Artesia

Artesia is a diverse community located along the 91 and 605 freeways approximately 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles. This is a fairly affordable area of LA but quite frankly, there isn’t much to do here in the town per se, though you are not far from beaches and attractions like Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm.

Bordering Orange County, Artesia is actually quite small and is basically known for the Artesian wells in the area. You know you are in Artesia because of the huge water tower a well-known landmark. Other than that, you may drive right past.

There are plenty of apartments and housing, yet they are fairly nondescript and include your basic tract homes as well as older properties that have some appealing characteristics. But frankly, this is not a town known for its charm.

Of course, it wouldn’t be LA without traffic. The 91 freeway literally becomes a parking spot during the commute hours. A great number of those who live here take public transportation and who can blame them? The bus service (Long Beach Transit) is reliable and connects to the Metro, which makes going into LA convenient.

Schools in Artesia fall under the ABC Unified School District, which also serves the neighboring towns of Cerritos, Hawaiian Gardens and portions of Lakewood, Norwalk and La Mirada, so it’s a fairly large school district with over 20,000, enrolled children. There is active volunteer participation and the schools rate above average.

Don’t expect to find great shopping or dining options. The major franchises are here or close by so you won't want for anything, but don't count on much.