A suburban city with a vibrant culture in the San Gabriel Valley
Generally known as a Los Angeles bedroom community, La Puente has a strong cultural identity in the San Gabriel Valley. The city hosts festive events like Día de los Muertos and offers an array of Mexican eateries and markets. Founded in 1841, the city was known for its ranching and walnut groves but became a built-up suburb in the 1950s. Residents have a lot to look forward to as it continues to develop: “It’s definitely an up-and-coming area,” says Realtor Narciso Cuevas, who has almost 10 years of experience in the area and works with Century 21 Citrus Realty. “There are a lot of new projects, such as beautification efforts. It’s also centrally located – about 20 minutes to downtown LA.” Smack-dab between the City of Angels and Anaheim, the population of approximately 40,000 can commute to nearby big cities.
Alma Delia's Restaurant in Old Town La Puente is a cozy Mexican eatery.
Newer developments are being built in La Puente, including condos and mulit-family units.
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Midcentury housing and more in La Puente
Dividing the city in half, North Hacienda Boulevard brims with retail centers and features the city’s largest park. Otherwise, the community is mostly residential, with many single-family houses. Widely developed through the 1950s and 1960s, La Puente is composed of loose blocks and cul-de-sacs of midcentury housing, predominantly ranch-style homes. Prospective buyers can also find manufactured homes in the Sunset Gardens West Mobile community, located in the western half of the city. Condos are spread throughout La Puente. Homes in the area stay on the market for 30 days, in contrast to the national average of 41 days, at a median sales price of $725,000 over 2024. “It's affordable. La Puente has a lot of demand because it’s not as pricey as West Covina or Temple City but still offers comfortable living and is close to everything,” says Realtor Enrique Vasquez-Plaza, who works with Century 21 Masters and has about two decades of experience in the area. For example, the median sales price in nearby West Covina is $840,000, and the median sales price in Temple City is $1.1 million.
Many La Puente homes are mid century ranches that have been modernized.
Condos can be found in La Puente, including some in gated communities.
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Hacienda Boulevard and strip mall retail
North Hacienda Boulevard is the commercial hub of La Puente. Residents can find local restaurants with a diverse range of cuisines, from Hispanic to Asian food. The thoroughfare also has a couple of strip malls, including Hacienda Plaza and South Hills Square. These offer grocery stores, big box stores and fast-food chains. In the northwestern corner of the city, the Sunkist Center is another strip mall with similar offerings. Old Town Puente is the city’s Main Street-style business district, located on the city's south side. It has a few walkable blocks of low-rise buildings, home to specialty shops and a handful of local restaurants.
The Northgate Market in Hacienda Plaza is a bright and spacious supermarket in La Puente.
Old Town La Puente has shops with traditional Main Street charm.
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La Puente’s seasonal family-friendly events
Neighbors come together at La Puente community events throughout the year. At the Spring Egg Hunt, residents can enjoy family-friendly activities, booths and performances in La Puente Park. The Fortunato Jimenez Firework Show in July is an annual staple of the community’s Independence Day celebration. At the Día de los Muertos celebration in October, residents can expect costumes and ofrendas as well as a car show. December’s Holiday Parade and Tree Lighting features a visit from Santa Claus. Every Friday, La Puente Live kicks off the weekend with vendors and live music.
Meet with friends every Friday at the La Puente Live Farmers Market.
Trunk or Treat is a Halloween tradition in La Puente.
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La Puente Park and more recreation
The city has two municipal parks, the largest and most popular being La Puente City Park, with 22 acres of renovated space centrally located in the community. The park offers playground equipment, a walking path and much more. “They’ve got new athletic fields and a skating ramp, and now they have concerts in the park to try and get the community involved,” Cuevas says. Puente Creek Nature Educational Center, located on the west side of town, has a kids' rock climbing area and a dog park. Less than a mile from the city, Allen J. Martin Park’s facilities include a splash pad, a shaded playground and a ballfield.
La Puente City Park has large playground area that the kids love.
Allen J Martin Park is a great place to play and practice your hoops game.
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Public school districts in La Puente
Students in the area are served by three school districts: Hacienda la Puente Unified School District, Bassett Unified School District and Rowland Unified School District. The school district that students are assigned to depends on where they live within the community. Most students go to Hacienda la Puente Unified School District, which earns an A-minus grade according to Niche. The district has an A rating in college prep and an A-minus in academics. It serves approximately 16,000 students with a student-teacher ratio of 22-to-1. Rowland Unified School District also earns an A-minus, while Bassett Unified School District has a B-minus rating. Nearby higher education options include Whittier College and Rio Hondo College.
Hacienda La Puente Unified School District is a highly rated school system.
La Puente High School was established in 1915.
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The crime rates and environment in La Puente
According to data from the FBI, the violent crime rate in La Puente was low in 2023, compared to the state of California and the United States. The city’s property crime rate was also lower than California's and the national rate.
The area has a warm climate with hot summers and cooler winters. Environmental factors include major heat risk due to high temperatures in the summer. It also has severe air quality risk due to nearby highways and manufacturing areas in the City of Industry. The city released its first draft of the Environmental Justice Element in 2024 to reduce the area’s environmental pollution and health hazards.
Commuting to downtown Los Angeles and more travel
Most residents of La Puente commute to larger cities in Greater Los Angeles. Via Interstate 10, downtown LA is about 20 miles away. Anaheim is also about 20 miles away via state Route 57. The city’s public transportation includes the Foothill Transit bus system. For a nearby medical center, residents can go to the Central City Community Health Center, about 5 miles north of La Puente. The closest major airport, the Ontario International Airport, is about 25 miles from the city.
The first thing people notice about Joanne is her warm, friendly smile, but what impresses them is her intellect and composure. Her unshakeable calm comes from the confidence of knowing that she can handle the most challenging transactions, even in the most stressful of situations.
Joanne was born in Los Angeles and was raised in the Southbay/Los Angeles County area. Before beginning her real estate career in 2002, she was a business owner. Today the skills and business acumen she acquired as a successful businesswoman, translate into peace of mind for her clients. Joanne helps her clients through challenging and emotional transactions, such as probate sale, or a senior needing to downsize or relocate and leave a much beloved, long-time family home.
It’s hard to say what Joanne’s greatest business attributes are as her clients laud her for her many; listening, mediating, negotiation, and marketing skills. Her ethos is simple: listen to the needs of her client, whether a buyer or seller, know the Los Angeles market better than anyone, and guide everyone through the real estate process to attain the most favorable outcome with the least amount of anxiety.
To provide her clients with knowledgeable service, Joanne has amassed an impressive portfolio of professional designations: GRI, (Graduate REALTOR Institute), SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist), SFR (Short Sale & Foreclosure Resource) to name a few, and she is a certified Mediation expert from Pepperdine University/Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution. Joanne’s clients are incredibly loyal to her because they trust her to do whatever it takes to make their real estate transaction close – no matter how complicated the situation. Her easy-going personality is evident but make no mistake; she’s a fierce advocate for her clients treating them with empathy and compassion, but always with a focus on the issue at hand. She won’t give up on a problem until she has explored every possible answer, and found the best solution.
Joanne gets her strength from her Faith. And, although her parents are no longer with her today, she credits them with instilling in her a servants’ heart and the confidence and independence to embrace what gives her joy. Seeing the smile on her client's faces at the close of a successful transaction gives her joy, and it’s authentic – she truly loves her real estate career and being able to help people experience the joy of homeownership.
Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
