Is Los Angeles family friendly, how much do you need to earn to raise a family there?

Question

My husband may be getting a job their soon...frankly, though, california is one of the last places I ever wanted to live. From what I know, it is polluted, crowded, expensive and full of botox barbies...not what I had in mind. Can someone who lives there tell me about any more family friendly areas? Are they supportive of breastfeeding? Homebirthing, midwives, delayed vaccinations? Are many places pet friendly? What is there to go do with a toddler without worrying about the area? I know I may seem overly paranoid but I have heard very little I like about the place outside of surfing...and even then I have to worry about my little boy seeing a bunch of people with not enough on...
Please someone, have some good news to help me ease my mind!

Answer 1

Relax! It's not at all like what you have in mind! Sure, we get some pretty out-there people here and there but that all comes along with every city in the States. Los Angeles is very family friendly and there are neighborhoods that are a lot more expensive than others but, all in all, there are many areas in Los Angeles that are quiet and beautiful.
Family friendly areas are everywhere in Los Angeles, from Bel Air to Long Beach. Breastfeeding, homebirthing, midwives and all of that are supportive in Los Angeles in any area. Pet friendly places are all over the place as well (although, cities near the coast such as Long Beach, Santa Monica, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach... are more pet friendly than others).
Things to do with your toddler are endless. Whethere you want to go to story time at the local library to parks and events, things are always going on locally in every city during the week and on the weekends.
About your toddler looking at women hardly wearing much... the reality is that Los Angeles has tons of beach cities and come the summertime, there are plenty of people walking around in theie bikinis and swimsuits.
Don't get discouraged from moving out here, it's great! Sure, some people are going to say that it is croweded and expensive and the smog... but the truth is, depending on what you are looking for, you will definitely find in Los Angeles.
Good luck!

Answer 2

It can be, depending on the age of your child. When it comes to Midwives, homebirthing, etc. they are somewhat supportive, but it's not covered by health insurance, if that's what you want to know. Very supportive of breastfeeding and there are TONS of mommy support groups that do various activities around the city that's just for kids. My friend belongs to three that are in her neighborhood. There are plenty of family friendly restaurants as well.

But LA is horrible if your kids are school age. Be prepared to pay for private school because LA has a 50% dropout rate. The schools are overcrowded and overall not very good.

Depending on where you live, it can be pet friendly, but not as friendly as NY. You won't find a lot of dog parks here, but there are a lot of pet supply stores. Weird, huh?

Don't worry about the people. They're nice and your boy won't see any naked people running around.

I live here and my fiance and I plan to have kids a year after we get married (in 23 days!). We're cool with living here while they're young, but moving out of state or to Northern California is definitely in our plans due to the problems with the school system.

Answer 3

There's plenty of family friendly places to live. Sadly you already have pre-conceived notions of it. As a parent you should know better than 1) to believe all the hype about ANYTHING 2) make vague generalizations about ANYTHING 3) judge before you have done your homework.
I have lived in Los Angeles my whole life. I have always felt lucky to live here. It is not a lot of 'botox barbies' but, you do see them. I have felt lucky because I almost always get good weather. I can go to plays, concerts, skiing-water and snow, mountains, desert, beach, museums, galleries. amusement parks, shopping rodeo drive or outlets etc, etc, etc.
But, you sound kind of grumpy and snobbish. Surely you have heard how cheerful and 'have a nice day' we are....lmao.
That's a great show of support for your hubby....good luck to him.

Answer 4

I grew up in California, spending a lot of years in L.A and adjacent areas. Back then, Eagle Rock was a fantastic area to bring up a family. I was a police officer down there until I was injured in the line of duty and retired. As soon as we had our first child, I moved my family out of california all together and raised our family in Idaho. Some parts of L.A. are out of bounds unless you want to get hurt or worse. Not to sound racist, because I'm not, but realistically, stay away from Compton, Watts and adjoining areas due to high crime and violence. Avoid any of the major population areas if possible, but parts of the san fernando valley are also really bad. I wish I could name a part that was low crime and family friendly, but I can't. Try La crescenta, along the foothills, but it is very pricey and west of there it turns bad as you approach the sunland tujunga area and on into burbank etc. Most areas, you don't walk at night due to violence and shooting, you can't wear certain colors in certain areas either because the gangs will attack opposing gangs or those foolish enough to wear the wrong colors or sports jackets. Try for a bedroom community way out, you will have to learn to live with a 2 hour commute each way, bumper to bumper traffic and earthquakes. But, you gain access to beautiful beaches, exposure to ethnic groups of all kinds, which of course means getting to sample some of the finest quisine in the world. The schools are rough and will eat a country kid alive very quickly. The weather is pretty good all year. Some parts of the year it is perfect. Smog can get bad at times, other day's you don't seem to notice it. I do remember smog alerts that required all students to stay inside and no gym or sports allowed on those days. People with lung disease like asthma have a difficult time there. The wages are very good, but the cost of living is very high. Politics are ultra liberal, with all that attaches to that.You get fresh fruit and veggies all year long, as well as having plants like foster farms etc not far away too. Shopping is fantastic, with access to so many stores you won't ever see them all.Delayed vaccinations are a no no. You can't attend public school without them. Breastfeeding is an accepted part of society and I don't see any difference between there and most places. Pets are both loved and hated. Depends on the area you go to. Many pet parks are available too. Couldn't say on homebirthing or midwives. As for going places with toddlers, never, I'm gonna say that again, NEVER let them out of your sight. Don't let them go to public park restrooms alone, or for that matter any public bathroom. Don't let them wonder the neighborhood etc. You will have to develop a new mindset there. Most people are not friendly, and you can't trust the ones that seem overly friendly. Gangs are everywhere, violence and drugs are everywhere. It used to be the greatest state to live in. Now, when I go to visit friends that still live there, I carry a gun at all times ( I'm an ex cop after all) And I am very careful. Still, every time I go to visit friends, I see stabbings, shootings, drugs, violence and worse. The radio news will be nonstop about the murders that occurred that day. And believe me there will be a lot of them each day.
My own personal advice? I would not move my family back there if you paid me too. I'm sorry, but I have to be honest.

Answer 5

Thank you, Randy C, for telling it like it is. I, too, lived in LA for many years and was continually working on finding a way OUT of the city. It wasn't the sort of place I wanted my son to be in as a teenager.
I worked at the largest public hospital in LA County and treated brain-injured patients. The wards were full of gangstas who had been shot in the head, slammed in the head with baseball bats or bricks, and visitors had shoot-outs in the halls.
The papers and the news are full of death and destruction.
Not a place to move to, in my estimation.
Listen to your gut when you feel overly paranoid; it doesn't lie.
Investigate the crime statistics-- they will scare the crap out of you!

Answer 6

It depends on where you stay... la has some ruff areas, I would say la is mainly for singles and people tryin to advance in their careers..

Answer 7

Check out Valencia, CA. It's a suburb of L.A. that I think will meet your needs...

http://www.valencia.com/

Answer 8

Check out OC or thousand oaks.