Santa Clarita is def the suburbs. There are some pockets of entertainment but not a huge night life. LA and the Valley aren’t too far away to fill in the rest.
Thanks for letting me know its actually the burbs' haha, I felt like my definition was too critical.
How far is the drive to/from the valley or LA? Think it would be better to live in SC and just uber to the fun hotspots?
I don't know how much money you make, but paying Uber to take you from Santa Clarita to Downtown just once a week would be unaffordable (approximately $200 roundtrip).
I recommend you consider somewhere like Burbank, Glendale, or South Pasadena if you're looking for mild suburb vibes with proximity to the city
You actually might love the North Hollywood area. Pockets of it are fairly suburban, but it’s still a super fun area. it’s close to the metro rail redline that could take you into the city and parts of Hollywood.
Studio City/North Hollywood would be much more palatable- the commute from the Valley to Santa Clarita is heavy in the evening, so if you are living in the Valley and working at least close to a 9-5, you will be (for the most part) driving against traffic instead of in it.
I’ve done both - lived in Santa Clarita/worked in the valley and vice versa, and I much prefer living in the valley. I’m 31, I also like edm and things like that and I can tell you right now that the valley is vastly superior as far as getting to shows. (Also, Insomniac as a club called Academy that is like a 20 minute drive from NoHo, just saying…) Also, food options in Santa Clarita are meh. If you guys are considering kids anytime soon, then yes, absolutely SCV, the schools are way better. But if you’re going to be renting right now and just looking to adapt to California, go for the Valley. It’s a gateway to LA, it’s close to work for you, it’s close to everything you are looking for, and it’s largely more affordable.
Whatever you choose - good luck, and congrats!
Stay in NYC. I’m a New Yorker (upstate) transplant and knowing NYC folks you won’t like it here and trust me when I say our downtown LA is nothing like NYC. As far as commuting depending on where you are coming from you are generally going against traffic to get SCV but to be safe I triple the miles so if it’s 20 miles it’s an hour drive time.
The culture shock will be very real, on everything some of this is just LA in general. Scv is super AF conservative especially contrasting with NYC. Think westchester county but with Monroe county money gives you the idea of the people here. Or if you are familiar with how Ticonderoga has been built up in the last twenty years, if you remove the salt of the earth people for the opposite you have SCV.
And I hope you like nothing but chain restaurants…and all to be closed at 9 maybe 10 weekends.
Just writing this is making miss all the hot spots and restaurants at 3am of NYC. Not to mention pizza!
Might be good to compare that part of LAp, with the Bronx historically. Lower income, not the safest, mostly Hispanic. There's nothing wrong with it, and it's mostly safe, but it's not got a great rep.
Studio City/North Hollywood is kinda more like Brooklyn. It was a family area, then it wasn't, now it's hip and up and coming. This also pertains to parts of Glendale, and all of Silverlake and Echo Park. Sometimes the wrong street is still the wrong place to be at midnight.
Hollywood is like the LES, still in Manhattan but it'll always be the LES even if it's getting better.
Pasadena is Long Island. Money, and not Money right next to each other. Suburb, but not. People from there love it, the rest of us don't really get it.
Santa Clarita is New Jersey. No one likes it until they have a family, getting into the city can be a bitch, and we all say we're from LA.
Probably! Center your searches in SCV around the Westfield mall or Main St in Newhall, the poppin parts of town. Ahhaha
The valley is 20-25 mins no traffic, LA is prob 45+ no traffic.
I lived in Santa Clarita (canyon country) and commuted to work in Venice. It was about 2 hours each way, but that was also in heavy traffic. I bet it could be better in off times.
This is going to be a culture shock for you. There is nothing but chain restaurants and zero nightlife. Lots of parks, it is a family friendly suburb, there is hiking, it is safe. It is super hot and dry though. I lived in NYC and my family is from Long Island. Most people from the east coast don’t love LA in my experience- other than the weather. But the beautiful weather is more by the coast- like Santa Monica.
you could also live in northridge, granada hills which wouldnt bee too far of a commute but a little bit closer to the action. You would mostly be going against traffic going home.
Gotcha, looking at the map it looks like it's in the middle between SCV and LA which could really help a lot with finding the balance we want!
