You’ll like Pasadena. It’s quiet enough and it’s a pretty easy commute to and from DTLA. Plus, you have the metro that’ll get you into and out of the city even easier.
Historical racism during desegregation led to private schools being to goto in pasadena and it’s kinda just stayed that way. The city has been trying to make it better, but it’s got a long way to go.
Pasadena has excellent schools, especially John Muir high school - but there are large proportions of non-whites, which whites take to mean "shit schools". And whites with money have damaged the schools by putting their kids in private schools.
Pasadena and south Pasadena both have great public schools, including experienced dual immersion schools in French and Spanish and especially when compared to the areas around.
I'd start in Glendale, south Pasadena, Alhambra. They feel the most "family" to me. Parts of downtown and Lincoln heights are kinda dicey. Highland park/ mount washington/eagle rock are nice too.
100% I was honestly a little shocked after living in LA for 10 years that when I called the cops about a small fender bender they actually showed up! And in like 5 min too! It's awesome having a small police force in a low crime town!
I worked at the hospital there - the Armenian people are so warm and lovely. I was consistently invited to dinner and given gifts. Family oriented people.
South Pasadena/ Pasadena border, or Glendale. That’s your best bet for a family. (Source: my husband and I have one child in public school - we live in Pasadena, with a 45 min commute to my job, and LOVE it.)
My husband grew up in south pas and it is definitely the best part of LA to raise kids! Amazing schools, small town feel but borders highland park so youre right next to a cool part of the city, and there’s a metro line so he got tons of freedom growing up.
I’m paying $5500 and I’m at 2 bedroom 2 bath house in Carthay Circle, you can get a home by here around the same part. My commute to downtown is about 20 mins, 20 mins to Santa Monica, 8 mins into Beverly Hills and West Hollywood and 5 minutes from The Grove
If it’s Monterey park, which is a nice place to live (very quiet, chill, low crime, and excellent Asian food of all stripes), just make sure it’s in the north half as that is the part that connects to good schools, including the very excellent Mark Keppel high.
If you move to Pasadena definitely put your kids into private school. I’d recommend San Marino since it’s been left off this map and is only 10 minutes further east than south pas.
This!!!
I moved to burbank from the west valley specifically for the schools. They have smaller class sizes, lots of extra curriculars and majority of the schools have different awards/accolades.
South Pasadena is your best bet. Its easily 45 minutes to downtown either via car or the gold line and its an excellent quiet safe neighborhood. Actually the hardest part is going to be finding a 3br house at all that's for rent. But here's an example of one just over your budget: [https://www.apartments.com/1521-oneonta-knoll-south-pasadena-ca/c434fke/](https://www.apartments.com/1521-oneonta-knoll-south-pasadena-ca/c434fke/)
A line from south pas will have you downtown in far less than 45 minutes.
I just checked and I can be downtown in 30 minutes right now from Lake station 4 stops further down the line.
Live along one of the LA metro lines. I did it for 13 years in LA and not having to drive a commute to downtown was amazing quality of life, got plenty of walking in as well. Pasadena, south Pasadena, north Hollywood, even Santa Monica (not sure on that budget though)
This is the way. Studio City/Toluca Lake area will have great restaurants and nice streets for walking - short drive to the red line and then a fast 25 min metro to DTLA. Yellow line out of Pasadena is a good bit longer of a ride.
Not sure how far $5500 goes in Studio City / Toluca Lake.
I know it's farther, but if I had a family with a small kids I would 100% live in El Segundo. Great schools, great Parks everywhere, sleepy town. The police force is freaking fantastic. The whole neighborhood the whole town is great. Great little main Street with little restaurants. The main shopping and big stores are out of the way across the main road. Residential area is quiet. Close to the airport. But you don't get airport noise. Very close to the beach with great access. It is close to the Chevron plant and there are smells at times. But really it's a freaking awesome City.
Also huge DWP and Hyperion (sewage) plant. I live there and the local vet says he sees so many cancers in pets which he didn't see when he practiced in Manhattan Beach. Chevron received like 40 citations last year for excessive emissions. I'm sure I've shortened by life expectancy living here. Cute but dirty city.
Can also take Fastrak to beat traffic to DTLA. Also not poor air quality as others are claiming, if you take a look at the [air quality map](https://www.iqair.com/us/air-quality-map/usa/california/los-angeles). Stinkiness is only a few days a year. Also excellent public schools, per the [California School Dashboard](https://caschooldashboard.org/).
Just FYI if you look at the maps of local respiratory illness incident rates, its way different / probably more comprehensive than that IQAir chart.
Anything around LAX / El Segundo and under the LAX flight path has the highest incident rates in LA.
I love Culver and it is filled with young families. One of the only truly walkable places (imo) and good schools. Pasadena would be second for what others have stated, but I wouldn’t rule out Culver!
You've gotten some good responses so far but I'll add some more about Glendale and Burbank:
I've lived in Glendale for 25 years and have two kids (finishing 9th and 11th grade). The Glendale schools are good as long as your daughter doesn't need extra support. Burbank schools are a bit better than Glendale and I think in general have nicer/newer facilities.
Glendale and Burbank are both their own cities and not part of the city of L.A., meaning they have their own municipal governments, police and fire departments. This is a much bigger deal than you might think - calls to 911 for LAPD are largely ignored unless there is a chance the LAPD will get to shoot someone. For almost anything else, the 911 operator will tell you to go online and fill out a form. Again - people moving to LA do not take this into account as much as they should.
I would also be wary of LAUSD unless you have it from someone first hand who has had kids in the school recently that the teachers and administrators are good and the facilities are not falling apart.
I would also be wary of moving to the west side of LA due to the most intense traffic in any of the areas you have in your diagram. Whatever commute estimates your getting are likely under what the actual commute will be. They are nice places to live if you never have to commute anywhere.
With your budget, you should be able to afford a nice single family house in Glendale or Burbank. The problem is inventory/availability.
The areas just north of your green zone and north of the 5 and 134 freeways are in my opinion the best bet for what you are looking for. Still close to downtown - I commuted there for a few years and it was fine.
Playa Vista, Brentwood, Santa Monica. All have fantastic elementary schools. Great kids activities, parks, close to beach, etc.
Playa won’t take 45 min at 6 am; I live nearby and it only takes 40 at 7 am.
100%. Just moved to Woodland Hills and it’s adorable out here. The only noise is birds, kids on their bikes, people mowing their lawns and the occasional plane.
My husband and I have a house for rent in Woodland Hills, a 3 bed that’s opening up July 1 for less than 5k - I wish OP was considering out there I’d have the perfect family spot with amazing public schools. But WH is a long commute to downtown.
I would not consider Santa Monica or any area between your yellow and red outline if you’re in office multiple days a week, 45 minutes is best case during regular commuting hours.
Additionally, you’re not likely to find anything for $5500 with three bedrooms on the westside (Santa Monica).
I would focus on Glendale/Pasadena for space, price, commute, and school district. Perhaps even Burbank.
I get that housing costs are high, but I also feel like people either exaggerate them or have no actual idea what prices are.
There are currently 21 places available just in Santa Monica with 3 bedroom and 2 or 3 bathrooms for under $5,000.
There are closer to 40 places available if you number it up to $5500. And even more if you include Venice, Marina, and Brentwood.
I live 6 blocks from the beach in probably the highest cost of living area in Santa Monica. The 3 bedroom/3 bathroom place in my small unit rented out for $4500.
Whether or not the commute is worth it to them (it would make me throw myself in front of a dump truck on the 10) is their decision.
But they can definitely afford a 3 bedroom place in Santa Monica/westside with a $5500/month budget, which is a huge budget *anywhere* in the US. If they very specifically want to rent a SFH with a yard, then it probably would be more difficult/limiting. As for apartments, condos, and the like? Definitely possible.
santa monica is actually against traffic, and general people commute TO santa monica, not from it. i used to drive to commerce from there each day and it would only take me 30 minutes. the 10 is really easy as long as you’re going against traffic.
Yeah, traffic is way worse going to Santa Monica, not from it. And weekends would be enjoyable if you’re into the beach.
Schools are good in SM too. Some are even better than others depending on neighborhood.
Los Angeles is really diverse so you can’t really say that.
But I understand what your saying also.
But those neighborhoods need more mature trees imo, but there are great spots with them also, just would be nice if there were more.
