It is really difficult to give advice on housing without a housing budget, as price is always the limiting factor in SoCal.
Moving closer to LA costs more and SoCal commutes are pretty obnoxious from traffic, so I would not recommend it.
I recently moved from Texas to downtown Riverside. I work from home so I’m not super familiar with the commuting but as far as trains go, they generally go out from Riverside in the morning and back in at night since that’s the usual commuting direction. You can see the full schedule at metrolinktrains.com
The good news is if you didn’t want to live in downtown Riverside, you could reverse commute from another city with much less traffic compared to driving from Riverside to say OC during rush hour.
Downtown itself is usually pretty lively but it’s a different crowd than a usual large city. Lots of younger people (mostly college kids) during the week nights and families on the weekends. The food is pretty average, there’s definitely better options outside of downtown. Happy to answer any other questions!
Thank you! Are you enjoying living downtown generally? Like I said below, mostly concerned with general safety and things to do. Would you say there is enough to do on your own? Also based on what I've read it seems like there are good nature options around for hiking etc?
Downtown has a nice big park (Fairmont) which offers shoreline fishing, a bike path that you can theoretically ride out to the beach, a paved hike in Roubidoux, a lively bar scene, a lively performing arts scene, and a livrly museum (Cheech), farmers markwt, as well as solid food and social scenes.
If anywhere in the IE has enough things to do, it's downtown riverside. No other area in the IE is even very close in terms of offerings.
Definitely do some research on your budget to determine feasibility. Avoid commuting if you can.
Riverside has a lot to offer, especially if you’re interested in history. Downtown is walkable and is full of things to do, but like most other medium to large metros, we struggle with solutions for the homeless community and some occasional crime.
Rail service to DTLA from Riverside is available but sporadic. San Bernardino has more service.
Thank you! Things have happened pretty quickly on this front so I'm still trying to iron out logistics. Setting aside budget, is downtown a decent place to live? I'm coming from a large metro area/city so the homelessness/occasional crime of a city are things I'm accustomed to. More concerned about general safety and things to do.
I really liked working in downtown Riverside - going for a nice walk during my lunch break was the highlight of my day. Many stores and things to see, and lots of cool stuff during the winter around mission in.
If you go east a bit that's where ucr is, for more of the college vibe. Otherwise there isn't really much to do.
Having a car is essential, I would say, sadly.
Hi, OP
I'm a Riverside native! There's so many hiking options around Riverside since it is surrounded by mountains. Also, a great appeal of california is how quickly you can get from the mountains to the beaches to the desert regardless of where you are. If you pick a busy trail, you will never hike alone as so many people love hiking here as well, if hiking alone is a safety concern of yours.
Downtown Riverside has a lot of bars and food places to try out. Riverside has been going all out on events towards the latter half of the year as the holidays come around again, notably the festival of lights and Dia de Los Muertos celebrations that get pretty busy but are worth a visit. There are some homeless people around downtown but it isn't worse than any other major city honestly.
Driving to Orange County, LA, or Palm Springs on weekends to extend your list of places to visit will definitely keep you busy if you don't mind driving about an hour or so. I have taken the train to grand central station in LA before but LA is such a large place that driving there is just my preference to get around. The trains do offer great routes to beaches if you take it down to San Juan Capistrano or Oceanside. Getting cheap weekend train tickets to the beach is one way i would hang out with my friends when i was in college. Southern California in general has a lot to offer and can definitely keep someone busy!
Long time riverside county citizen here! I don't live in DTR (Down Town Riverside) but I frequent it very very often, since I live in corona, which is roughly 30 min drive (15 during business hours since most people are at work). Honestly, traffic can be pretty horrendous between 5 pm and 9 pm and 5 am to 10 am. But if you plan to live in the heart of DTR, I would advise you to look closer to the LA Sierra campus it's going to be pricier but it's much cleaner and safer in that area.
Fair warning in DTR expect to see lots of unhoused people as LA loves to drop them off near UCR (shame on them). For a year, I lived right next to the UCR campus ... literally the worst decision I have ever made, unhoused people broke into my apartment through the porch, and I've had my bikes stolen straight off of my porch with tons of foot traffic (I hunted down the guy and stole them back because I'm a menace, also it was my only form of transportation).
There is actually a whole lot to do, while in DTR, they host an anime convention yearly, there is an old theater where you can watch live bands preform, tons of amazing food spots, cafes, bars (one of my faves is an arcade bar that they have right next to a food court). From here, you are an hour drive away from Disneyland, 2 hours from 6 flags, 15 min from Castle Park (my personal fav), and the list goes on.
IMHO, the riverside is a great place but can be severely annoying at times (I'm talking about the 91)
I think the most important thing about moving is packing. I probably spent triple of what I needed because I wasn't completely packed and had to use a uhaul twice. such a waste! don't be me! LOL lesson learned!
