Relo to L.A. - Neighborhood Advise Needed (1 Viewer)

[Chemical X]

step 2.

big ask here, but any insight on the roads during rush hour. i know the stories, but what do you avoid daily? is there a reverse? is light rail usable?

Depends on where you are and where you're going. In the morning: if you're going away from downtown L.A. things are reasonable. If you're going towards downtown you're ####ed. In the evening, the opposite.

If you land in some spot in the San Gabriel valley, you'll be taking surface streets to Alhambra so it'll be fine. Say you landed in Altadena (which does have some nice areas that are affordable), you'd be looking at somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes one way to Alhambra. Pasadena would be 15 to 25 minutes. Similarly for Arcadia. South Pasadena 5 to 15 minutes, similarly for San Marino, El Monte, San Gabriel. Eagle Rock, Glendale, Montrose, La Canada will probably involve a bit of freeway driving, I'd figure your commute there would be around 30 minutes. Similarly for farther east like Glendora or San Dimas. Like I said before, you could probably pull off living in downtown L.A. itself and have a 30 minute commute 1 way. Chinatown (right next to downtown) is sort of an up and coming hipster destination right now and would be a similar commute.

Avoid East L.A. and Monterrey Park - not so great areas I don't think.

If the commute is your main concern Los Feliz and Silverlake are a bad idea. It's not that far a way in miles, but the routes that are available are less than ideal and would put you up against some of the downtown L.A. traffic.

Light rail in Los Angeles is laughable. You'll need to combine it with bus rides to get anywhere besides downtown and select points in Pasadena. The area your wife will be working in doesn't have a train stop close by I don't think.

If you want to guarantee a 15 minute or less commute, stick with Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel.

this is great advise.....san marino is uber-pricey!

 

[Gr00vus]

step 2.

big ask here, but any insight on the roads during rush hour. i know the stories, but what do you avoid daily? is there a reverse? is light rail usable?

Depends on where you are and where you're going. In the morning: if you're going away from downtown L.A. things are reasonable. If you're going towards downtown you're ####ed. In the evening, the opposite.

If you land in some spot in the San Gabriel valley, you'll be taking surface streets to Alhambra so it'll be fine. Say you landed in Altadena (which does have some nice areas that are affordable), you'd be looking at somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes one way to Alhambra. Pasadena would be 15 to 25 minutes. Similarly for Arcadia. South Pasadena 5 to 15 minutes, similarly for San Marino, El Monte, San Gabriel. Eagle Rock, Glendale, Montrose, La Canada will probably involve a bit of freeway driving, I'd figure your commute there would be around 30 minutes. Similarly for farther east like Glendora or San Dimas. Like I said before, you could probably pull off living in downtown L.A. itself and have a 30 minute commute 1 way. Chinatown (right next to downtown) is sort of an up and coming hipster destination right now and would be a similar commute.

Avoid East L.A. and Monterrey Park - not so great areas I don't think.

If the commute is your main concern Los Feliz and Silverlake are a bad idea. It's not that far a way in miles, but the routes that are available are less than ideal and would put you up against some of the downtown L.A. traffic.

Light rail in Los Angeles is laughable. You'll need to combine it with bus rides to get anywhere besides downtown and select points in Pasadena. The area your wife will be working in doesn't have a train stop close by I don't think.

If you want to guarantee a 15 minute or less commute, stick with Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel.

this is great advise.....san marino is uber-pricey!

Yeah it is - super rich people and a great school district. I think South Pasadena is probably your ideal location if you can find a place. Beyond that, assuming you'd be o.k. with apartment/condo living, I'd probably go with regular Pasadena near old town or Downtown L.A. - the extra 10 to 30 minutes round trip commute would be worth it for a non-kid couple to be walking/biking distance to lots of good shops, restaurants and entertainment.

 

[Koya]

step 2.

big ask here, but any insight on the roads during rush hour. i know the stories, but what do you avoid daily? is there a reverse? is light rail usable?

Depends on where you are and where you're going. In the morning: if you're going away from downtown L.A. things are reasonable. If you're going towards downtown you're ####ed. In the evening, the opposite.

