Are there any parts of the LA Basin that have that "Small Town Feel"? (Los Angeles: new home, neighborhoods)

[clb10]

I'd like to check out Los Angeles as a new home but I'd like to live in an area of the metro that was not all hustle and bustle.

I've lived in big cities and don't mind the feel except for that shoulder to shoulder, rush hour, rat race vibe.

Any ideas?

[Charles]

Yes, plenty of ideas.

Where will your job be?

[uptown_urbanist]

I agree with Charles -- lots of options out there, but much will depend on your job location and budget. LA is pretty good with that, though, with pretty much every kind of community feel (small town, big city, suburban, in-between) that you could envision.

[DowntownVentura]

Catalina

[osuzana]

I don't believe that Catalina is part of L.A. basin but it is a nice spot. I was thinking of Larchmont, La Canada, Clairmont, and many parts of Ventura County still have that small town feel but with all the amenities.

[nickdahammer]

Yeah, Larchmont is a good one. So is So Pas, especially with the light rail.

[uptown_urbanist]

We lived in South Pasadena; I'd definitely agree with that. Great access to more traditionally "city" neighborhoods but with a small town feel.

Less convenient from the public transportation standpoint would also be Sierra Madre.

[LA Fan]

El Segundo is another spot, you never realize how close you are to the hustle and bustle of LAX, and the rest of the south bay. Yet its very quaint, and feels very much neighborly with a small time vibe. Just visit the downtown area in the evenings, and I swear you think of Mayberry.

The only part that is busy is the eastern part and very commercial district of the city along Sepulveda Blvd, and few blocks east of there. Yet the area going toward the ocean is hilly, and because of the terrain a person would never know its in the middle of such a huge and busy metro.


The boundaries are El Segundo on the south, and Imperial Highway on the north. Sepulveda Blvd on the east, and of course the pacific ocean on the west.

Here is a link on Google map, go down into the street level and check it out within those boundaries.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=N+Sepulveda+Blvd+%26+E +Imperial+Hwy,+El+Segundo,+Los+Angeles,+California +90245&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=40.052282,67.763672&ie=UTF8&cd=1&ge ocode=FY2-BQId0mrx-A&split=0&hq=&hnear=N+Sepulveda+Blvd+%26+E+Imperia l+Hwy,+El+Segundo,+Los+Angeles,+California&ll=33.9 18577,-118.415151&spn=0.010274,0.024719&t=h&z=16

[nick2006]

Originally Posted by LA Fan

El Segundo is another spot, you never realize how close you are to the hustle and bustle of LAX, and the rest of the south bay. Yet its very quaint, and feels very much neighborly with a small time vibe. Just visit the downtown area in the evenings, and I swear you think of Mayberry.

The only part that is busy is the eastern part and very commercial district of the city along Sepulveda Blvd, and few blocks east of there. Yet the area going toward the ocean is hilly, and because of the terrain a person would never know its in the middle of such a huge and busy metro.


The boundaries are El Segundo on the south, and Imperial Highway on the north. Sepulveda Blvd on the east, and of course the pacific ocean on the west.

Here is a link on Google map, go down into the street level and check it out within those boundaries.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=N+Sepulveda+Blvd+%26+E +Imperial+Hwy,+El+Segundo,+Los+Angeles,+California +90245&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=40.052282,67.763672&ie=UTF8&cd=1&ge ocode=FY2-BQId0mrx-A&split=0&hq=&hnear=N+Sepulveda+Blvd+%26+E+Imperia l+Hwy,+El+Segundo,+Los+Angeles,+California&ll=33.9 18577,-118.415151&spn=0.010274,0.024719&t=h&z=16

and don't forget the 747's roaring over your roof. LOL

[Jonah1979]

Sierra Madre has a VERY small town feel. Yet it is close to Pasadena so you have plenty of shopping and restaurant options.