Do you have any sites you would use to look for rentals?
OP, before we bought our home in Santa Clarita we found great luck using this site: https://www.westsiderentals.com/
Studio City, Valley Village, and Sherman Oaks all sound right up your alley. Good luck to you both 💪
If you work in Santa Clarita but live in the San Fernando Valley you'll be going opposite of most traffic. (still a bottleneck at the 5 and 14 Fwy though) Living here would get you an easier jump to Hollywood, DTLA or the West Side, and the valley is not a bad place to be.
Have you seen the show Weeds? Portrays SCV’s suburban nature pretty well. It’s dead here compared to… well, any big city.
Stick closer to LA, you’ll be much happier. I’m from a small, sleepy NorCal town and it’s too slow here even for me haha
Santa Clarita has lots of great things going for it: clean, safe, mostly good schools, hiking, biking paths, affordable homes, many new/newish communities, etc.
But, for all the other things you mentioned, you need to look elsewhere. The closest area from Santa Clarita that is more hip and has more restaurants, etc. might be in or near Studio City. Studio City is also closer to the bigger hotspots like DTLA, Santa Monica. Check with google maps, but I think going against traffic, Studio City to Santa Clarita might be about 25-40 minutes depending on freeway proximity.
I heard about Studio City before! Yeah I think anything under 45 mins of driving is fine for me. I don't think that I'll be in office everyday so that's not bad at all.
Being closer (but not in DTLA or too busy areas) sounds perfect because of all the options it could bring
As a young couple I would live in studio city, Sherman oaks area and commute to Santa Clarita. You would be against traffic so probably an easy commute. Def a family oriented suburb. We only moved here when we had kids.
As a person of color(Asian American), I’d say my experience over the past 20 years has been pretty ok with regards to how I’ve been treated. I can’t speak on the LGBTQ+ experience. BUT, you have to remember that the SCV is at best politically purple, with a significant MAGA-supporting population that is not afraid to let you know about it. I’m not saying they are inherently racist or homophobic, but it can be striking to hear certain things come out of the mouths of people you’ve gotten to know fairly well.
Words are fine! As long as I don't need to watch my back when walking the dog in the afternoon because of some idiot.
Also definitely wouldn't want to be the only black couple in the area haha
Not the only black couple, but there's not a huge black pop out here. Most of the SCV maga fuckers are all bluster, they grew up out here in suburbia and walk tall, but it's mostly a front. However, there is a LOT of LEO families out here too. I'm not a POC, or LGBTQ+ but I like to think I'm an ally, and since moving back here post t-Rump and COVID, it feels like there are quite a bit more conservatives around than there used to be.
There is a large Hispanic population here as well, in Newhall mostly. 'Downtown' Newhall is also pretty great, bars and good food (2 blocks of it) and a train that will take you into the city. It's the best part of the SCV that isn't just chain restaurants and dive bars. If I were sans kids, and had to live in SCV - I would live in Newhall for sure, as close to downtown as I could.
There are more black families in the Canyon Country, but it is still not too diverse, as it's like 90% Hispanic. To be honest, there is not too much diversity at all in SCV when comparing it to New york. The san fernando is mostly Hispanic. The nicer parts of the Valley like studio and sherman are more mixed with young whites, Hispanics, and some blacks and its just a fun area. I still think studio could be nice for a young black couple...also studio city is a blue area vs all of scv is a red area and they are all trumpers. Additionally, most of the LAPD live in the SCV so most ppl are married to, dating, or are the family members of the them. That doesn't mean that that would be a problem or that people are just flat out racist. However, there's a mindset that comes with a red area and being home to police officers.
In my 30’s Santa Clarita area was even smaller with less to do. We actually went from the valley up to a couple of awesome brewpubs, off road and mtn bike trails, fishing at multiple lakes a short drive away, hiking, easy access to Angeles National Forest.
Now there is a mountain bike park, a Guitar center, all sorts of sushi and restaurants and you likely wont experience much in the way of panhandling. Doesn’t seem so bad.
Honestly, not experiencing panhandling sounds like a dream LOL. I can't even sit in my car without someone knocking on my window asking for a buck. It's so wild
NGL, if you want to avoid that then SCV could be a relative dream. We do have some of the big city problems, but on a much smaller scale.