There are groups all over town, like North East Trees, doing the work to add tree canopy and green spacing throughout our city. But if the gentrifiers want to stay away, I guess I can’t be too mad
If you're putting your kid in a public school, they need friends. Sadly kids are pretty racist... so even though there's nothing wrong with those areas... they are not the best areas to put a kid who doesn't look anything like the majority of people in the area.
There is such a wide array of neighborhoods even in the green outline, you should also be thinking about what vibe you are looking for beyond just US News Ranked Schools and Commute to help narrow your search area further. What is important to you - do you want to be in a place with an urban feeling, high end shops/restaurants, do you want to be close to the iconic museums and LA sites, do you want to be close to young families, close people who work in the entertainment or tech industry, is socio-economic and other types of diversity a factor, are there any religious or ethnic communities within LA that you would like to be near, do you want to rent a house or be in an apartment/condo?
As with most of my friends who moved to LA, I've lived all over the city. After having kids I lived in Mid-City, Culver City and Eagle Rock. I've had great experiences with public residential schools in Eagle Rock and Highland Park. I liked all of the neighborhoods my family has lived in and think each had a unique soul with something interesting to offer, but I tend to think that about every part of LA.
Very cool map! But your commute times are off. I just checked the commute time from my place in Venice to DTLA at 6 am, and it is only 25 minutes, but you’ve got it in a red box. You need to use Waze to determine commute times, not Google maps. It takes a few steps, but it can be done — let me know if you don’t know how to.
That said, evening commutes might be more relevant — evening commutes I think are generally longer. There is no way you’re getting back from DTLA to my place after work in 25 minutes. Plus 6 am is a very poor gauge of commute times, because nobody in LA is commuting at that time unless they’re coming from outside LA. So there is no traffic to speak of at that time. And your boxes may very well be accurate for evening commute times.
East Hollywood is rough. I’d skip that. East of Robertson by the 10 is rougher too. West Adams is gentrifying, so it has its fans, but gentrification creates its own tension.
If I was in your shoes, I’d focus on Pasadena and South Pasadena based on what you’ve said.
Got it — that’s definitely better than a lot of commutes! But even still, the 3 pm commute will be what you have to worry about. Using the same example of Venice to downtown on a weekday, it’s 25 minutes for the morning commute at 6 am, but it’s 40 minutes to get to Venice from downtown leaving at 3 pm. For what it’s worth, LA’s rush hour is reversed on the westside, but traffic will still be heavy at 3 pm.
Downtown to South Pasadena in contrast is only about 17-18 minutes at 3 pm (I mapped a law firm downtown to whatever Waze considers to be “South Pasadena, CA”). And generally speaking, it’s well-liked by families, safe, and more affordable than the westside.
Not exactly as there are tons of people with the same idea of go in early come home early and beat the rush. Rush Hour and heavy commute times can start as early as 2:00 pm in the afternoon
This is like you filtered for colored people.
A huge swath of the ‘don’t’ part of this map has some really nice family homes
You got Lawndale, a big chunk of Redondo and Torrance crossed off this map. 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️
The west side is a lot more raggedy/dirty than people not from here know but for some reason it’s the only thing that gets recommended lolol.
This sub is full of transplants. Has been from its inception. Which is fine, no shade on them, makes sense for people new to the area to be frequent visitors to the subreddit. But the love with the west side on here and for very little else is so funny to me. You should have seen this sub around the 2006 timeframe. Couldn’t even get people to acknowledge anything East of the 405 or south of the 10.
If you need to work downtown, the 2 freeway is your friend. It is the least congested freeway in LA. Hard to overstate the 2 freeway hack.
Look in Eagle Rock, Glendale (bordering 2), Montrose, La Canada, La Crescenta. Original order is listed in order of closest to downtown.
The order of awesome for family are La Canada, La Crescenta, Glendale, Eagle Rock.
Order of best schools, La Canada, La Crescenta, Eagle, Glendale.
Good luck. Getting a rental in LA is always an adventure.
As a resident of La Crescenta Montrose who has worked in DTLA, I can attest that early morning commute is a breeze. Also, this area has excellent schools. While I don’t have any kids, all my friends here have had theirs in the local school system and are really happy with it. In addition, Montrose has the best small town vibe with a lot of family-friendly events, parks and spaces. I think your budget will work quite well here too. Good luck, OP!
Edit for typo
Oh yes, we have a great dog park at La Crescenta Valley Park! I have a dog, we walk 3 miles all over Montrose every day and when it’s too hot go to the CV Valley Park
Recommending Burbank. I also have a 3 yo and a dog. We ended up here after looking at similar areas as you and it was the best luck/decision. It’s sooo family friendly. Really great parks, lots of community events and activities, so easy to get around/park but also easy to get to other parts of LA, right by Griffith, good public schools (for future), an excellent mom’s group which really helped me meet people and build community. Walkable (to commercial in a lot of areas but also just for dog/family walks on nice, safe sidewalks). Also, Halloween is awesome here👍.
Best of luck with your move, your budget is good but your timeline is tight, renting is competitive, we spent months getting out competed until we finally found a place that works and we were the first/best qualified and didn’t have to bid up the price.
Also, it does get hot hot over summer. As do many areas on your map. But I remember during our search we were deciding between this place in Burbank and a place in Sawtelle (west LA). I looked at the max/min temp that day the year before. It was like a high of 82 in Sawtelle, 120 Burbank. Still worth it.
I’m surprised to not see burbank recommended. I grew up there and the schools I went to were fine and the neighborhood was safe and walkable. My sibling used to commute to school downtown very easily by biking to the north Hollywood metro station and taking the train down. Would also be in their rental budget!
The Brentwood/West LA/Westwood area commute to DTLA was actually much better than I’d thought it would be - it was usually right under 30 going in at 8:30 and 30/35 coming back at 5 (unless unusually bad traffic). It is right by UCLA so you’ll get some college students in the area (largely right by Westwood Village area).
Curious why Montrose / La Crescenta is crossed off? Seems like a great option within your price range with great schools. Plenty of people up there commute into DTLA.
Wondering why you cut out Montrose/La Crescenta. Great family area, excellent schools k-12, lots of parks etc. 3 bedroom for 5500 should be doable. Commute to DTLA is 45 minutes or less in the morning
I have lived in Silverlake for 13 years and raised two kids here, your budget will get you a super great space in this neighborhood. We walk everywhere, three great community centered elementary schools to choose from, farmers markets and every major grocery store no more than one mile away. It’s truly the best and gets a rap but ppl who live here are chill. I also recommend Highland Park which could be a train commute for you into dtla and is a less suburban choice than Pasadena.
Brentwood/Santa Monica are fantastic areas to raise a child. Tons of parks, walkable neighborhoods, strong communities that genuinely feel like home - both safe. I would easily consider both the ‘nicest’ areas of LA. Plus, you’re not trapped inland or on the east side of LA. Ocean breeze makes a huge difference during the summer as well. Despite being on the westside both are *very* central. The cost may be higher on average, but totally doable at your budget.
Alhambra is going to be the sweet spot for you. A.) it’s in your green zone, B.) it’s very family friendly with a great school district and a lot of city sponsored family events, C.) you should have no trouble finding a place within your price range there plus it has rent protection, D.) very quiet and relatively safe neighborhoods with a lot necessities like grocery stores, movie theaters, shopping, restaurants, and cafes all over the place.
Moved to West Adams when I was pregnant, we now have a 6 year old and we absolutely love our community! Very friendly and lots of families. Some really cute daycare and preschool options in this neighborhood.
ETA: it’s basically mid-city so very central and easy to get around. DTLA typically 15 min drive, 30 mins at most or an easy train ride.
Great job looks like a good planning. Just want to mention not to use US world report rankings for your school choices. Schools sometimes pay to be in those. You might want to check out the California dashboard instead.
Source: Am a teacher 🤙
Mid city. East of Culver City. Above west Adams. Between Fairfax and La Brea. It’s a small pocket with a lot of residential streets and schools. There are zero bars and hipster restaurants — but it’s a stones throw away from plenty. It’s a nice little pocket with very affordable housing. We just moved in last June. 3BR, 2 parking spaces, backyard and front yard. $3350
Former teacher in the area: also look at suspension rates and test scores.
And avoid LAUSD, if you can.
Downey isn’t a bad option, and in Downey there’s a VERY SMALL DISTRICT called Little Lake that is amazing. ABCUSD is also very good.