If you land in some spot in the San Gabriel valley, you'll be taking surface streets to Alhambra so it'll be fine. Say you landed in Altadena (which does have some nice areas that are affordable), you'd be looking at somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes one way to Alhambra. Pasadena would be 15 to 25 minutes. Similarly for Arcadia. South Pasadena 5 to 15 minutes, similarly for San Marino, El Monte, San Gabriel. Eagle Rock, Glendale, Montrose, La Canada will probably involve a bit of freeway driving, I'd figure your commute there would be around 30 minutes. Similarly for farther east like Glendora or San Dimas. Like I said before, you could probably pull off living in downtown L.A. itself and have a 30 minute commute 1 way. Chinatown (right next to downtown) is sort of an up and coming hipster destination right now and would be a similar commute.

Avoid East L.A. and Monterrey Park - not so great areas I don't think.

If the commute is your main concern Los Feliz and Silverlake are a bad idea. It's not that far a way in miles, but the routes that are available are less than ideal and would put you up against some of the downtown L.A. traffic.

Light rail in Los Angeles is laughable. You'll need to combine it with bus rides to get anywhere besides downtown and select points in Pasadena. The area your wife will be working in doesn't have a train stop close by I don't think.

If you want to guarantee a 15 minute or less commute, stick with Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel.

this is great advise.....san marino is uber-pricey!

Yeah it is - super rich people and a great school district. I think South Pasadena is probably your ideal location if you can find a place. Beyond that, assuming you'd be o.k. with apartment/condo living, I'd probably go with regular Pasadena near old town or Downtown L.A. - the extra 10 to 30 minutes round trip commute would be worth it for a non-kid couple to be walking/biking distance to lots of good shops, restaurants and entertainment.

Downtown LA has some GREAT spots nowadays, especially Korea / China Town just outside. As noted, getting a hipster vibe, but also some young professionals. In addition, while transit is still in its early stages, there are a number of non-auto options with the growing metro from downtown LA

 

[EYLive]

Downtown LA has some GREAT spots nowadays, especially Korea / China Town just outside. As noted, getting a hipster vibe, but also some young professionals. In addition, while transit is still in its early stages, there are a number of non-auto options with the growing metro from downtown LA

I don't know anyone that lives in Bunker Hill anymore, but I imagine that'd bee a cool place to be for non-parents these days. Lots of theater, food, culture, Chinatown, Little Tokyo.

 

[Aerial Assault]

Some great advice in here but I wouldn't be too sure about 5 to 15 minutes on surface streets from South Pasadena to Alhambra. Maybe if you hit every light, but I'd count on more than that assuming you're driving at peak commuting times.

 

[Shadowfax]

step 2.

big ask here, but any insight on the roads during rush hour. i know the stories, but what do you avoid daily? is there a reverse? is light rail usable?

Depends on where you are and where you're going. In the morning: if you're going away from downtown L.A. things are reasonable. If you're going towards downtown you're ####ed. In the evening, the opposite.

If you land in some spot in the San Gabriel valley, you'll be taking surface streets to Alhambra so it'll be fine. Say you landed in Altadena (which does have some nice areas that are affordable), you'd be looking at somewhere between 20 and 30 minutes one way to Alhambra. Pasadena would be 15 to 25 minutes. Similarly for Arcadia. South Pasadena 5 to 15 minutes, similarly for San Marino, El Monte, San Gabriel. Eagle Rock, Glendale, Montrose, La Canada will probably involve a bit of freeway driving, I'd figure your commute there would be around 30 minutes. Similarly for farther east like Glendora or San Dimas. Like I said before, you could probably pull off living in downtown L.A. itself and have a 30 minute commute 1 way. Chinatown (right next to downtown) is sort of an up and coming hipster destination right now and would be a similar commute.

Avoid East L.A. and Monterrey Park - not so great areas I don't think.

If the commute is your main concern Los Feliz and Silverlake are a bad idea. It's not that far a way in miles, but the routes that are available are less than ideal and would put you up against some of the downtown L.A. traffic.

Light rail in Los Angeles is laughable. You'll need to combine it with bus rides to get anywhere besides downtown and select points in Pasadena. The area your wife will be working in doesn't have a train stop close by I don't think.