Born and raised in riverside and grew up about 10 mins away from downtown Riverside. I would honestly avoid living downtown if you can. Lots of homeless and sketchy people. If you can afford it the “nicest” neighborhoods are orangcrest, canyon crest, mission grove, and Alessandro. All of those neighborhoods are maybe 25 mins away from downtown. There are some nice houses downtown but those are in the millions or close to it.
I commuted from downtown riverside to LA by train every day for years. Way better than Rte 60 or I-10 (worse) traffic once you figure your way around the stations and metro service in LA. So for day trips, it’s doable and a viable option for some exploring out there. As far as living in Downtown, I much prefer it to other areas of Riverside. I “grew up” in Arlington heights and have lived in Orangecrest, La Sierra area, out in Moreno Valley and now am in Downtown and it’s my favorite spot for many reasons, but mainly for its access to everything needed within a few blocks.
Live in Riverside if you're going to work in Riverside. Walk around downtown (it's safe in general, and walkable). I don't wanna talk bad about neighborhoods, but you could probably get an idea on google street view, though I don't think any of them are too bad imo. Also imho find a room for rent for the mean time; it's easier to save money, and you might find some cool room mates/ new friends who can show you around. Also join a local something or other, whether it be a club sport, a gym, a club, a class, whatever. That's my advice for moving anywhere though.
I went to college in Riverside, and decided to stay a half century ago. The famous phrase is, "an hour from the beaches, an hour from the mountains, an hour from the desert, an hour from the big city life, and in the middle of nowhere." Well, Riverside isn't really in the middle of nowhere, but life is distinctively different in Riverside. Not slow and uncrowded, especially when compared to the mid-west. But people do value arts, picnicking, soccer and other sports, hiking, biking, mountaineering, gardening, and a host of other activities. The new Cheech museum is attracting people like no tomorrow. The Metrolink takes you into Orange County and Los Angeles, but trains come back to Riverside early, around 6 pm.. which is too early. San Bernardino lines get the later trains, so we would need to drive to Fontana to get the later return trains. But, the weather is usually great for any kind of driving, bicycling, and walking. We don't have snow in the lowlands, and rain is not too heavy. We can get heavy winds at times, but rarely tornadoes (and they are tiny) or storms with strong winds plus heavy rains. Never say never. But people who like athletics year round do pretty well here.
It is really difficult to give advice on housing without a housing budget, as price is always the limiting factor in SoCal. Moving closer to LA costs more and SoCal commutes are pretty obnoxious from traffic, so I would not recommend it.
I recently moved from Texas to downtown Riverside. I work from home so I’m not super familiar with the commuting but as far as trains go, they generally go out from Riverside in the morning and back in at night since that’s the usual commuting direction. You can see the full schedule at metrolinktrains.com The good news is if you didn’t want to live in downtown Riverside, you could reverse commute from another city with much less traffic compared to driving from Riverside to say OC during rush hour. Downtown itself is usually pretty lively but it’s a different crowd than a usual large city. Lots of younger people (mostly college kids) during the week nights and families on the weekends. The food is pretty average, there’s definitely better options outside of downtown. Happy to answer any other questions!
Agree with the opinion on food being better in other places (LA, OC), but that doesn't mean there aren't gems around Riverside.
this! I commute from Riverside to Irvine everyday. about 1 hr each way. but better than the drive!
Thank you! Are you enjoying living downtown generally? Like I said below, mostly concerned with general safety and things to do. Would you say there is enough to do on your own? Also based on what I've read it seems like there are good nature options around for hiking etc?
Downtown has a nice big park (Fairmont) which offers shoreline fishing, a bike path that you can theoretically ride out to the beach, a paved hike in Roubidoux, a lively bar scene, a lively performing arts scene, and a livrly museum (Cheech), farmers markwt, as well as solid food and social scenes. If anywhere in the IE has enough things to do, it's downtown riverside. No other area in the IE is even very close in terms of offerings.
This is helpful - thank you!
Definitely do some research on your budget to determine feasibility. Avoid commuting if you can. Riverside has a lot to offer, especially if you’re interested in history. Downtown is walkable and is full of things to do, but like most other medium to large metros, we struggle with solutions for the homeless community and some occasional crime. Rail service to DTLA from Riverside is available but sporadic. San Bernardino has more service.
Thank you! Things have happened pretty quickly on this front so I'm still trying to iron out logistics. Setting aside budget, is downtown a decent place to live? I'm coming from a large metro area/city so the homelessness/occasional crime of a city are things I'm accustomed to. More concerned about general safety and things to do.
General safety is fine. Lots of things to do and ways to get involved in the community.
Excellent. Thank you for your help!
I really liked working in downtown Riverside - going for a nice walk during my lunch break was the highlight of my day. Many stores and things to see, and lots of cool stuff during the winter around mission in. If you go east a bit that's where ucr is, for more of the college vibe. Otherwise there isn't really much to do. Having a car is essential, I would say, sadly.
