Torrance/Long Beach (Redondo Beach, Belmont: to rent, crime, neighborhood)

[guawazi]

How is this area? Is it a expensive place to live? Crime? Ease of getting to downtown LA? I'm considering moving to somewhere around here.

[JohnG72]

Rush hour from either is 1 hour each way to DTLA. Fast trak on the 110 from Torrance to DTLA in the morning after around 7 is untenable..usually $9-12. In the evening it's $3.95 and will cut 15-20 min off your commute time. No fast trak from LB, but you can take the Blue line train.

All of Torrance has the most minimal of crime. Long Beach is a huge city and about 1/2 is very little crime and 1/2 has too much crime.

Neither is expensive to rent in, both are expensive to buy in. Rents on one bedrooms in both cities range $900-1500/mo, 2 bd range about $1200-1900/mo. SFR start in the better parts of LB at about $500-600k, and in Torrance at more like $600-700k with both cities have very very low inventory at the moment.

[timtemtym]

Those are two very different areas that don't cross paths too much. Traffic from Long Beach to DTLA in the morning will take at least an hour. It has taken me two hours more than once

If I had to commute daily to downtown, I'd rather do it from Long Beach. I'd drive over to the Willow Station or the Wardlow station, pay my $1.50 and get on the blue line train. That gets you downtown in much less time with much less stress!

Long Beach east of Cherry is a very nice place. There is a lot to do down here. We have good shopping, lots of arts, clubs, a good student scene, etc... I don't know anything about you or your situation, but I'm sure Long Beach has a neighborhood for it.

Torrance can be swanky. I love it over there. It reminds me of parts of Texas, nicer inner suburbs of San Antonio or Dallas.

[guawazi]

How is the nightlife/restaurants? Is either place walkable?

[JohnG72]

Torrance is car centric though if you like to walk just live near Del Amo Mall, particularly near Torrance Bl. You can walk to chain restaurants, stores, groceries etc. There is near zero nightlife...Lucky Strike and movies and thats about it. Hermosa, Manhatten, and Redondo Beach's are 10-15 minute drive away from Torrance so if you near nearby nightlife, all have beach centered nightlife and bars.

Like I said Long Beach is huge so there are multiple walkable areas...particularly Belmont Shores, Downtown Long Beach, and Bixby Knolls. There is a lot of night life in Long Beach, mostly concentrated in Downtown and Belmont shores.

[yby1]

There is more activity near Dowtown Torrance, but it's still pretty sleepy. Hopefully in a couple of years it will improve. More restaurants are moving in. And there are some cool breweries not far away.