Is it smart nowadays to go to a community college first and then transfer ?

It really depends on your individual situation. I went to CC and I can’t remember it ever being discussed in job interviews. If it was, it was a minor point. My graduation from UCLA has always been much more emphasized. And FWIW, around one third of UC graduates are transfers (mostly from CCs.)

One advantage of starting out at a CC is that you get a second shot at your GPA at UCs. My UCLA GPA was over two points higher than my CC one. And other than law schools, the UCLA GPA would be used in graduate programs. A rigorous CC courseload (e.g. 18 units) can be comparable to a full time load at a top school.

I went to CC because it was the best option for me. You should examine your financial aid packages carefully and see what they look like. Once you have that, you can think of other stuff, like how comfortable you’d be taking loans.