A suburban LA city with a location ideal for commuters
Norwalk exemplifies the Los Angeles suburb. In fact, it's a frequent filming location for productions looking for that classic feel — it's been used in films like "The Karate Kid" and “Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood,” to name just a couple. Commuters with jobs throughout the region continue to settle down in the area, where Interstate 5 and many other freeways provide access to nearby jobs. “The community is a centrally located area, very convenient to LA and Orange County. It has a great school district and is near one of the best community colleges,” says Realtor Amaury Montalvo, who works with Century 21 Realty Masters and has over two decades of experience in the area. The dense suburban city also has plenty of midcentury homes and shopping centers that cater to approximately 100,000 residents.
Norwalk has that classic LA suburb feel which has made it a popular filming location.
Tree-lined streets canopy the affordable homes throughout the city of Norwalk.
Cozy parks and greenspaces are just around the corner in Norwalk.
Kids in Norwalk attend good schools along with fun events like the Halloween Parade.
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Norwalk is a fast market for ranch-style homes and more
Centered around a large mall, Norwalk is otherwise mostly residential. It’s composed of loose grid-style streets of midcentury ranch-style homes, although there are also Craftsman bungalows and townhouses available. “The one-way streets in the south have smaller lots than other parts of town, but it’s a great area for first-time buyers,” says Realtor Steve Marquez with First Team Real Estate, who has sold in the area since 1979. “Closer to Cerritos College, but homes are a little pricier because people want to live in the ABC School District. Prices are rising like everywhere else, but there are still affordable homes in this city.” Another popular neighborhood is Studebaker, a north side community known for its quiet atmosphere. Throughout the city, first-time homebuyers can get financial assistance through the CalHome Program Grant. Norwalk’s median sales price is $735,000, with homes on the market for an average of 27 days, lower than the national average of 44 days. “It's a fast market; every home sells within the first 30 days because it’s an affordable community,” Montalvo says. In comparison, the adjacent city of Downey’s median sales price is $860,000.
Ranch homes make up the majority of the residential landscape in Norwalk.
Norwalk homes are on the market for just 27 days, beating the national average by a lot.
Larger homes with big driveways exceed the $735,000 median market price in Norwalk.
Norwalk residents show their creativity with this western themed yard.
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Commutes throughout Greater LA via Interstate 5 and more highways
“Its central location attracts people who work in downtown LA or Riverside,” says Marquez. “You can catch all the freeways since they’re right in town, and you’re at work in no time.” Via the 5, downtown Los Angeles is about 15 miles away. State Route 91 goes to Anaheim, only 10 miles away. It also takes commuters to Riverside in about 45 miles. The public transportation options include the Metro bus system and a train station for the Metro C Line. Long Beach Airport is about 10 miles away, while the Los Angeles International Airport is about 20 miles from Norwalk.
Norwalk-La Mirada Unified, ABC Unified and more education options
The city is primarily served by the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District, which has a B rating on Niche. It earns an A in college prep and a B-plus in academics. With approximately 15,000 students, the district’s student-teacher ratio is 23-to-1. In southern Norwalk, students are served by the ABC Unified School District, which has an A-plus rating. On the city’s north side, the Little Lake City Elementary School District has a B. Cerritos College, located in southern Norwalk, offers about 90 degree and certificate programs.
Cerritos's Carmenita Middle School is a Golden Bell winning California Distinguished School.
Loretta Lampton Elementary School is part of the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District.
Arturo Sanchez Elementary School serves Norwalk students grades k-5.
Gahr High School belongs to the ABC Unified School District.
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Norwalk Town Square and more nearby retail
In the heart of town, Norwalk Town Square is the main shopping hub, with an array of retail in a Mediterranean-style open-air mall. “It's very popular within the community. There are good restaurants in the downtown area,” Montalvo says. Residents can find fast food, sit-down dining, grocery shopping and more at this packed commercial space. The mall’s midcentury neon sign is an iconic landmark in the community. For more retail, Rosecrans Avenue and Pioneer Boulevard are both main thoroughfares with strip malls along them. Imperial Highway is a mile north for more chains and a few department stores, especially in the open-air mall Paddison Square. About 4 miles south, Los Cerritos Center provides the indoor mall experience, featuring over 180 stores that sell everything from furniture to name-brand clothing.
Norwalk residents enjoy discount stores in addition to big box names.
Authentic Argentinian empanadas can be found at Un Rinconcito Argentino in Norwalk.
The Norwalk In-N-Out location has been serving burgers shakes and fries since 1974.
Smiles are free at the Norwalk Farmers Market.
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Norwalk attractions and events, including Golf N' Stuff and the Holiday Carnival
One of Norwalk’s biggest attractions is Golf N' Stuff, which was a film set for the classic film “The Karate Kid.” A popular spot for parties, the amusement park has an arcade, bumper boats and go karts. To learn about the city’s history, the Gilbert Sproul and D.D. Johnston-Hargitt House museums display heirlooms in the preserved homes of former residents. Thrill seekers can easily get to local theme parks, including Knott’s Berry Farm and Disneyland, both about 10 miles away.
On historic Front Street, locals can enjoy live music, dancing and food vendors at Front Street Friday Nights. The event kicks off every third Friday of the month during the summer. At the Holiday Carnival there’s sledding on artificial snow and meet-and-greets with Mr. and Mrs. Claus, who arrive by helicopter at Norwalk Town Square. January brings the Las Posadas celebration, which features cultural dances and traditional Mexican food on the Civic Center lawn.
Over 70 horses have been known to grace Norwalk's parade routes.
Marching bands perform at Norwalk's annual Arturo Sanchez Parade.
The D.D. Johnston-Hargitt House museum displays artifacts in a preserved Victorian home.
Norwalk's popular Golf N' Stuff was the filming location for the 1984 film the Karate Kid.
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Vista Verde Park, Lakeside Park and Norwalk Park
With about a dozen parks, Norwalk offers a variety of accessible recreation throughout the city. Vista Verde Park, in the northern half of the city, has a playground, basketball courts and handball courts. Also on the north side, Lakeside Park features ballfields and paved walking paths. Norwalk Park has nine acres of activities in the middle of the city. It’s best known for the Aquatics Pavilion — a public pool, where visitors can take swimming and water aerobics classes. This park also has a skatepark and picnic areas. Next door, there’s the Norwalk Arts & Sports Complex, which has boxing and pickleball leagues, plus the Cultural Arts Center and the Mary Paxon Art Gallery. These host workshops and display work by local artists. For more outdoor recreation, Seal Beach is about 15 miles south of the city, while the popular hiking spot Turnbull Canyon is about 10 miles away.
Norwalk's Vista Verde Park offers everything from basketball to afterschool programs.
Amelia Mayberry Skatepark has diverse obstacles spread over a wide-open space in Norwalk.
Holifield Park playground is a Norwalk play date favorite.
The community garden in Frontier Park lets Norwalk residents grow food for the community.
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Norwalk's crime rates and environmental factors
According to statistics from the FBI, the violent crime rate in Norwalk is low compared to the state and national rates. Meanwhile, the property crime rate is low compared to the state rate, but higher than the national rate.
Norwalk’s weather consists of two main seasons: a warm season and a cool winter season, which is mild overall. The city has major heat and air quality risks — pollution can reach above 50 AQI, which the EPA says can be harmful to sensitive groups.
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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.
