Apartment Hunting in Los Angeles - any Recommendation?
May 11, 20, 8:35 pm
#17
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You might also consider renting a condo directly from the unit owner. I live in Downtown Long Beach and we have a corridor of high-rises on Ocean Blvd (mostly condos and now some newer apartments) and there are a handful of renters in my condo building. We are a high-rise and we have nice amenities including a 24-hour doorman/security guard. Package delivery and security are among the top reasons why I love my building. With a condo that's mostly owners, you'll probably have a better living experience and nicer amenities. I'm not sure how one goes about finding such units (do people advertise widely, use a management company, etc.), but I'd think it would be a good option.
I lived in Long Beach for many years and loved it. Good high rises right on the beach. Good restaurants and perfect weather. The beach has a great bike path but you'd have to drive to Orange Count.y to swim
May 11, 20, 10:15 pm
#19
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May 11, 20, 10:40 pm
#20
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When I was getting a hard sell for working full-time out of El Segundo I saw plenty I liked in the $2000 to $2500 range there and in Manhattan Beach. I thought about Redondo Beach but never seriously looked there.
Access to LAX was however my primary criteria.
Access to LAX was however my primary criteria.
May 12, 20, 5:02 am
#22
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Hi Everyone,
OP here. Thanks very much for all the highly informative posts. Sorry for the late response. I am stuck with a tight deadline until today evening. I am not familiar with the residential aspects of Los Angeles (LA). When I go to LA, I stay in a Hilton family property either at Santa Monica (Double Tree) or at Pasadena (Hilton) and use public transit (Big Blue Bus of Santa Monica, Flyaway bus, and Metro Lines Expo and Gold). It was the pre-Covid-19 era, and I never had any issue (traffic, crime, homeless, etc. anything) with the transit. But, regarding apartments, it seems like LA and New York City (or Chicago) are two different worlds. Let me respond to many of you in the following posts.
Regarding locations, I am inclined to select between Santa Monica and Pasadena. I will look at Manhattan Beach, but I never visited Manhattan Beach before. I have no doubt San Gabriel Valley, Long Beach, Century City, Playa Vista, Orange County, and many other recommended locations are great. But I must stay close to great public transit. Living in NYC/Chicago for almost 30 years, I don't own a car and I don't know anything about cars. I will buy a car after settling in my new home at LA.
If you happen to know a list of reliable safe well-managed apartment complex, rental buildings in Santa Monica or Pasadena, please let me know. I am not searching for a doorman building. Any safe well-managed apartment with reliable package handling system will be great. Condos will be great. Fully furnished condo will be even better. If you have a condo to rent, please PM me. I am considered a very desired tenant by all my previous managements!
Thanks everyone. Please keep posting.
Tintin
OP here. Thanks very much for all the highly informative posts. Sorry for the late response. I am stuck with a tight deadline until today evening. I am not familiar with the residential aspects of Los Angeles (LA). When I go to LA, I stay in a Hilton family property either at Santa Monica (Double Tree) or at Pasadena (Hilton) and use public transit (Big Blue Bus of Santa Monica, Flyaway bus, and Metro Lines Expo and Gold). It was the pre-Covid-19 era, and I never had any issue (traffic, crime, homeless, etc. anything) with the transit. But, regarding apartments, it seems like LA and New York City (or Chicago) are two different worlds. Let me respond to many of you in the following posts.
Regarding locations, I am inclined to select between Santa Monica and Pasadena. I will look at Manhattan Beach, but I never visited Manhattan Beach before. I have no doubt San Gabriel Valley, Long Beach, Century City, Playa Vista, Orange County, and many other recommended locations are great. But I must stay close to great public transit. Living in NYC/Chicago for almost 30 years, I don't own a car and I don't know anything about cars. I will buy a car after settling in my new home at LA.
If you happen to know a list of reliable safe well-managed apartment complex, rental buildings in Santa Monica or Pasadena, please let me know. I am not searching for a doorman building. Any safe well-managed apartment with reliable package handling system will be great. Condos will be great. Fully furnished condo will be even better. If you have a condo to rent, please PM me. I am considered a very desired tenant by all my previous managements!
Thanks everyone. Please keep posting.
Tintin
May 12, 20, 6:33 am
#24
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You should really pick based on what you want to be near. From Pasadena, it's faster to get to San Jose (via BUR) during commute times than it is to get to the west side. And you don't want to have to go through DTLA on a regular basis - it really chokes traffic. In or out is ok, but through isn't fun.
