Originally Posted by
garykung
No suggestion.
You practically give no useful information other than just saying Santa Monica.
How can anyone, in that case, suggest anything?
You need to give more information, like budget, accessibility, commuting distance, etc.
Not only in southern California, but the entire California, because the entire California is an active earthquake zone.
High rise is a risk by itself.
Thanks. Let me know what you need to know. Specifically, here are my answers to your questions:
Budget: I am flexible. Prefer not to pay more than $3,000 per month for a 1-bedroom (or great studio). But open to consider any "good" place.
Accessibility: Like to use Metro, at least, at the initial stage of moving. I lived in NYC and Chicago for more than 20 years and so I am used to public transit and never owned a car. Will buy a car after moving to LA, but I have to learn "how to buy a car" and basic "car maintenance" before making the purchase. Covid-19 is changing everything, and I prefer not to use public transit. That's why Santa Monica is probably a desirable choice (over Culver City). Everything is within walking distance in Santa Monica.
Commuting Distance: As crazy as it sounds, this is my per-retirement break year
. Covid-19 helped me to make the decision. So no specific commuting, expect nice access to LAX. Santa Monica is a great choice because there are 2 or 3 Big Blue Buses to LAX.
Thanks for educating me about the lack of high-risk in Southern CA. It makes sense. There are few high-rise in San Diego downtown. They are about 25 stories high (not like 40-75 stories in NYC). Mostly condos. 2 or 3 rental buildings. I lived in one of them. It was a nightmare experience compare to living in NYC/Chicago.
Let me know if you have any suggestion/advice, or if you need any additional information. Many thanks indeed.