Baltimore, MD to Azusa, CA (Los Angeles, Pasadena: apartment, rent, job transfer)

[young east coaster]

Hi All, I'm considering a job transfer to Azusa, CA and am wondering if I should find an apartment right in Azusa as opposed to surrounding cities like Pasadena. I don't want to be commuting 1hr or more to work a day and I hear traffic is a killer even for short distances. I'd like to spend no more than $1200 rent and $200 utilities. Is that possible? I've looked at apartment websites and it seems like I could find something for that. But I can't tell what the area would be like at that price.

Do they have stuff in Azusa like malls, grocery stores, gyms, coffee shops, restaurants? If they have extras like parks, concert halls, dance halls, bowling alleys, libraries that would be nice. I don't even know where the beach is in relation to Azusa.

I don't really want to move into a place with all families or senior citizens since I'm a single 28 year old. So could you share what the age and demographics are? I checked city stats, but even though I'm an engineer, words mean more to me than numbers.

Also, I keep hearing people talk about the weather. Isn't all of LA the same weather or close to it? I live in MD so I'm used to it all. Humid indian summers and frigid 3 ft snow blizzards and dreary rainy days and occasional perfect sunny breezy days.

I'd welcome comments about the area concerning anything you can think of. I obviously have a lot to learn.

[Ifleetackle]

I was basically raised in Azusa. I know just about everything there is to know about that place. As far as traffic, Well it depends on where you need to go. If you are heading out toward LA then yeah, traffic is horrible in the mornings and ending work hours. The 210 freeway is the only freeway out of there, you could take that all the way out or take the 10 which is farther south. There really isn't much of what you're looking for except the occasional starbucks. If you are looking for a place were there is more "happening" look into West Covina. They have a mall and there is just alot more to do there. You'll find your self comeing from azusa to covina to do your shopping and for entertainment needs. Especially downtown covina. The beach is a ways away. You're nestled right at the foothills of the angeles mountains. Weather is normal LA weather sometimes it can get really windy though on account of the mountain air coming through, and a little more rain then other places because of the mountains but I love the rain so not a problem. If you have any other questions feel free to ask.

[SoCal35]

The weather in Azusa will be VERY pleasant for you ...as compared to MD. I grew up in So.Calif. but lived for a few years in Wash, D.C.

Within the context of Los Angeles County, you might as well learn now that we have what we call "MICRO-CLIMATES"....so for instance in the middle of summer it might reach a high of 75 degrees at the beach in Malibu but a 95 degree high in a more inland place like Pasadena or Azusa. But do NOT let that scare you....as a summer in Azusa is FAR MORE pleasant than MD/DC/Baltimore.

I recall when I lived back there....people would ask, "Oh you are from Calif. you must hate our winters." I would reply...."Actually, it's the summers I can't stand."

The summers are VERY dry and at night the temps drop into the mid-60's making an evening stroll...very very pleasant.

[SoCal35]

Nothing against Azusa....but at your age I WOULD HIGHLY suggest looking into living in Pasadena. It's really not too far and Pasadena is a VERY INTERESTING and FUN city. Lots of nightlife, restaurants, cultural activiities, etc. Plus, on weekends you would be that much closer to Los Angeles....

At peak commute hours you would be looking at approximately a 30 minute drive one way from Pasadena to Azusa. Non-peak hours more like 15 to 20 minutes.

[SoCal35]

Pasadena and Azusa have similar climates:

Here is Pasadena's avg. daily highs & lows (F) & rainfall in inches:

Jan. 62 - 40 (4.48)
Feb. 66 - 41 (5.0)
Mrch. 68 - 44 (4.38)
Aprl. 71 - 48 (1.22)
May 75 - 50 (0.45)
June 80 - 55 (0.21)
July 87 - 62 (0.05)
Aug. 87 - 63 (0.21)
Sept. 86 - 60 (0.48)
Oct. 78 - 54 (0.65)
Nov. 73 - 49 (1.50)
Dec. 64 - 45 (2.40)

By the way, the micro-climates in SoCalif. also translates into a bit more rain for Pasadena than the LA Basin. Pasadena averages 21 inches of rain per year where as downtown LA only gets about 15 inches per year (on average). Also, the winter nights are COLDER in Pasadena than in more coastal areas like Santa Monica or West LA by about 5 to 10 degrees.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by young east coaster

Hi All, I'm considering a job transfer to Azusa, CA and am wondering if I should find an apartment right in Azusa as opposed to surrounding cities like Pasadena. I don't want to be commuting 1hr or more to work a day and I hear traffic is a killer even for short distances. I'd like to spend no more than $1200 rent and $200 utilities. Is that possible? I've looked at apartment websites and it seems like I could find something for that. But I can't tell what the area would be like at that price.

