Berkeley Parents Network: Moving to Los Angeles

Berkeley Parents Network

Moving to Los Angeles

Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > Housing, Neighborhoods, & Moving > Moving to Los Angeles

Moving to L.A. near the Getty
How to find out about LA-area schools
Pasadena
Thousand Oaks
related page: Visiting Los Angeles

Moving to L.A. near the Getty

March 2005

we may be moving to la; my husband has an offer near the getty museum. I don't know what to think- the image I have of LA is polluted, gross, etc. please advise on:places a small family can live on one relatively limited salary (my priorities are safety & cleanliness & being near coffee (who's aren't?)) (my dream local place to live is really near campus) and general liveability. this is a big change and I am nervous. also- I am a stay at home mom and will be for a few more years- can I have a mellow life or will I be driving all of the time. I think I just need a cheering up. thanks! anxious

I grew up in L.A. but haven't lived there in many years. However, if you would like to not be so car-dependent, I would recommend living near the Wilshire corridor. Buses go up and down Wilshire quite frequently, and you can actually make use of public transportation. I liked taking the bus on Wilshire because there were always so many different kinds of people on them. Lori

The Getty Museum is near the west side of LA, which is one of the nicer areas of LA to live. Of course, nice also translates to more expensive, too. The neighborhoods/towns include Brentwood, Santa Monica, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Bel Air, Beverly Hills. Santa Monica has rent control. Youmre also close to the Santa Monica Mountains/Hollywood Hills. Because youmre near the coast, the area is not polluted or gross as many people stereotypically think. Also, the LA basin has a lot less air pollution now than twenty years ago. I donmt expect you will be driving all the time, you could probably stay ensconced on the west side for most of what you need.

Now if you head north of the Getty, you end up in the San Fernando Valley, which to me is a little more of the LA stereotype these days in terms of being a flat expanse with more air pollution (and also less expensive to live).

I currently and for the past 9 years have lived in the Richmond/El Cerrito area. However I was born an raised in L.A. not to far from the new Getty Museum and think about moving back often. The area you mentioned is quite nice but it can get a little pricey. Here's the thing if you can afford to live in the Bay you can probably afford L.A. West Los Angeles, Santa Monica are two areas that I would reccomend. Just remember all locations have good and bad. It will be up to you to find your good. Just remember to be open minded and I'm sure everything will work out. klyn

How to find out about LA-area schools

May 2003

My family is contemplating a move to the Los Angeles area. We are looking in Malibu for housing. How does one go about finding good (comparable to the bay area mentality) preschools and elementary? What resources are out there for finding not only schools but desirable, family-oriented neighborhoods in the vastness of the Los Angeles area? I'm sure this network is a good place to start but I'm not sure, exactly, how to use it wisely. Any suggestions and pointers are deeply appreciated. Thanks

I was in the same situation last year. We were looking for an African-American community that had good public schools in the LA areas. So, I recommend that you get the McCormack guide to the LA area. It is a relocation guide that will also give you all school and preschool info. The only thing it does not address is the racial make-up each neighborhood, but that you get from the US Census 2000 and the school district websites. Also, once you have selected a few areas you like, look on the official websites of those cities. It will give you a good idea of what they are about. It is a big area but if you know what you are looking for, you will find it. good luck

I was visiting L.A. last week. While in a children's bookstore (Storyopolis on Robertson Blvd.) I saw a couple of hefty books about schools in L.A. I'm pretty sure they were for both public and private schools. You might want to read those books as part of your research. Nancy

Thousand Oaks

Nov 2003

We are moving to Thousand Oaks (about 35 miles NW of LA) in December with 2 kids ( ages 4 and 2). We dont know anyone in the area and would appreciate any recommendations, advice, warnings. Is it a racially/culturally diverse population? What are good areas near by to live/buy a house in? Thanks in advance.
Sorry to move, excited about a new adventure
Vaiju