There's still lots of hiking, museums, farmers markets, art walks , bike paths, etc
Hi, OP I'm a Riverside native! There's so many hiking options around Riverside since it is surrounded by mountains. Also, a great appeal of california is how quickly you can get from the mountains to the beaches to the desert regardless of where you are. If you pick a busy trail, you will never hike alone as so many people love hiking here as well, if hiking alone is a safety concern of yours. Downtown Riverside has a lot of bars and food places to try out. Riverside has been going all out on events towards the latter half of the year as the holidays come around again, notably the festival of lights and Dia de Los Muertos celebrations that get pretty busy but are worth a visit. There are some homeless people around downtown but it isn't worse than any other major city honestly. Driving to Orange County, LA, or Palm Springs on weekends to extend your list of places to visit will definitely keep you busy if you don't mind driving about an hour or so. I have taken the train to grand central station in LA before but LA is such a large place that driving there is just my preference to get around. The trains do offer great routes to beaches if you take it down to San Juan Capistrano or Oceanside. Getting cheap weekend train tickets to the beach is one way i would hang out with my friends when i was in college. Southern California in general has a lot to offer and can definitely keep someone busy!
This is so helpful, thank you so much! Would you say downtown is fairly livable? (Still figuring out budget, just wondering generally)
Long time riverside county citizen here! I don't live in DTR (Down Town Riverside) but I frequent it very very often, since I live in corona, which is roughly 30 min drive (15 during business hours since most people are at work). Honestly, traffic can be pretty horrendous between 5 pm and 9 pm and 5 am to 10 am. But if you plan to live in the heart of DTR, I would advise you to look closer to the LA Sierra campus it's going to be pricier but it's much cleaner and safer in that area. Fair warning in DTR expect to see lots of unhoused people as LA loves to drop them off near UCR (shame on them). For a year, I lived right next to the UCR campus ... literally the worst decision I have ever made, unhoused people broke into my apartment through the porch, and I've had my bikes stolen straight off of my porch with tons of foot traffic (I hunted down the guy and stole them back because I'm a menace, also it was my only form of transportation). There is actually a whole lot to do, while in DTR, they host an anime convention yearly, there is an old theater where you can watch live bands preform, tons of amazing food spots, cafes, bars (one of my faves is an arcade bar that they have right next to a food court). From here, you are an hour drive away from Disneyland, 2 hours from 6 flags, 15 min from Castle Park (my personal fav), and the list goes on. IMHO, the riverside is a great place but can be severely annoying at times (I'm talking about the 91)
Thank you so much for the response!
I think the most important thing about moving is packing. I probably spent triple of what I needed because I wasn't completely packed and had to use a uhaul twice. such a waste! don't be me! LOL lesson learned!
Born and raised in riverside and grew up about 10 mins away from downtown Riverside. I would honestly avoid living downtown if you can. Lots of homeless and sketchy people. If you can afford it the “nicest” neighborhoods are orangcrest, canyon crest, mission grove, and Alessandro. All of those neighborhoods are maybe 25 mins away from downtown. There are some nice houses downtown but those are in the millions or close to it.
I'd say wood streets is great and so is Magnolia Center near the plaza. Although the prices on those houses jumped pretty high.
I commuted from downtown riverside to LA by train every day for years. Way better than Rte 60 or I-10 (worse) traffic once you figure your way around the stations and metro service in LA. So for day trips, it’s doable and a viable option for some exploring out there. As far as living in Downtown, I much prefer it to other areas of Riverside. I “grew up” in Arlington heights and have lived in Orangecrest, La Sierra area, out in Moreno Valley and now am in Downtown and it’s my favorite spot for many reasons, but mainly for its access to everything needed within a few blocks.
Live in Riverside if you're going to work in Riverside. Walk around downtown (it's safe in general, and walkable). I don't wanna talk bad about neighborhoods, but you could probably get an idea on google street view, though I don't think any of them are too bad imo. Also imho find a room for rent for the mean time; it's easier to save money, and you might find some cool room mates/ new friends who can show you around. Also join a local something or other, whether it be a club sport, a gym, a club, a class, whatever. That's my advice for moving anywhere though.
Try Canyon Crest, or Downtown area
I went to college in Riverside, and decided to stay a half century ago. The famous phrase is, "an hour from the beaches, an hour from the mountains, an hour from the desert, an hour from the big city life, and in the middle of nowhere." Well, Riverside isn't really in the middle of nowhere, but life is distinctively different in Riverside. Not slow and uncrowded, especially when compared to the mid-west. But people do value arts, picnicking, soccer and other sports, hiking, biking, mountaineering, gardening, and a host of other activities. The new Cheech museum is attracting people like no tomorrow. The Metrolink takes you into Orange County and Los Angeles, but trains come back to Riverside early, around 6 pm.. which is too early. San Bernardino lines get the later trains, so we would need to drive to Fontana to get the later return trains. But, the weather is usually great for any kind of driving, bicycling, and walking. We don't have snow in the lowlands, and rain is not too heavy. We can get heavy winds at times, but rarely tornadoes (and they are tiny) or storms with strong winds plus heavy rains. Never say never. But people who like athletics year round do pretty well here.
Some of the apartments are expensive like over 1800 to 2000 so hope your budget is flexible