Torrance Area
 

I may be moving to CA to work for a company in
Torrance and I would like advice for finding rental housing as I have a girlfriend and a large dog. prefer somewhere close to Torrance (as commuting isn't my favorite pastime) that is low crime and reasonable costs.

Thanks,
Chuck

Go to craigslist.

In Southern CA (as in most places) proximity means higher cost.

Where are you coming from and what is your rental budget? Rentals in the area for single family homes (I assume you need a yard) probably start at about $2K

You are lucky. If you can't find it in Torrance, you can't find it anywhere. LOL

The City of Torrance is huge and you can find housing in all price ranges and it's a decent place to live. The local South Bay paper is The Daily Breeze.

The Beach cities to the west of Torrance: Hermosa, Manhattan and Redondo are more pricey, cities to the east, Lomita and Carson can be less expensive.

Good luck finding a place that allows a large dog.

The company is located in Southwest Village (just North of the Honda R&D Plant), so are Carson, Lomita, and East Torrance my best bet for decent areas to live in?

The rental budget isn't really an issue as I am in engineering, except that we are trying to pay off a lot of debt, so we would like to pay semi-reasonable rental costs while living in a fairly low-crime area with nice surrounding neighborhoods.

Temporarily, I just need a studio or 1 bedroom apt for a while until girlfriend finds employment in area and moves out with me, but then we will also have an 85lb lab, so we would like to find either a small house, condo, or apt with a small fenced backyard or sideyard. Any suggestions or thoughts?

The daily breeze, craigslist Southbay, and Southbay.com are probably my best bets for finding appropriate housing, right?

Also Harbor City and Long Beach.

But you need to look at the specific neighborhood, so renting a small place while become more familiar is a good idea. Ask people at the new job.

Also Pennysaver (South bay), Long Beach Press Telegram.

THe dog is going to be a problem.

Also check out the Beach Reporter, the free weekly newspaper for the South Bay, they have many ads for rentals also. It comes out each Thursday. That is how I found my apartment in San Pedro. Carson can be kind of sketchy in some areas, my sister works there. Lots of apartments on Narbonne in Lomita and on Anza Avenue in Torrance (but parking is terrible unless you live there and have a carport).

I hear El Segundo is a very nice area that is reasonably priced and low-crime with a lot of professionals since aerospace is big in the area. Any thoughts?


The main thing I am looking for is a quiet place to stay near work where I can sleep and rest without too much noise
or partying going on all night in or near where I will be living.

I just accepted an engineering position with a company (Physical Optics Corporation) in NE Torrance and will be moving out to Torrance around 8/30. I'm currently living in Orlando with my girlfriend and chocolate lab, but they will be moving out to Torrance in 3-9 months when my girlfriend can get a transfer with Wachovia Bank.

El Segundo is right next to LAX. I haven't lived there so I don't know how airport noise is but just be aware.

Try westsiderentals.com also. You'll have to pay a fee, but a lot of landlords list on there (I've found two of my apartments on there); cragslist.org is also good.

El Segundo is nice IF you aren't near the airport. You can literally WALK to the runways of LAX from some parts.

Torrance, Redondo, Hermosa, Manhatten, El Segundo, Marian del Rey, Manchester, and possibly Long Beach are good bets. They are all pretty different areas, and the crime may vary within each city. You may have problems finding a rental with a yard large enough for a dog in any of the beach cities.

Torrance is a fine city. I was born and raised there. I think west and south Torrance are the best areas. The rents will be higher here.

My sisters family has lived near North High in Torrance for 20 years and they're very happy. My mom lived downtown for several years before she went to a retirement home. It's very peaceful and cute downtown. I'd avoid Carson though if I were you.


Can you look into the possibility of staying temporarily in of those "Extended Stay" type of hotels? There is one on Torrance Blvd (I believe) that looks pretty good. I think they have kitchenettes and can be rented by the week and possibly by the month.

Good luck and welcome to the rat race!

I meant to add that if you came out here you could drive around the neighborhoods that appeal to you and find a place for rent by cruising around. I'm a landlady and I got my last tennant by placing a sign out front.

And as far as the dog is concerned, personally I've always believed that if you have excellent credit, your dog is welcome. People with excellent (not just good) credit are very responsible people in their daily lives. I realize I'm generalizing, but trusting that theory has worked for me in selecting tenants.

Hi Pilates,

Could you elaborate as to why the South/West parts of Torrance are better than the East/North parts?

What about eventually finding a place that has a tiny/small fenced yard for my 85lb lab? I should be able to find a place in Torrance, right?

Thanks,
Chuck

El Segundo is a nice town, though next to LAX. Our friend's daughter just bought a home there for $1,200,000 so it now priced along with the So Bay Beach communities. If you are too close to Imperial Blvd. you will hear constant airport noise. Closer to Grand Ave. is better. Lots of employees who work at the Chevron Oil plant (to the south of ES) live in the town as well as Aerospace. Check out a Google Map.

I still say you will find what you want in Torrance. My in-laws live in south Torrance, it is very nice, next to the Palos Verdes Hills.

I think the suggestion of living in an extended stay place when you first get here is a good idea. There is a Marriott Residence Inn on Torrance Blvd. in the "heart" of Torrance, and you could get a feel for what you are looking for.

Hi CK: The south and west sides are closer to the beach towns and you get a nice breeze. You can often smell the ocean from west Torrance! Which reminds me, check out the local newspaper called, "The Daily Breeze" for rentals.

Yes, Torrance is pretty big, so I'm confident you'll be able to find a place that you like with a yard. If you want a smaller house, look more in the central part of Torrance. The homes are oldest in the downtown area, and therefore smaller in size.

This area borders Torrance with Carson

1610 W 227th St #1
Torrance, CA

How is this area for crime?

Chuck

If I were you, I'd call the Torrance Police Department and ask them.

Since that address is in Los Angeles City, (Harbor City area), I'm not sure Torrance PD would be able to help.

South of Sepulveda is single family, but I believe the address you listed is in an apartment area behind a lot of auto shops and other industrial buildings.

I put that address in my Maps and it is in the city of Torrance (but Harbor City Area). A mile east, on the other side of the 405 Freeway, is where I volunteer in an inner-city school once a week. mlgb is right about the area. Do you like bars on your windows?

Ck, you wrote that budget isn't an issue, so I would stay west of Hawthorne Blvd. or Crenshaw at the furthermost. You really need to get out here and check out the area for yourself.

Actually, no, it's in LA City (the shoestring is between Western and Normandie). You need a better Map! It may be Torrance PO .

LAPD has an online crime database that you can search on for Harbor City/Harbor Gateway. You can search by address and dates. I doubt you will find that the particular area has an especially high crime rate, but it isn't the most aestheticallly pleasing. Some of the other neighborhoods nearby are nicer.

http://www.lapdonline.org/crime_maps_and_compstat

Thanks for the correction mlgb, so Western Ave. is the border, and the Torrance PO address he gave is a block east of that in the LA Harbor area.

http://www.mapquest.com/maps/map.adp...a&zipcode=