Thousand Oaks is a lovely community. It is a great place for raising kids and is very family oriented. People who live there are extremely nice and friendly. It is a quiet suburban neighborhood with a good school district. (School districts are of utmost important in L.A.) However, in terms of racial diversity, it is not diversed at all. It is mostly Caucasin and very little in between. Good Luck. anon

I grew-up in Thousand Oaks. It was a great place to grow up. Very safe, suburban fun place as a kid. It is or was not diverse at all. Everyone was the same. it may be different now. I lived in Lynn Ranch area near to the Mall and easy freeway acess. close to some good schools. the area was built in the 70's mostly ranch style homes. with decent backyards. My father lives in westlake. Nice homes there and newer shops and movie theaters ect. very quite around there not much happens. which is good for kids growing up. we were able to play outside all the time with out any problems. I wouldn't do that in Oaklland. Good luck danielle

This was sent to me by a friend who lives in Agoura Hills (next door to Thousand Oaks) and who moved there five years ago after living his entire life in the Bay Area.

Thousand Oaks is the only large city in what is known as the
Conejo Valley.  Other ''named'' areas include Newbury Park
(actually a part of Thousand Oaks), Westlake Village, Agoura
Hills, and Oak Park (actually a part of Agoura Hills).  Thousand
Oaks is perhaps 120,000 people, the whole valley is perhaps
180,000.  Lots of detailed information is available at
http://www.toaks.org/default.asp

The valley is bordered on one side by the Santa Monica Mountains
National Recreation Area.  The other side of the Santa Monica
Mountains is Malibu, then the Pacific Ocean.

  If you drive ''up'' the coast (actually West right here), you
reach Camarillo, Oxnard, Ventura, and Santa Barbara (about 50
miles away).

  If you drive ''down'' the coast (actually East), you immediately
enter the San Fernando Valley.  Burbank/Hollywood is 30 miles, as
is Beverly Hills.  Downtown LA is perhaps 40 miles, LAX is 45 miles.

  Inland (actually North) is Simi Valley.

  Thousand Oaks (actually the whole Conejo Valley) is basically a
bedroom community for the entertainment industry, with a bunch of
biotech and a little high-tech thrown in.  There is a reasonable
amount of cultural/ethnic diversity -- not as much as most of the
Bay Area, but much more than neighboring Simi Valley.  There
seems to be a fairly large Indian community, including a large
Hindu temple near town.

  Food diversity is not too great, but is getting better.  Lots
of Italian, Mexican, and Asian (Chinese, Japanese, and a couple
Thai), we finally have decent Indian and Mediteranean.  We also
finally have a brewpub, but it's the only one for many miles so
you can't even get into it.  Most people go to the appropriate
ethnic areas of San Fernando or Los Angeles for real ethnic food.
 Los Angeles is an ethnic goldmine, much more so in my opinion
than San Francisco or even Berkeley.  I went to lunch at an
Uzbecki restaurant the other day.

  There is a huge variety of housing possibilities.  Lots of
typical suburban housing tracts, new and old, side by side with
lakeside communities, horse properties, ranches, and anything in
between.  Housing is a lot cheaper than the Bay Area, with a lot
more variation.  There is more emphasis on newer houses, but
there are plenty of older neighborhoods.  Not always as much
character, since most of the houses are originally tracts.

  The weather is quite a bit warmer than the Bay Area, but with a
lot of gradation -- the West end of the valley (Newbury Park) is
typically 10 degrees cooler than the East end (Agoura).  It's dry
and sunny, but not quite as hot as neighboring San Fernando Valley.

  There are a lot of possibilities for recreation.  The Santa
Monica Mountains are 10-20 minutes from anywhere in the valley:
camping, backpacking, day hikes, rock climbing, mountain biking,
you name it.  Malibu is 20 minutes away, Ventura is 30, for
surfing, scuba, ocean kayaking, or just lazing on the beach. 
Several of the best beaches in California are less than 30
minutes away.  Skiing is 3 hours away, the desert is less than 2.
 Las Vegas is a 5 hour drive, or a 45 minute flight.  Horseback
riding is very, very big, as is golf.

