're both young and without kids. Ideally, we'd like to find something very similar to Ann Arbor out here. Most of the suburbs between LA and Chino seem to be very quiet and family-oriented. Nothing wrong with that, but not what we're looking for.
Fullerton, which obviously has the big college, seems like the best bet, but we haven't really seen it in person yet. Anyone have any thoughts on Fullerton? Or any other suggestions on where to look? How far away can we look with traffic still manageable?
Thanks in advance.
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Well Chino is pretty far East (Fullerton is between Chino and LA). Traffic would only get worse, wouldn't it?
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Just saying
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Two hours a day in the car? To each their own, I guess, but that sounds brutal.
Learn the local culture...
Oh, not THAT East LA?
No, this is pretty applicable.
Live out by UCLA?
Need to sell a kidney to afford a place on the west side (in-laws live in Santa Monica).
Save enough for the gun to blow your brains out while stuck in traffic if you are thinking about living anywhere near the 405. Per google maps traffic estimates, it will take about 2.5 hours to make a one-way trip from Westwood to Chino at 730AM.
But the Pasadena downtown area always seemed like a neat area as a visitor. My wife and I also really liked the area of Long Beach near the water between Downtown and Seal Beach - sort of a Lincoln Park (Chicago) mixed with SoCal beach town
At the end of the day though - LA is a city where you really have to plan your location around your daily commute. 90% of realtors will ask "where do you work" before "where do you want to live".
I felt that I truly became a true SoCal citizen the day I realized I had been sitting in traffic for 1.5 hours on a Friday drive home and I wasn't at risk of reenacting the movie "falling down".
Good Luck!
Spent a few years in San Clemente but of all the areas travelled to the north always felt like Pasadena had a good vibe and nice to be nearer the mtns.
But, in general, you know: UGH.
I worked in El Monte right off the 10, and lived in Los Feliz, and it was no big deal for the most part. The worst part of the traffic was the little bit (like a mile or two) on the 101 getting onto the 10. It was usually smooth sailing after that, since I was going against traffic. Chino is further east, so I don't know how much more horrible that would be, but I would highly recommend Los Feliz.
You don't want to live anywhere west of the 101 if you have to make it out to Chino every day, but that Los Feliz/Eagle Rock area is nice for the most part and pretty cool neighborhood.
If hipsters are a deal breaker, then I would stay away from Los Feliz/Eagle Rock area.
Inland Empire FTW. Live in a place that has long term water resources.
It does? I thought it was mostly irrigated by diverted water.
but they still have their homicides. anaheim hills might be the better choice. you can also go south along the 15 and look for places, but the commute will likely make that difficult. it's been years since we lived in cal, very happy to be home. enjoy it for what it has to offer - will be way hot in the summer of course.
I'm from LA an went to UM.
I'd say for neighborhoods in LA: Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Mount Washington, Glassel Park, Pasadena.
But also... Pomona/Claremont. Probably more similar to Ann Abor than any neighborhood in LA. Home to several top Liberal Arts colleges. Feels like a town not a city. And closer to Chino. Wife could take train to downtown LA, which is fast and easy.
Do yourself a favor and don't live in Fullerton. It's boring. West Hollywood is probably too far of a commute, and pretty sceney LA -- unless you're into that.
I've been in LA for 20ish years. I live in the H'wood Hills. Given the requirements, I'd second the suggestions of Pasadena, Eagle Rock, Mt. Washington... Great combinations of location and local community without *too* much driving necessary (of course that's relative when we're talking LA ;)
I love threads like this one. I have no real reason to read about the LA housing market, but because it's mgoblog I will read the whole thing and learn something new. Tons of unique people with great insights on this blog.
You've got the right idea with Pasadena, I think that's easily the most A2 similar place in the LA area. As someone who works in Corona (possibly worse than Chino) and briefly tried living near the office, I know your pain. The good thing is that you are one of the few people to work in the Chino/Corona area so for commuting you have flexibility because you won't have traffic. Fullerton isn't a bad option, not as nice as Pasadena but probably quite a bit cheaper. You could take the 91 west or 57 North and not have traffic.
