Upper middle class area - commute to West LA? (Los Angeles: cul-de-sac, to rent)

[bobfrapples]

My wife and I grew up in LA, but have been working in San Francisco all of our adult lives. My wife recently got a job near Westwood so we're relocating to LA shortly, but we're having trouble finding an area to live in. We grew up in the South Bay and Valley when we were young, so we would like to live in a similar upper middle class area now. However, because we only had those perspectives as high school students, it has become quite a dilemma for us because those locations are painful 1+ hour commutes to West LA. We're looking to rent a townhouse style place first before committing ourselves to an area by purchasing. What are potential areas to consider with mid-30s professionals ready to have children, while also within a reasonable commute?

I've looked at Manhattan Beach, but other than the million dollar homes, the rental/affordable area east of Sepulveda is packed with 70s style buildings on tightly gridded blocks. Are there Irvine-like areas commutable to West LA?

[BRinSM]

the thousand oaks and santa clarita areas are probably what you are looking for if you like irvine. however, as you mentioned, they are close to an hour commute. new and nice anywhere near the westside is going to cost in the millions for a house. i'm a bit confused though, do you want to live in the city and have a short commute or are you looking for newer developments? you could also provide your housing budget (mortgage/rent), which would also allow people to help you a bit more.

[BluSpark]

Culver City might offer what you are looking for.....not as expensive as say SM or Brentwood. But well located and not too far from Westwood.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by bobfrapples

job near Westwood
grew up in the South Bay and Valley
would like to live in a similar upper middle class area
those locations are painful 1+ hour commutes to West LA.
What are potential areas to consider with mid-30s professionals ready to have children, while also within a reasonable commute?

I've looked at Manhattan Beach, but other than the million dollar homes, the rental/affordable area east of Sepulveda is packed with 70s style buildings on tightly gridded blocks. Are there Irvine-like areas commutable to West LA?

What do you think your purchase price range will be when it is time to buy? (I am not familiar with rents so I'm asking this instead.) I would imagine you'd factor in one or two working parents. If you can afford Brentwood, Bel Air, Rancho Park, the northern side of Santa Monica like near San Vicente, then you have no problem.

Manhattan Beach is on the other side of the 10/405 interchange so a commute from there is likely to be nasty.

Is there any way you/she can work flexed hours like 630AM-300PM?

A carpool lane is under construction on the 405 through the Sepulveda Pass. This may make things better for people commuting from the valley but its completion is two or so years away and it seems when the freeways back up the carpool lanes back up too.

If it were me I'd go
Conejo Valley (Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, Calabasas, Westlake Village)
Simi Valley/Moorpark
Santa Clarita

[obscure reference]

Originally Posted by bobfrapples

However, because we only had those perspectives as high school students, it has become quite a dilemma for us because those locations are painful 1+ hour commutes to West LA. We're looking to rent a townhouse style place first before committing ourselves to an area by purchasing. What are potential areas to consider with mid-30s professionals ready to have children, while also within a reasonable commute?

I know this is an off-the-wall suggestion, but have you thought about... West L.A.?

It might not be where you end up when you're ready to have kids, but there are always units to rent in the area. You can use the time you'd otherwise spend commuting to investigate the places you might want to commit to.

[bobfrapples]

Interesting, I would have thought that the Valley cities you guys mentioned would be an equally nasty or more nasty a commute as the South Bay. Our budget for a home would likely be around $900k-$1m.

We struggled really hard with living in West LA, but we found that the main reason we would live there is purely for the sake of a commute. I analogize it as living in a dorm. West LA, being more urban, crowded, trafficky, tough parking, etc. is not what we had in mind for where we want to live, but we were really tempted because of the commute.

Where are the nicer areas of Culver City? We drove around the Downtown CC and Sony Studios area, but there weren't any obvious pockets/blocks that were newer or nicer.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by bobfrapples

more urban, crowded, trafficky, tough parking, etc...not what we had in mind

Be careful, you might be accused of wanting a non walkable, not liberal or funky, cookie cutter, non artsy, unhip, sprawl contributing, non public transit, corporate square peg in a square hole, no diversity, conservative, SUV minivan lifestyle.