  There's not much in the way of nightlife.  Limited music scene,
no clubs or anything like that.  Hollywood club district is 40
minutes away.

  There's not much in the way of cultural events.  The Thousand
Oaks Civic Arts Center has a couple of small auditoriums, which
host smaller concerts.  No real museums, no arts scene.  For real
arts exposure or theater, Los Angeles has a ton, and most of it
is less than an hour away (Getty, LACMA, etc).

  Open Space is a big deal, much bigger than the Bay Area.  It is
central to all discussions of politics, planning, development,
etc.  The people who live here do not want it to become an
extension of the San Fernando Valley, and they have the clout to
make it stick.

  Conejo Valley schools are supposed to be great.  Two districts,
Las Virgenes and Oak Park, are supposed to be among the best in
the country.  The place is littered with ''Presidential Blue
Ribbon'' schools.  The popular phrase is that people move here
from Los Angeles or the San Fernando Valley and take their kids
out of private schools to get them into the local public schools.
 I can't really vouch for the truth of this, but it's a popular
topic of conversation.  There's certainly a lot of money
available, and some serious big names: Heather Locklear, Erin
Brockovitch, Wayne Gretsky, etc.

  Big differences from Northern California: lots more movie
theaters, most restaurants have outside seating, warmer, drier,
high-tech is an after-thought.  I have not found traffic to be
any worse than the Bay Area, in fact in most cases it is better.
 There are a few exceptions, but they are generally avoidable. 
Everything in SoCal is spread out much more, people do a lot more
driving to get to places.  You'll encounter celebrities you
actually recognize when you go out to dinner.  LAX is a WAY
better airport than SFO.

  As far as where to live, there are a lot of options, depending
on what you want and how much you want to pay.  Do you want a new
house or an older one?  Large lot  or small?  Middle of town,
outskirts, or even rural?  Want to live downtown, or have a horse
trail instead of a sidewalk?  You could even live in the city
(West LA, Sunset, Santa Monica) and drive a reverse commute.

  For new, fairly upscale homes, lots of open space and a little
far from town, fairly cool, there's Dos Vientos (lots of info on
the web).  Not quite as new but still very recent, less
expensive, less open space, warmer, is Oak Park.  Nice homes in
older neighborhoods, less expensive, warmer is Agoura Hills. 
Large lots, horse properties, older, less expensive is Old Agoura
(warmer) or Lynn Ranch (cooler).  Very rural, multi-acre lots,
older houses, more expensive is Mulholland, less expensive is
Moorpark.  Middle expensive, beautiful houses near or on the
lake, Westlake Village.  Very expensive, new or older homes,
beautiful custom architecture, snazzy neighborhoods, potentially
on the golf course, North Ranch.  Want to live on the beach?  You
can pay millions in Malibu or get a more reasonable place up the
coast in Oxnard.

  A few fun (sort of touristy) things to do after you move here:
 - California Poppy Preserve (Antelope Valley, in the desert)
 - Getty (gardens are ok for small kids)
 - LACMA (usually some good kid-friendly exhibits)
 - Brea Tar Pits
 - VIP tour of Warner Bros Studio (the best studio tour) (not for
kids)
 - see a taping of a sitcom (doesn't matter which one) (not for
small kids)
 - the beaches (start at Malibu Creek and work your way up)
 - Hollywood walk of stars / Mann's Chinese Theater / Kodak Theater
 - Beverly Hills shopping district (Rodeo drive)
 - Sunday tea at the Beverly Hills Hotel (not for small kids)
 - Joshua Tree, Death Valley (not a day trip)
 - LA Zoo (huge, easy to get to, hot in the summer, crowded)
 - Santa Barbara Zoo (small, easy to get to, much cooler, less
crowded)
 - EATM (America's Teaching Zoo, at Moorpark community college)
 - Santa Monica Boardwalk
 - Santa Monica Third Street Promenade
 - Venice Beach Boardwalk (tacky, but you gotta do it)

forwarded from a friend, still glad I live in Northern California

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