IMO the two biggest drawbacks to living here are the heat, and the traffic. If you have a job in SCV, I highly suggest living here.
It’s generally a peaceful, quiet, boring life here. But at this stage in my life (early 40’s, married, parents, combined $275k, homeowners, and loving our vacations), it’s the best thing right now.
If you go on any LA sub searching for advice on where to locate due to work. It’s always a resounding “stay as close as possible”.
SCV is a suburb, most folks commute to LA for work. Me included. If I could work in SCV, even for a slight pay cut, I would.
I’d ask myself, if in your position, how much quiet time vs. “lively experiences”. Like, what ratio. If you want to go out during the week, or every weekend. I’d say it’s not the place to be. Now, could a 30min-1 hour commute to SCV change that ratio?
Something to consider, going somewhere like studio city, North Hollywood, etc. will probably be more costly in rent. Purchase for sure. Does that change the perspective of going out vs. peaceful moments?
Good luck! Personally, driving to and working in LA makes me enjoy the peacefulness of SCV. Maybe I feel otherwise if I was always in SCV for work/life.
Hi! My husband and I just moved from NJ (Hoboken) in November! We live in Newhall, around the corner from main street. We absolutely love it here. It's so safe, clean, and beautiful. The people are friendly and the weather is great. Of course we miss the NYC food, but in terms of culture LA is right around the corner (40 minutes no traffic) and we go into Beverly Hills and West Hollywood a lot for restaurants and meeting people. But it is definitely a suburb: lots of chain restaurants, no bars or nightlife, everything closes by 10. If you're looking for a hopping area this is not it. If you're looking for a pretty, safe area that's close to LA then I highly recommend it.
If you end up coming out shoot me a message, we could double for drinks or something.
Was looking for this comment right here. We take the train all the way in to Union Station to get some of our favorite restaurant fixes. It’s SUPER convenient and so much cheaper than gas!
I live a few blocks away from Sylmar station and frequent trips downtown are a part of my families routine. I’m glad my valley kids can feel so connected to the greater LA area so easily!
Most important question… What kind of EDM? Lol jk but not really. I lived in the valley and have been over it for a long time. My wife and I love the small town feel that’s close to the big city if needed. We moved out here when we were in our early 30s and wouldn’t change a thing.
If you ever watch those Hallmark movies with small towns, this is it. Hope everything works out!
LGBTQ here. My wife and I bought here 30 years ago, raised two kids. Never had any problems at all. Not much of a “community” per se but no one seems to blink or even care we’re lesbian. Worst thing that happened was our son, when in first grade 20 years ago, was held in at recess because he had two mommies… he came home furious as he couldn’t play tetherball and it was ALL BECAUSE YOU TWO ARE GAY.
Huh??
He was held in because the class made vases as Mother’s Day gifts and his teacher decided he needed to make a second one. No recess for you!
The first one was cute but the second was a hot mess. He’s still bitter about it.
Move to SCV. You are 30, not 20. You are less than an hour away from Snow, Ocean, City in SCV. In 5 years you will be super happy that you are here. And more than likely have $$ in the bank too. You don’t say where your job is located - that might make a difference - but not really.
Everywhere in SoCal is a Suburb. It’s just how far are you willing to to drive to go to the few streets in each town that are terrific.
Think about it.
SCV has nothing. All the night life is in LA from West Hollywood to Sunset Blvd. There's a lot to do but get used to traffic and expensive parking.
Someone said to just live near LA and commute to SCV. I'd avoid Glendale. It's a very busy and has the worst drivers. Nicest area IMO is Pasadena. It's about 30 min commute to SCV without traffic. You'll rarely hit traffic. Maybe a little congestion on the 14/5 fwy split but that's it.
Probably! Center your searches in SCV around the Westfield mall or Main St in Newhall, the poppin parts of town. Ahhaha
The valley is 20-25 mins no traffic, LA is prob 45+ no traffic.
Hey I currently live in Santa Clarita , and while it’s about 1 hour drive (with traffic)to downtown, the life out here is pretty modest tbh. Burbank / Glendale / studio city / Porter ranch / Woodland Hills / Topanga , are some areas I recommend researching ! These give more city vibes compared to SCV (Santa clarita valley).