[tygayolo415]

Originally Posted by bobfrapples

Interesting, I would have thought that the Valley cities you guys mentioned would be an equally nasty or more nasty a commute as the South Bay. Our budget for a home would likely be around $900k-$1m.

We struggled really hard with living in West LA, but we found that the main reason we would live there is purely for the sake of a commute. I analogize it as living in a dorm. West LA, being more urban, crowded, trafficky, tough parking, etc. is not what we had in mind for where we want to live, but we were really tempted because of the commute.

Where are the nicer areas of Culver City? We drove around the Downtown CC and Sony Studios area, but there weren't any obvious pockets/blocks that were newer or nicer.

For Culver City, there are a couple of decent pockets that come to mind. First, there is a small pocket just south of Washington, north of Culver, west of Overland and east of Elenda. Second there is another pocket near the high school, south of Culver, west of Overland, east of Huron and the whole southern part is bordered by the high school. The third area are the hills east of Overland, between West LA College and Holy Cross cemetery.

Then again, if you don't care much to live in West LA then Culver City is not much different.

Have you looked at the Playa Vista development? The bluffs just west of Loyola Marymount on the other side of Sepulveda? Both of those areas you'd swear you were in the OC if you didn't know any better.

Also possibly worth a look, there's some properties between Alla Rd and Centinela on the west and east, and between Short and Culver on the north and south with quick access to Marina del Rey.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by cim303

For Culver City, there are a couple of decent pockets that come to mind. First, there is a small pocket just south of Washington, north of Culver, west of Overland and east of Elenda. Second there is another pocket near the high school, south of Culver, west of Overland, east of Huron and the whole southern part is bordered by the high school. The third area are the hills east of Overland, between West LA College and Holy Cross cemetery.

It's actually harder picking out UNDESIRABLE pockets of Culver City east of the 405 than it is picking out DESIREABLE pockets. (West of the 405 it gets iffier, there are some good streets, some bad streets, and much in between.)

Those are all good areas but the area between Washington Blvd./Place and Culver and east of the 405 is quite good too. The Veteran's Park area.

Don't know how anyone could complain about the area by the studios, that is a perfectly nice area. Some might think Eastern Culver City (Higuera, McManus, etc.) is a worse area than it actually is just because it's near some areas in the city of Los Angeles that are bad areas, but it's perfectly fine. It's just older.

Then again, if you don't care much to live in West LA then Culver City is not much different.

There is a very big difference.
West LA - LAUSD and LAPD.
Culver City - NOT LAUSD and NOT LAPD. Better schools and more effective, albeit much more intrusive and rather intolerant, cops.

Culver City preserves more of the features of the old westside than the other westside areas. It's obviously similar to West LA in many ways, but there are differences.

Have you looked at the Playa Vista development? The bluffs just west of Loyola Marymount on the other side of Sepulveda? Both of those areas you'd swear you were in the OC if you didn't know any better.

Playa Vista has some soil contamination issues and is LAUSD although nice. As for recommending Westchester over Culver City, I really don't see why. Yes, there are many similarities and Westchester is nice but it is LAUSD and LAPD.

Also possibly worth a look, there's some properties between Alla Rd and Centinela on the west and east, and between Short and Culver on the north and south with quick access to Marina del Rey.

Interesting that someone would think Del Rey was nicer than Culver City. Del Rey and Western Culver City are pretty much identical. Both have good, bad, and in between.

BTW Charles recommending Santa Clarita, Simi Valley, and the Conejo Valley are pretty blatantly ridiculous. Those are VERY far from Westwood.

[RE52]

My cousins live in a very nice, relatively new, development in Westchester, off 77th Avenue, West of Sepulveda. Not a bad commute to WLA, close to airport and nice cul-de-sacs.