If you want to guarantee a 15 minute or less commute, stick with Alhambra, South Pasadena, San Marino, San Gabriel.

this is great advise.....san marino is uber-pricey!

Yeah it is - super rich people and a great school district. I think South Pasadena is probably your ideal location if you can find a place. Beyond that, assuming you'd be o.k. with apartment/condo living, I'd probably go with regular Pasadena near old town or Downtown L.A. - the extra 10 to 30 minutes round trip commute would be worth it for a non-kid couple to be walking/biking distance to lots of good shops, restaurants and entertainment.

Just forget about San Marino. And don't factor in light rail as a commute option...it really isn't a viable option in LA. I've never been on it. We'd like to avoid most roads in LA but many times they're just unavoidable. You'll figure out the best routes eventually. But if commute is a high priority, then stick with these close neighborhoods.....

Agree that South Pas is best. Old Town and Mission District are good choices but finding something may be difficult. Someone else will have to chime in (or you'll have to research) what the best areas are in Pasadena. Alhambra is a little more sleepy (and probably cheaper) but there's a lot of mixed-use development going on and it seems they're really trying to improve the city.

Downtown LA, Eagle Rock and Arcadia are other options that should add about 15 min to the commute but should stay w/in the 30 min timeframe. Not a huge fan of San Gabriel and Temple City unless you want dim sum or love Hong Kong style cafes.

Altadena, Los Feliz, Silverlake, and Monrovia are probably a bit too far.

 

[Shadowfax]

Some great advice in here but I wouldn't be too sure about 5 to 15 minutes on surface streets from South Pasadena to Alhambra. Maybe if you hit every light, but I'd count on more than that assuming you're driving at peak commuting times.

5 min is absurd. I can't go down the street in 5 min. 15-20 min is feasible but it really depends on where in Alhambra and if you need to cross Mission/railroad tracks or Valley Blvd/10 fwy. He said his wife will be working 710/Valley but there's really nothing there that I can think of that would warrant a move across country...unless it's CSULA or something north of Mission.

 

[Koya]

Downtown LA has some GREAT spots nowadays, especially Korea / China Town just outside. As noted, getting a hipster vibe, but also some young professionals. In addition, while transit is still in its early stages, there are a number of non-auto options with the growing metro from downtown LA

I don't know anyone that lives in Bunker Hill anymore, but I imagine that'd bee a cool place to be for non-parents these days. Lots of theater, food, culture, Chinatown, Little Tokyo.

Some things going on in the southern and eastern parts of downtown. Down by Olympic I guess, toward and east of LA Live.

 

[Koya]

FYI, I know you first said transit was not an option for the wife but then inquired. IF she somehow works close to a stop, it's absolutely viable nowadays in LA. I know a couple people living in LA without a car even - while hard to imagine it was downright impossible a few years back.

The system has limited ( but growing) reach but if you are properly situation should at least be looked into.

 

[Chemical X]

Some great advice in here but I wouldn't be too sure about 5 to 15 minutes on surface streets from South Pasadena to Alhambra. Maybe if you hit every light, but I'd count on more than that assuming you're driving at peak commuting times.

5 min is absurd. I can't go down the street in 5 min. 15-20 min is feasible but it really depends on where in Alhambra and if you need to cross Mission/railroad tracks or Valley Blvd/10 fwy. He said his wife will be working 710/Valley but there's really nothing there that I can think of that would warrant a move across country...unless it's CSULA or something north of Mission.

will provide more info on this as we go forward.

i should add, we are in our 40s and have a dog. we are seeking a rental house, not apartment or condo, so the dog has free space. perhaps this will change suggested areas.

 

[Chemical X]

FYI, I know you first said transit was not an option for the wife but then inquired. IF she somehow works close to a stop, it's absolutely viable nowadays in LA. I know a couple people living in LA without a car even - while hard to imagine it was downright impossible a few years back.

The system has limited ( but growing) reach but if you are properly situation should at least be looked into.

transit would be viable for me, but i am far away from knowing what or where i am doing my thing.

 

[Pigskin Fanatic]

step 2.

big ask here, but any insight on the roads during rush hour. i know the stories, but what do you avoid daily? is there a reverse? is light rail usable?

