Moving to LA

[scottmandue]

Does the Metro train run to UCLA? That could be a major help in the commute.

I have a friend that lives in Pasadena and LOVES it... I would live there in a minute..(if I wasn't a spoiled San P. beach boy) and the train does run up to Pas.

[speeder]

Unfortunately, the Metro does not run to UCLA. (Yet). If they could ever finish the leg between Hollywood and the beach, it would be a very popular train.

[Head416]

Okay, I just need to clarify: "west side" basically means everything between downtown Los Angeles and the ocean, right?

And when people mention "West LA", they're talking about the actual city named "West Los Angeles"?

Speeder, I think it was you that mentioned going from West LA to Santa Monica in 15 minutes... isn't that just two or three miles?

[Ronbo]

Originally Posted by slodave

I use a combo. Depends on the day and time and where I need to go. I shouldn't say it, but Sepulveda Blvd. is usually overlooked as a means of going through the pass. I used to sit in the 405 parking lot for my daily commute to CC. I would look over at Sepulveda and watch the traffic whiz by.

The problem with Sepulveda is the amount of time you spend sitting at red lights.

[nostatic]

As I said, the devil is in the details. While Denis claims that Santa Monica is "the worst", having lived here for a couple of years, and in west LA (that is a semi-official area, bounded by Culver City on the south, Westwood on the north, Santa Monica on the west and Century City on the east) for 7 years before that, I don't find it the worst at all. Prior to that I lived in Pasadena, before that Claremont. So I've progressively moved west

If she has to be at UCLA 5 days a week, I'd want to live fairly close. And no, Thousand Oaks isn't necessarily "the valley" proper - it is even further west/north. You're in Ventura County at that point. But it also depends on where you end up working. Some couples who have jobs in different locations split the difference, others live close to one or the other. Some live close to neither for some reason(s). I don't get that - the last thing I want to do is waste my life in a car commuting to work in LA. imho that makes the place unlivable.

The problem with SM/west LA for commuting is the stretch along the east border of SM and just east of the 405. There are *a lot* of people who work in SM and live east. So around 5pm (plus or minus 2 hours) too many people are trying to get east. The 10 can be a parking lot, and the main E/W streets (SM Bl, Wilshire, Olympic, Pico) can be gridlocked. It can be really suck. I've been caught in it before when I had to be someplace at that particular time, but I'm usually able to avoid it. And for some reason yesterday there was almost no traffic going east.

I live in SM, work in Playa Vista. I can commute by fwy or surface streets, max time is 20min. My fiancee works in Valencia, but only has to be there 2-3 days out of the week, and once she gets past the nasty Sepulveda Pass section it usually isn't a bad commute.

I love Santa Monica other than the high housing costs. I can walk to the beach and to a ton of great restaurants. The air is clean and temps are reasonable in the summer. Yes, it is crowded, but you just need to understand the patterns and be in the right place. There are some places I wouldn't want to live in SM. Just like any other area. There are some areas of Pasadena I wouldn't want to live either.

Given your price range you should look in west LA (lots of UCLA students live there, but it can be congested), Culver City, Palms, even down to Venice or Marina del Rey. You could also look east to West Hollywood (I find that even more congested and is further from the freeways - one reason I don't like Hollywood/HancockPark/K-town but that is a personal bias). As you move east of Culver City south of the 10 it begins to get cheaper but also sketchier. You can also look in Brentwood and Pacific Palisades but I doubt you'll find anything for $1400 except maybe a studio.

You'll need to seriously reset your expectations if you move to the westside wrt housing. Assume you'll pay double or triple for the equivalent size you have now.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by nostatic

As I said, the devil is in the details. While Denis claims that Santa Monica is "the worst", having lived here for a couple of years, and in west LA (that is a semi-official area, bounded by Culver City on the south, Westwood on the north, Santa Monica on the west and Century City on the east) for 7 years before that, I don't find it the worst at all. Prior to that I lived in Pasadena, before that Claremont. So I've progressively moved west

If she has to be at UCLA 5 days a week, I'd want to live fairly close. And no, Thousand Oaks isn't necessarily "the valley" proper - it is even further west/north. You're in Ventura County at that point. But it also depends on where you end up working. Some couples who have jobs in different locations split the difference, others live close to one or the other. Some live close to neither for some reason(s). I don't get that - the last thing I want to do is waste my life in a car commuting to work in LA. imho that makes the place unlivable.

