A Local Guide's Expert-Take on the Most Affordable Neighborhoods in Glendale, California

With its diverse culture, plethora of shopping and dining experiences, and safe, suburban feel, Glendale, California ranks high on the list of places to live in the Los Angeles Metro Area. Glendale offers easy access to the Valley, Downtown Los Angeles, and emerging eastside neighborhoods like Eagle Rock and Highland Park; but all that Glendale has to offer can come at a price.

I’m Mary, your local guide to Glendale, California for Apartment-Homeliving.com, here to help you find your next affordable neighborhood in Glendale.

1. Grandview

The Grandview neighborhood has a perfect blend of residential and commercial living spaces. The neighborhood contains a variety of apartment complexes, town homes, and single-family residences. The single-family homes are mostly small Spanish style homes that are placed close to one another but offer decent-sized lots.

Grandview offers beautiful views of the Verdugo Mountains to the north and the eastern end of the Santa Monica mountains to the south.

The neighborhood boasts numerous businesses along the busy street of Glenoaks. Popular for coffee shops, bakeries, salons, and a variety of other small specialty businesses, the commerce of Grandview is conveniently located on this strip.

The neighborhood also borders the quaint Kenneth Village, famous for its coffee shops, bakeries, a variety of gyms, and frozen yogurt shops. All and all making this residential neighborhood very walkable for errands and meeting up with friends for a drink.

The neighborhood has a mix of older and younger residents, including a lot of children. I visit this neighborhood a lot with my son and we enjoy visiting the Grandview library, as well as going to Brand and Pelanconi Park, both a short walk away. Brand Park boasts playgrounds, baseball fields, and a number of beautiful walking and hiking trails that offer sweeping views of Glendale and Burbank. Additionally, there is a Japanese Tea House and Koi pond that is open to the public.

The neighborhood is relatively safe, receiving an average national crime grade by Crimegrade.org. Although anecdotally speaking, I have never felt unsafe in this area.

The area borders Burbank, California and has easy access to the 5 and 134 freeways making it ideal for commute to the Valley, Eagle Rock, and Pasadena neighborhoods.

2. Adams Hill

Adams Hill is a quiet section of Glendale, with a mix of apartments and quant, small houses. Bordered by Forest Lawn cemetery and Glassel Park, the area has easy access to the 2 and 5 freeways. Located in Adams Hill is Palmer Park, which contains a playground, a children’s wading pool, a skate park, basketball courts, and a small walking path.

The area is dotted with small grocery stores, as well as independent bakeries and coffee shops, making it ideal to meet up with friends or work remotely. The area also contains Library Connection, a small branch of the Glendale Library.

With a crime rate of B- from Crimerate.org, the area is relatively safe compared to the national average.

I have close friends in this area, and it is a joy to grab a coffee and walk the streets and hills together. And my preschool son loves the story hour at Library Connection.

3. Riverside Rancho

Riverside Rancho is a beautiful small suburban enclave south of the 5 freeway that borders Griffith Park and Burbank, California. The area is known for its equestrian centers that service both long time riders and those that want to rent a horse for a few hours and traverse the trails.

Riverside Rancho contains Bette Davis Park; a large, open green space adjacent to the Los Angeles river, where people come to walk their dog, picnic, and throw outdoor parties. I personally love to fly kites in this area, and it’s a relaxing park where you can spread out and enjoy some space.

The majority of homes in this area are townhomes and small, single family dwellings, although there area some multi-unit bungalow courts east of Sonora.

While this area doesn’t have a lot of commercial buildings, if you’re looking for a peaceful suburban feel with flat walking paths and sidewalks, this area is for you.

4. Tropico

Tropico is a small neighborhood in the southeast portion of Glendale. It borders the immensely popular and sought after neighborhood Atwater Village, making it a cheaper alternative that shares a lot of the same cute restaurants, coffee shops, and small businesses.

Tropico mostly contains apartments and high density commercial businesses along Los Feliz Road and San Fernando Road. It is flat and quite walkable, and contains some highly rated small Mexican restaurants including El Sauz Tacos. It features the Glendale Memorial Hospital and is in walking distance to the city center, which features both the Glendale Galleria and Americana at Brand.

5. Somerset

Somerset is positioned in the southeastern portion of Glendale and bordered by the 2 freeway and Glassell park, giving it easy access to Eagle Rock.

Somerset has a mix of apartments and single family houses. The area is walkable, with tree-lined streets. Plus, it’s just two miles from The Americana at Brand. It includes a variety of small grocery stores, independent shops, and restaurants, including the famous Dave Hot’s Chicken.

Somerset contains Windsor Mini-Park, with a small children’s playground and miniature sidewalk area for riding scooters or playing with sidewalk chalk. This park is ideal for children, or just taking a rest from the city.

Somerset includes John Muir Elementary school, a magnet school within the Glendale Unified School district. The school contains a Spanish language immersion program and is rated a 6/10 by Greatschools.org. Additionally, the Garfield campus of Glendale Community College is located just outside this neighborhood to the west.

6. Pacific-Edison

Pacific Edison is located in the southwestern corner of Glendale with easy access to the 5 freeway. The area is a mix of large apartment buildings and small craftsman and bungalow houses. The area is very walkable, with tree-lined streets and sidewalks. It also borders downtown Glendale, putting you close to all of its amenities.

At the center of the neighborhood is the Pacific Park and Community Center, which boasts a public pool, library, paddleball and basketball courts, baseball fields, a playground, and splash pad. I spend a lot of summer days swimming with my family at the pool, and love their story time at the library. It really gives the area a “small town in a big city” vibe.

Area Vibes gives it a B for schools, and it contains Thomas Edison Elementary, a Science and Technology magnet school in the Glendale Unified School District. Edison offers a duel Spanish immersion program and is rated a 7/10 by Greatschools.org.

7. City Center

If you’re looking for a walkable, lively, and vibrant neighborhood in Glendale, then look no further than the City Center. Located at (where else) the center of Glendale, the area includes the Glendale Galleria and the Americana at Brand, as well as a variety of bars, restaurants, gyms, and coffee shops. The area has easy access to the 5 freeway, so Atwater Village, Los Feliz, Eagle Rock, and Downtown Los Angeles are convenient trips, traffic excluded.

The area also boasts the Glendale Central Library with a newly redesigned children’s and teen area.

While parking can be tricky, there are a variety of paid parking structures, and the shopping areas outside the main Brand/Central drag typically have free parking lots attached.

The City Center also contains a variety of Glendale government buildings, such as City Hall, the main post office, the City Clerk, the Glendale Courthouse, and the Glendale Building and Safety Division.

There are a variety of apartments and houses in the area, and while the crime rate is slightly higher than the whole of Glendale, the area is still relatively safe. If you’re looking for a walkable neighborhood in a notoriously car-centric city, you couldn’t go wrong with Glendale City Center.