My husband and I are on a mission to find a great area/neighborhood to raise our 2 daughters. A great school district, larger lots, and walking distance to, well, ANYthing, and maybe general population size (Glendale is SO crowded!) are our biggest considerations. We used to live in Burbank, which had great schools, but it is getting so darn crowded, and the lots are relatively small - I'd like room for our kids AND our greyhounds to run. We are now living in Glendale where the lot (and therefore yard) is bigger, but the schools aren't great, and we can't walk anywhere. Do any of you Moms out there have a city or even specific neighborhood you love? We are considering most of LA County, but would also consider Ventura County. I am having a hard time knowing where to start looking!
Thank you very much in advance!
Don't know about the schools, but we lived briefly in Tarzana and it was very nice. I would try there. good luck!
I love the area that we live in. We are in Moorpark but Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake and Camarillo are all fantastic areas... (I also grew up here and I have lived in TO, Santa Rosa Valley and Simi) The school districts are great! And there is a great Mom's group here too.
The place you look at really has to do with your budget. Since Simi costs a little less than Moorpark, which is generally a little less than Thousand Oaks if you are looking at real estate.
You said you'd consider Ventura County, so what about Thousand Oaks? They have a great school system, and a more family friendly enviroment. Other great places to look are Simi Valley, Calabasas,Camarillo, Westlake Village, West Hills, Woodland Hills, Encino.
My husband and I also currently live in Glendale, and I agree with you on all points. Our son is just about two, so we have a bit of time. But, we both want to be in more of a neighborhood, with a nice sized yard, great schools, bigger home, blah blah blah.....
Except for the fact that its so darn far, we LOVE Valencia. It offers everything that we'd want in a neighborhood. So we are considering there. You also get a lot of HOUSE/YARD for the $$$.
I agree on some of the other suggestions below: Thousdand Oaks is a great community to raise a family, as is Simi Valley and Moorpark. Another great neighborhood with great schools is Calabasas.
Good luck on your quest!
Take a look at Northridge between Nordoff and Devonshire, Tampa and Balboa. One of the sub areas is called Sherwood Forest, nearby is Patrician Estates (it used to be called, now it is sometimes referred to as Sherwood Forest Estates). Check out www.randydisimone.com/ she's a relator who covers the area, so at least you can have a guideline of where I am suggesting. There are a lot of nice big lots in this area (1/4-1/2 acres) with houses built in the 50s and 60 so they are nice and big, lots of ranch houses, so they are one story with big rooms. Many were effected by the Northridge Earthquake and been updated nicely. Most are zoned for Granada Hills Charter High School. The public elementary and middle schools will depend on where the house is. There are also a lot of private schools in the area so if it would be needed to meet the educational needs of your child, it's available. It is in the San Fernando Valley so everything is close and available and getting to the city or Thousand Oaks is fairly easy since it is near the 405 and 118. It is near CSUN and the Northridge Mall so a lot is accessible. It is crowded but with the property size, it feels like you can escape the city in your own backyard.
Good Luck!
We just moved to southwest Torrance and love it! Our baby's too young for school but when that time comes, Torrance school district is supposed to be pretty good. Plus, where we live is super close to everything - shops, restaurants, etc. Definitely stay in the southwest region of Torrance though -- northwest can get pretty ghetto. Best zip codes are 90503 and 90505. Good luck!
We live up in Porter Ranch with our 2 kids and the schools are good and you can get large yards. I agree with everyone else as well.
If you need real estate help, I'm a real estate broker and can definitely help you define your search based on price, schools, and what you're all looking for in a house. Feel free to call or email and we can discuss it more.
A. Steffen
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Red Sign Real Estate
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We moved to Northridge also between Nordoff and Devonshire just West of Reseda. The schools are all great (API over 800) and the neighborhoods are really nice. You can walk to shopping on Reseda or Tampa. Worth checking out. It's a very family oriented neighborhood. Northridge Park has lots of activities and classes.
We love South Pasadena because the schools are great and we can walk anywhere in the city. We also have the metro to downtown LA, farmers market, and the arroyo(horses, hiking trail, golf course, baseball fields) It is pricey though.