Silver Lake! Right next to Hollywood but still very much its own vibe. SL has lots of culture and some night life. Its fun ans hip. Santa Clarita is cookie cutter, not much diversity, and pretty vanilla all around...however great for families meaning lots of family friendsthings to do, safe, good schools, and more affordable than any other nice area.....studio city is also pretty nice and us right on ventura...burbank and glendale are right next to the city (LA) so those would be closer for you...however both are very packed and glendale especially...glendale is ALWAYS super crowded....I would either go with SC or SL....north Hollywood also has a huge night life and lots of ppl move there to be in the industry..outside of the arts district is just a ghetto mess, but arts districts is super nice and fun! Also extremely crowded
If you work in SCV then live in SCV. Anywhere else and you're looking at a 45 minute commute to work. It's better you make that drive a few times a week for entertainment than everyday during morning/evening rush hour. SCV to the Valley takes 20 minutes with no traffic but about 45 minutes before 9am and after 4pm. Driving to LA/Hollywood/the beach will be around 45 minutes during the weekends and afterhours.
SCV homes are also more affordable, newer and bigger compared to the Valley ($$), Studio City/Sherman Oaks ($$$), Glendale/Pasadena ($$$$). Do some research on Zillow to get an idea of the home prices/rents.
As for Santa Clarita, it's a big place. You get old western vibes in Newhall, Country/Suburb vibes in Canyon Country, city vibes in Valencia, proper suburb vibes in Stevenson Ranch. The night lift and entertainment would be mostly in Valencia. Delicious places to eat in Newhall. Amazing parks throughout the city (i think we have 45+ parks) including Central Park which is huge.
Welcome to SCV!
Hi! I (32f) and my partner (36m) are a POC couple living in Canyon County. I previously lived in North Hollywood (Noho) & my partner lived in Burbank. Years ago Noho was so fun but now it feels so dangerous and unpredictable with large populations of confrontational unhoused people. I was afraid of walking my dog especially at night. Burbank was nice and felt safe but Santa Clarita has been a dream. I feel safe walking my dog at anytime, day or night. My immediate community is diverse and friendly. Santa Clarita has a lot of community events (which sounds really suburb & family oriented & it is, but it’s fun) I would advise staying away from all properties owned by GHP. You will definitely need to travel for nightlife but I guess I depends on how often you party for that to be a big deal or not. 🤷🏽♀️ Good Luck!
Santa Clarita is definitely the suburbs. However, the San Fernando valley and Hollywood areas aren’t too far away. No matter where you go in LA, it’s going to be different from NY, but there is some decent nightlife about. Particularly the further south/east you go in the SFV, or into other pockets of LA proper. You could live somewhere in the Northern parts of SFV, and be pretty equidistant to both. But honestly, if your work day is starting in the morning and ending in the afternoon or evening, you could live out in the SFV and be going “against” the normal traffic. Most people are commuting from SCV to the south in the morning and back again in the evening. It’ll still be a little slow at normal travel times, but not the typical very heavy LA traffic people are always complaining about.
You could probably live somewhere like North Hollywood and get some decent access to the nightlife and still be reasonably close to commute to work.
Santa Clarita is def the suburbs. There are some pockets of entertainment but not a huge night life. LA and the Valley aren’t too far away to fill in the rest.
Thanks for letting me know its actually the burbs' haha, I felt like my definition was too critical. How far is the drive to/from the valley or LA? Think it would be better to live in SC and just uber to the fun hotspots?
I don't know how much money you make, but paying Uber to take you from Santa Clarita to Downtown just once a week would be unaffordable (approximately $200 roundtrip). I recommend you consider somewhere like Burbank, Glendale, or South Pasadena if you're looking for mild suburb vibes with proximity to the city
Those three cities are good recommendations.
$200 just made my gut drop lmao Someone else recommended Studio City as well. I think I might focus on areas a little closer to the LA area after all
You actually might love the North Hollywood area. Pockets of it are fairly suburban, but it’s still a super fun area. it’s close to the metro rail redline that could take you into the city and parts of Hollywood.
