New Yorker moving family to Southern Cali

[Mach50]

^^^ Believe it or not, but 4000 a month might be too low in Manhattan Beach for a 4br house.

[Binxter]

We moved from NY (Westchester County) about 2 years ago. Went through the same analysis. Our conclusions were similar to yours. We ended up buying a place in Palos Verdes and we love it. It is beautiful, with some really stunning views and is a bit of an eden for small kids - tons of outdoor stuff to do, including hiking, tide pools, rocky beaches and then the sandy beaches of Redondo, Hermosa and Manhattan Beach are about 20 minutes away. You definitely want to take a look at PV.

In a nutshell, here is the difference in PV and MB. In PV you will get a regular old house with a yard. If you have to do any commuting it's not fun because no freeways run through the area. Your about 20-25 minutes from the 110 and the 405, which would be the ones you would use. On the other hand, the seclusion makes it very quiet and very safe. On the northeast side of the peninsula, there are lots of horses - you'll people riding them along PV drive every day. The north and west sides are focused on the water. Many houses have great views of the Pacific. You can also get some fantastic views of the city on the north end. While your out here, get a map or your trusty Garmin and take a drive along PV Drive West and then a small road called Via Del Monte. Trust me, your search will end in a hurry.

We have friends in Manhattan Beach and Hermosa Beach. They are adjacent towns just north of the PV Peninsula. I like them fine, but didn't really want to live there with small kids. You can get places within walking distance to the beach, but I didn't really like the style (just my taste). They are really close together and are generally buiilt up and not out. I haven't seen places with much in the way of yards in MB or HB, unless you move eastward away from the water. However, our friends love it out there, because with a short walk, you can just use the beach as your yard. It is crowded down there, however. Less so in MB because there isn't much beach parking for those driving in, but it is still fairly busy. I would throw Redondo Beach in there as well. It is just south of HB, and not generally thought of as prestigious as HB or MB (if that's of any value to you).

The schools in MB and PV are both fantastic. I think that HB shares a high school with MB, but may have it's own system for middle school and elementary, and it may share a system with RB. Not sure on that, but you can find out that info on the web. California grades its schools on a 1-10 scale (10 being the best). All of the schools in MB and PV rate 10s. RB has some that rate a little lower, but like 8, which is still good.

Short answer - it al depends on what you are looking for and what your personal likes are. You really can't go wrong in either place. Take a look at both. If the beach is not critical, you should also look in the La canada / Flintridge area. It is just at the foot of the mountains north of the city. It's pretty and the schools rate 10 there too, but you are a long way from the water.

[jason101]

Great info Binxter! Thanks so much.

[bhcompy]

If you want a family oriented beach atmosphere like Manhattan Beach, but with possibility of yards and such, along with great schools and such, Seal Beach may be a nice place to visit. Much less busy and more family friendly than Manhattan Beach with the benefit of being slightly more tax friendly(LA County is 9.75, going up to 10.25% i believe sales tax, while orange is 8.75%) as well. Rents will be inline with what you are looking for.

[Binxter]

No Problem. Also, there is a book called McCormack's (not sure if I spelled it right) but it has all of the info you want on all of the various areas, towns, etc around L.A., including schools, crime, commute, housing costs, etc. Definitely worth the $15 you will spend for it. There is also an on-line version, but the book - when I was looking - had more info.