Ever feel like life is nothing but one long comic strip? Well, for Harold Teen and the people in Covina, it’s somewhat true. Harold Teen was the early 20th century version of Bart Simpson, and for him Covina was the place to get a Gedunk sundae and "the biggest soda in town."
If you have a desire to live in a small town yet still want to be near LA, you couldnt make a better choice then Covina, CA
Ever feel like life is nothing but one long comic strip? Well, for Harold Teen and the people in Covina, it’s somewhat true. Harold Teen was the early 20th century version of Bart Simpson, and for him Covina was the place to get a Gedunk sundae and "the biggest soda in town."
If you have a desire to live in a small town yet still want to be near LA, you couldnt make a better choice then Covina, CA. Situated just 22 miles outside of Los Angeles, Covina markets itself as "One Mile Square and All There." Nobody really knows what that means but the city has been saying it since 1922, so it must mean something. Hopefully, it means there is a home for you somewhere within that square mile you just have to find it.
If you want small town life complete with quaint coffee shops and gas lamps, but still want to be close to the action in the big city, then Covina is a good choice if you can afford it. Covina has some of the highest housing costs in the nation, but it isnt lacking in charm. On the bright side, you get sunny weather and are close enough to LA to commute, although you are looking at considerable travel time given the transportation challenges in California. It will only take you a few minutes to enter that freeway soup, however.
One thing you will notice right away when looking for places to rent in Covina is the atmosphere. The downtown area is full of history and elegance complete with locally owned stores, a town square clock and a famous malt shop. You can take in a show at the Covina Valley Playhouse or listen to music at Frets. Covina offers culture, fine dining and a welcoming community, as long as you are willing to pay for it.
The downside of moving to smaller towns in California, beyond just the rental expense, is availability. Only 4.75 percent of the area includes small apartment buildings. You have a better shot with large commercial complexes, high-rises or freestanding houses. The higher the price tag, the more complicated the process. This means you are going to want to jump on the rental apartments in the Covina bandwagon early. With a large expense on the table, you will want to take your time and find the perfect apartment.
Credit is going to be an issue at this price. Come prepared with all the documents necessary to get the background check going when you find a place. You will need to show verifiable income that is in line with the high rents. Expect to put down a substantial security deposit, as well.
It would be challenging to find anything but luxury apartments in Covina. There are amenities galore everywhere you look. Most homes will be within walking distance of restaurants, entertainment and transit, as well. They really mean it when they say "One Mile Square and All There."
For a town that brags it is one mile square, it has a wide variety of neighborhoods. The price structure is relatively uniform. The neighborhoods are not well defined and lack the proper quaint nicknames. Most of the neighborhood names reflect on streets in the vicinity. Covina breaks down to 15 neighborhoods within that one mile.
N. Irwindale Ave/E. Badillo St:At the far west corner of Covina, just before you enter into West Covina and Baldwin Park, is the neighborhood that ends at N. Citrus Ave. This urban area contains older homes and small to medium apartments. Rent prices run high.
E. Cypress St/N. Lark Ellen Ave: Adjacent to N. Irwindale is a small neighborhood that extends from N. Vincent Ave. to N. Lark Ellen Ave. Here, the rents are a little lower. The area offers single-family homes and apartment complexes.
N. Azusa Ave/W. San Bernardino Rd: Moving on to places for rent in Covina closer to downtown, you find the neighborhood that extends from N. Lark Ellen Ave. to N. Azusa Ave. This area offers a mix of rental homes and residences.
E. Cypress St/N. Elspeth Way:Dont let the name fool you; this neighborhood begins at N. Azusa Ave. and pushes through to N. Citrus Ave. The area offers mostly homes and townhouses.
City Center: The City Center covers N. Hollenbeck Ave. to N. Barranca Ave. and contains everything from small studios to medium-sized rental houses.
S. Citrus Ave/E. Puente St:Going from S. Hollenbeck Ave. to S. Barranca Ave., the S. Citrus neighborhood keeps in line with the City Center topography and rents.
E. Covina Blvd/N. Glendora Ave: This region begins at N. Citrus Ave. and ends at N. Glendora Ave., moving it up and to the east of S. Citrus.
E. Puente St/N. Grand Ave: Moving south of E. Covina Blvd, you find prices going up slightly for studio to two bedroom apartments.
Via Verde/E. Covina Hills Rd: This is the biggest chunk of neighborhood real estate in Covina and the most exclusive. Rentals are primarily large homes and high-rise apartments.
E. Cypress St/N. Reeder Ave: Sitting on top of Via Verde is another E. Cypress neighborhood, which despite the name actually extends from N. Glendale Ave. east to N. Reeder. Rents take a jump up as you enter this area.
E. Cypress St/E. Badillo St: The founders of Covina loved this never-ending E. Cypress St. and paid homage to it often when establishing neighborhoods. This particular E. Cypress offshoot extends from Bonnie Cove Ave. to the end of town and is the most expensive rental district.
As if the swatches of oddly named neighborhoods going from east to west werent enough, there are also sections that extend along the northern edge of the city. Housing prices drop back down to a more reasonable figure--or at least, it's reasonable by Covina standards.
So, what can you expect after you find your rental apartment in Covina? Well, assuming you don’t overshoot your budget with the high cost of living, the town has a lot to offer. For one thing, it has the largest movie multiplex in Los Angles County. For another, there is a replica of the giant Olmec head given to Covina by Mexico. That’s not something you see every day.
Covina offers everything you would expect from a small, mid-priced California town just the right mix of amenities and history. Just south of the city line is the Christopher Columbus Transcontinental Hwy that takes you into LA, perfect for those who carpool into the city. When working in Covina, you can park the car and hop on a bike to get around.
There is a Metrolink station at 600 N. Citrus Ave. that travels on the San Bernardino line, providing direct access to downtown Los Angeles, as well as many surrounding communities. The city provides a bus service for those looking for mass transit options in town.
Lets face it; California is very expensive. From travel costs to housing, you pay no matter where you plant roots. Covina is a midsized community, population just over 48,000, with culture, variety and an eclectic style. It makes for a nice place to live if you want something out of the rat race and a really big soda. Given the fact that they only had one square mile to work with, the people of Covina did pretty well.
