yestravel

I'm looking for opinions of three different areas around LA - Eagle Park, Burbank & Culver City. It would be a place to move to from NYC. they are 40 somethings with 2 elementary school aged children. Any thoughts on one area versus another? Thanks!

clarkgriswold

Culver City is probably 10 degrees cooler all summer and much closer to the beach. I would think that housing is pretty tight there. Burbank has a housing shortage, are they looking to BUY or to RENT? Eagle Rock is in the midst of gentrification, currently mostly Hispanic & Filipino in the area.
Schools take a lot of research, many people choose a neighborhood only because of the elementary school, the next neighborhood a mile away has a lousy school.
A major major factor is where they are going to work. A commute that looks reasonable on a map can turn out to be 75 minutes.

clarkgriswold

(I should have said MANY Hispanic & Filipino, not mostly.)

I would not want to live in Eagle Rock unless I was working in Pasadena or Glendale, or maybe Downtown L.A.
I would not want to live in Burbank unless work was in Glendale, Hollywood, or Universal/Studio City area. And if I lived in Culver City I would need to work on the westside as traffic is currently crazy and getting worse every year, expected to peak in 2020 and to finally see some relief when public transportation is fully upgraded by 2065. (j/k but probably not far from the truth).

yestravel

Thank you. Rent with the expectation to buy after a year. Yes, schools are a big factor. Not clear where the work location would be. There is flexibility in choosing a work site. Currently living and working in Manhattan with a 20-30 minute commute by walking and subway so any car commute will be a shock no doubt.

suze

My vote goes to Culver City. But for no good reason. Only because I grew up in Venice/Santa Monica/Mar Vista and loved it there.

Jean

I grew up in the Glendale-Burbank area, and some of my family live in the Glendale-Eagle Rock area. I've been driving through Culver City between home and work for the past 40 years.

I'd pick Culver City, hands down. The original downtown area has been going through a bit of a renaissance and now has several interesting restaurants and a fun vibe. There are some nice residential neighborhoods and a good variety of shopping. The Expo metro line runs through the town, so getting to USC, Exposition Park museums and DTLA (downtown LA) would take 15-20 minutes. At DTLA, other metro lines go to Hollywood, Pasadena and Long Beach. By next year, the Expo line will extend west from Culver City to Santa Monica. Culver City also has its own bus system with lines to other areas like LAX, Westwood, etc. You can check school scores online.

yestravel

Thanks, this is helpful. Yes, looking in person at schools indicated as good ones found online. Any more locals who can add insights?

jamie99

Try city-data.com for relocation advice, that is what they specialize in. First figure out where they will be working so they do not end up with some godawful commute. Last couple of years before I retired I was working in El Segundo (near LAX) and commuting from San Pedro and the drive was at least 45 minutes each way and that was without taking the horrible 405 (San Diego) freeway.

clarkgriswold

In Culver City, the Farragut school has a good reputation and is next to the high school.
In Burbank we have friends who are very happy with Stevenson elementary and Roosevelt Elementary.

Here are examples of what 800K will get you in these two neighborhoods:

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale..._rid/34.009207,

http://www.zillow.com/homes/for_sale...zpid/34.164952,

Surfergirl

I have a lot of friends living in Culver City whose kids went to public school there. Elementary schools were great; middle school meh, and high school -- depends on the child -- could be great, sometimes not so much. Farragut gets consistently great reviews from my friends. One of my friends had her kids start in the spanish immersion program (I think it was El Marino) and that served both kids well in middle, high school and at university.

I guess it depends on how much the parent values knowing more than one language and the belief that it is easier to learn languages at a younger age.

My niece went to the high school in Burbank (John Burroughs)and that worked out fine for her, but she had her earlier instruction at the local catholic school, St. Finbar.

Both areas are fine -- but Culver City has a cooler climate (better in summer). Just have to be mindful of pockets that are safer and less safe. Mostly decent.

Jean

"Just have to be mindful of pockets that are safer and less safe. Mostly decent."

I would say the same comments apply to Burbank as well.

maitaitom

"Not clear where the work location would be."

That would make up my mind. If the job was in Pasadena, for instance, I wouldn't consider Culver City...or if the job was in Santa Monica, I wouldn't consider Eagle Rock or Burbank,. Until they decide where to work, it's kind of fruitless to decide which area to live in my opinion.

yestravel

Thanks all -- yea, the uncertainty of work location doesn't help.

maitaitom

As an example...I live in Pasadena. A few weeks ago, I had to go to a work deal in Orange County (Tustin...45 miles). With no traffic...an easy 50 minute drive. That morning, I left a little after 6 a.m. and did not reach my destination for nearly 3 hours. If I had to do that every day, I would probably just kill myself...but people do it...every day.

yestravel

Dreadful!

Surfergirl

Let me just say this about that.

In the last 20 years, L.A. has been dragged out of the 20th Century (sometimes kicking and screaming) into the 21st Century of transportation planning.

As a result, we do have the Metro Light Rail (Expo Line) that currently goes from Culver City (at Robertson) (free parking currently available) all the way downtown to 7th Street, where you can pick up the Red, Blue, & Purple Lines (subway system) that will take you just about anywhere you want to go. If you wanted to go to Pasadena, for example (and we go there from WLA often during the UCLA Football season), we take the Expo Line to the Red or Purple Line to Union Station, then the Gold light rail line to Pasadena.

The time involved, generally speaking, is about what it would take in the car when there's no traffic, with an extra 10 minutes for line changes & waiting time. Depending on where you're going and how many changes, of course.

In about March, 2016, "phase 2" of the Expo Line will open, and extend the line from Culver City to 4th Street in Santa Monica. With a bike path along side most of the route. Bikes will be (and are) permitted on the Metro.

crosscheck

Longtime Santa Monica resident here (NYC native). Agree with clark and maitaitom. Wait until you know where you're working before committing to a place to live. When I first moved here in the 80s, it took me 20 minutes to get to my job in Burbank from Santa Monica. Now, the traffic is insane, even by NY standards. It took 90 minutes to get home from a meeting Hollywood yesterday afternoon, a journey of 10 miles that takes 25 minutes without traffic.

Of the areas you're considering, CC is best overall -- weather, walkability, central location, cool downtown area w/restaurants and access to the light rail (which is a definite improvement, but not a panacea).

For schools, are you set on public or will you consider private?

mlgb

I agree you need to have the job location , secondly the school district and individual schools.

I had coworkers who worked downtown and lived in South Pasadena and Temple City, because they wanted those school districts. With Glendale and Burbank you need to be more particular about which individual school. I would stay away from Pasadena Unified, though.

Eagle Rock High even though it's LAUSD is pretty good, and there are some nice neighborhoods north of Occidental College. If you have a job downtown, Pasadena, even the eastern part of the SFV, Eagle Rock works.

Personally I wouldn't want to be stuck in the westside, traffic is just too horrific. You are basically a prisoner there.

I like Manhattan Beach but it is really really expensive!

Tabernash2

I agree with the recommendation for Culver City. And Pasadena has gorgeous neighborhoods, but I'm not sure of the schools in either area.

yestravel

Thanks everyone! I guess until the job situaiton gets resolved, a neighborhood is best waiting.