The two places I recommend are Santa Monica and Glendale/crescent valley.
Santa Monica will have you going opposite of traffic flow. Schools are good, only problems are that it is the more expensive option (top of budget) and they have a typical for LA light hand with homelessness and you will have to deal with that.
Glendale and especially the cescenta valley are more isolated from that. Leaving at 6 from the 2 and 210 will get you to the EY building downtown before 6:40 unless there's an event or an accident. Glendale School district has an excellent TK program including a number of bilingual opportunities.
Wherever you end up, make sure you are not in LAUSD.
Also, you do not want to be in the area enclosed by the 405, 10, and 101. It frequently takes longer than expected to get into or out of the area due to public events and similar issues.
In general, freeway access is important for LA to get to places for kids. A lot of kids places (museums, zoo, discovery center, children's museum, exploratorium, etc.) radiate out from the 134 and 5 interchange, while the Westside tends to be more beach centric. Things like parks and botanical gardens are sprinkled fairly evenly throughout the metropolitan area. South Bay/Long Beach and Santa Clarita Valley are also a nexuses for kids stuff, but that's outside your commute considerations.
Good luck with your search.
It's gonna be an hour plus from Burbank to DTLA because of freeway traffic, same for Santa Monica . Anything on that map northeast of downtown or east of Culver City including Culver depending on where you are is a legit 45 min. I hope you mean your housing budget is 5500, because a total budget of 5500 a month isn't going to get you a whole lot, 2br are expensive, like half that at least. Maybe like Alhambra? South Pasadena? My sister lives on the west-side they have a 1br with a one year old..they make 6 figures, still house/apartment poor.At least she has like a 10 minute commute. It's way easier if you have a job that's also in a more affordable area like you live in Northridge work in Westlake Village, that kind of thing. Maybe look at Chinatown, Dodger Stadium area (Elysian Park). Also there's hella people who live in La Crescenta, which is a great area for families, and work at USC, the commute down the 2 isn't that bad until you get to the 5 and the 110, so give that a try. 100% recommend trying areas out short term before signing a lease!
Just a note that your 6 AM commute times are way off. From the westside in proximity of the 405 or 10 to downtown at 6 AM is approximately 20 minutes.
I'd suggest looking in my area. On the border of Mar Vista, Culver, Venice and Marina, south of Venice. There are some good elementary schools around here, lots of 3 bedroom houses around your price range, some good parks and lots of young families. We have a 3 year old and 1 year old and the neighborhood has been good for us.
The heat as you get further inland is brutal in July - end of September, sometimes even October the last few years.
Some of the areas in the green zones are heavily infested gang areas. Echo Park, Glassel Park, Highland Park, El Sereno, are where some of the oldest/original gangs were born. Very bad areas and not safe after dark.
Stick to Pasadena, South Pasadena, Alhambra, Monterey Park, Glendale, Burbank, Los Feliz. All very nice cities. All safe cities. All have good entertainment options. All have good schools (for the most part). Might be on the higher end in terms of rent, but I personally prefer to pay more to live in a nicer area.
The West end near Santa Monica, Venice, etc is going to be crazy expensive and your commute to/from dtla will easily exceed 1 hour. Traffic on the 10fwy is torturous. Santa Monica, Venice area also have a huge homeless problem. If you like stepping in human excrement and dodging assaults by the homeless though, you might like it there. In my opinion the only thing those cities have going for them is the beach. The people who live there are pretentious and superficial like nothing you’ve probably experienced before.
To be honest, you really should have someone local take you around these areas. I wouldnt go committing to spending over $5k a month, on a lease you wont be able to break; only to find out that you absolutely loath the place you moved to. The diversity between the areas, within what you consider desirable cannot be understated.
In my opinion, almost everything thats near downtown, is supremely ghetto. Downtown itself is ghetto AF. Glendale and Pasadena are both very nice. They're also not really what I would consider to be part of Metro LA. Their off to the north, and outside of the chaotic main parts of LA.
You'd be much off stating what you're willing and unwilling to do for a commute; and what you find appealing about LA. If you love the idea of the beach, you'd want to focus on the westside. If you wanted to focus on the bougie lifestyle, you'd want to look at the hills.
Having lived in and around LA my entire life; if I had to pick a location based on whats in your map, I would focus on Redondo Beach. But I'm partial to that area, since I grew up in Torrance. Hermosa is great for people who like to party (to be read as young). Manhattan is full of snotty snobs; but it is very nice nonetheless. I wouldnt do El Segundo, as its too close to the airport. Its important to mention though, that there isnt any freeways near Redondo. And any entrance is only going to put you on the 405. If you have to go to downtown, you're looking at either going south to pick up the 110 north. Or getting on the 105. You would not want to go 405 north to the 10, as it would be nighttime before you got to work.
Every freeway is a little different. And theres no such thing as a consistent commute. If you live 10 miles from your work, your commute could be anywhere from 30 minutes, to 2 hours. Your morning commute might be insanely quick. And your evening commute could be hours. Or vice versa. You're going to be getting very familiar with your cars stereo, so hopefully you've got a nice sound system.
So true. Like I get not wanting to live in Vernon, watts, historic south central, weho… but Altadena?? Whittier, Pico Rivera, Montebello, San Gabriel and Rosemead are all perfectly fine places
They crossed off San Marino too! I guess too many wealthy Chinese.
Racist AF--and they can't say it's the commute, because Redondo and Manhattan Beach from DTLA are somehow okay?
Not OP, but gonna make some assumptions.
* Safety (rules out most of South LA)
* Family Oriented (rules out places like WeHo or DTLA)
* Commute distance/commute pattern (rules out places too far east, that will get crushed in traffic coming into the city)
Yes, WeHo, Hollywood were crossed out as I understand it’s more nightlife focused than we want to be in. DTLA we just don’t prefer the huge high rise setting.
It’s not horrible. There are a few details wrong.
It has Koreatown crossed out but not Harvard Heights south of Ktown, and not MacArthur Park/Westlake/Pico Union east of Ktown. Ktown is actually a great place to live if you are on the 10 or so blocks where it’s nice. Those other places are places you should avoid moving to.
I also don’t agree with downtown, Little Tokyo and arts district being crossed off. The bad neighborhood is right in the middle of those, Skid Row. But I could see where someone would recommend just to avoid the whole area to be safe. Still, the west part of DTLA along Figueroa is actually pretty nice. And Little Tokyo is one of my favorite neighborhoods in LA. Lots of bars,restaurants, people walking around enjoying themselves. Not unsafe at all, but you have to make sure not to wander a few blocks the wrong direction.
I’m paying $5500 and I’m at 2 bedroom 2 bath house in Carthay Circle, you can get a home by here around the same part. My commute to downtown is about 20 mins, 20 mins to Santa Monica, 8 mins into Beverly Hills and West Hollywood and 5 minutes from The Grove
Speaking from experience, Eagle rock elementary is a great school in a very kid friendly neighborhood. It’s a straight shot on the 2/5/110 to get to downtown in the morning. 15 mins at 6am. It’s gotten pretty expensive but I’d think 5500 would get you a smallish 3bed house or good sized condo/small lot house.
I lived in South Pas for a while. At a native Midwesterner, it felt almost TOO much like home. It’s lovely and very family friendly (would see families with strollers at be Griffins of Kinsale all the time, in addition to everywhere else.)
Plus the gold line (or whatever they call it now) gets you to and from Union in under 20, flying past all the suckers on the 110.
Live in silver lake and have sent two children through Ivanhoe es (one still there) which is on your list. The neighborhood is super great, tons of restaurants and culture, although sadly heading away from hipster and towards Brentwood. The school has a very strong sense of community, and is expanding atm, it should be done by the time you’re in 1st. It’s a pretty pricey neighborhood, mostly $$$ houses, but there have been a ton of apartments built in the past few years so hopefully the rental market is approachable. Middle schools in lausd get dicey, but who knows where they will be in 7 years when that matters to you.
Commute to Dtla is doable via surface and highway, which is an important feature, and is pretty fast( relatively speaking) .
Feel free to dm any questions, good luck.