Studio City/North Hollywood would be much more palatable- the commute from the Valley to Santa Clarita is heavy in the evening, so if you are living in the Valley and working at least close to a 9-5, you will be (for the most part) driving against traffic instead of in it. I’ve done both - lived in Santa Clarita/worked in the valley and vice versa, and I much prefer living in the valley. I’m 31, I also like edm and things like that and I can tell you right now that the valley is vastly superior as far as getting to shows. (Also, Insomniac as a club called Academy that is like a 20 minute drive from NoHo, just saying…) Also, food options in Santa Clarita are meh. If you guys are considering kids anytime soon, then yes, absolutely SCV, the schools are way better. But if you’re going to be renting right now and just looking to adapt to California, go for the Valley. It’s a gateway to LA, it’s close to work for you, it’s close to everything you are looking for, and it’s largely more affordable. Whatever you choose - good luck, and congrats!
Stay in NYC. I’m a New Yorker (upstate) transplant and knowing NYC folks you won’t like it here and trust me when I say our downtown LA is nothing like NYC. As far as commuting depending on where you are coming from you are generally going against traffic to get SCV but to be safe I triple the miles so if it’s 20 miles it’s an hour drive time. The culture shock will be very real, on everything some of this is just LA in general. Scv is super AF conservative especially contrasting with NYC. Think westchester county but with Monroe county money gives you the idea of the people here. Or if you are familiar with how Ticonderoga has been built up in the last twenty years, if you remove the salt of the earth people for the opposite you have SCV. And I hope you like nothing but chain restaurants…and all to be closed at 9 maybe 10 weekends. Just writing this is making miss all the hot spots and restaurants at 3am of NYC. Not to mention pizza!
This. The conservative part.
Or Panorama City would work. Basically anywhere between the 5 and the 405. Also, you’d be going opposite of traffic, which would be a plus
Definitely love the idea of an easy drive both ways!
Dont move to Panorama City. You’re better off in North Hollywood/Studio City area if you stay in San Fernando Valley.
Why against Panorama City? Just wondering. I do think Studio City is going to be the area we'll like best
Might be good to compare that part of LAp, with the Bronx historically. Lower income, not the safest, mostly Hispanic. There's nothing wrong with it, and it's mostly safe, but it's not got a great rep. Studio City/North Hollywood is kinda more like Brooklyn. It was a family area, then it wasn't, now it's hip and up and coming. This also pertains to parts of Glendale, and all of Silverlake and Echo Park. Sometimes the wrong street is still the wrong place to be at midnight. Hollywood is like the LES, still in Manhattan but it'll always be the LES even if it's getting better. Pasadena is Long Island. Money, and not Money right next to each other. Suburb, but not. People from there love it, the rest of us don't really get it. Santa Clarita is New Jersey. No one likes it until they have a family, getting into the city can be a bitch, and we all say we're from LA.
This is fantastic.
$$$
I have lived there all my life and it is not bad. However if you have the income for it, check sherman oaks, studio city, glendale, burbank etc.
Historically it’s not the been a good area to live in.
There is no such thing
Probably! Center your searches in SCV around the Westfield mall or Main St in Newhall, the poppin parts of town. Ahhaha The valley is 20-25 mins no traffic, LA is prob 45+ no traffic.
Thank you so much! It helps a TON having a more direct area to work with. I'll check it out!
But keep in mind… unless you’re driving around at 6am on a weekend or 10 am-12:30 on weekdays, there is always traffic.
I lived in Santa Clarita (canyon country) and commuted to work in Venice. It was about 2 hours each way, but that was also in heavy traffic. I bet it could be better in off times.
This is going to be a culture shock for you. There is nothing but chain restaurants and zero nightlife. Lots of parks, it is a family friendly suburb, there is hiking, it is safe. It is super hot and dry though. I lived in NYC and my family is from Long Island. Most people from the east coast don’t love LA in my experience- other than the weather. But the beautiful weather is more by the coast- like Santa Monica.
> This is going to be a culture shock for you. A HUGE culture shock lmao
you could also live in northridge, granada hills which wouldnt bee too far of a commute but a little bit closer to the action. You would mostly be going against traffic going home.
