Moving from DC to LA with teens: can public school work and if so where?

[Anonymous]

How about Irvine? It's stretching the commute, but I have a relative who lives there and is happy with the schools. Housing prices are better than South Pas. Still expensive - it is California - but better.

Lol at moving to LA to get away from the crime, though.... Good luck.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How about Irvine? It's stretching the commute, but I have a relative who lives there and is happy with the schools. Housing prices are better than South Pas. Still expensive - it is California - but better.

Lol at moving to LA to get away from the crime, though.... Good luck.

NOOOOO. I went to grad school at USC while living in Irvine, and only had to be on campus 2 days a week, but even that made me want to drive my car off the Santa Monica Pier at 80mph. It was a good day if I could do it in an hour. On a bad day? At least 2 and a half. *shudders*

[Anonymous]

MetroLink is pretty reliable, and if you have the right type of job you can get work done on the train (or at least use it as downtime to watch Netflix or do whatever suits you)... it's 70 mins from Tustin/Irvine to Union Station.

Heavily depends how convenient the office is to Union Station as to whether this would be a good option.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MetroLink is pretty reliable, and if you have the right type of job you can get work done on the train (or at least use it as downtime to watch Netflix or do whatever suits you)... it's 70 mins from Tustin/Irvine to Union Station.

Heavily depends how convenient the office is to Union Station as to whether this would be a good option.

Yikes

[Anonymous]

Look into the Santa Clarita area, north of LA off of 5. Excellent schools (self-contained system), beautiful area and quality of life, affordable, and I think there is a commuter train to downtown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MetroLink is pretty reliable, and if you have the right type of job you can get work done on the train (or at least use it as downtime to watch Netflix or do whatever suits you)... it's 70 mins from Tustin/Irvine to Union Station.

Heavily depends how convenient the office is to Union Station as to whether this would be a good option.

So absolute minimum of 90 minutes door to door. no thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all your quick replies. Yes, he’ll need to go into the office daily. He definitely doesn’t want to spend an hour each way everyday. Our budget is about $4000 a month for a 3 bedroom if possible. Is this doable?

4K is a very low budget for a house in a good school district. You might need to go Glendale or Sherman oaks. I am on the Westside and. One bedroom apartments go for 2700. San Marino, Pasadena etc are great but you will be in an apartment

Here is a listing of 3bed+ house rentals in Sherman Oaks, as you can see they’re very expensive 😳

Oops: https://www.zillow.com/sherman-oaks-los-angeles-ca/rent-houses/?searchQueryState=%7B%22usersSearchTerm%22%3A%22Sherman%20Oaks%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA%22%2C%22mapBounds%22%3A%7B%22west%22%3A-118.475739%2C%22east%22%3A-118.407747%2C%22south%22%3A34.126406%2C%22north%22%3A34.179429%7D%2C%22regionSelection%22%3A%5B%7B%22regionId%22%3A27080%2C%22regionType%22%3A8%7D%5D%2C%22filterState%22%3A%7B%22fsba%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22fsbo%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22nc%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22fore%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22cmsn%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22auc%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22fr%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22ah%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22con%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22mf%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22manu%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22land%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22tow%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22apa%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22apco%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22beds%22%3A%7B%22min%22%3A3%7D%7D%7D

NP here. I clicked the link out of curiosity and found only one house that could fit OP’s wish list. It’s modest at best. High school was a 6, which is doable but probably not what OP wants.

I don’t know OP, doesn’t look like a move with many plus sides. The weather, which you’d better enjoy because your little house would be a lot depressing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all your quick replies. Yes, he’ll need to go into the office daily. He definitely doesn’t want to spend an hour each way everyday. Our budget is about $4000 a month for a 3 bedroom if possible. Is this doable?