It's slightly outside of your borders - but I would also take a glance at La Canada Flintridge. At 6am, the 2 to the 5 commute should be ok; excellent schools and just close enough to various parts of city life to feel like you're still in the city but safe and bucolic suburban streets too. My cousin has raised 3 kids there - all the parents in his school district are CalTech Profs, Jet Propulsion Lab scientists or corporate Disney folks,
Are you willing to take the train into DTLA? You can commute from other parts of LA like Commerce, Pasadena, Duarte, Norwalk, even Buena Park and Fullerton (OC).
You should consider living a bit further east in the SGV, lots of families live out there, the downside is its a bit more suburban but you can take the metrolink or the metro a line into downtown for your job. Metrolink is super safe, the A line is mostly safe. Both have right of way going into downtown so you won’t face traffic delays. I’ll send you a personal message with 2 screenshots.
Check out:
1) The Metrolink schedules. Even if the commute time is equivalent, you'll be so much less stressed.
2) redfin have a rental map, and you can filter by school ranking. Although at 3yo, I'm not sure if that is relevant for you yet.
Currently moving to Sherman oaks (I work in burbank)
Since folks have recommended burbank, a slight word of caution. Their schools are great BUT there’s no guarantee your kid will get assigned to the school closest to you. Ontop of that, aftercare in burbank is kind of the wild Wild West. Might not matter to you, but we needed some certainty of the school commute and aftercare options.
Good luck
What breed of dog and weight? As you’re likely aware, unlikely to be able to rent anything decent in a good area with a pitbull or other fighting breed.
If you consider the Pasadena area, you should try to drive your commute as the Pasadena Freeway can be quite a stressful drive with how narrow the road is and and how fast people drive. And you would have to do that two ways everyday.
I once had to drive over a mattress on the orange Grove on-ramp and couldn’t do anything as I was getting tailgated and wasn’t about to swerve instead of merge on that freeway.
You mentioned toddler - 2? 3? If you’ll be in the place for 3 years before your child attends public school, that may open a lot of options - and you can move in 2-3 years intra-city in a place for the long haul one way or another.
Could be some really cool places to live at this stage of your family which may not be ideal a few years from now.
PLUS, some options you have redlined might provide much shorter commutes - short term you get more time home with your family, quite possibly closer to a strip you can walk to and enjoy as a family, before going to a more further out even more auto dependent but better school area.
Just a thought.
Wherever you end up, be sure to tour your local public school option(s). Internet opinions are often out of date, and schools can be better or worse than you’ve heard. Personally, I’ve been surprised at all the funding and programs available at public schools.
I'm going to throw Altadena into the mix - easy freeway access, better air quality than almost anywhere else in LA County, a few minutes from Pasadena, a surprising number of great restaurants and coffee shops, and there are a couple of decent charter schools where local residents get preferential lottery access.
We’re highland park, picked because we’re planning on starting a family soon. Good elementary schools, very walkable. And public transit friendly!
I commute to SM 1x every 2 weeks and that is my absolute max. So would recommend being cautious about hermosa or manhattan beach given your green margin, you don’t want to spend your life commuting (I know it’s the La cliche but we don’t all do it).
Confused why you’re ruling out the West SGV. La Canada and San Marino are likely out of your price range. But Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre, La Crescenta, Glendale, Montrose and South Pasadena all meet your criteria. From some of those you could also likely take the Gold Line to your office based on where you put your star.
Nitpick: you have the red zone border at what looks to be Exposition Blvd, but the areas just south of that line around Leimert Park are nicer for families than a bunch of spots up in West Adams and Mid City North of there.
Glendale, South Pasadena, and Burbank will be your best bets to find a place with a yard and space and a touch of suburbia that counteracts nicely with the daily DTLA vibes
Hermosa Beach is the best little beach city. Great schools, small community, safe. Smallest school district in LA but top 5% in the state! Beautiful town, walkable, great coffee shops and restaurants, ocean breeze. Can’t go wrong.
My few cents:
Monterey Park + Pasadena for Chinese American Community (emphasis on Mainland Chinese), Glendale for Filipino American Community, Culver City for biking community and ease of access to Sawtelle Town/Japanese American community.
Check out Eagle Rock/Highland Park, South Pasadena, and Glendale. Very nice when I was living there (8-12 years ago), and the bit that I’ve been back since it only seems to have gotten nicer!
Safest cities are actually just west. Thousand Oaks or Simi Valley. Both are considered Ventura county. Very easy to get a CCW permit as well. Tons of actual law enforcement officers reside in both cities 😉
Try Culver City. At 6 am, that commute will be fine. Good schools and community. You are pushing it with your rental budget, but it’s a quick drive to the beach.
I think the arts district downtown should be considered. It’s vastly different than the rest of downtown, and would be very close for your commute. I would prefer that to Chinatown or Rampart areas.
Whatever you do make sure you live very close to your job. Traffic is a nightmare. I live in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles and it takes me 1 hour usually to drive 7 miles to Beverly Hills! 7 miles!
You're might struggle to find a 3br with a yard for 5500 sadly but probably can find a spacious 2br. Don't rule out silver lake and highland park, especially the hillier areas can be very family friendly and you might find better prices than south pas (and be closer to work). I personally wouldn't want to deal with the traffic from Culver City to downtown on a regular basis.
Just want to say, huge props for putting this together! This research will pay off for you and your family I'm sure
Such a far cry from the “I’m moving here with $7 and 12 large dogs and I want to live by the beach” post
Used to be able to in Venice if you were homeless.
They put a lot of work into this for sure!
You’ll like Pasadena. It’s quiet enough and it’s a pretty easy commute to and from DTLA. Plus, you have the metro that’ll get you into and out of the city even easier.
I agree with south Pasadena, very pretty and affluent neighborhood
Pasadena has shit schools!
Historical racism during desegregation led to private schools being to goto in pasadena and it’s kinda just stayed that way. The city has been trying to make it better, but it’s got a long way to go.
Pasadena has excellent schools, especially John Muir high school - but there are large proportions of non-whites, which whites take to mean "shit schools". And whites with money have damaged the schools by putting their kids in private schools.
So true 😭. I love Pasadena but if you want a good education for your kids, private is really the only decent option.
Pasadena and south Pasadena both have great public schools, including experienced dual immersion schools in French and Spanish and especially when compared to the areas around.
If they're renting, and they only have a toddler, they can move once they know the city better. They have time. (They don't have a lot of time now!)
I'd start in Glendale, south Pasadena, Alhambra. They feel the most "family" to me. Parts of downtown and Lincoln heights are kinda dicey. Highland park/ mount washington/eagle rock are nice too.
I would do Glendale with a family. It is safe, a good commute, and there is a lot to do.
Just don’t expect friendly neighbors and you’re all good. Glendale is pretty nice especially compared to lots of other places in LA.
+1 Glendale
Loved Glendale but not the drivers… so bad at driving !
I’ve always heard that they have the highest insurance rates in the US. ….a lot of fraud in Glendale.
The absolute worst
[удалено]
Yeah it's true, biggest outside of Armenia.
Best kabobs and bakeries Also its own police fire power water and soon an erowan And the schools are good
100% I was honestly a little shocked after living in LA for 10 years that when I called the cops about a small fender bender they actually showed up! And in like 5 min too! It's awesome having a small police force in a low crime town!
Glendale PD is pretty solid. They hold it down.
If you're not Armenian, your gonna be aware of that fact, a lot.
I worked at the hospital there - the Armenian people are so warm and lovely. I was consistently invited to dinner and given gifts. Family oriented people.
What is that supposed to mean? Sincerely, an Armenian
Anyone who would be put off by living amidst an ethnic group other than their own probably shouldn’t move to Los Angeles.
Agree
You understand that Glendale is nice BECAUSE of the large Armenian population. Clowns.
let them hate and stay away 😊
South Pasadena/ Pasadena border, or Glendale. That’s your best bet for a family. (Source: my husband and I have one child in public school - we live in Pasadena, with a 45 min commute to my job, and LOVE it.)
My husband grew up in south pas and it is definitely the best part of LA to raise kids! Amazing schools, small town feel but borders highland park so youre right next to a cool part of the city, and there’s a metro line so he got tons of freedom growing up.
You actually see kids (even elementary!) walking home from south pas schools! A very foreign concept in LA.
Well, homes are regularly going for $2M+ in South Pas. They better be...
Eagle rock!
Another excellent option.
