"And I've been drivin' down that road, Back towards Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar, Diamond Bar..." (- Stan Ridgway, Back Towards Diamond Bar)
The city of Diamond Bar is located in eastern Los Angeles County. The population is 55,544 and growing as Los Angeles County continues to spread. This close knit community takes great pride in the city, homes, careers and quality of life in the Southern California region. There is a featured home decorating contest for the holidays that many of the residents take part in each year. The winner always has the best lawn displays and the most energy-efficient decorations... Clark Griswolds of the city need not enter! If you have the means to move here, you will not be disappointed by anything more than the long commute if you work in the Greater Los Angeles Metro area. Oh yeah, and you might not enjoy the relatively high taxes, but it's not bad of a trade-off for living in a city as beautiful as this one!
Moving to Diamond Bar
A few things to mention before you just let yourself loose on the city... prepare for your search! Do not just hop in a car and go out blindly searching for rental signs in yards. That might work in Los Angeles, but you will be driving yourself batty and accomplishing next to nothing in a city like Diamond Bar.
Instead, find a local agent who knows the neighborhoods like the back of their hand. The vacancy rates are quite low in this city, so it's best to have any inside information you can get your hands on. Make a list of what you want in your home. The number of bedrooms and bathrooms is important, and so are the details, like washer and dryer connections, gas vs. electric and so forth.
Prepare your list of references, both professional and from prior rental history. And have your credit report ready, or be prepared to pay for the application fee most prefer to use. Security deposits, such as first and last month's rent, and pet deposits are the norm here. The name of the game in Diamond Bar is being ready for that perfect place when it becomes available, so have patience and trust your agent to find you exactly what you are looking for!
The Neighborhoods of Diamond Bar
You should choose where you want to live based on the surroundings of each area, the price of the rental homes, and the home types. Take a look at a sampling of the many neighborhoods that make up Diamond Bar.
Ridge Line Dr and Derringer Ln:This lush suburban neighborhood is located in the Valle Lindo area of Diamond Bar. This is an affluent area with high rent and a very low vacancy rate. Populated with massive houses, this area caters to residents who enjoy seclusion, comfort, and peace and quiet. $$$$
Pathfinder Rd and Brea Canyon Cut Off Rd:Nestled between the Orange and Pomona freeways, this extremely pricey urban area is a very popular place to live, if you can afford it! Ronald Reagan Park and Starshine Park offer beautiful areas to walk your dogs (as long as you clean up after them), ride your bike or to just enjoy being outdoors. The cost to live here is high, but well worth it for the close proximity to shops and businesses while still feeling somewhat remote. $$$$$
Saint Ives Ct and Longview Dr:With Summit Ridge Park at its south end and Pantera Park at its northeast end, this urban area is quite expensive to live in. It's a beautiful, well-manicured community with mostly medium to large single-family homes, a few high rise apartments and some row houses as well. Many families with children favor this area, as do college students and seniors. $$$$
S Brea Canyon Rd and S Diamond Bar Blvd:This is an extremely posh area of Diamond Bar. The rent here is quite high, but people are very willing to pay for its location in Brea Canyon! There are plenty of chic shops to choose from at the nearby Country Hills Town Center shopping center for whenever the shopping bug captures you. If you enjoy the outdoors, there is Brea Canyon to hike through or take a scenic bike ride if the mood strikes. For those who aren't that adventurous, the neighborhood's Heritage Park might be closer to the right pace. This is a very walkable area with excellent schools in an urban setting. $$$$$
S Diamond Bar Blvd and Grand Ave:This is located in the heart of Diamond Bar, with Diamond Bar City Hall at its center. It's is a densely urban area with mostly single-family homes of average size, a few row houses and some apartment complexes. This stylish, contemporary area of Diamond Bar is inhabited by a healthy mix of young and middle-aged professionals and executives. The vacancy rate is about 5%, which is a good thing if you're looking to rent or possibly rent to own here. $$$$
Pathfinder Rd and E Canyon Ridge Ln:This small, urban community is fairly high priced. Most of the rather well-manicured homes here were built between 1970-1999, with a few that were built afterward. The area is obviously well tended and somewhat secluded. The average commute time for residents of this affluent area is about 45 minutes to 1 hour each way. $$$$
Chino Hills Pkwy and Chino Ave:The average rent in this suburban area is slightly less than most other areas of town, but only by a small margin. This neighborhood is literally surrounded by parks, which makes it a wonderful place to live if you are raising a family or just enjoy being outside. The commute is generally a short 15-30 minutes each day, and the schools are excellent. This is a diverse, well-educated group of neighbors living in the northwestern corner of Diamond Bar. Notice the theme within this city yet? $$$$
Golden Springs Dr and Adel Ave:Just west of the city center sits this beautiful urban community. Rental prices are pretty much in keeping with the rest of the city, which is to say, not cheap! The area is very walkable and filled with executives, managers, sales professionals and those within service industries. The commute is short because of the location, practically in the middle of town, and most choose to either drive themselves or carpool with coworkers. The vacancy rate is at zero percent, so unless you have an insider helping you look, renting in this area is next to impossible!$$$$
Golden Springs Dr and S Diamond Bar Ave:With Sycamore Canyon Park at its center, this upscale urban community is an amazing place to settle in. The vacancy rate is around 5%, so you might have more of a chance of finding a rental here as opposed to other neighborhoods in Diamond Bar. Filled with mostly smaller dwellings, the rent is slightly more affordable. The daily commute can be close to an hour, but the reduced rental prices make it worth the difference! $$$
Golden Springs Dr and Brea Canyon Rd:On the northwestern edge of Diamond Bar, this urban area is a mixture of large single-family homes and mobile homes. The vacancy rate is low and the commute is relatively short to and from work, depending on where your job is located. The residents range from old or middle aged to college students... people from a variety of backgrounds, all living and working in beautiful harmony together make this a feel-good and vibrant area! $$$$
Life in Diamond Bar
Both Amtrak and the Metrolink rail system serve the city, making up the bulk of the public transit offerings here. However, many more people simply carpool or take their own car to work than use the city's transportation options. Plus, the commute here is about 38 minutes on average, so having a car in this city is pretty important.
There is not much to do in Diamond Bar itself, unless you like shopping, golfing, or decorating your home for the holidays. But all the tourist attractions and beaches of Los Angeles are just a freeway trip away to the west, while Disneyland is about a half hour south of this city. That should make Diamond Bar appealing no matter how old you are or what kinds of hobbies you have, so be sure to check out the rentals here on your next day off.
