<p>I am an incoming graduate student, and I am considering living in either Glendale, Pasadena, or Culver City instead of near USC. Even though I know several students who live near USC and find it safe enough, I would prefer to live somewhere with low crime. Sadly there is no on-campus housing for graduate students, otherwise I would just do that.</p>
<p>I was just curious if anyone has lived in these areas and what the commute time is like. I have been told it is around 45 mins from Glendale/Pasadena w/ traffic, and around 30 mins from Culver City.</p>
<p>All urban areas have crime. You will not be less exposed to crime in Pasadena than in the neighborhoods just north of the USC campus. You will, however, be exposed to the hazards of at least an hour everyday of LA freeway traffic, which is very hazardous.</p>
<p>I'm a grad student at USC and I live just SW of Exposition and Normandie (in therory a bad neighborhood). It's definitely not student-town, but I've found that it works well for me and crime has not been an issue.</p>
<p>One of my colleagues lives in Burbank and seems to like it. She says that the trip can be as short at 20-30 minutes at off hours but it can be over an hour at peak travel times.</p>
<p>You will likely find that as a graduate student time is more valuable than money. If you can find a place where you're happy and feel comfortable for a couple of hundred more dollars a month that saves you 30-69 minutes a day, it will be worth it.</p>