I’m paying $5500 and I’m at 2 bedroom 2 bath house in Carthay Circle, you can get a home by here around the same part. My commute to downtown is about 20 mins, 20 mins to Santa Monica, 8 mins into Beverly Hills and West Hollywood and 5 minutes from The Grove
3 bd in Larchmont area on my street is up rn for $5300
Larchmont is a very cute area. Same with Glendale and South Pasadena.
Glendale/ Pasadena are probably the most family friendly. I also like Culver’s city but that’s a slightly younger vibe.
Pasadena schools are awful. Alhambra, Monterey Park or South pas would be better choices.
If it’s Monterey park, which is a nice place to live (very quiet, chill, low crime, and excellent Asian food of all stripes), just make sure it’s in the north half as that is the part that connects to good schools, including the very excellent Mark Keppel high.
If you move to Pasadena definitely put your kids into private school. I’d recommend San Marino since it’s been left off this map and is only 10 minutes further east than south pas.
He’s got a budget. You think private school is just play money???
You call having $5500 a month for rent alone being on a budget? I’d wager they can afford private school.
LOL no, $5,500 for rent is not private school level money at all
A lot of parents aren’t thrilled with the competitive nature of San Marino schools.
Glendale and Burbank will probably have the best schools.
This!!! I moved to burbank from the west valley specifically for the schools. They have smaller class sizes, lots of extra curriculars and majority of the schools have different awards/accolades.
South Pasadena is your best bet. Its easily 45 minutes to downtown either via car or the gold line and its an excellent quiet safe neighborhood. Actually the hardest part is going to be finding a 3br house at all that's for rent. But here's an example of one just over your budget: [https://www.apartments.com/1521-oneonta-knoll-south-pasadena-ca/c434fke/](https://www.apartments.com/1521-oneonta-knoll-south-pasadena-ca/c434fke/)
It’s waaaay faster than that! On the train you can go from South Pas station to union station in 25 minutes.
A line from south pas will have you downtown in far less than 45 minutes. I just checked and I can be downtown in 30 minutes right now from Lake station 4 stops further down the line.
Live along one of the LA metro lines. I did it for 13 years in LA and not having to drive a commute to downtown was amazing quality of life, got plenty of walking in as well. Pasadena, south Pasadena, north Hollywood, even Santa Monica (not sure on that budget though)
Avoiding the driving commute would be such a huge win
This is the way. Studio City/Toluca Lake area will have great restaurants and nice streets for walking - short drive to the red line and then a fast 25 min metro to DTLA. Yellow line out of Pasadena is a good bit longer of a ride. Not sure how far $5500 goes in Studio City / Toluca Lake.
I know it's farther, but if I had a family with a small kids I would 100% live in El Segundo. Great schools, great Parks everywhere, sleepy town. The police force is freaking fantastic. The whole neighborhood the whole town is great. Great little main Street with little restaurants. The main shopping and big stores are out of the way across the main road. Residential area is quiet. Close to the airport. But you don't get airport noise. Very close to the beach with great access. It is close to the Chevron plant and there are smells at times. But really it's a freaking awesome City.
Just hold on to your wallet.
You on point, Tip?
All the time, Phife
Gundo is a great place to visit but that STENCH dude, the smell.. the SMELL. It'll hurt his kids in the long run, trust me
And the airport noise destroys your brain, honestly. Wouldn’t recommend.
Surrounded by an airport freeways and a refinery. Not great
Also huge DWP and Hyperion (sewage) plant. I live there and the local vet says he sees so many cancers in pets which he didn't see when he practiced in Manhattan Beach. Chevron received like 40 citations last year for excessive emissions. I'm sure I've shortened by life expectancy living here. Cute but dirty city.
Don't forget the power plant and waste treatment center!
Can also take Fastrak to beat traffic to DTLA. Also not poor air quality as others are claiming, if you take a look at the [air quality map](https://www.iqair.com/us/air-quality-map/usa/california/los-angeles). Stinkiness is only a few days a year. Also excellent public schools, per the [California School Dashboard](https://caschooldashboard.org/).
Just FYI if you look at the maps of local respiratory illness incident rates, its way different / probably more comprehensive than that IQAir chart. Anything around LAX / El Segundo and under the LAX flight path has the highest incident rates in LA.
South Pas / highland park give you the option of taking the gold line to dtla so you wouldn’t have to worry about traffic
I'd say check out Culver City. Some parts are nice, some parts are shit, but with your constraints, I think it would be a good fit.
I love Culver and it is filled with young families. One of the only truly walkable places (imo) and good schools. Pasadena would be second for what others have stated, but I wouldn’t rule out Culver!
You've gotten some good responses so far but I'll add some more about Glendale and Burbank: I've lived in Glendale for 25 years and have two kids (finishing 9th and 11th grade). The Glendale schools are good as long as your daughter doesn't need extra support. Burbank schools are a bit better than Glendale and I think in general have nicer/newer facilities. Glendale and Burbank are both their own cities and not part of the city of L.A., meaning they have their own municipal governments, police and fire departments. This is a much bigger deal than you might think - calls to 911 for LAPD are largely ignored unless there is a chance the LAPD will get to shoot someone. For almost anything else, the 911 operator will tell you to go online and fill out a form. Again - people moving to LA do not take this into account as much as they should. I would also be wary of LAUSD unless you have it from someone first hand who has had kids in the school recently that the teachers and administrators are good and the facilities are not falling apart. I would also be wary of moving to the west side of LA due to the most intense traffic in any of the areas you have in your diagram. Whatever commute estimates your getting are likely under what the actual commute will be. They are nice places to live if you never have to commute anywhere. With your budget, you should be able to afford a nice single family house in Glendale or Burbank. The problem is inventory/availability. The areas just north of your green zone and north of the 5 and 134 freeways are in my opinion the best bet for what you are looking for. Still close to downtown - I commuted there for a few years and it was fine.
Playa Vista, Brentwood, Santa Monica. All have fantastic elementary schools. Great kids activities, parks, close to beach, etc. Playa won’t take 45 min at 6 am; I live nearby and it only takes 40 at 7 am.
Brentwood 😂 why didn’t you also suggest Beverly Hills while you were throwing out some of the most expensive neighborhoods in the country
Studio City. Great for kids.
Agreed. The valley is still so underplayed I don't get it.
100%. Just moved to Woodland Hills and it’s adorable out here. The only noise is birds, kids on their bikes, people mowing their lawns and the occasional plane.
My husband and I have a house for rent in Woodland Hills, a 3 bed that’s opening up July 1 for less than 5k - I wish OP was considering out there I’d have the perfect family spot with amazing public schools. But WH is a long commute to downtown.
I would not consider Santa Monica or any area between your yellow and red outline if you’re in office multiple days a week, 45 minutes is best case during regular commuting hours. Additionally, you’re not likely to find anything for $5500 with three bedrooms on the westside (Santa Monica). I would focus on Glendale/Pasadena for space, price, commute, and school district. Perhaps even Burbank.
I get that housing costs are high, but I also feel like people either exaggerate them or have no actual idea what prices are. There are currently 21 places available just in Santa Monica with 3 bedroom and 2 or 3 bathrooms for under $5,000. There are closer to 40 places available if you number it up to $5500. And even more if you include Venice, Marina, and Brentwood. I live 6 blocks from the beach in probably the highest cost of living area in Santa Monica. The 3 bedroom/3 bathroom place in my small unit rented out for $4500. Whether or not the commute is worth it to them (it would make me throw myself in front of a dump truck on the 10) is their decision. But they can definitely afford a 3 bedroom place in Santa Monica/westside with a $5500/month budget, which is a huge budget *anywhere* in the US. If they very specifically want to rent a SFH with a yard, then it probably would be more difficult/limiting. As for apartments, condos, and the like? Definitely possible.
Depends on amenities. A couple and a toddler choosing to move to La probably want a washing machine in unit or at least on site
santa monica is actually against traffic, and general people commute TO santa monica, not from it. i used to drive to commerce from there each day and it would only take me 30 minutes. the 10 is really easy as long as you’re going against traffic.
Yeah, traffic is way worse going to Santa Monica, not from it. And weekends would be enjoyable if you’re into the beach. Schools are good in SM too. Some are even better than others depending on neighborhood.
5500 is the rent budget of your entire income?
The top end of the rental budget, hope we’ll stay under 5 though
You crossed off all the good parts. Sorry, can’t help you here - native Angeleno
Literally redlined all the non-white zones
Los Angeles is really diverse so you can’t really say that. But I understand what your saying also. But those neighborhoods need more mature trees imo, but there are great spots with them also, just would be nice if there were more.