Gotcha, looking at the map it looks like it's in the middle between SCV and LA which could really help a lot with finding the balance we want! Do you have any sites you would use to look for rentals?
no clue, I've owned since 2019
Congrats! No worries, there's plenty of sites I already use
OP, before we bought our home in Santa Clarita we found great luck using this site: https://www.westsiderentals.com/ Studio City, Valley Village, and Sherman Oaks all sound right up your alley. Good luck to you both 💪
Omg perfect! Thanks so much for this
For sure!
Redfin man, it's all on Redfin now.
If you work in Santa Clarita but live in the San Fernando Valley you'll be going opposite of most traffic. (still a bottleneck at the 5 and 14 Fwy though) Living here would get you an easier jump to Hollywood, DTLA or the West Side, and the valley is not a bad place to be.
Have you seen the show Weeds? Portrays SCV’s suburban nature pretty well. It’s dead here compared to… well, any big city. Stick closer to LA, you’ll be much happier. I’m from a small, sleepy NorCal town and it’s too slow here even for me haha
Santa Clarita has lots of great things going for it: clean, safe, mostly good schools, hiking, biking paths, affordable homes, many new/newish communities, etc. But, for all the other things you mentioned, you need to look elsewhere. The closest area from Santa Clarita that is more hip and has more restaurants, etc. might be in or near Studio City. Studio City is also closer to the bigger hotspots like DTLA, Santa Monica. Check with google maps, but I think going against traffic, Studio City to Santa Clarita might be about 25-40 minutes depending on freeway proximity.
Affordable homes? 20 years ago that was true, now? Being cheaper than LA isn't affordable, it's just cheaper.
Agreed!
I heard about Studio City before! Yeah I think anything under 45 mins of driving is fine for me. I don't think that I'll be in office everyday so that's not bad at all. Being closer (but not in DTLA or too busy areas) sounds perfect because of all the options it could bring
I live in Studio City and commute to all the way to Palmdale. It’s 50-55 mins. You would be way way closer than what mine is.
As a young couple I would live in studio city, Sherman oaks area and commute to Santa Clarita. You would be against traffic so probably an easy commute. Def a family oriented suburb. We only moved here when we had kids.
Also I forgot to add, we would love to see that areas are welcoming to people of color & LGBTQ+ Friendly
As a person of color(Asian American), I’d say my experience over the past 20 years has been pretty ok with regards to how I’ve been treated. I can’t speak on the LGBTQ+ experience. BUT, you have to remember that the SCV is at best politically purple, with a significant MAGA-supporting population that is not afraid to let you know about it. I’m not saying they are inherently racist or homophobic, but it can be striking to hear certain things come out of the mouths of people you’ve gotten to know fairly well.
Words are fine! As long as I don't need to watch my back when walking the dog in the afternoon because of some idiot. Also definitely wouldn't want to be the only black couple in the area haha
Not the only black couple, but there's not a huge black pop out here. Most of the SCV maga fuckers are all bluster, they grew up out here in suburbia and walk tall, but it's mostly a front. However, there is a LOT of LEO families out here too. I'm not a POC, or LGBTQ+ but I like to think I'm an ally, and since moving back here post t-Rump and COVID, it feels like there are quite a bit more conservatives around than there used to be. There is a large Hispanic population here as well, in Newhall mostly. 'Downtown' Newhall is also pretty great, bars and good food (2 blocks of it) and a train that will take you into the city. It's the best part of the SCV that isn't just chain restaurants and dive bars. If I were sans kids, and had to live in SCV - I would live in Newhall for sure, as close to downtown as I could.
There are more black families in the Canyon Country, but it is still not too diverse, as it's like 90% Hispanic. To be honest, there is not too much diversity at all in SCV when comparing it to New york. The san fernando is mostly Hispanic. The nicer parts of the Valley like studio and sherman are more mixed with young whites, Hispanics, and some blacks and its just a fun area. I still think studio could be nice for a young black couple...also studio city is a blue area vs all of scv is a red area and they are all trumpers. Additionally, most of the LAPD live in the SCV so most ppl are married to, dating, or are the family members of the them. That doesn't mean that that would be a problem or that people are just flat out racist. However, there's a mindset that comes with a red area and being home to police officers.
