Claremont is nice, but not counter commute to SF Springs
afaik. It is hot/smoggy in the summer, but does have a small town feel and there is plenty of hiking/biking/etc.
Most any place in LA can be congested depending on the particular street and neighborhood. And regentrification has/is taking place in a lot of areas (right now Eagle Rock and Highland Park are on the upswing). In my case I am trying to stay close to the ex with a laser focus on good schools and still having a reasonable commute to work. Considering that it is pretty much SM, maybe Palisades but that is even further away. The other alternative would be to go south to Manhattan Beach but that goes way further from the ex and requires trips up/down the 405.
As for prices I looked in SM and short sell condos are in the $500-600K range. Still too rich for my blood...