Written by: Jason Kritzberg on January 22, 2021
Buying a home is a huge life goal for many, no matter where the location is. It’s a huge longterm investment and a great way to build equity, while settling down in a place you can call home. However, have you ever thought about the differences a home will get you in Los Angeles versus The San Fernando Valley? There’s definitely its pros and cons with each location, so we broke it down for you to make your life easier when its time to decide where you will move!
The San Fernando Valley
Known locally as, “The Valley,” is an urbanized valley in Los Angeles County. It is located just north of the Los Angeles Basin and incorporates part of the City of Los Angeles, as well ass cities of Glendale, Burbank, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, and San Fernando. Recently, The Valley has seen an increase in new businesses and restaurants, attracting more buyers north of the city. Check out this video to see what Downtown Warner Center has to offer!
So what’s so great about The Valley? Well, choosing to live in The Valley gets you more bang for your buck. You will definitely be able to find a larger home, with more square footage, and for less the amount you would find over the hill. This would give you more space for your family and ample backyard space to entertain for days. Depending on where you choose to live, it can also be a much safer place to live than the city; however, there are many safe neighborhoods in the city too.
On the other hand, The Valley is pretty far from many places. It will take you at least 20 minutes with no traffic to get over the hill to the city, and Los Angeles is notorious for bumper to bumper gridlock. If your workplace is located in the city, you might want to reconsider moving to the valley for this reason alone. Also, The Valley is spaced out quite a bit. Unless you buy a home close to Ventura Blvd., your commute just to the grocery store will be longer then if you lived in the city. Take into consideration these cons when looking for your home.
The City
Being in the city can be a great move decision depending on where you live. The West Side (Santa Monica, Brentwood, Westwood, Beverly Hills, and West Hollywood) boasts some of the best nightlife, restaurants, and shopping – all walking distance from your home. This can be great if you want to save gas by walking to do your errands. The neighborhoods are also very safe to live and usually houses the more higher end individuals. You can also utilize the amazing public transportation, Metro, and ditch your car completely! At the end of the day, if you choose to live in the city, you are completely central to everything going on!
Although the city has many pros, there are some cons that might make you reconsider and circle back to The Valley. For starters, it’s noisy, sometimes. If you are more mid-city to Downtown area, don’t expect peaceful quietness and birds chirping. The loudness could be quite a disturbance, especially when sleeping. In addition, the cost of living is much higher and the space you get is limited. Expect to pay higher prices when moving over the hill, and throw away the notion that you’ll be getting that same square footage and large backyard you had in The Valley. The cost of living is so high due to the high concentration of people and therefore, higher living demand. Also, it is desirable to live in the city, a reason why the cost can be quite high. Make sure you have a firm budget figured out before committing to a move to Los Angeles County.
All In All
Whether you choose to live in The Valley vs The City, you will have its pros and cons for each. Even if you move to a different state, nothing will be perfect. When searching for your next home, be open minded, have a budget in mind, and spend a lot of time in the area you are looking in before packing your bags. Living in The Valley can be an amazing place to raise a family and living in the City can be great if you want to be central. Wherever you choose to live, Stephen White Real Estate can help in that process! If you are entertaining the thought to buy a new home either in The San Fernando Valley or Los Angeles County, give your trusted realtor, Stephen White a call. We guarantee we will find you your forever home!