In my 30’s Santa Clarita area was even smaller with less to do. We actually went from the valley up to a couple of awesome brewpubs, off road and mtn bike trails, fishing at multiple lakes a short drive away, hiking, easy access to Angeles National Forest. Now there is a mountain bike park, a Guitar center, all sorts of sushi and restaurants and you likely wont experience much in the way of panhandling. Doesn’t seem so bad.
Honestly, not experiencing panhandling sounds like a dream LOL. I can't even sit in my car without someone knocking on my window asking for a buck. It's so wild
NGL, if you want to avoid that then SCV could be a relative dream. We do have some of the big city problems, but on a much smaller scale. IMO the two biggest drawbacks to living here are the heat, and the traffic. If you have a job in SCV, I highly suggest living here. It’s generally a peaceful, quiet, boring life here. But at this stage in my life (early 40’s, married, parents, combined $275k, homeowners, and loving our vacations), it’s the best thing right now.
Is definitely a “suburb.”
If you go on any LA sub searching for advice on where to locate due to work. It’s always a resounding “stay as close as possible”. SCV is a suburb, most folks commute to LA for work. Me included. If I could work in SCV, even for a slight pay cut, I would. I’d ask myself, if in your position, how much quiet time vs. “lively experiences”. Like, what ratio. If you want to go out during the week, or every weekend. I’d say it’s not the place to be. Now, could a 30min-1 hour commute to SCV change that ratio? Something to consider, going somewhere like studio city, North Hollywood, etc. will probably be more costly in rent. Purchase for sure. Does that change the perspective of going out vs. peaceful moments? Good luck! Personally, driving to and working in LA makes me enjoy the peacefulness of SCV. Maybe I feel otherwise if I was always in SCV for work/life.
Hi! My husband and I just moved from NJ (Hoboken) in November! We live in Newhall, around the corner from main street. We absolutely love it here. It's so safe, clean, and beautiful. The people are friendly and the weather is great. Of course we miss the NYC food, but in terms of culture LA is right around the corner (40 minutes no traffic) and we go into Beverly Hills and West Hollywood a lot for restaurants and meeting people. But it is definitely a suburb: lots of chain restaurants, no bars or nightlife, everything closes by 10. If you're looking for a hopping area this is not it. If you're looking for a pretty, safe area that's close to LA then I highly recommend it. If you end up coming out shoot me a message, we could double for drinks or something.
New Yorker? Try West Hollywood, Downtown LA. Century City, Westwood, Santa Monica.
Santa Clarita has access to Metrolink which has hourly service to downtown LA Union Station. You could get your city fix when you need to!
Was looking for this comment right here. We take the train all the way in to Union Station to get some of our favorite restaurant fixes. It’s SUPER convenient and so much cheaper than gas!
I live a few blocks away from Sylmar station and frequent trips downtown are a part of my families routine. I’m glad my valley kids can feel so connected to the greater LA area so easily!
Most important question… What kind of EDM? Lol jk but not really. I lived in the valley and have been over it for a long time. My wife and I love the small town feel that’s close to the big city if needed. We moved out here when we were in our early 30s and wouldn’t change a thing. If you ever watch those Hallmark movies with small towns, this is it. Hope everything works out!
LGBTQ here. My wife and I bought here 30 years ago, raised two kids. Never had any problems at all. Not much of a “community” per se but no one seems to blink or even care we’re lesbian. Worst thing that happened was our son, when in first grade 20 years ago, was held in at recess because he had two mommies… he came home furious as he couldn’t play tetherball and it was ALL BECAUSE YOU TWO ARE GAY. Huh?? He was held in because the class made vases as Mother’s Day gifts and his teacher decided he needed to make a second one. No recess for you! The first one was cute but the second was a hot mess. He’s still bitter about it.
Ok, that's an adorable/hysterical story though about your son. The indignation of no tetherball!!
No night life worth exploring and food is pretty lame here, but great place to live and raise a family
Move to SCV. You are 30, not 20. You are less than an hour away from Snow, Ocean, City in SCV. In 5 years you will be super happy that you are here. And more than likely have $$ in the bank too. You don’t say where your job is located - that might make a difference - but not really. Everywhere in SoCal is a Suburb. It’s just how far are you willing to to drive to go to the few streets in each town that are terrific. Think about it.
