Anyone familiar with Glendale, CA??
 

I may have a chance to transfer to Glendale, California. What type of area is this? Decent schools? Can you get a 3 bedroom home for around $425,000? I'd appreciate anyone who might have websites I could explore to learn more. <BR>Thank you, Josh

Hi I'm Josh's wife, Laurie. I'd like to also add that I'm interested in knowing about the safey/crime rate within this city. We live in a nice middle to upper middle class sub now...hate to give this up if this is a high crime area. Thanks

Glendale is nice. I was just there at my friend's party on Saturday night.<BR><BR>As you have probably discovered, it is part of the greater Los Angeles area, but is its own city separate from LA.<BR><BR>Schools: www.cde.ca.gov (you can link to test scores from here)<BR><BR>Homes: www.realtor.com (do a search!)<BR><BR>You could actually try the City of Glendale website, which I EASILY found using Google. http://www.ci.glendale.ca.us/<BR><BR>One thing you may want to consider in your move is cost of living. If you're moving from NYC, you won't notice it. But if you're moving from the middle of Iowa, you'll be shocked! Everything from a gallon of milk to car insurance to home prices is more expensive in Southern Calfornia than many other communities in the US.<BR><BR>

Glendale is a nice middle to upper middle class suburb of L.A. The elementary schools are pretty good, but middle and high schools are average. A 3 bedroom in a decent area probably starts at $425,000 and go up, way up.<BR><BR>The down side of Glendale is that it's inland from the Pacific in the basin (surrounded by local mountains on several sides), and generally smoggier than West L.A.. The population is also more conservative, politically-speaking (which may be a plus to you, I don't know). Also, instead of the usual 35 mile speed limit on the main roads, its generally cut to 30 mph.<BR><BR>On the plus side, there's the Glendale Galleria, a great shopping mall!

Glendale is a very nice upper-middle class area. The area is very safe, but like most of Southern California it is very pocketed. You can be in a safe area and 3 blocks from bad or industrial area.<BR><BR>Your price range gets you a 3 bedroom/1 bath house with about 1300 sq ft. built in the post WWII boom. Condos will get you more square feet, but ...<BR><BR>Glendale is somewhat centrally located so their are many areas within 10 miles that you could consider, but they may not be any cheaper.

It's also affectionately known as Little Armenia.

Hi, Glendale, Ca is my birthplace. I lived there for over 30 years, but moved away in the early 70s. It once was a nice, very clean, sleepy suburb of L.A but, of course, times have changed. I recently drove through there last year and was amazed at the change. I hardly recognized it at all! Much more crowded. Back then, some of the nicer living areas were up off Canada Blvd., Verdugo Foothills, Glenoaks Canyon and Chevy Chase Canyon.<BR>Good luck.

La Canada is a few minutes from Glendale, the schools are good and the area is a bit less hectic. It too might get overcrowded in the next 10 years or so, however. <BR><BR>If you both live and work in Glendale or very nearby (La Canada, Pasadena, La Crescenta) you won't have too many problems with the traffic. <BR><BR>We recently sold our 2 bedroom home in a mid-to-upscale neighborhood in Glendale for $395,000. There is a housing shortage in the area right now. <BR><BR>Great restaurants and theatres, nice parks, a very under-rated Los Angeles Zoo just 10 minutes away, and plenty to do for children (Universal, Magic Mtn, Disneyland, beaches, several world-class museums all within an hour's drive).

Thank you. Are these areas comprable in home prices, crime, schools, etc. or is one heads above the others?

Sun Valley is the only nearby (10miles) area that has more affordable housing, but it is also a less desirable area. The hills of Glendale are probably the most desirable, followed by La Canada and La Crescenta. Pricing is comparable. <BR><BR>Glendale itself does indeed sport quite a large Armenian population these days, with several Armenian markets and businesses. It also has, or used to have, quite a reputation as an &quot;all-white&quot; city, very unwelcoming to others. It is well known as a low-crime city, despite its close proximity to some rather crime-ridden neighborhoods of Los Angeles.

Sun Valley is in the LA Unified School District. The hill section is nice, the rest is a bit shady, and most people send their kids to a local private school. LaCanada would be a first choice if affordable, La Cresenta is part of the Glendale School District, and Burbank has its own school district.

I live in Glendale. The housing shortage is still very apparent. You'll find a so-so 3-bdrm 1920s/'30s home for your price these days. Condos and townhomes, though, you can find decent ones in that price range. Glendale IS safe. Schools OK. <BR><BR>La Canada is the most expensive (10 min. away by frwy). You *might find a 2-bdrm fixer for 1/2 a mil. One of the best school districts in LA County. <BR><BR>In order of price and preference (w/in a 10 min drive):<BR>La Canada<BR>northern Glendale (closest to mountain)<BR>Montrose (closest to town center)<BR>Glendale Rosmoyne area<BR>La Crescenta <BR><BR>Good Luck<BR><BR> <BR><BR>

La Crescenta is your best bet, the schools are part of the Glendale school district but all grade levels score higher on stardardized tests than in Glendale and there is a wonderful magnet school. Housing is quite high but less than Glendale and some very nice areas.

Glendale is a huge city. I live near there. It's got good shopping, lots of restaurants, easy freeway access to Burbank, Pasadena etc. La Canada does have good schools and that area is really nice, but agree is probably expensive. As for crime, call the Glendale Police Dept. and talk to them about which areas to avoid.

Most police depts. don't give neighborhood recommendations or crime stats anymore. Too many of them came up against lawsuits resulting from people complaining that they got robbed or raped because the police had directed them to a &quot;bad neighborhood&quot;.

I'm sure the Glendale Police Dept. know if there is &quot;gang&quot; activity in certain areas. There are maps that the LA Police Dept. put out showing where all the gang areas are. I would still recommend calling them and seeing what they tell you.

I did actually speak to someone at Glendale PD and they will recommend some good areas. I won't get into it on here, but ask for crime analyst dept.

As a real estate broker, I can confirm that many cities will no longer give out crime information for fear of being sued. Some crime analysts will help out, but many will not. Apparently you were lucky. <BR><BR>