Where should I live in west-side LA?

August 23, 2018 7:07 AM

I'll be starting a new job in Century City soon, and need to decide where to live. I'm not very familiar with the west side of LA, but so far the area around Culver City / Palms seems like the best option. Is it? If so, tell me about it!

My key requirements are having a driving commute no longer than a half hour, a cool & walkable vibe, and availability of appropriate apartments. I'm looking to rent a largish and nice 1BR for $3K, give or take. I'm 30, straight, and single; I'm not looking for a club scene but I do want to be in a neighborhood with 'things to do.'

I've preliminarily identified Culver City & Palms as being potential good fits - but I don't yet understand those areas very well. Are there particular locations within those neighborhoods to keep in mind - or areas that are better fits than others? What about other neighborhoods I should be making a point of looking at (Venice? Playa del Rey?)?

posted by anonymous to Home & Garden (3 answers total)

I'm a couple of years older than you and I lived in one of the apartment complexes south of National on Barrington for five years. Just moved due to a new job. Loved it, sad to leave it, and I think the area might meet your requirements. The little shopping center area on the corner of Barrington and National has a Whole Foods, and a really good little neighborhood bagel/deli joint, as well as a Starbucks and some other stuff. South, there's Mar Vista Park, and a bit further south, Venice Bvld (coffee, shops, etc).

You'll pay a premium for Culver or Venice or Playa Del Rey -- up to you if it's worth it, I suspect both are fun places to live, and your budget is a bit higher than mine, so it might be worth it. Culver's really nice. One thing to note though -- if you live in PDR and commute to Century City, you'll be going with prevailing traffic and it will SUCK. Not sure how Culver would be -- never tried to go north that far east.

Honestly, you might look at southeast Santa Monica (south of Santa Monica Bvld, around Centinela) -- there are a lot of little apartments that might meet your needs and will be that much closer to Century City. Traffic in that area can be a bear, but, it's LA.. traffic everywhere can be a bear.
posted by Alterscape at 7:19 AM on August 23, 2018

Ranch Park or Westwood are good bets; I live in the area and strongly recommend you choose a place that will not require you to get on the freeway to get to work, or even cross the 405.
posted by Atrahasis at 8:44 AM on August 23, 2018 [3 favorites]

I'm currently living near the Expo/Sepulveda Metro station, and can confirm that a commute to Century City from here is pretty short and manageable. I had to do it for a week or so for a work thing, and it took about 15-20 minutes in the morning, 20-30 minutes in the evening depending on my luck with lights. There's no need to get on the freeway, so it can be an all surface streets commute.

As for the how cool the neighborhood is, I'm near Sawtelle Japantown and plenty of grocery stores and nice little restaurants. Near the Expo line too, obviously, which is super convenient for getting downtown or to the beach without needing to deal with getting on the 10.
posted by yasaman at 10:28 AM on August 23, 2018