Love famous fast-food joints? Baldwin Park is home to the very first In-N-Out burger stand, the first drive-thru in all of California. Anyone for animal style?
Baldwin Park is a city on the outskirts of Los Angeles County, part of the San Gabriel Valley. Many of its residents are largely supported through the employment provided by a managed care consortium known as Kaiser Permanente. The temperatures are mild and the average high in the city never surpasses 90 degrees throughout the year. That's right, a place in California that's not insanely hot. Who knew? An art gallery provides much of the culture that this slightly shrinking city receives, but there's so much more to the City of Baldwin Park.
Finding Apartments in Baldwin Park
Living in Baldwin Park will be quite an experience for anyone. Before becoming accustomed to everything great here, however, you have to find a place. Yeah, total bummer. Renters make up well over one third of all residents in the city, and with a vacancy rate of only 3.08%, finding a place can be quite a pleasant adventure. If you're into that kind of thing, that is.
How much will it cost?
The rental prices in Baldwin Park have remained relatively stable over the years, so if you're looking for a place where your landlord isn't going to turn into the evil little rascal portrayed in Will Farrell's Funny or Die landlord skit when it comes time to renew the lease, this may be your place. Rents have increased only very modestly over recent years, and are still lower than in many other California cities. Of course, some neighborhoods will be less expensive than others, but this won't be by much. So calm down, don't be a cheapskate over an extra C-note a month, and pick out the best apartment you can find.
Finding a place
Finding a place may be the most difficult part of moving to this city. As mentioned, the vacancy rate only stands at about 3%, and while this is the sign of a great area, it's not conducive to easily finding an apartment. Luckily, if you simply start looking a few months in advance of your anticipated move, you should be fine. What, did you think you were just going to show up in the city with a knapsack and find a place in a day? Fat chance: Get to work! Now, there's usually a "best time" to move to a city, but, in reality, that isn't the case in Baldwin Park. The weather is pleasant year-round, and there really aren't any huge festivals or times of the year that would bring in enough tourists to hinder a move-in date.
What you'll need
In a community as appealing to renters as Baldwin Park, you're going to need to do your homework. Make sure you have a full list of references, both character references and former landlords, prepared when turning in a rental application. There will definitely be an application fee involved, but you would've known this well in advance if you had done your homework like you were told to, right? So be prepared for that. If you have pets, be prepared to pay a pet deposit and have a great story as to how you know that Fluffy isn't going to terrorize the neighbors. A quiet and simple community such as this didn't get that way from just letting any Tom, Dick, or Harry move in. And, oh yeah, the area's unemployment rate has consistently remained higher than California's since the recession hit, so have a job!
Walk Around the Park
Look, in all honesty, there's not that much of a difference between Baldwin Park neighborhoods. Th This doesn't mean, though that there aren't differences in the neighborhoods. Of course there are differences; otherwise there would be no need for this section. Keep up already.
Downtown Baldwin Park: People aren't used to hearing this, but Downtown is a tremendous place to stay--at least in Baldwin Park.The downtown area is actually less densely populated than other areas throughout the city. Add this to the ease of access to all of the shops, amenities, and in-general amazingness, and downtown is the place to be.
West Baldwin Park: This neighborhood is extremely close to the intersecting interstates in the area, so it's literally easy to get out of town. But why would you want to, really? The area is loaded with beautiful houses, but do your homework first.
Northeast Baldwin Park: The northeast neighborhood might just be one of the nicest in the city, and this is why rentals cost a bit more. The housing values are higher than Baldwin Park in general, but they're insanely lower than California average, so you're getting an amazing place at an amazing price. In addition, you're a stone's throw from Irwindale, Valleydale, and Zacatecas Parks. So go on, take your shoes off, and relax. Okay, leave your shoes on if you're at the park.
Serra Vesta: Serra Vesta is the lower cost area in Baldwin Park, but there's really no way to explain this. Sure, the average income level of those living in the neighborhood is much lower than Baldwin Park's average, but that's expected with lower housing costs. Morgan Park and Baldwin Park Library are both within walking distance, and there's even a meditation center nearby. Take a deep breath. There are places far more expensive than this without meditation centers.
Park Yourself Here
Baldwin Park is one of many cities spotting the greater Los Angeles area, so you are in luck having access to a wonderful array of Southern California living. But what makes Baldwin Park so special, different from the other SoCal communities? Here's some insight:
Living the Art Life
The Baldwin Park Arts and Recreation Center provides an amazing chance for people to enjoy a bit of culture. You could use a little culture in your life, right? Exhibits have ranged from Day of the Dead homages to exhibits that could only be described as soul searching in nature. Hmmm...
Local artists are even invited to submit their artwork to the art center to be considered for display. There's not too much going on around Baldwin Park since Los Angeles is so close by, so enjoying a bit of art and showing off your hardcore painting, drawing, or whatever-else-you-do skills is a great way to enjoy the day.
Transportation in Baldwin Park
This little city is nestled right between the I-10 and the I-60, and this makes it insanely convenient for the I-210. Got that? It's therefore quite easy to hop on the interstate and travel the 20 minutes to visit or work in Los Angeles.
Baldwin Park Public Transit Program provides a plethora (yes, a plethora) of travel options within the city. With the most vibrantly decorated buses you've ever seen combined with taxi and "dial-a-ride" services, there should be no reason why you can't get everywhere in this town at the drop of a hat. Happy trails!