The homes in Bellflower
Bellflower was dairy country until it grew fast in the 1940s, and most of its housing dates from the 1940s through the 1960s. Detached single-story houses are the most common type, usually on a regular city lot. Apartments make up a large share of the rest, along with condos, townhomes and small buildings of two to four units.
The lot pattern is the thing to understand here. Early Bellflower was sold off in narrow, deep lots, and many of them now hold a front house with units behind, or a small apartment building. Ask Tony to pull the zoning and the permit history before you write an offer on anything with a second unit.
Neighborhoods and tracts
Bellflower does not have big named tracts the way newer cities do. Locals place a home by its cross streets and by which side of the 91 it sits on. Downtown runs along Bellflower Boulevard near the restored Pacific Electric depot. The north end reaches toward Downey and the 105. The south end borders Lakewood. Homes near the 91 or the old Pacific Electric right-of-way, where Metro plans a rail line, deserve a visit at a busy hour so you can hear the noise for yourself.
Schools
Bellflower Unified School District serves most of the city, along with parts of Lakewood and Cerritos. Its high schools are Bellflower High School and Somerset High School in Bellflower and Mayfair High School in Lakewood. Elementary schools in the district include Albert Baxter, Thomas Jefferson, Ramona, Washington and Frank E. Woodruff. St. John Bosco High School is a private school in Bellflower.
Not every Bellflower address is in Bellflower Unified. Downey Unified School District serves a portion of Bellflower, so two homes with the same city name on the mail can be assigned to different districts. Assignment goes by address, and boundaries can change. Look up the address with the district before you make an offer, and ask Tony to help you do it.
Parks, shopping and landmarks
Ruth R. Caruthers Park sits beside the San Gabriel River and has lighted ball fields and a skate park. John S. Simms Park and T. Mayne Thompson Park are the other two large city parks, and Thompson Park has the swimming pools. The Bellflower Bike Trail follows the old Pacific Electric line for about 2.7 miles and links to the San Gabriel River Trail at Caruthers Park.
Downtown Bellflower Boulevard has the Pacific Electric depot, restored to its 1927 look, along with small shops and restaurants. The Clifton M. Brakensiek Library is the public library in town, and Library Garden Park holds a Veterans Memorial. Hollywood Sports Park on Somerset Boulevard is a paintball and airsoft park.
Getting around
The 91 runs east and west through the south end of Bellflower. The 605 is just east of the city and the 105 is just north of it. Together they connect the city to Long Beach, Orange County and the rest of Los Angeles County. Long Beach Airport is the closest commercial airport.
No Metro rail station is open inside Bellflower today. The nearest open stations are on the Metro C Line along the 105: Lakewood Boulevard station in Downey and Norwalk station. The Southeast Gateway Line is planned, not built. Metro expects it to open around 2035, with a station on Bellflower Boulevard at the old depot site.
Buying in Bellflower
Decide early whether you want a single house or a property with more than one unit. Bellflower has plenty of both, and they are financed and insured differently. Tony is a REALTOR and a licensed mortgage loan originator (NMLS ID 2359276), so he can go through what you may be able to borrow before you start touring.
On older houses, look hard at the roof, plumbing, electrical panel and foundation, and at any garage conversion or added room. Ask Tony to check for permits. Condos and townhomes have HOA dues, so read the association documents during your contingency period. Tony works in Bellflower from his office at The Real Estate Solution in neighboring Cerritos.
Selling in Bellflower
Buyers looking in Bellflower often look in Lakewood, Downey and Norwalk too, so your price has to reflect what is selling now across those cities. Unpermitted additions and converted garages can come up with postwar houses, and they are easier to deal with before you list than in escrow. If you have more than one unit, have the leases and permits ready. Tony has held a California real estate license since 2007 and speaks fluently in English and Arabic.
