What are the best places to live in Los Angeles for families?

Glendale and Burbank are great choices.

If you're looking for excellent schools and want to live on the south side of Los Angeles near the ocean, Palos Verdes and Manhattan Beach have the highest school scores in the area. They are also the most pricey areas to live. Single famly homes in Palos Verdes start around $800000 and are a bit higher in Manhattan Beach. The two communities are very different from each other. Manhattan is a "hip" community with tight streets and upscale stores. It's popular with people who have to commute because it is one of the closest beach towns to the freeways. Palos Verdes is a bedroom community that is really off the beaten path. There is no industry there. The streets are quiet at night and there isn't much to do in the evening unless you want to hang out at the new 5 star resort called Terranea. But, it's a beautiful, wooded area with hilly streets and amazing views of the ocean wherever you go. It has miles and miles of walking and equestrian paths running throughout the Peninsula. The drawback is the commute to downtown Los Angeles. It takes 30 minutes under the best of circumstances and can be considerably more in bad traffic. (Which is ALWAYS during rush hour.)