Bell Gardens, CA 661 Apartments for Rent

Bell Gardens is one of only five Los Angeles County Cities to allow casino gambling and is home to the Bicycle Casino, one of the largest poker casinos in the world.

With just a shade over 42,000 residents, Bell Gardens is a bustling little city that provides residents a pleasant life under the shining California sun. In this community the majority of the population is of Hispanic descent and it is apparent from the food, festivals and even the language; the majority of the residents in Bell Gardens are bi-lingual, speaking English and Spanish. This makes for a wonderful way to learn a new language yourself and to you allow them to appreciate the rich heritage of their community.

Moving to Bell Gardens

Welcome to California; please present your papers. A lot of people around the nation are down on California and it is issues like leases and rental prices that really twist the screw. Be prepared for a process that is going to make you long for a root canal without anesthesia. You will start by filling out an application and presenting your portfolio. Your portfolio needs to have copies of your credit report (they will run another one,) your driver's license, letters of reference from your previous landlord and employer (they will call them), proof of income (they will verify this) and, in many cases, a copy of your birth certificate. This is for each member of your family over 18. Most places will run a criminal background check as well. If you have pets you will need the same information, more or less, on them. You have to have proof of their health, updated vaccines and good conduct. Then you get to rent a place. Don't blame Bell Gardens for all of this. Only the pet vaccination is required by the city. The rest is state or county issued. The funny thing is that they are probably going to rent to you no matter what the results of the application process actually are.

What Will It Cost?

For California, it's positively affordable! You can get a nice 2-3 bedroom place for far less here than in most of Los Angeles County so enjoy that benefit. If you are from the Midwest or one of the Southern states, take a look at the rents in other parts of Los Angeles and then write your check; it will make you feel better.

Neighborhoods

Technically, Bell Gardens is considered to actually be a neighborhood of Los Angeles according to the way they set things up. Just don't tell that to the residents of this city. They take great pride in their community and haven't further divided it up as much as many larger communities have. Living in Bell Gardens feels like living in a small town and the community plans to keep it that way, thank you very much!

Garfield: This area is favored by college students. It's clean and there are a decent number of reasonable rentals. If you aren't a college student though you might want to look elsewhere. As is normal in areas with a high number of college students, rents are higher than they should be because landlords expect students to pack themselves in like sardines. You can get more space for less money in another area.

Gage: You aren't moving here without divine intervention! There are no rental properties here and all homes are owner occupied. This neighborhood boasts friendly people, cops and teachers. The cops and teachers make up the bulk of the people living in this area. There are several great parks close at hand.

Vinvale: This little area is less expensive to move into and has a fair number of rentals available. Expect to find a number of service workers here along with people working at the nearby casinos.

El Selinda: There are a number of service and casino workers here but virtually no vacancies of rental properties. The ones that are available are small, ranging from studios to two bedroom places. You are not likely to find anything larger in this area.

City Center: This is an older part of town and is far more established and stable. You will not find many vacancies here but when they do appear they tend to be in older homes that have been converted into apartments and are on the small side. Not tiny house small, but small.

Eastern: This is an area where there are no vacancies owing to there being no apartments in the immediate vicinity. These are older homes and mostly construction workers, teachers and retired folks live in this area.

Live Oak: This area has the highest vacancy rates in Bell Gardens and that isn't saying much. Even here if you find a place you had better grab it fast before someone else takes it.

Living in Bell Gardens

You can't beat the weather here. That single factor has sold more people on the state of California and the city of Bell Gardens than anything else. On the coldest day of the year you might need a light jacket and that is only if you aren't feeling well! It's not unusual to see people wandering around in shorts on Christmas. This is a beautiful place to live and the weather encourages you to spend a lot of time outside. Activities like hiking, biking and swimming are extremely popular. For history buffs, the oldest home in Los Angeles County is located here. It's the Henry Gage home, also known as the Gage Mansion. Construction began way back in 1795. It was built for a land grant from the Spanish crown. Yeah, it was that long ago!

If you are looking for some entertainment, here are a few typical options that the locals rave about.

Restaurants

With the large Hispanic population, there is no shortage of excellent Mexican food in this community. The absolute best in the city is La Casita Mexicana on Gage Avenue. This is old world Mexico at its best! The problem with this place is that everything is really good and it's hard to decide what to order. The Azteca Cheese Fondue is amazing as is the Enchiladas La Casita Mexicana. Do not try ordering tacos here or you might get smacked in the head! There is far more to Mexican cooking than tacos and burritos. For those, go to Gloria's Cocina Mexicana on Florence Avenue. La Casita Mexicana is gourmet Mexican food and it's worth every calorie.

If you are looking for the best pizza you will ever eat anywhere you want Big Al's on Atlantic Boulevard. You can get sub sandwiches, wings and ribs here and they are all great but you need to get the pizza. Even the snobs from Chicago will swoon at the Meat Lover's Pizza Big Al throws together. This is perfect for game day or just hanging out with friends.

If all you are looking for is a great burger and fries but you want to avoid the fast food places head to Primo Burger on Garfield Avenue. This is one of the best burgers you are ever going to get; the fries are always hot and salty but the food isn't overly greasy. You aren't a local until you have had a Primo Burger!

Nightlife

If you are looking for a great spot that is fun for the entire family, then Premier Fiesta Mexicana is the top spot in Bell Gardens. There is a happy hour and the place is open late. It's a great late night party spot. Be warned that it is very loud and the chances of having a deep conversation with someone are non-existent. However the music is great and there is dancing, so it evens out.

Shopping

You are a stone’s throw from Los Angeles and there are plenty of malls. Pretty much any chain store you could want can be found within 30 miles of Bell Gardens. One store though is completely unique and is a place that you don't want to miss. It's Jaeliss Boutique on Atlantic Avenue. With outstanding prices and unique clothing, this store is a hidden treasure. You will find clothing and accessories here that aren't available anyplace else and none of it is off the wall expensive.