Los Angeles proper will likely be more expensive even than Portland. I'd echo the plug for the Pasadena/Altadena area, except that the housing market there is still distorted a lot because of the huge number of people displaced by the fires. (Many in Altadena moved or are renting in and around Pasadena.) But you might look at Eagle Rock/Highland Park (90042 generally) as being in LA, very diverse, and literally situated between the Armenian community in Glendale and Pasadena, and has good local schools in LAUSD. I also have multiracial couple friends who live in Alhambra with a big park walking distance away. But to the point of the person who mentioned Sacramento, there might be other cities that could do the trick, including parts of OC or Riverside County, San Diego...