A sure way to confirm traffic from the area where you think you want to live is use Google Maps during normal traffic hours-typically 7:30am - 9:30am and 3:30pm - 6:30pm PST-and type in a generic direction from city to city. The direction will include real time commute hours that account for no traffic and current traffic as well as show you where the gridlocks are right on the map. The area where the 10, 5, 110 and 60 meet towards the intersection of 710 and 5 are always jammed. 5 is horrible.

 

[sbonomo]

Agree with Gr00vus, Old Town Pas is another area to consider. Depends on your budget.

i think realistically we figure we can spend up to 2500- a month. give or take.

Good luck in pasadena then...I pay $3,000 for a 1200 sq ft "house". It took me three months and a $7,000 deposit (i have a 835 credit score and make six figures) to be accepted for a place. Bump up your minimum or you are going to be very dissapoined in Pasadena. That being said, i really love living here. The city itself is great. I have to leave for a client meeting...will post more later. oh, and i will definately buy you a beer at lucky's when you get here

 

[Chemical X]

Agree with Gr00vus, Old Town Pas is another area to consider. Depends on your budget.

i think realistically we figure we can spend up to 2500- a month. give or take.

Good luck in pasadena then...I pay $3,000 for a 1200 sq ft "house". It took me three months and a $7,000 deposit (i have a 835 credit score and make six figures) to be accepted for a place. Bump up your minimum or you are going to be very dissapoined in Pasadena. That being said, i really love living here. The city itself is great. I have to leave for a client meeting...will post more later. oh, and i will definately buy you a beer at lucky's when you get here

get me a job >>>> buy me a beer - tia

 

[cstu]

If the commute is your main concern Los Feliz and Silverlake are a bad idea. It's not that far a way in miles, but the routes that are available are less than ideal and would put you up against some of the downtown L.A. traffic.

Mission to the 5 after the 110 exit and then Mission/Valley Rd the rest of the way should take under 30 minutes.

 

[Koya]

Agree with Gr00vus, Old Town Pas is another area to consider. Depends on your budget.

i think realistically we figure we can spend up to 2500- a month. give or take.

Good luck in pasadena then...I pay $3,000 for a 1200 sq ft "house". It took me three months and a $7,000 deposit (i have a 835 credit score and make six figures) to be accepted for a place. Bump up your minimum or you are going to be very dissapoined in Pasadena. That being said, i really love living here. The city itself is great. I have to leave for a client meeting...will post more later. oh, and i will definately buy you a beer at lucky's when you get here

Pasadena would also allow you the opportunity to perhaps have one car as there are a number of job opportunities around there and direct connects to downtown LA and therefore some other locales. Plus, it's tremendously walkable

 

[Gr00vus]

Some great advice in here but I wouldn't be too sure about 5 to 15 minutes on surface streets from South Pasadena to Alhambra. Maybe if you hit every light, but I'd count on more than that assuming you're driving at peak commuting times.

5 min is absurd. I can't go down the street in 5 min. 15-20 min is feasible but it really depends on where in Alhambra and if you need to cross Mission/railroad tracks or Valley Blvd/10 fwy. He said his wife will be working 710/Valley but there's really nothing there that I can think of that would warrant a move across country...unless it's CSULA or something north of Mission.

will provide more info on this as we go forward.

i should add, we are in our 40s and have a dog. we are seeking a rental house, not apartment or condo, so the dog has free space. perhaps this will change suggested areas.

That rules out Downtown L.A. and most of the old-town Pasadena area. I think you may be looking at Alhambra itself, as I think rents for a decent place will be more feasible there for your budget than in parts of Pasadena that you'd actually want to live in. I did rent a 2 bedroom house on Allen 3 blocks away from Pasadena City College in Pasadena about 6 years ago for $2400 but I don't know that that's representative of what you can get now.

I still currently live in Pasadena, so I can be some help with more granular neighborhood info if you need it. Us San Gabriel Valley/Pasadena FBGs always threaten corn holes but we never seem to make them happen.

 

[cstu]

Some great advice in here but I wouldn't be too sure about 5 to 15 minutes on surface streets from South Pasadena to Alhambra. Maybe if you hit every light, but I'd count on more than that assuming you're driving at peak commuting times.