The problem with SM/west LA for commuting is the stretch along the east border of SM and just east of the 405. There are *a lot* of people who work in SM and live east. So around 5pm (plus or minus 2 hours) too many people are trying to get east. The 10 can be a parking lot, and the main E/W streets (SM Bl, Wilshire, Olympic, Pico) can be gridlocked. It can be really suck. I've been caught in it before when I had to be someplace at that particular time, but I'm usually able to avoid it. And for some reason yesterday there was almost no traffic going east.

I live in SM, work in Playa Vista. I can commute by fwy or surface streets, max time is 20min. My fiancee works in Valencia, but only has to be there 2-3 days out of the week, and once she gets past the nasty Sepulveda Pass section it usually isn't a bad commute.

I love Santa Monica other than the high housing costs. I can walk to the beach and to a ton of great restaurants. The air is clean and temps are reasonable in the summer. Yes, it is crowded, but you just need to understand the patterns and be in the right place. There are some places I wouldn't want to live in SM. Just like any other area. There are some areas of Pasadena I wouldn't want to live either.

Given your price range you should look in west LA (lots of UCLA students live there, but it can be congested), Culver City, Palms, even down to Venice or Marina del Rey. You could also look east to West Hollywood (I find that even more congested and is further from the freeways - one reason I don't like Hollywood/HancockPark/K-town but that is a personal bias). As you move east of Culver City south of the 10 it begins to get cheaper but also sketchier. You can also look in Brentwood and Pacific Palisades but I doubt you'll find anything for $1400 except maybe a studio.

You'll need to seriously reset your expectations if you move to the westside wrt housing. Assume you'll pay double or triple for the equivalent size you have now.

I agree with nearly everything in this post. Living in SM is the cat's ass if you work in Playa or any of the beach cities nearby. I love SM and started out in the SM canyon in 1982 but instead I've moved steadily east. From SM beach to Brentwood/Palisades/Beverly Glen canyon/Laurel canyon/K-town.

My world for the most part exists within the borders of DT/the valley/WeHo/Hollywood Hills. I don't have a normal commute and move very easily between all those places. I love the beach and have 3 or 4 close friends in Malibu that I visit, just not during drive-time. When I say that SM and the west side is "locked down", I mean that you cannot get in or out during either rush hour. I stick by that statement. But it's awesome if you don't have to leave.

As for the definitions of "west side" or "west L.A.", that's a good question. WLA is a definite geographical location as explained by Todd but people use "the west side" to mean anything west of them. There is a running joke in L.A. among hipsters that they either A) "Never go west of LaCienega" or B) Never go west of LaBrea/Vermont/downtown/etc. depending on just how hip they want to appear.

To someone in east L.A. or Highland Park, (where look171 lives), "the west side" can mean everything west of DT. The generally accepted definition of "the west side" is everything west of Hollywood including WeHo and Beverly Hills. That's what the media means when they talk about "rich west-side liberals", etc...

[nostatic]

My fiancee lived in Highland Park before we moved in together. I did the HP to Playa commute on occasion. I'd rather slit my wrists while rolling around in ground glass.

For someone in Upland, Pasadena is the westside

[Head416]

Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking before this thread! I figured that would put us off the 210/134, easy access to the east, "close" to UCLA. I'm no stranger to So Cal traffic but I certainly have never had to commute right through downtown LA so I'm glad I'm finding out from you guys now rather than later after moving in somewhere. I have to read every post along with Google Maps, and I've lived 40 miles from LA my whole life!

[aigel]

Originally Posted by look 171

For Dave to get over the hill, I am sure he uses the residential streets. They are never really that crowded but narrow. Many will twist and turn, most do not like to use it because there are many dead ends. they move you along well. many are right off Vally Vista. 20-30 minutes you can be in the valley from the UCLA.

