Discussions
Explore the latest discussions related to this domain.
Moving to LA - working in Santa Clarita
Main Post:
Hello everyone
I(28M) am relocating to LA and am looking for a dog friendly 1BR apartment >600sq ft, ideally with an EV charger. I will be commuting to valencia 2x/week
I'm a huge fan of outdoors, especially if i can bring my dog
I love the beach, ideally i'd like to walk/bike there but i don't mind driving to get to a nice beach especially if it's dog friendly.
Ideally i'd like to have a pool and a gym
Right now i'm looking at el centro apartments in hollywood or 1724 highland but i'd appreciate insights on the best neghborhoods for me
Budget is 3300$ but the cheaper the better
Thanks for the insights!
2 MONTH UPDATE: I ended up moving into an apartment in Hollywood, near the 101 freeway entrance. The commute typically takes between 30-45 minutes, with most days averaging around 35 minutes. There is literally no traffic for most of the route, and cars generally cruise at 70-80 mph.
Depending on when I leave the house (between 7-8 a.m.) or return (around 3-4 p.m.), there are three main areas where I hit traffic:
- HIGHLAND AVE near the 101 entrance if I leave around 7 a.m.
- ARLETA on highway 5 if I leave closer to 8 a.m.
- FIRST ENTRANCE TO SANTA CLARITA ON HIGHWAY 5 also if I leave at 8 a.m.
The same applies on the way back, though Highland Ave tends to back up only if there's an event at the Hollywood Bowl.
Thank you all for your help, suggestions and advice!
Top Comment:
Your budget is fine but just know that’s about 30 miles away from work. That’s a realllllly far distance in LA however you’re somewhat going against traffic for parts of it.
I’d recommend living much closer to work however if you’re fine with a crappy commute twice a week I’d look into the nicer neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley: Sherman Oaks, Encino, North Hollywood, and Studio City. Those neighborhoods have walkable areas and younger professionals compared to other neighborhoods in the valley that are much more working class/local.
You could also find some cool spots more eastern like Silver Lake, Echo Park, East Hollywood, or Los Feliz.
If you live close to the beach your commute to work will be actual hell. I wouldn’t go south of the San Fernando Valley to avoid misery.
Santa Clarita?
Main Post:
Any other Californians confused as to why they were acting like Santa Clarita is an unknown, hole in the wall town? Especially Jesse being in Real Estate acting like it’s not right next to LA 😂
Top Comment:
Also, Zombies.
Makes sense to live in Santa Clarita?
Main Post:
Does it make sense to live in Santa Clarita and still have quick drives to meet people, go out, do meetings? Trying to retire from living with roommates and looking for cheaper rent where homeless don't break into my car again. How has this change been going for you?
Top Comment:
I’ve lived in Santa Clarita for about 17 years. It works fine for me - I just don’t take jobs toward Santa Monica or Culver City because the drive sucks.
Mostly I’ve been lucky and have worked from the Burbank and NoHo areas and that commute is just fine.
Would you say Santa Clarita is a safe place to live in?
Main Post: Would you say Santa Clarita is a safe place to live in?
Top Comment:
Yes, it’s where all the cops and fire fighters for LA live. Because of this, the general vibe is conservative.
high school sports are very competitive. It’s a good place to raise a family, but holy fuck it’s boring.
Opinions about Santa Clarita and where to move?
Main Post:
Hi folks, live in the Studio City area now and we're highly considering moving to Santa Clarita for numerous reasons (quieter lifestyle, less homeless people, better school districts, suburban life). We'd prefer Valencia but wanted to ask about Newhall? We're definitely not country people and I've heard certain areas of SC can get horsey. I am a born and raised suburban girl. I need my stores, malls, and restaurants. But I also might need to drive into LA quite a bit. I'll have a high school student so a good school is important. Any help is greatly appreciated. I notice there aren't a ton of rentals in the area and wonder if they are hidden for realtors or if there actually just aren't many?
Top Comment:
We've thought about it. I have close friends in Agoura and Thousand Oaks. It's certainly something to think about.
Why does the Santa Clarita Valley act like it's wealthy?
Main Post:
Yeah, I know the question is pretty stupid, but I'm genuinely curious.
I've met enough people who are from there and have seen enough online posters from the SCV to see that it's definitely a "pattern". A lot of people from there really like to trash on the Valley, but home prices up there are definitely cheaper than Sherman Oaks and honestly, if we're going by $/sq ft... it's about the same as Van Nuys if not a bit cheaper if you factor in how much nicer the average house looks in the SCV than Van Nuys. COL might be considered high just by virtue of being in SoCal but compared to LA it's far cheaper than most neighborhoods, including the neighborhoods that I've seen SCV residents look down on with high and mighty disgust.
The same attitude can be seen in a lot of the more isolated suburbs in the greater LA area like Agoura Hills and Westlake Village... but honestly, those places are MUCH nicer than the SCV in that while they're still pretty whitebread, they don't feel as "wishes-they-were-more-bougie-than-they-actually-are". So what gives?
Edit: It's super hot too... so... the weather's bad and it's ridiculously far away from pretty much everything... so? I know the latter is probably one of the reasons why people move there in the first place, but there's a difference between choosing to be far away in a nice area and being stuck in an oversized crock pot also known as the Valley's Valley.
Top Comment:
It is, generally speaking, a nicer, cleaner, safer place to live than many parts of L.A. portions of the SFV included. The housing costs are less due to the relative remoteness of the area compared to where the jobs are. Most of it was constructed more recent than almost all of L.A. which means the sewer system and electric lines are in better shape and the construction is almost entirely post '72 so it's all more structurally sound.
It is, by and large, a nice place to live and the people there know that, that's why they move there and they want to keep it that way. It's not "acting wealthy." It's pride of ownership and respect for your community.
What's it like living in Santa Clarita/ Antelope Valley?
Main Post:
We're thinking of moving up there and buying a home in a year or two. We currently work in Burbank. We love our commute to work as it's only 15 mins in the morning and 30 at night. But there are no housing here that we can afford even with our combined 120K. We've looked at other options and everywhere we can afford is an hour drive from work. At least in the SCV the houses look like they're in decent shape and there are new condos that start at 400K. We're also thinking about the future as in a few years we might want to start a family so good schools are a must. We have friends who live up there and say that they love it. It's clean, it's nice and the schools are good. When we visit, we're very wary of how the suburban and sterile it feels.
What's your commute like? What's it like living up there? How's the weather?
Top Comment:
Just be aware that Antelope Valley is WAY more disconnected from the city than the SCV is. That stretch on the 14 between Santa Clarita and Palmdale is really long. And once up there the cities themselves are pretty small and spread out.