5 min is absurd. I can't go down the street in 5 min. 15-20 min is feasible but it really depends on where in Alhambra and if you need to cross Mission/railroad tracks or Valley Blvd/10 fwy. He said his wife will be working 710/Valley but there's really nothing there that I can think of that would warrant a move across country...unless it's CSULA or something north of Mission.

will provide more info on this as we go forward.

i should add, we are in our 40s and have a dog. we are seeking a rental house, not apartment or condo, so the dog has free space. perhaps this will change suggested areas.

Now you just made it a million times more difficult. There's an area just east of Los Feliz called Atwater Village (south of Glendale) where you might be able to find something (2 bed/1 bath, 1000 sf) in that range.

 

[Gr00vus]

If the commute is your main concern Los Feliz and Silverlake are a bad idea. It's not that far a way in miles, but the routes that are available are less than ideal and would put you up against some of the downtown L.A. traffic.

Mission to the 5 after the 110 exit and then Mission/Valley Rd the rest of the way should take under 30 minutes.

Putting the 5 in the mix during rush hour is problematic.

 

[This_Guy]

Lots of great advice here.

- As people said you don't want to be anywhere south of Alhambra

- For commute times I wouldn't live anywhere west of there either. Los Feliz, Silver Lake are great but the commute will get congested and times will be unpredictable. Downtown is nice and has a lot going for it but unless you also work downtown you are in constant traffic at most times of day.

- Eagle rock is nice if you are looking for that hipster vibe and okay with a neighborhood that is still transitioning from run down to trendy.

- La Canada - Flintridge and Monrovia are probably the outerlimits of your commute range and will probably be over 30 minutes on some days.

- Once you get east of Monrovia or west of La Canada you will start getting into some bad traffic and could have hour + commutes on occasion.

- Someone suggested Glendora / San Dimas / La Verne - those are great areas but the commute will suck. I live out this way and occasionally have to drive into Pasadena during rush hour. It can be an hour just to get to Pasadena.

- Though the metro won't work for your wife's work it is actually really convenient for getting to a lot of different places. All through Pasadena & South Pasadena, Downtown, Hollywood, USC, Culver City, Koreatown, Long Beach and in about 18 months or so you'll be able to get to Santa Monica. Living close to a station is actually a pretty nice benefit.

- Not knowing your interests it's had to made a solid recommendation but I would give the Pasadena / South Pasadena area a long look. There are nice walk-able neighborhoods, plenty of interesting (non-chain) restaurants, shopping, arts and culture, Metro Gold line stops and in non-rush hour you can be in downtown LA in 15-20 minutes to take advantage of everything there.

As you feed us more info I'm happy to revise recommendations and I'd me happy to show you and your wife around for a day if you are out this way exploring your possibilities.

 

[dfwboiler]

Definitely check out westsiderentals. I'm pretty sure my subscription expired, but I found properties on there that weren't listed on other sites.

 

[cstu]

If the commute is your main concern Los Feliz and Silverlake are a bad idea. It's not that far a way in miles, but the routes that are available are less than ideal and would put you up against some of the downtown L.A. traffic.

Mission to the 5 after the 110 exit and then Mission/Valley Rd the rest of the way should take under 30 minutes.

Putting the 5 in the mix during rush hour is problematic.

I was surprised myself but I put it in Google Maps and it showed you could avoid the worst traffic on the 5 by getting on at Duvall, which is after the exit from the 5 to the 110. It also looks possible to take side streets and make it in 30 minutes.

 

[EYLive]

I'm in Culver city and use the Expo line to staples center and the financial district all the time. I also used to take the fancy buses to work in downtown every day. I guess I lucked out with public transportation.

But the city is so big that public transport isn't practical for many people despite it getting tons of use.

 

[Chemical X]

I'm in Culver city and use the Expo line to staples center and the financial district all the time. I also used to take the fancy buses to work in downtown every day. I guess I lucked out with public transportation.

But the city is so big that public transport isn't practical for many people despite it getting tons of use.

we heard good things about culver city being up and coming, but from what i saw recently, commuting to the alhambra from culver is unpossible.

also, what is the deal with the completion of 710?