4K is a very low budget for a house in a good school district. You might need to go Glendale or Sherman oaks. I am on the Westside and. One bedroom apartments go for 2700. San Marino, Pasadena etc are great but you will be in an apartment

Here is a listing of 3bed+ house rentals in Sherman Oaks, as you can see they’re very expensive 😳

Oops: https://www.zillow.com/sherman-oaks-los-angeles-ca/rent-houses/?searchQueryState=%7B%22usersSearchTerm%22%3A%22Sherman%20Oaks%2C%20Los%20Angeles%2C%20CA%22%2C%22mapBounds%22%3A%7B%22west%22%3A-118.475739%2C%22east%22%3A-118.407747%2C%22south%22%3A34.126406%2C%22north%22%3A34.179429%7D%2C%22regionSelection%22%3A%5B%7B%22regionId%22%3A27080%2C%22regionType%22%3A8%7D%5D%2C%22filterState%22%3A%7B%22fsba%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22fsbo%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22nc%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22fore%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22cmsn%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22auc%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22fr%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22ah%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Atrue%7D%2C%22con%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22mf%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22manu%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22land%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22tow%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22apa%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22apco%22%3A%7B%22value%22%3Afalse%7D%2C%22beds%22%3A%7B%22min%22%3A3%7D%7D%7D

NP here. I clicked the link out of curiosity and found only one house that could fit OP’s wish list. It’s modest at best. High school was a 6, which is doable but probably not what OP wants.

I don’t know OP, doesn’t look like a move with many plus sides. The weather, which you’d better enjoy because your little house would be a lot depressing.

Exactly. I’m the one who posted the link, and I just wouldn’t do it unless budget was significantly higher or his office was located elsewhere. Otherwise you’ll be stuck in a dingy house in a crappy neighborhood and your kids will go to sucky schools.

[Anonymous]

Areas with good public schools:

South Pasadena
La Cañada Flintridge
Palos Verdes
Irvine
Arcadia

[Anonymous]

La Canada is your best bet for top schools in a nice community (has way more of a community feeling than many of the surrounding cities). You're going to have to increase your rent budget and home size expectations though. Houses are smaller and cost more than in the DMV suburbs.

South Pasadena would be my second go-to city. It's a little less pricey, and school is not quite as good as La Canada, but still good. Homes will still be small for the money vs. the DMV.

Pasadena is lovely, but everyone that can afford it goes to private schools. Those schools are a little cheaper than their DMV equivalents though.

Good luck!!

[Anonymous]

Honestly, no, not for $4k/mo. But if you're willing to live in a 2-bd apt, it might work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:La Canada is your best bet for top schools in a nice community (has way more of a community feeling than many of the surrounding cities). You're going to have to increase your rent budget and home size expectations though. Houses are smaller and cost more than in the DMV suburbs.

South Pasadena would be my second go-to city. It's a little less pricey, and school is not quite as good as La Canada, but still good. Homes will still be small for the money vs. the DMV.

Pasadena is lovely, but everyone that can afford it goes to private schools. Those schools are a little cheaper than their DMV equivalents though.

Good luck!!

All these people recommending La Canada are right that it has good public schools and you may be able to find something in price range (if you go up a bit and compromise on size). But just know that La Canada is not what most people think of as Los Angeles. The beach is far (traffic makes everything far in LA), there's nothing "LA" about La Canada, and it will basically feel like you're living in Bethesda. But if you're just going for nicer weather, than go for it!

[Anonymous]

Consider Yorba Linda. My DH commuted to downtown LA from there in about 45 minutes. Nice area.

[Anonymous]

THis thread is a year old people. I am 100% sure OP no longer needs new advice on this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How about Irvine? It's stretching the commute, but I have a relative who lives there and is happy with the schools. Housing prices are better than South Pas. Still expensive - it is California - but better.

Lol at moving to LA to get away from the crime, though.... Good luck.

NOOOOO. I went to grad school at USC while living in Irvine, and only had to be on campus 2 days a week, but even that made me want to drive my car off the Santa Monica Pier at 80mph. It was a good day if I could do it in an hour. On a bad day? At least 2 and a half. *shudders*

THIS IS CRAY. No one would ever do this commute by any sort of choice.