Do they have stuff in Azusa like malls, grocery stores, gyms, coffee shops, restaurants? If they have extras like parks, concert halls, dance halls, bowling alleys, libraries that would be nice. I don't even know where the beach is in relation to Azusa.

I don't really want to move into a place with all families or senior citizens since I'm a single 28 year old. So could you share what the age and demographics are? I checked city stats, but even though I'm an engineer, words mean more to me than numbers.

Also, I keep hearing people talk about the weather. Isn't all of LA the same weather or close to it? I live in MD so I'm used to it all. Humid indian summers and frigid 3 ft snow blizzards and dreary rainy days and occasional perfect sunny breezy days.

I'd welcome comments about the area concerning anything you can think of. I obviously have a lot to learn.

wow, where to start? No, not all places in the Los Angeles have the same weather; the SGV which is where AZusa is, has cooler winters and warmers summers, but nothing like MD either way. You may find days approaching 100 degrees but there is little humidity compared to the east coast.

I don't think I would rent in AZUSA, I would check Glendora or some of the other surrounding areas. Yes, they all have malls, grocery shopping, good restaurants and lots of activities. You might even want to consider Pasadena if you can be happy with a 1 bedroom.

You ask about demographics and the age break down. Azusa is pretty much a family community with a relatively high Hispanic population. Pasadena is very diversified, you would find a little of everything. The commute would not be bad as you would be going against the traffic.

Overall I think you can be happy moving to Azusa, it will be a new and different experience, but a good one. Oh, the beach, it is about an hour away.

Nita

[JohnG72]

Due to your age, you really might want to live in Pasadena. Its not THAT bad a drive. Azusa is pretty mediocre and not much to do there.

Some parts of Monrovia are not bad and Arcadia and Sierra Madre are nice also....closer to Azusa than Pasadena, but still mostly family communities with not much to do.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by young east coaster

I'm wondering if I should find an apartment right in Azusa as opposed to surrounding cities like Pasadena.

Hands down, Pasadena...and worth the extra $ it will cost in rent. It should take you only about 20-25 minutes to get from Azusa to Pasadena to work; you're going against traffic.

I don't really want to move into a place with all families or senior citizens since I'm a single 28 year old.

If you're from Baltimore and you're an engineer, you'll definitely be bored in Azusa. It's a working class community of mostly families, as said above. (If you were coming from a rural midwestern community, it might be different.)

[sll3454]

Some thoughts:

Azusa itself doesn't have much. If your job is in the eastern part of Azusa, you might go to Glendora for your groceries. I don't think there is a gym in Azusa itself, but there are several in the surrounding cities.

If you think you will be going out somewhere almost every day, you might find a place closer to those activities. However, if you plan to go out somewhere a couple times a week, or if you will be going out but not always to the same area, it makes sense to live near work.

Large parks in the area:
Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area, Los Angeles County Arboretum, Puddingstone (farther east than Azusa), Whittier Narrows, Arcadia County Park, South Hills Park

There are malls in West Covina, Arcadia, and Pasadena.
You can find bowling in Arcadia, Pasadena, Covina, West Covina, and El Monte.
Monrovia has a lot of restaurants. So do Pasadena and Arcadia.
Azusa has a library. So do Glendora, Arcadia, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Pasadena (3), and most of the other cities.

You can find all of the things you mentioned without going to Los Angeles. I lived and worked in the Azusa-Pasadena-El Monte area for 37 years and never had any reason to go to Los Angeles except to see the Dodgers play.

Pasadena to the beach and Azusa to the beach will be about the same, depending on which beach. Although Pasadena is farther west, Azusa is closer to the 605, which goes south to some beaches.

No one has mentioned that Azusa also has a university (Azusa Pacific) and a community college (Citrus), so there are a lot of younger people around, too.

[drshang]

If you don't want to live all the way in Pasadena (which isn't that far) check out Monrovia. It has a really cute downtown area (rent near the downtown/walkable area) and will save you 15 minutes on your commute. Plus you're closer to LA than areas further east.