 

[EYLive]

I love culver city. Lived there pretty much all my life and am very pleased with the development.

But you're right, the drive to Alhambra is 40 min in light weekend traffic. It'll be brutal on weekdays.

 

[EYLive]

Chem, will you be coming over to scout locations any time soon?

 

[This_Guy]

I'm in Culver city and use the Expo line to staples center and the financial district all the time. I also used to take the fancy buses to work in downtown every day. I guess I lucked out with public transportation.

But the city is so big that public transport isn't practical for many people despite it getting tons of use.

we heard good things about culver city being up and coming, but from what i saw recently, commuting to the alhambra from culver is unpossible.

also, what is the deal with the completion of 710?

The 710 is likely as complete as it is ever going to get. Alhambra, South Pas, Pasadena, La Canada + etc don't want it to go through and have fought it for 40+ years. Cal Trans just started selling houses they bought 25+ years ago in the proposed path.

 

[squistion]

I'm in Culver city and use the Expo line to staples center and the financial district all the time. I also used to take the fancy buses to work in downtown every day. I guess I lucked out with public transportation.

But the city is so big that public transport isn't practical for many people despite it getting tons of use.

we heard good things about culver city being up and coming, but from what i saw recently, commuting to the alhambra from culver is unpossible.

also, what is the deal with the completion of 710?

Blocked by litigation and requested environmental impact reports from cities affected by the various options of completing it or keeping as it is. I think we are still 5-10 years away from any decision being made either way.

 

[Shadowfax]

Some great advice in here but I wouldn't be too sure about 5 to 15 minutes on surface streets from South Pasadena to Alhambra. Maybe if you hit every light, but I'd count on more than that assuming you're driving at peak commuting times.

5 min is absurd. I can't go down the street in 5 min. 15-20 min is feasible but it really depends on where in Alhambra and if you need to cross Mission/railroad tracks or Valley Blvd/10 fwy. He said his wife will be working 710/Valley but there's really nothing there that I can think of that would warrant a move across country...unless it's CSULA or something north of Mission.

will provide more info on this as we go forward.i should add, we are in our 40s and have a dog. we are seeking a rental house, not apartment or condo, so the dog has free space. perhaps this will change suggested areas.

oof...house + dog is really going to limit your options. South Pas is mostly likely out. Pasadena may be out, as that budget will put you in questionable areas or a house under 700sq. Decent house size in Alhambra is probably around $2200, I'm guessing. I think your house/dog/budget/commute will determine more where you live instead of us recommending great areas.

Be sure to check out westsiderentals. And I'm not sure how reliable Zillow is but this may give yo an idea of housing rentals in the area.

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent/house_type/0-648366_price/0-2500_mp/1_pets/days_sort/34.217338,-117.96381,33.991907,-118.318462_rect/11_zm/

 

[Shadowfax]

I'm in Culver city and use the Expo line to staples center and the financial district all the time. I also used to take the fancy buses to work in downtown every day. I guess I lucked out with public transportation.

But the city is so big that public transport isn't practical for many people despite it getting tons of use.

we heard good things about culver city being up and coming, but from what i saw recently, commuting to the alhambra from culver is unpossible.

also, what is the deal with the completion of 710?

I live in Alhambra and work in West LA (further west of Culver City). Average commute is about 75 minutes. Thrilled when it's slightly under an hour and many times it can be 90+ min.

The 710 completion isn't going to happen any time soon, if at all.

 

[Chemical X]

Chem, will you be coming over to scout locations any time soon?

was just there a week ago, went to Sony to stalk that sonuva##### Trebek. have not scouted as of yet. wife hammering out final offer and is waiting for revised offer letter. so, trying not to get ahead of myself for jinx purposes, but this appears a formality. once finalized our plan is that she'll head west for 2-4 weeks to work from corporate and I will spend some time out there with her on vacation. I would expect mid July return and I'll have a pile of cornhole time. I hung out in the paseo area and had wang chung do a 1 hr reflexology for 25 yuan.