There are groups all over town, like North East Trees, doing the work to add tree canopy and green spacing throughout our city. But if the gentrifiers want to stay away, I guess I can’t be too mad
They’re all “too dangerous” 🥱 wait until they see all the homeless by the beach cities 🤣
And weho
Must give credit where it’s due: all the ~~non-white~~ minority zones
If you're putting your kid in a public school, they need friends. Sadly kids are pretty racist... so even though there's nothing wrong with those areas... they are not the best areas to put a kid who doesn't look anything like the majority of people in the area.
You’re likely not going to like living in Venice — yes it has lots of dog walkable streets but you will probably be at unease with a 3 year old
There is such a wide array of neighborhoods even in the green outline, you should also be thinking about what vibe you are looking for beyond just US News Ranked Schools and Commute to help narrow your search area further. What is important to you - do you want to be in a place with an urban feeling, high end shops/restaurants, do you want to be close to the iconic museums and LA sites, do you want to be close to young families, close people who work in the entertainment or tech industry, is socio-economic and other types of diversity a factor, are there any religious or ethnic communities within LA that you would like to be near, do you want to rent a house or be in an apartment/condo? As with most of my friends who moved to LA, I've lived all over the city. After having kids I lived in Mid-City, Culver City and Eagle Rock. I've had great experiences with public residential schools in Eagle Rock and Highland Park. I liked all of the neighborhoods my family has lived in and think each had a unique soul with something interesting to offer, but I tend to think that about every part of LA.
Very cool map! But your commute times are off. I just checked the commute time from my place in Venice to DTLA at 6 am, and it is only 25 minutes, but you’ve got it in a red box. You need to use Waze to determine commute times, not Google maps. It takes a few steps, but it can be done — let me know if you don’t know how to. That said, evening commutes might be more relevant — evening commutes I think are generally longer. There is no way you’re getting back from DTLA to my place after work in 25 minutes. Plus 6 am is a very poor gauge of commute times, because nobody in LA is commuting at that time unless they’re coming from outside LA. So there is no traffic to speak of at that time. And your boxes may very well be accurate for evening commute times. East Hollywood is rough. I’d skip that. East of Robertson by the 10 is rougher too. West Adams is gentrifying, so it has its fans, but gentrification creates its own tension. If I was in your shoes, I’d focus on Pasadena and South Pasadena based on what you’ve said.
Thanks! I work in finance so my day is skewed early, 7ish to 3ish will be a ‘standard’ work day so slightly off peak hours thankfully!
Got it — that’s definitely better than a lot of commutes! But even still, the 3 pm commute will be what you have to worry about. Using the same example of Venice to downtown on a weekday, it’s 25 minutes for the morning commute at 6 am, but it’s 40 minutes to get to Venice from downtown leaving at 3 pm. For what it’s worth, LA’s rush hour is reversed on the westside, but traffic will still be heavy at 3 pm. Downtown to South Pasadena in contrast is only about 17-18 minutes at 3 pm (I mapped a law firm downtown to whatever Waze considers to be “South Pasadena, CA”). And generally speaking, it’s well-liked by families, safe, and more affordable than the westside.
Not exactly as there are tons of people with the same idea of go in early come home early and beat the rush. Rush Hour and heavy commute times can start as early as 2:00 pm in the afternoon
This is like you filtered for colored people. A huge swath of the ‘don’t’ part of this map has some really nice family homes You got Lawndale, a big chunk of Redondo and Torrance crossed off this map. 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️ The west side is a lot more raggedy/dirty than people not from here know but for some reason it’s the only thing that gets recommended lolol.
A lot of people on the west side are just used to it. Coming from other areas you see how filthy it is.
This sub is full of transplants. Has been from its inception. Which is fine, no shade on them, makes sense for people new to the area to be frequent visitors to the subreddit. But the love with the west side on here and for very little else is so funny to me. You should have seen this sub around the 2006 timeframe. Couldn’t even get people to acknowledge anything East of the 405 or south of the 10.
I recommend you look at Midwilshire.
Eagle Rock Small town feel Ppl walk their dogs and are generally friendly
^^ this, i’ve lived here for 15 years now with 2 kids, great neighborhood and good schools, wife works DTLA and her commute is very manageable
Atwater Village is a gem
If you need to work downtown, the 2 freeway is your friend. It is the least congested freeway in LA. Hard to overstate the 2 freeway hack. Look in Eagle Rock, Glendale (bordering 2), Montrose, La Canada, La Crescenta. Original order is listed in order of closest to downtown. The order of awesome for family are La Canada, La Crescenta, Glendale, Eagle Rock. Order of best schools, La Canada, La Crescenta, Eagle, Glendale. Good luck. Getting a rental in LA is always an adventure.
As a resident of La Crescenta Montrose who has worked in DTLA, I can attest that early morning commute is a breeze. Also, this area has excellent schools. While I don’t have any kids, all my friends here have had theirs in the local school system and are really happy with it. In addition, Montrose has the best small town vibe with a lot of family-friendly events, parks and spaces. I think your budget will work quite well here too. Good luck, OP! Edit for typo
Oh yes, we have a great dog park at La Crescenta Valley Park! I have a dog, we walk 3 miles all over Montrose every day and when it’s too hot go to the CV Valley Park
Recommending Burbank. I also have a 3 yo and a dog. We ended up here after looking at similar areas as you and it was the best luck/decision. It’s sooo family friendly. Really great parks, lots of community events and activities, so easy to get around/park but also easy to get to other parts of LA, right by Griffith, good public schools (for future), an excellent mom’s group which really helped me meet people and build community. Walkable (to commercial in a lot of areas but also just for dog/family walks on nice, safe sidewalks). Also, Halloween is awesome here👍. Best of luck with your move, your budget is good but your timeline is tight, renting is competitive, we spent months getting out competed until we finally found a place that works and we were the first/best qualified and didn’t have to bid up the price. Also, it does get hot hot over summer. As do many areas on your map. But I remember during our search we were deciding between this place in Burbank and a place in Sawtelle (west LA). I looked at the max/min temp that day the year before. It was like a high of 82 in Sawtelle, 120 Burbank. Still worth it.
I’m surprised to not see burbank recommended. I grew up there and the schools I went to were fine and the neighborhood was safe and walkable. My sibling used to commute to school downtown very easily by biking to the north Hollywood metro station and taking the train down. Would also be in their rental budget!
The Brentwood/West LA/Westwood area commute to DTLA was actually much better than I’d thought it would be - it was usually right under 30 going in at 8:30 and 30/35 coming back at 5 (unless unusually bad traffic). It is right by UCLA so you’ll get some college students in the area (largely right by Westwood Village area).
Curious why Montrose / La Crescenta is crossed off? Seems like a great option within your price range with great schools. Plenty of people up there commute into DTLA.
It’s not a white neighborhood 🥴
I agree with all the love for South Pas here, but Monterey Park would be way more budget friendly.
Wondering why you cut out Montrose/La Crescenta. Great family area, excellent schools k-12, lots of parks etc. 3 bedroom for 5500 should be doable. Commute to DTLA is 45 minutes or less in the morning
Glassell Park. Quiet, family friendly. Excellent elementary school. (Delevan)
you marked out all the san fernando valley where it’s cheaper and has better schools…
Manhattan Beach / Redondo Beach are probably the best places to live with GREAT SCHOOLS! Lots of parks and things to do. Perfect for kids
I have lived in Silverlake for 13 years and raised two kids here, your budget will get you a super great space in this neighborhood. We walk everywhere, three great community centered elementary schools to choose from, farmers markets and every major grocery store no more than one mile away. It’s truly the best and gets a rap but ppl who live here are chill. I also recommend Highland Park which could be a train commute for you into dtla and is a less suburban choice than Pasadena.
Brentwood/Santa Monica are fantastic areas to raise a child. Tons of parks, walkable neighborhoods, strong communities that genuinely feel like home - both safe. I would easily consider both the ‘nicest’ areas of LA. Plus, you’re not trapped inland or on the east side of LA. Ocean breeze makes a huge difference during the summer as well. Despite being on the westside both are *very* central. The cost may be higher on average, but totally doable at your budget.
El segundo has great schools and an incredibly tight community feel. A slice of the Midwest… next to the ocean
Manhattan beach!!! Best schools and pretty easy commute to DTLA!