I live in Orange - which also has a college, Chapman, and a nice little downtown called Orange Circle. Not as young as Fullerton but probably cleaner/safer/nicer, at least around the Circle. Has your wife looked at companies in Irvine - I don't know about bio/science jobs - but it seems more likely a company would set up there than LA? If she was there, it opens up the Beach towns, you could get from Newport or Costa Mesa to Chino in 30-40 mins. If you're not a big city person, and are looking for an A2 type experience, I think you'd be much better off with Pasadena than DTLA or the Hollywood area.
It's a weekend and you are living in Chino, so you might as well get out of there and explore.
Bruxie
As a counter to this point, if OP has only seen the 909 and LA, you should at least check out OC before you decide where to live. I lived in Hermosa and loved it but after moving to Newport, I couldn't imagine going back. It's a totally different world, you'll know you've hit OC when traffic eases up, the streets aren't filled with potholes, there aren't old mattresses on the side of the road, and graffiti doesn't cover every sign, overpass, and stray dog. It has some of the safest cities in the country and because there's money and businesses here, the county isn't strapped for cash so we have public services that keep it clean, safe, and usable schools (applicable if you have kids some day). It may not be for everybody (it's not the most diverse) but if you are coming from living in the midwest, it may be a place you feel very comfortable living. There are beautiful areas of LA County - like the South Bay - but you are still brought down by the rest of the county. Also, be prepared to spend most of your life avoiding jury duty and watching out for the county's fundraising team hiding behind signs with radar guns and giving out jaywalking tickets.
If we are talking OC (which pretty much seems a no-go per OP question), I cannot help but add that San Clemente was the bomb. I hated SoCal (I currently live in a small CO mountain town) but San Clemente for me was far superior to everything else in the region.
Legit surfing culture, nice walkable downtown, the only city where the PCH does not barricade the ocean from town, rolling hills, 12 mile undeveloped beach on southern border, near San Diego, I watched the Trey there, and way cheaper than Laguna/Huntington/all the more busy places to the north (could actually afford a place where I could hear the swells roll in at night).
Hmm...I kind of miss it...no, actually I do not.
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For you locals where does "the valley" begin? In all these HGTV real estate shows that do LA there seems to be a significant difference in weather (read: much more hot) as you leave the west side of LA and go into "the valley" but what cities mark that transition? Thx.
Glendale, Burbank, Van Nuys and some other cities are considered The Valley.
I tend to think of it as anything north of Griffith park and north of Mullohand/Laurel Canyon Blvd.
If you take Laurel Canyon over the Hills, you are basically now in The Valley.
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I can tell you anything you wanna know, w first hand experience. RC is where wanna be
Arcadia/Monrovia
Rancho Cucamonga
Montrose
La Canada
Claremont
I've lived here most my life and can tell u anything u wanna know about each city, good or bad.
Fullerton is a nightmare on the 57 freeway everyday
I lived in Pasadena for 3 years, so that'd be my vote. Still my favorite place I've ever lived. Very expensive, but most places in the LA area are. Reasonably close to everything: 35 minutes from Chino (and you're against traffic each way if memory serves), 15 from downtown, 45 from Anaheim, 60 from Newport Beach/OC.
My sister lived in Claremont while she went to CGU and now lives in Irvine. Claremont is definitely a nice place, but it's quiet, so if you're looking for more things to do Pasadena is probably better. Irvine wouldn't be a bad place if your wife gets something down in the OC.
Congrats on your new job.
If you're moving to the LA area you're really going to have to accept the fact that you'll have to drive. Like everywhere. There are some "cool" places to live like Los Feliz or WeHo or even Pasadena but nothing is going to be like Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is a small city, a college town, dominated by the University. LA is nothing like that. You guys are young. Explore and adapt. Embrace the crazy diversity that is the huge LA metropolitan area. If you want to sort of re-create Ann Arbor, I think the closest you're going to get that comes close to that is Santa Barbara. You may want to try Claremont. Lots of colleges there. Fairly close to Chino.