 

[Chemical X]

Some great advice in here but I wouldn't be too sure about 5 to 15 minutes on surface streets from South Pasadena to Alhambra. Maybe if you hit every light, but I'd count on more than that assuming you're driving at peak commuting times.

5 min is absurd. I can't go down the street in 5 min. 15-20 min is feasible but it really depends on where in Alhambra and if you need to cross Mission/railroad tracks or Valley Blvd/10 fwy. He said his wife will be working 710/Valley but there's really nothing there that I can think of that would warrant a move across country...unless it's CSULA or something north of Mission.

will provide more info on this as we go forward.i should add, we are in our 40s and have a dog. we are seeking a rental house, not apartment or condo, so the dog has free space. perhaps this will change suggested areas.

oof...house + dog is really going to limit your options. South Pas is mostly likely out. Pasadena may be out, as that budget will put you in questionable areas or a house under 700sq. Decent house size in Alhambra is probably around $2200, I'm guessing. I think your house/dog/budget/commute will determine more where you live instead of us recommending great areas.

Be sure to check out westsiderentals. And I'm not sure how reliable Zillow is but this may give yo an idea of housing rentals in the area.

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_rent/house_type/0-648366_price/0-2500_mp/1_pets/days_sort/34.217338,-117.96381,33.991907,-118.318462_rect/11_zm/

well, the budget will be flexible as needed. we've seen some decent stuff around occidental. 2/2 with a yard, around 1300 sq ft.

 

[Shadowfax]

I'm in Culver city and use the Expo line to staples center and the financial district all the time. I also used to take the fancy buses to work in downtown every day. I guess I lucked out with public transportation.

But the city is so big that public transport isn't practical for many people despite it getting tons of use.

we heard good things about culver city being up and coming, but from what i saw recently, commuting to the alhambra from culver is unpossible.

also, what is the deal with the completion of 710?

Blocked by litigation and requested environmental impact reports from cities affected by the various options of completing it or keeping as it is. I think we are still 5-10 years away from any decision being made either way.

Latest idea is to build a 5 mile tunnel completing the 710. It's taking 3-5 years to build 5 mile light rail from Culver City to Santa Monica on an mostly established original rail line. How long would it take them to approve and build a tunnel...and at an estimated $10B. Ain't going to happen in the next 20 years.

 

[Sarnoff]

Curbed just ran these neighborhood comparisions:

What you get for $1900 a month (900 sq ft 2/1 apt. in Echo Park)

$2600 (1100 sq ft 2/2 condo in Montecito Heights)

$3000 (1480 sq ft 2/1 house in Burbank Rancho)

$3400 (1000 sq ft 2/1 penthouse apt. in Los Feliz, or, 2500 sq ft 4/3 house in Glassell Park)

 

[Sarnoff]

Just don't look at traffic right now. Good god it's bad tonight. They had to invent a new shade of red for the 101 south through Hollywood.

 

[Pigskin Fanatic]

Just don't look at traffic right now. Good god it's bad tonight. They had to invent a new shade of red for the 101 south through Hollywood.

They have black or black/red stripes for even worse than shades of red, which usually runs through the Griffith Park / Los Feliz area around 5:30. Give it about 20 minutes...

 

[Chemical X]

holy crap, the 511 is brutal.

 

[EYLive]

I haven't seen black before... unless it's like a dash/dotted line for accidents, then yes, I've seen the dreaded black line.

 

[Chemical X]

what exactly are the foothills considered?

 

[Koya]

When do you plan to move X?

 

[Pigskin Fanatic]

what exactly are the foothills considered?

I've only heard the term used to refer to the La Canada Flintridge area and the northern portion of eagle rock. officially I had to look it up, it's the mountain range along the north of that area and basically along the 210 freeway. So generally west and north of Alhambra in that vicinity.

Going further west past Burbank is the "valley", going north is no man's land on the other side of the mountains in Santa Clarita where housing is new and cheap but over an hour commute to anything meaningful.

 

[Pigskin Fanatic]

I haven't seen black before... unless it's like a dash/dotted line for accidents, then yes, I've seen the dreaded black line.

I've only seen black a couple of times and I think it means basically no movement, black is worse than the dotted one.

 

[Gr00vus]

what exactly are the foothills considered?