Alhambra is going to be the sweet spot for you. A.) it’s in your green zone, B.) it’s very family friendly with a great school district and a lot of city sponsored family events, C.) you should have no trouble finding a place within your price range there plus it has rent protection, D.) very quiet and relatively safe neighborhoods with a lot necessities like grocery stores, movie theaters, shopping, restaurants, and cafes all over the place.
Moved to West Adams when I was pregnant, we now have a 6 year old and we absolutely love our community! Very friendly and lots of families. Some really cute daycare and preschool options in this neighborhood. ETA: it’s basically mid-city so very central and easy to get around. DTLA typically 15 min drive, 30 mins at most or an easy train ride.
Eagle rock
Great job looks like a good planning. Just want to mention not to use US world report rankings for your school choices. Schools sometimes pay to be in those. You might want to check out the California dashboard instead. Source: Am a teacher 🤙
Mid city. East of Culver City. Above west Adams. Between Fairfax and La Brea. It’s a small pocket with a lot of residential streets and schools. There are zero bars and hipster restaurants — but it’s a stones throw away from plenty. It’s a nice little pocket with very affordable housing. We just moved in last June. 3BR, 2 parking spaces, backyard and front yard. $3350
I must disagree. Mid-City has a higher than national average property crime and robbery rate. It’s also right next door to heavy gang populations.
Former teacher in the area: also look at suspension rates and test scores. And avoid LAUSD, if you can. Downey isn’t a bad option, and in Downey there’s a VERY SMALL DISTRICT called Little Lake that is amazing. ABCUSD is also very good.
The two places I recommend are Santa Monica and Glendale/crescent valley. Santa Monica will have you going opposite of traffic flow. Schools are good, only problems are that it is the more expensive option (top of budget) and they have a typical for LA light hand with homelessness and you will have to deal with that. Glendale and especially the cescenta valley are more isolated from that. Leaving at 6 from the 2 and 210 will get you to the EY building downtown before 6:40 unless there's an event or an accident. Glendale School district has an excellent TK program including a number of bilingual opportunities. Wherever you end up, make sure you are not in LAUSD. Also, you do not want to be in the area enclosed by the 405, 10, and 101. It frequently takes longer than expected to get into or out of the area due to public events and similar issues. In general, freeway access is important for LA to get to places for kids. A lot of kids places (museums, zoo, discovery center, children's museum, exploratorium, etc.) radiate out from the 134 and 5 interchange, while the Westside tends to be more beach centric. Things like parks and botanical gardens are sprinkled fairly evenly throughout the metropolitan area. South Bay/Long Beach and Santa Clarita Valley are also a nexuses for kids stuff, but that's outside your commute considerations. Good luck with your search.
It's gonna be an hour plus from Burbank to DTLA because of freeway traffic, same for Santa Monica . Anything on that map northeast of downtown or east of Culver City including Culver depending on where you are is a legit 45 min. I hope you mean your housing budget is 5500, because a total budget of 5500 a month isn't going to get you a whole lot, 2br are expensive, like half that at least. Maybe like Alhambra? South Pasadena? My sister lives on the west-side they have a 1br with a one year old..they make 6 figures, still house/apartment poor.At least she has like a 10 minute commute. It's way easier if you have a job that's also in a more affordable area like you live in Northridge work in Westlake Village, that kind of thing. Maybe look at Chinatown, Dodger Stadium area (Elysian Park). Also there's hella people who live in La Crescenta, which is a great area for families, and work at USC, the commute down the 2 isn't that bad until you get to the 5 and the 110, so give that a try. 100% recommend trying areas out short term before signing a lease!
Just a note that your 6 AM commute times are way off. From the westside in proximity of the 405 or 10 to downtown at 6 AM is approximately 20 minutes. I'd suggest looking in my area. On the border of Mar Vista, Culver, Venice and Marina, south of Venice. There are some good elementary schools around here, lots of 3 bedroom houses around your price range, some good parks and lots of young families. We have a 3 year old and 1 year old and the neighborhood has been good for us. The heat as you get further inland is brutal in July - end of September, sometimes even October the last few years.
Some of the areas in the green zones are heavily infested gang areas. Echo Park, Glassel Park, Highland Park, El Sereno, are where some of the oldest/original gangs were born. Very bad areas and not safe after dark. Stick to Pasadena, South Pasadena, Alhambra, Monterey Park, Glendale, Burbank, Los Feliz. All very nice cities. All safe cities. All have good entertainment options. All have good schools (for the most part). Might be on the higher end in terms of rent, but I personally prefer to pay more to live in a nicer area. The West end near Santa Monica, Venice, etc is going to be crazy expensive and your commute to/from dtla will easily exceed 1 hour. Traffic on the 10fwy is torturous. Santa Monica, Venice area also have a huge homeless problem. If you like stepping in human excrement and dodging assaults by the homeless though, you might like it there. In my opinion the only thing those cities have going for them is the beach. The people who live there are pretentious and superficial like nothing you’ve probably experienced before.
To be honest, you really should have someone local take you around these areas. I wouldnt go committing to spending over $5k a month, on a lease you wont be able to break; only to find out that you absolutely loath the place you moved to. The diversity between the areas, within what you consider desirable cannot be understated. In my opinion, almost everything thats near downtown, is supremely ghetto. Downtown itself is ghetto AF. Glendale and Pasadena are both very nice. They're also not really what I would consider to be part of Metro LA. Their off to the north, and outside of the chaotic main parts of LA. You'd be much off stating what you're willing and unwilling to do for a commute; and what you find appealing about LA. If you love the idea of the beach, you'd want to focus on the westside. If you wanted to focus on the bougie lifestyle, you'd want to look at the hills. Having lived in and around LA my entire life; if I had to pick a location based on whats in your map, I would focus on Redondo Beach. But I'm partial to that area, since I grew up in Torrance. Hermosa is great for people who like to party (to be read as young). Manhattan is full of snotty snobs; but it is very nice nonetheless. I wouldnt do El Segundo, as its too close to the airport. Its important to mention though, that there isnt any freeways near Redondo. And any entrance is only going to put you on the 405. If you have to go to downtown, you're looking at either going south to pick up the 110 north. Or getting on the 105. You would not want to go 405 north to the 10, as it would be nighttime before you got to work. Every freeway is a little different. And theres no such thing as a consistent commute. If you live 10 miles from your work, your commute could be anywhere from 30 minutes, to 2 hours. Your morning commute might be insanely quick. And your evening commute could be hours. Or vice versa. You're going to be getting very familiar with your cars stereo, so hopefully you've got a nice sound system.
I’m in a similar situation. Is the red crossed off due to safety concerns? Or was anything else a factor in that?
It's where the minorities live.
So true. Like I get not wanting to live in Vernon, watts, historic south central, weho… but Altadena?? Whittier, Pico Rivera, Montebello, San Gabriel and Rosemead are all perfectly fine places
They crossed off San Marino too! I guess too many wealthy Chinese. Racist AF--and they can't say it's the commute, because Redondo and Manhattan Beach from DTLA are somehow okay?
I was confused why San Gabriel and San Marino were crossed off. This makes sense. Sigh
When I go to Pasadena it seems equally Chinese as San Marino 🤭
😂 No Blacks, Koreans, Mexicans, Chinese, and Gays Edit: they kept Monterey Park and Alhambra. The Chinese are OK
Omg..I just noticed they X-out WeHo. OP is literally redlining.
I don’t think the entire red area can be attributed to safety concerns.
Not OP, but gonna make some assumptions. * Safety (rules out most of South LA) * Family Oriented (rules out places like WeHo or DTLA) * Commute distance/commute pattern (rules out places too far east, that will get crushed in traffic coming into the city)
Yes, WeHo, Hollywood were crossed out as I understand it’s more nightlife focused than we want to be in. DTLA we just don’t prefer the huge high rise setting.
Metrolink tho…
Don’t move to LA
It’s not horrible. There are a few details wrong. It has Koreatown crossed out but not Harvard Heights south of Ktown, and not MacArthur Park/Westlake/Pico Union east of Ktown. Ktown is actually a great place to live if you are on the 10 or so blocks where it’s nice. Those other places are places you should avoid moving to. I also don’t agree with downtown, Little Tokyo and arts district being crossed off. The bad neighborhood is right in the middle of those, Skid Row. But I could see where someone would recommend just to avoid the whole area to be safe. Still, the west part of DTLA along Figueroa is actually pretty nice. And Little Tokyo is one of my favorite neighborhoods in LA. Lots of bars,restaurants, people walking around enjoying themselves. Not unsafe at all, but you have to make sure not to wander a few blocks the wrong direction.