I'm most familiar with the Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley area, having been here over 20 years. It's not really a student town - Pasadena grew up somewhat separately from LA as a sanatorium town for people from the east with TB to live in a dry, warm climate, and eventually it all merged in the sprawl. Caltech and Art Center have fairly tiny student populations, and PCC is a commuter school for the whole valley. That said, you won't find a lot of luxury apartments - there are quite a few small complexes, and a few that are newer, but it's mostly single family houses, sometimes that have been split, but more often have a single-unit front house and a back house/granny flat that's anywhere from 1 to 3 units, sometimes attached to a garage that goes with the front house. There are a few fancy-ish places in and near Old Pasadena - I'm not sure any are even over 10 stories, though. When I've visited people with nice apartments, I don't think any had doormen. And it's nowhere near cheap - it's hard for people on experienced engineer salaries to afford a place in/near Pasadena. It is convenient to BUR, but not LAX - you don't want to have to go through DTLA to get to/from LAX if you don't have to worry about a commute the rest of the time. Anything near Old Pas or South Lake would be walkable, but it's mostly a residential car-town. The Gold Line to union station + Flyaway Bus isn't bad, but it's not faster than driving most of the time, though it's much cheaper than a ride share or parking. The Chinese food on this side of town is definitely better than on the west side.
I'm most familiar with the Pasadena/San Gabriel Valley area, having been here over 20 years. It's not really a student town - Pasadena grew up somewhat separately from LA as a sanatorium town for people from the east with TB to live in a dry, warm climate, and eventually it all merged in the sprawl. Caltech and Art Center have fairly tiny student populations, and PCC is a commuter school for the whole valley. That said, you won't find a lot of luxury apartments - there are quite a few small complexes, and a few that are newer, but it's mostly single family houses, sometimes that have been split, but more often have a single-unit front house and a back house/granny flat that's anywhere from 1 to 3 units, sometimes attached to a garage that goes with the front house. There are a few fancy-ish places in and near Old Pasadena - I'm not sure any are even over 10 stories, though. When I've visited people with nice apartments, I don't think any had doormen. And it's nowhere near cheap - it's hard for people on experienced engineer salaries to afford a place in/near Pasadena. It is convenient to BUR, but not LAX - you don't want to have to go through DTLA to get to/from LAX if you don't have to worry about a commute the rest of the time. Anything near Old Pas or South Lake would be walkable, but it's mostly a residential car-town. The Gold Line to union station + Flyaway Bus isn't bad, but it's not faster than driving most of the time, though it's much cheaper than a ride share or parking. The Chinese food on this side of town is definitely better than on the west side.
Regarding apartments, I am not looking for a fancy apartment or doorman building. A secure building with sincere management staffs and a reasonable package handling procedure will be ideal. It could be a condo (rented from owner) or a unit in a single family home. In fact, a furnished condo will be terrific.
If you happen to know some buildings and/or locations to tour, please post. Thanks very much.
No place in Santa Monica is more than a half hour from LAX by car or an hour at worst by bus. There are lots of alternate routes when the 405 is jammed, as it so often is. Excellent medical care is readily available from two Kaiser facilities, the famous St. John's Hospital ("where the celebrities go to die"), and many others. The city is full of older people who have selected it as an ideal place to retire.
If you happen to know names of apartment buildings/complex in Santa Monica, please post. Condo will be great too. Thanks.
Is there a specific location you're going to be spending most of your time at? A job perhaps? An attraction? An activity such as training? Or some place you want to be such as a beach? Going to a school or university?
This area is a huge place and a literal wasteland for apartments and other rental units. Narrowing down the locale(s) where you'll be spending much of your time would help folks give you some more effective feedback.
David
This area is a huge place and a literal wasteland for apartments and other rental units. Narrowing down the locale(s) where you'll be spending much of your time would help folks give you some more effective feedback.
David
You might also consider renting a condo directly from the unit owner. I live in Downtown Long Beach and we have a corridor of high-rises on Ocean Blvd (mostly condos and now some newer apartments) and there are a handful of renters in my condo building. We are a high-rise and we have nice amenities including a 24-hour doorman/security guard. Package delivery and security are among the top reasons why I love my building. With a condo that's mostly owners, you'll probably have a better living experience and nicer amenities. I'm not sure how one goes about finding such units (do people advertise widely, use a management company, etc.), but I'd think it would be a good option.
How safe is Manhattan Beach neighborhood? It is located in South LA just west of the infamous Compton area, right? Thanks.