I've only heard the term used to refer to the La Canada Flintridge area and the northern portion of eagle rock. officially I had to look it up, it's the mountain range along the north of that area and basically along the 210 freeway. So generally west and north of Alhambra in that vicinity.

Going further west past Burbank is the "valley", going north is no man's land on the other side of the mountains in Santa Clarita where housing is new and cheap but over an hour commute to anything meaningful.

I think the foothills covers the cities you mention as well as Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Monrovia and Glendora going west to east.

 

[Skylord]

I love culver city. Lived there pretty much all my life and am very pleased with the development.

But you're right, the drive to Alhambra is 40 min in light weekend traffic. It'll be brutal on weekdays.

I've been working in Culver City for 16 years. The transformation has been amazing. I hope you bought property and doubled your money.

 

[This_Guy]

what exactly are the foothills considered?

I've only heard the term used to refer to the La Canada Flintridge area and the northern portion of eagle rock. officially I had to look it up, it's the mountain range along the north of that area and basically along the 210 freeway. So generally west and north of Alhambra in that vicinity.

Going further west past Burbank is the "valley", going north is no man's land on the other side of the mountains in Santa Clarita where housing is new and cheap but over an hour commute to anything meaningful.

I think the foothills covers the cities you mention as well as Altadena, Pasadena, Sierra Madre, Monrovia and Glendora going west to east.

Yeah, I'd say anything north of the 210.

 

[EYLive]

I love culver city. Lived there pretty much all my life and am very pleased with the development.

But you're right, the drive to Alhambra is 40 min in light weekend traffic. It'll be brutal on weekdays.

I've been working in Culver City for 16 years. The transformation has been amazing. I hope you bought property and doubled your money.

My parents bought in 2000 and they're up 150%. I bought in 2011 and up about 50%

 

[Pigskin Fanatic]

I love culver city. Lived there pretty much all my life and am very pleased with the development.

But you're right, the drive to Alhambra is 40 min in light weekend traffic. It'll be brutal on weekdays.

I've been working in Culver City for 16 years. The transformation has been amazing. I hope you bought property and doubled your money.

My parents bought in 2000 and they're up 150%. I bought in 2011 and up about 50%

I use to work right next to the Fox Hills mall and noticed the value there around 2008. Kicking myself for not having pulled the trigger. The city went from up and coming to a nice hub very quickly.

 

[EYLive]

I love culver city. Lived there pretty much all my life and am very pleased with the development.

But you're right, the drive to Alhambra is 40 min in light weekend traffic. It'll be brutal on weekdays.

I've been working in Culver City for 16 years. The transformation has been amazing. I hope you bought property and doubled your money.

My parents bought in 2000 and they're up 150%. I bought in 2011 and up about 50%

I use to work right next to the Fox Hills mall and noticed the value there around 2008. Kicking myself for not having pulled the trigger. The city went from up and coming to a nice hub very quickly.

That's my hood.

 

[Chemical X]

When do you plan to move X?

well, wife signed offer letter today and we have 1 year from july 2014 to move. however, i stand to gain my bonus in march 2015 (was 18% last year) and vest 100% in a pension plan on 4/1/2015. so, i would think out loud that a 5/1 lease seems about right. no reason for me to give up that stuff. we will sit down and make our list shortly. i think we are going to sell off most of our belongings here and transport lean. maybe take a car with a uhaul hitched of bedroom furniture and some essentials.

 

[IC FBGCav]

When do you plan to move X?

well, wife signed offer letter today and we have 1 year from july 2014 to move. however, i stand to gain my bonus in march 2015 (was 18% last year) and vest 100% in a pension plan on 4/1/2015. so, i would think out loud that a 5/1 lease seems about right. no reason for me to give up that stuff. we will sit down and make our list shortly. i think we are going to sell off most of our belongings here and transport lean. maybe take a car with a uhaul hitched of bedroom furniture and some essentials.

Jesus brother. I thought you just settled on putting your roots here with the new house and all. Plus the place is Italy is harder to get now too, right? That must of been one hell of an offer for Mrs. X. Congrats! Anyway man, good luck and all the best to you guys, at least you will have better golfing weather.