I am From Chicago, been here all my life but was considering relocating Los Angeles?

Question

Where would be a good community to start out at? Looking for a mixture of all things including a mixture of cultures. I would only be making about $40,000 a year out there, what communities would you suggest with a teenage son and what communities are more reasonable in price?

Answer 1

A general rule of thumb for housing is to expect to pay about $1300 a month for a 2 br apartment. It's higher along the coast, close to downtown LA and in Orange County. There's public transit, but it's slow! I live in a fairly nice rental community in a 2 br, 1-1.5 bath townhouse in West Covina and pay $1500/mo rent (with a dog). If you pay much less than that, you're getting into the ghetto. I paid almost $1700 for a 2 br/2ba flat in Huntington Beach (for contrast), and $1500 for the same in Anaheim.

Good Luck (?) If you want to check rental prices, you might try http://www.rent.com and snoop around. It has a search engine that is really helpful. Just remember taht the cheaper the rent, the worse the neighborhood. And THAT means gang activity--with a teenaged son, you really don't want to drop a boy from Chicago into that mess. Not joining can be as dangerous as joining them.

Best bets are "Inland Empire" (San Bernardino, Pomona, Corona, or Riverside are nice), and central and north Orange County (Fullerton, Anaheim, Placentia, Buena Park, *La Habra and Brea are more $, Santa Ana is a cesspit). The San Gabriel valley (Covina, W Covina, Hacienda & Rowland Heights, Azusa, Arcadia, etc.) are a crap shoot. If you can't visit the places there, don't bother. You don't want to move in without doing a "visual inspection" b/c some places are great and others are a nightmare, and they ALL cost about the same. Expect to put at least one mo's rent down for a security deposit, and about $35 per application.

E-mail me if you want a person to check with. I'm from back east and my hubby's from here, and we've lived all over CA...

Answer 2

I grew up in Chicago and ended up living in L.A. for almost 20 years. Hated the place when I first got there and every day I remained.

Anyway, you first have to realize that L.A. is not a city as you know it. Outside a very small "downtown" district, it's more what you would recognize as a collection of suburbs spread over a large area. If you need to rely on public transportation, your options will be limited.

Secondly, you have to be aware that real estate prices, including rentals, are totally out of line with what you're used to. Expect to pay 3 - 4 times as much as you are paying now for equivalent housing. Everything else (gas, food, etc.) will also be higher than you're used to.

With a teenage son, you should also be aware that racial tensions and gang activities will be to a degree much higher than experienced in the Chicago area.

As far as area, I would suggest outlying areas in Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.

Try to get a copy of the Sunday L.A. Times and a map of Southern California and spend some time going through the classified section for a better idea of what you can expect as far as housing prices and employment opportunities.

I would also suggest that you take a trip there and see it for yourself. But beware, just because a neighborhood looks appealing doesn't mean it's a good neighborhood. L.A. can be very deceiving.

Answer 3

As just about everyone who answers your question will tell you, if you would only be making $40k a year out here, the LA area probably isn't a very realistic choice for you and your son. Everything costs more out here and any areas you could realistically afford to live in would be places you probably wouldn't want to live in.

Housing is outrageously expensive; I live in a 3br/2ba condo of about 1000sf and ones like it in our complex are going for $400,000+! We are on the eastern edge of LA county, in a nice area, but not a fancy area by any stretch of the imagination. Even if you rent you are looking at at least $1000 a month. Insurance is more expensive, as is food, gas, etc. I don't know what kind of job you have, but chances are you would be facing a long commute to work every day as well.

I love living in California, but if we tried to move here now we couldn't afford it. I have lots of friends in the Chicago area (Lake Zurich, Naperville and Aurora) and I see how much nicer their standard of living is there compared with what is was here, schools, shopping, housing, which wasn't bad.

I would also imagine that your son would miss his friends. Perhaps when he is out on his own you could move here and have an adventure! Come out for an extended visit and check it out for yourself. The more the merrier!

I hope you take this information to heart. Good luck!

Answer 4

$40,000 really isn't a lot over here because rent is so much more expensive. I would recommend somewhere in the city or the valley, its definately cheaper over there and very diverse. You would be no more than 30 minutes from everything (w/out traffic, you can never rely on traffic!)

Answer 5

The valley is better if it wont be too much of a commute...anywhere but the busy city itself. Let's see-Westchester, parts of Culver City (can get pricey), Downey (quiet, reasonable, mixture).Why don't you just stay there? I can't wait to move...most of the ppl here are fake & unfriendly.