Yeah, he also cheats and doesn't go to a 8-5 job. Any time you can be off peak commute hours really helps. I hate driving neighborhood streets. Chances of getting into a wreck (even not your fault) are high ...

G

[porwolf]

Originally Posted by Head416

Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking before this thread! I figured that would put us off the 210/134, easy access to the east, "close" to UCLA. I'm no stranger to So Cal traffic but I certainly have never had to commute right through downtown LA so I'm glad I'm finding out from you guys now rather than later after moving in somewhere. I have to read every post along with Google Maps, and I've lived 40 miles from LA my whole life!

I would suggest to go over google maps with the traffic ionformation at the times you want to travel. You can also use the historic records there to get a look at typical situations at any time of the day.

[porwolf]

This is what I had in mind:

[scottmandue]

Doode, move to Topanga canyon... we are stardust... we are golden... and we got to get ourself... back to the gaaaaaarden

[Hugh R]

In the google map above, you want to be south, southwest, southeast of the "A". $1,400/month? I don't know rent, but I think that will get you a garage with no running water or toilet.

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by speeder

People get murdered on a random basis absolutely everywhere in the world. There was nothing about the crime I posted on the other thread that has anything to do with the safety of the area. It was personal and happened inside someone's home. That can happen in the most boring part of the OC, where Sammy lives.

It can, it just doesn't.
Actually that's not entirely true, there was a stabbing at an apartment complex about 3 years abo in east anaslime about 5 miles from my house. That's as close of any violent crime as I can 'member.

But .... we occcasionally get meth heads who stray into the neighborhood and break into the houses to try and get the spensive stuff.
That has happened a couple times in the last three years.

The last time it happened the homeowner "detained" the perp until the cops got there and took the bad guy to the hospital to get all stitched up.
I heard he didn't look so good.
Now that I think about it he committed a crime and it got violent, but everythnig worked out fine

[techweenie]

I'm in Mar Vista. 2bd/2ba around here is $2000. Probably similar in Palms. Think about the extra hour or more per day you're going to spend in your car to live where you can find your target $1400/mo (if anywhere) and you might want to cut down on other things in your budget to buy proximity.

No violent crime in the neighborhood at all, BTW. You can research police reports online.

[kinein]

i say off fairfax and wilshire near the tar pits is your price range all you have to do is drive up wilshire to ucla or up by melrose between la cienega and fairfax

[look 171]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

Doode, move to Topanga canyon... we are stardust... we are golden... and we got to get ourself... back to the gaaaaaarden

I thought it was Laural Canyon.

[slodave]

Topanga. That's where all the hippies still are.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by kinein

i say off fairfax and wilshire near the tar pits is your price range all you have to do is drive up wilshire to ucla or up by melrose between la cienega and fairfax

Sound easy, but do that in the morning or at 5:30 or 6pm.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Head416

Yeah, that's kinda what I was thinking before this thread! I figured that would put us off the 210/134, easy access to the east, "close" to UCLA. I'm no stranger to So Cal traffic but I certainly have never had to commute right through downtown LA so I'm glad I'm finding out from you guys now rather than later after moving in somewhere. I have to read every post along with Google Maps, and I've lived 40 miles from LA my whole life!

I am 5 minutes south east of there. Its an hour to UCLA from there. The good thing about that area is that you have several ways to get out to UCLA, the valley or Downtown. never go through DT unless you have to or depending on the time. After a certain hour, my wife or myself do not use the Fwy unless it is a certain part or the fwy or the traffic is going the other way. Like you, you know better to get on the 210 going east after 5pm. You would take Lemon to get around that mess, until you pass the 15, right? She use to work out at LAX. She would take the fwy out near downtown ans actually get off and go around the area where the 110 and the 10 is, and get back on to go around traffic. it will shave off 10-15 minutes. She gets out to LAX in 45 minutes.

Those traffic map is great if you don't know LA. I don't have GPS or a fancy phone to get that info. You just need to learn different way to avoid the madness. I just came back from Anaheim during rush hour today. It took me all of one hour. Had I stay on the 5, I still will be sitting there.