Ok so my lease is coming up and a couple people keep telling me I should just look at Long Beach if I want more space for less money. I love where I am but the rent is getting a little ridiculous.
For anyone who actually checked it out or moved there, is it really that much cheaper once everything is said and done? And does the drive back into LA ruin it? Trying to figure out if it is worth a real look or if I am just chasing a fantasy lol.
Long Beach can genuinely be cheaper, I looked at it hard a few years back. You do get more square footage for the money and the water is a real perk. The catch is the commute. If you work on the Westside you will hate the 405 within a week and the gas and time eat into the savings.
If your job is downtown or you are remote it makes a lot more sense. Just be honest with yourself about how often you actually need to be in LA proper.
I rent a room in Hollywood and even I have thought about it. The rent gap is real, you can find a whole one bedroom in Long Beach for close to what a room costs on the westside. But do the honest commute math. If you are driving up to LA three plus times a week the gas and the hours add up quick.
Honestly it depends what you want out of a neighborhood. Long Beach has its own thing going, real downtown, actual community feel in some pockets, not just a bedroom suburb. I like that about it. If you value that over being in the middle of LA it is a solid trade.
Just know it is its own city with its own vibe, you are not really commuting into LA culture daily, you are kind of picking a different life. For the rent difference some people are very happy with that.
Speaking as someone who shares an apartment to keep rent down, I get the appeal. If you could get your own place in Long Beach for what you pay to split one here, that is a real quality of life jump. Having your own space matters.
I live downtown so Long Beach is actually not a bad drive for me, way easier than fighting out to the Westside. If your work is on that side of the map the math changes a lot in Long Beach favor.
One thing nobody mentions, parking and space. You can actually find a spot and breathe out there. If the rent is lower and the commute works for your job, I would take it seriously. Just go spend a weekend there first to feel the vibe.
I considered Long Beach too at one point. The areas close to the beach seem to be nice. Why I eventually ended up in West Hollywood? The commute wasn’t worth it. So it depends on where you work.
Long Beach is a good place. I would consider moving there, but I got a nice place.