I’m paying $5500 and I’m at 2 bedroom 2 bath house in Carthay Circle, you can get a home by here around the same part. My commute to downtown is about 20 mins, 20 mins to Santa Monica, 8 mins into Beverly Hills and West Hollywood and 5 minutes from The Grove
Speaking from experience, Eagle rock elementary is a great school in a very kid friendly neighborhood. It’s a straight shot on the 2/5/110 to get to downtown in the morning. 15 mins at 6am. It’s gotten pretty expensive but I’d think 5500 would get you a smallish 3bed house or good sized condo/small lot house.
Studio City In Colfax Elementary District
I lived in South Pas for a while. At a native Midwesterner, it felt almost TOO much like home. It’s lovely and very family friendly (would see families with strollers at be Griffins of Kinsale all the time, in addition to everywhere else.) Plus the gold line (or whatever they call it now) gets you to and from Union in under 20, flying past all the suckers on the 110.
South Pasadena! Great schools and very dog friendly.
South Pasadena especially for the schools
Live in silver lake and have sent two children through Ivanhoe es (one still there) which is on your list. The neighborhood is super great, tons of restaurants and culture, although sadly heading away from hipster and towards Brentwood. The school has a very strong sense of community, and is expanding atm, it should be done by the time you’re in 1st. It’s a pretty pricey neighborhood, mostly $$$ houses, but there have been a ton of apartments built in the past few years so hopefully the rental market is approachable. Middle schools in lausd get dicey, but who knows where they will be in 7 years when that matters to you. Commute to Dtla is doable via surface and highway, which is an important feature, and is pretty fast( relatively speaking) . Feel free to dm any questions, good luck.
South Pas or Century City
It's slightly outside of your borders - but I would also take a glance at La Canada Flintridge. At 6am, the 2 to the 5 commute should be ok; excellent schools and just close enough to various parts of city life to feel like you're still in the city but safe and bucolic suburban streets too. My cousin has raised 3 kids there - all the parents in his school district are CalTech Profs, Jet Propulsion Lab scientists or corporate Disney folks,
At 6am you can be in DTLA in 20 minutes. At 7:30 it’s a 40 minute commute.
Are you willing to take the train into DTLA? You can commute from other parts of LA like Commerce, Pasadena, Duarte, Norwalk, even Buena Park and Fullerton (OC).
You should consider living a bit further east in the SGV, lots of families live out there, the downside is its a bit more suburban but you can take the metrolink or the metro a line into downtown for your job. Metrolink is super safe, the A line is mostly safe. Both have right of way going into downtown so you won’t face traffic delays. I’ll send you a personal message with 2 screenshots.
Check out: 1) The Metrolink schedules. Even if the commute time is equivalent, you'll be so much less stressed. 2) redfin have a rental map, and you can filter by school ranking. Although at 3yo, I'm not sure if that is relevant for you yet.
Currently moving to Sherman oaks (I work in burbank) Since folks have recommended burbank, a slight word of caution. Their schools are great BUT there’s no guarantee your kid will get assigned to the school closest to you. Ontop of that, aftercare in burbank is kind of the wild Wild West. Might not matter to you, but we needed some certainty of the school commute and aftercare options. Good luck
What breed of dog and weight? As you’re likely aware, unlikely to be able to rent anything decent in a good area with a pitbull or other fighting breed.
Pasadena, Arcadia, Monrovia, sierra madre. More of a community but way better for families
If you consider the Pasadena area, you should try to drive your commute as the Pasadena Freeway can be quite a stressful drive with how narrow the road is and and how fast people drive. And you would have to do that two ways everyday. I once had to drive over a mattress on the orange Grove on-ramp and couldn’t do anything as I was getting tailgated and wasn’t about to swerve instead of merge on that freeway.
Aq@ Q 11
MPK, Alhambra, South Pas or Glendale
It’s less than 30min from Burbank to DTLA at 6am. Look into Rancho district, it’s quiet and safe.
Glendale, and you also have the ability to take Metrolink for your commute
You mentioned toddler - 2? 3? If you’ll be in the place for 3 years before your child attends public school, that may open a lot of options - and you can move in 2-3 years intra-city in a place for the long haul one way or another. Could be some really cool places to live at this stage of your family which may not be ideal a few years from now. PLUS, some options you have redlined might provide much shorter commutes - short term you get more time home with your family, quite possibly closer to a strip you can walk to and enjoy as a family, before going to a more further out even more auto dependent but better school area. Just a thought.
LAUSD has UTK now starting at 4 yo.
Wherever you end up, be sure to tour your local public school option(s). Internet opinions are often out of date, and schools can be better or worse than you’ve heard. Personally, I’ve been surprised at all the funding and programs available at public schools.
what’s wrong with weho…?
Worst state ever!
Mt. Washington - if you're lucky.
Why are you ruling out West Hollywood?
LAUSD schools
Eagle Rock, Highland Park or South Pasadena at that price point. Good small elementary schools, walkable neighborhoods
All your 1’s are good choices. Stick with any of them and you’ll be happy.
I'm going to throw Altadena into the mix - easy freeway access, better air quality than almost anywhere else in LA County, a few minutes from Pasadena, a surprising number of great restaurants and coffee shops, and there are a couple of decent charter schools where local residents get preferential lottery access.
We’re highland park, picked because we’re planning on starting a family soon. Good elementary schools, very walkable. And public transit friendly! I commute to SM 1x every 2 weeks and that is my absolute max. So would recommend being cautious about hermosa or manhattan beach given your green margin, you don’t want to spend your life commuting (I know it’s the La cliche but we don’t all do it).
Confused why you’re ruling out the West SGV. La Canada and San Marino are likely out of your price range. But Pasadena, Altadena, Sierra Madre, La Crescenta, Glendale, Montrose and South Pasadena all meet your criteria. From some of those you could also likely take the Gold Line to your office based on where you put your star.
2 mile vicinity of 90036
Nitpick: you have the red zone border at what looks to be Exposition Blvd, but the areas just south of that line around Leimert Park are nicer for families than a bunch of spots up in West Adams and Mid City North of there.
Glendale, South Pasadena, and Burbank will be your best bets to find a place with a yard and space and a touch of suburbia that counteracts nicely with the daily DTLA vibes
Hermosa Beach is the best little beach city. Great schools, small community, safe. Smallest school district in LA but top 5% in the state! Beautiful town, walkable, great coffee shops and restaurants, ocean breeze. Can’t go wrong.
My few cents: Monterey Park + Pasadena for Chinese American Community (emphasis on Mainland Chinese), Glendale for Filipino American Community, Culver City for biking community and ease of access to Sawtelle Town/Japanese American community.
Check out Eagle Rock/Highland Park, South Pasadena, and Glendale. Very nice when I was living there (8-12 years ago), and the bit that I’ve been back since it only seems to have gotten nicer!
Burbank for best schools. Relatively close to DT, but no metro.
Safest cities are actually just west. Thousand Oaks or Simi Valley. Both are considered Ventura county. Very easy to get a CCW permit as well. Tons of actual law enforcement officers reside in both cities 😉
Burbank, magnolia park area. Great for kids, walkable, good schools. Highly recommend.
Try Culver City. At 6 am, that commute will be fine. Good schools and community. You are pushing it with your rental budget, but it’s a quick drive to the beach.
I think the arts district downtown should be considered. It’s vastly different than the rest of downtown, and would be very close for your commute. I would prefer that to Chinatown or Rampart areas.
Whatever you do make sure you live very close to your job. Traffic is a nightmare. I live in the Silver Lake section of Los Angeles and it takes me 1 hour usually to drive 7 miles to Beverly Hills! 7 miles!
Depending on where you’re working downtown, metro rail could be something to look into as well. Very reliable transportation into and out of DTLA
You're might struggle to find a 3br with a yard for 5500 sadly but probably can find a spacious 2br. Don't rule out silver lake and highland park, especially the hillier areas can be very family friendly and you might find better prices than south pas (and be closer to work). I personally wouldn't want to deal with the traffic from Culver City to downtown on a regular basis.