Last edited by TWA884; May 12, 20 at 10:46 am Reason: FT Rule 14: Merge consecutive posts by the same member; please use the multi-quote feature. Thank you.
May 12, 20, 7:25 am
#25
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By the way, although it's much much better than it used to be, nobody would use the word "great" with "rapid transit" in Los Angeles. The system is vastly improved compared to thirty years ago, but it's nothing like what Chicago or New York have. You can get to and from a lot of places quickly and cheaply now, but an awful lot of places remain completely out of reach without a car.
Uber and Lyft have changed what "without a car" means, of course. I think you can get around effectively by combining them with public transportation. You'd hesitate to use Uber for an aimless drive down Mulholland Highway to the Coast, but you could always rent a car when you feel like spending some time doing that kind of exploring.
Uber and Lyft have changed what "without a car" means, of course. I think you can get around effectively by combining them with public transportation. You'd hesitate to use Uber for an aimless drive down Mulholland Highway to the Coast, but you could always rent a car when you feel like spending some time doing that kind of exploring.
May 12, 20, 9:34 am
#26
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I don't spend much time there because it's at the other end of the 110, but Long Beach is very nice, as well as walkable. The Blue Line serves LB, but it's still just one line.
May 12, 20, 9:59 am
#27
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Since you are averse to driving, you should also consider the simple walkability of your neighborhood. Outside of newer, master-planned communities, you'll find it much more likely to get around by simply walking. Here's a site that gives you a "score" for how walkable your neighborhood is: https://www.walkscore.com
May 12, 20, 10:16 am
#28
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If you're considering Pasadena, there's an interesting historical former hotel (built ~1898) called Castle Green. It now (and for a long time) consists of condos, I think mainly studio and 1 bedroom, some of which come on the rental market from time to time.
I don't know what it's like to actually live there, but I toured the building during one of their holiday open houses a few years ago and saw both the main floor (spectacular "public" rooms decorated in Victorian style) and the interiors of a number of the condo units.
Its website is here: Castle Green . Nothing there about renting the condos, but it gives background on the building. It's located on Raymond Ave, a block south of Colorado Blvd, in Old Pasadena. So it's very walkable and close to the Gold Line (aka L Line) LA Metro light rail.
A number of photos (exterior, interior common areas, and interiors of condos) are available on Zillow in previous listings for sale: https://www.zillow.com/b/castle-gree...ena-ca-5XphVM/
I don't know what it's like to actually live there, but I toured the building during one of their holiday open houses a few years ago and saw both the main floor (spectacular "public" rooms decorated in Victorian style) and the interiors of a number of the condo units.
Its website is here: Castle Green . Nothing there about renting the condos, but it gives background on the building. It's located on Raymond Ave, a block south of Colorado Blvd, in Old Pasadena. So it's very walkable and close to the Gold Line (aka L Line) LA Metro light rail.
A number of photos (exterior, interior common areas, and interiors of condos) are available on Zillow in previous listings for sale: https://www.zillow.com/b/castle-gree...ena-ca-5XphVM/
May 12, 20, 2:56 pm
#29
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WOW! Is this normal in Southern CA ?
I just heard from a colleague (who grew-up in Orange County) that most rental apartment buildings in Santa Monica are poorly managed and super expensive. As an example s/he showed me Yelp! reviews of a luxury apartment complex named "Living at Santa Monica" in prime location. Take a look.
https://www.yelp.com/biz/living-at-s...t_by=date_desc
Wow! I am speechless. Is this normal in Los Angeles? Apartments are not really meant to be comfortable home? This isn't normal (as a matter of fact, it is unimaginable) in any luxury high-rise rental building in New York or Chicago.
Any thought? Feedback? Comment?
https://www.yelp.com/biz/living-at-s...t_by=date_desc
Wow! I am speechless. Is this normal in Los Angeles? Apartments are not really meant to be comfortable home? This isn't normal (as a matter of fact, it is unimaginable) in any luxury high-rise rental building in New York or Chicago.
Any thought? Feedback? Comment?
Last edited by Tintin; May 12, 20 at 3:06 pm
May 12, 20, 4:29 pm
#30
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FWIW - you are the one who insist moving to Santa Monica...Santa Monica may look nice...but it is not exactly a residential friendly city.
That's a reason why several of us, including me, ask you about what you want, in detail, on what exactly you are looking for.
That's a reason why several of us, including me, ask you about what you want, in detail, on what exactly you are looking for.
