Like most people would be, you’re probably excited for the move to LA–and we don’t blame you. The near-perfect weather, incredible food scene, and world-famous beaches are just a few perks of living here. Before you get carried away and pick a place because it’s in a neighborhood you love, you’ll want to see what your commute to work looks like from there. Read on and we’ll break down where you should live based on your commute to work.
The different regions of Los Angeles
If you’ve never lived in LA, let’s get the basics out of the way. The LA area is large, and locals (loosely) break it up into the following regions:
- Downtown LA (Koreatown, Chinatown, Arts District)
- North of Downtown (Silver Lake, Echo Park, Atwater Village, Los Feliz)
- The Westside (Santa Monica, Culver City, Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Venice, Marina Del Rey)
- The Valley (San Fernando Valley)
- North Hollywood/Hollywood (Fairfax, La Brea, Melrose)
- South Los Angeles
- The South Bay (Hermosa, Manhattan, and Redondo Beach)
- The Verdugos (Glendale, Pasadena)
- The Eastside
There’s still plenty of debate about which neighborhoods fall in which region, especially areas of Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Los Feliz. We can tell you that the LA area is comprised of hundreds of neighborhoods, and it’s evolving daily. Before you relocate, it’s a good idea to have a general understanding of where things are and what you’re looking for in an ideal neighborhood. Here are some of the common areas where locals work, and which neighborhoods offer the easiest commute.
Job location: Downtown LA
Where you should live: Echo Park, Koreatown, Downtown, Silver Lake
As a transplant, it’s extremely tempting to live near the beach in Santa Monica or Venice, but getting downtown during rush hour from the Westside will undoubtedly be a nightmare. And that’s assuming you have a car. Public transit options from the Westside to Downtown LA aren’t the most reliable, and they will take you more than an hour to get to work.
Luckily, the headaches (and traffic) are entirely avoidable. Choose an apartment in the hip neighborhoods of Echo Park, Koreatown, Silver Lake, or even Downtown LA and your commute will be well under 30 minutes by car. In these neighborhoods, you’ll have access to Dodger Stadium, hipster-centric bars and music venues, and the Arts District in ever-evolving Downtown LA, one of the best neighborhoods for newcomers.
Job location: Venice
Where you should live: Santa Monica, Venice, Marina Del Rey, Culver City
If you’ve landed a job in Venice, you’re lucky enough to work in a place where it’s perfectly acceptable to live right by the beach. Venice and neighboring Marina Del Rey are the perfect areas to start looking for an apartment. One of Venice’s main drags (along with Main Street), Abbot Kinney, is a popular hangout for young professionals; 20- and 30-somethings flock to its bars, trendy restaurants, and shops 7 days a week.
Santa Monica and Culver City are both great backup neighborhoods. There are fairly quick bus routes that run from both neighborhoods to Venice, and a bike ride along the Ocean Front Walk will get you from Santa Monica to Venice in under 20 minutes. Stick to the Westside if your job is here; commuting to and from this area is notoriously stressful.
Job location: Hollywood
Where you should live: La Brea, Fairfax, Miracle Mile, Larchmont Village, West Hollywood
Everyone knows Hollywood is where the movie business made a name for itself. Although it continues to add to that legacy today, there are still plenty of people outside the movie business who choose to live in Hollywood. After all, it has some of the best nightlife in the LA area. Places like La Brea and Fairfax have bus routes directly to Hollywood, and it’s under a 10-minute drive if you have a car. The Grove is a major point of interest here–a shopping mall with an open promenade featuring restaurants, bars, and a daily farmers market.
Miracle Mile features the El Rey Theater, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and plenty of museums and art galleries. During rush hour, it’s about a 25-minute drive to work. West Hollywood is the LGBT-mecca, and it’s just a short drive down Santa Monica Blvd. Here you’ll find lots of options for bars and nightlife, and the LA Pride Parade takes place in West Hollywood every summer. Larchmont Village (a half-square-mile-long neighborhood) is filled with plenty of cute shops and restaurants, and offers easy access to Hollywood by car or bus.
Job location: Redondo Beach
Where you should live: Manhattan Beach, El Segundo, Hawthorne
Although the South Bay isn’t technically within the Los Angeles city limits, it’s still a region locals know and love. If your job is in Redondo Beach, consider the housing options there. What’s better than working and living in the same place? Nothing. Especially when that place also happens to have a long stretch of public beach and great surf breaks.
If you’re feeling a little overwhelmed by the prices in South Bay, check out Hawthorne, which is more inland and offers cheaper apartments. There’s also Hermosa Beach, Redondo’s neighbor to the north, and a commute between the two isn’t more than 10 minutes. Manhattan Beach and El Segundo are also good choices if your job is in Redondo; they’re just north of Hermosa but offer lots of entertainment, nightlife, and dining options.
Find your Los Angeles apartment in neighborhood that offers the easiest commute possible and you’ll be well on your way to becoming a true Angeleno.
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