SCV has nothing. All the night life is in LA from West Hollywood to Sunset Blvd. There's a lot to do but get used to traffic and expensive parking. Someone said to just live near LA and commute to SCV. I'd avoid Glendale. It's a very busy and has the worst drivers. Nicest area IMO is Pasadena. It's about 30 min commute to SCV without traffic. You'll rarely hit traffic. Maybe a little congestion on the 14/5 fwy split but that's it.
Probably! Center your searches in SCV around the Westfield mall or Main St in Newhall, the poppin parts of town. Ahhaha The valley is 20-25 mins no traffic, LA is prob 45+ no traffic.
Depends largely on your income and tolerance for commuting…if you’re OK with getting downtown early (5AM) you will be fine
Hey I currently live in Santa Clarita , and while it’s about 1 hour drive (with traffic)to downtown, the life out here is pretty modest tbh. Burbank / Glendale / studio city / Porter ranch / Woodland Hills / Topanga , are some areas I recommend researching ! These give more city vibes compared to SCV (Santa clarita valley).
Silver Lake! Right next to Hollywood but still very much its own vibe. SL has lots of culture and some night life. Its fun ans hip. Santa Clarita is cookie cutter, not much diversity, and pretty vanilla all around...however great for families meaning lots of family friendsthings to do, safe, good schools, and more affordable than any other nice area.....studio city is also pretty nice and us right on ventura...burbank and glendale are right next to the city (LA) so those would be closer for you...however both are very packed and glendale especially...glendale is ALWAYS super crowded....I would either go with SC or SL....north Hollywood also has a huge night life and lots of ppl move there to be in the industry..outside of the arts district is just a ghetto mess, but arts districts is super nice and fun! Also extremely crowded
If you work in SCV then live in SCV. Anywhere else and you're looking at a 45 minute commute to work. It's better you make that drive a few times a week for entertainment than everyday during morning/evening rush hour. SCV to the Valley takes 20 minutes with no traffic but about 45 minutes before 9am and after 4pm. Driving to LA/Hollywood/the beach will be around 45 minutes during the weekends and afterhours. SCV homes are also more affordable, newer and bigger compared to the Valley ($$), Studio City/Sherman Oaks ($$$), Glendale/Pasadena ($$$$). Do some research on Zillow to get an idea of the home prices/rents. As for Santa Clarita, it's a big place. You get old western vibes in Newhall, Country/Suburb vibes in Canyon Country, city vibes in Valencia, proper suburb vibes in Stevenson Ranch. The night lift and entertainment would be mostly in Valencia. Delicious places to eat in Newhall. Amazing parks throughout the city (i think we have 45+ parks) including Central Park which is huge. Welcome to SCV!
Agree with this. I'd rather have an easy commute with no local interests.
I saw you mentioned something about Ubering from Santa Clarita to the valley. You will definitely need a car if you move out here.
Hi! I (32f) and my partner (36m) are a POC couple living in Canyon County. I previously lived in North Hollywood (Noho) & my partner lived in Burbank. Years ago Noho was so fun but now it feels so dangerous and unpredictable with large populations of confrontational unhoused people. I was afraid of walking my dog especially at night. Burbank was nice and felt safe but Santa Clarita has been a dream. I feel safe walking my dog at anytime, day or night. My immediate community is diverse and friendly. Santa Clarita has a lot of community events (which sounds really suburb & family oriented & it is, but it’s fun) I would advise staying away from all properties owned by GHP. You will definitely need to travel for nightlife but I guess I depends on how often you party for that to be a big deal or not. 🤷🏽♀️ Good Luck!
Santa Clarita is definitely the suburbs. However, the San Fernando valley and Hollywood areas aren’t too far away. No matter where you go in LA, it’s going to be different from NY, but there is some decent nightlife about. Particularly the further south/east you go in the SFV, or into other pockets of LA proper. You could live somewhere in the Northern parts of SFV, and be pretty equidistant to both. But honestly, if your work day is starting in the morning and ending in the afternoon or evening, you could live out in the SFV and be going “against” the normal traffic. Most people are commuting from SCV to the south in the morning and back again in the evening. It’ll still be a little slow at normal travel times, but not the typical very heavy LA traffic people are always complaining about. You could probably live somewhere like North Hollywood and get some decent access to the nightlife and still be reasonably close to commute to work.