Los Angeles is one of those places. It’s just one of those places. I mean, beyond its warm beaches, it offers fantastic ways for people to blow their salaries on the more pleasurable things in life, like 5-star dishes, music and cocktails. And though many cities have similar amenities, few do them quite like LA. Certainly, at the very least, few have its sunny weather and laid-back vibe.
Yes, moving to LA is a bomb idea. Bomb like good. However, it can also be a really bomb idea, bomb like bummer, if you pick the wrong neighborhood. In a city where driving 10 miles can mean 45 minutes of traffic, it’s important to live in the right spot.
Here are six of the best neighborhoods in LA:
Beverly Hills
Beverly Hills is known for being the home of the rich and ritzy, the celebrities of the celebrities. It’s beautiful, of course. It has great schools, and the police keep it safe, too. But all of this comes at a price. It’s one of the most expensive areas in the city in the country.
Downtown
Downtown LA is a downtown. It has big buildings in close quarters, and it’s very walkable for those who live in its concrete bowels. The food around here is amazing – we’re talking burritos of absolutely epic class. The art scene is good, too, supported by a monthly art walk. And rents are affordable considering the offerings. Of course, it’s downtown. Expect some grime, crime and crazy shouting from street corners.
Hollywood
While Beverly Hills might be the home of the rich and famous, Hollywood is the place where they rub elbows with the masses. It is the epicenter of the world’s entertainment world, and it has the glamorous dining and clubbing scenes necessary for all those involved. It also is somewhat affordable and has unique housing that dates back decades. That being said, it also attracts the unseemly side of the city, and traffic. The traffic, oh dear…
Santa Monica
Santa Monica is sleepier in LA terms. It runs up into the coast, and it has its own beach, which is very popular and attracts traffic like garbage does flies. But there’s nothing garbage-like about Santa Monica. It’s very pretty and has a lot to offer by way for food and nightlife. It’s location is prime, and though prices rise steeply near the beach, inland is more affordable.
Silver Lake and Echo Park
If you’re young and a bit of an oddball, this is the place for you. Located near downtown, these neighborhoods are all grit, art and cheap rent. And bars. They are the havens for the hipsters, the locations for the young adults who judge their dive bars by the sleeves their jukeboxes have to offer. Food is good. Beer is better. Walkability is inconvenient. Crime is ever present.
Venice
Venice has charm. It was designed that way – to have charm. It rolls up to Venice Beach, which has plenty of weird things to look at along its main drag, and before the beach, Venice offers a, well, very Venetian maze of canals that residents can boat slowly through. Housing is more affordable here and a bit more suburban. It’s also tightly knit, both in terms of community and space. Though charming, Venice has never been able to completely charm away the crime that took hold in the 1970’s, when it was a mecca for affordable housing. Still, it’s not a cesspool by any means, and it has, well, like I said, it has a lot of charm.
Learn more about LA, including the pros and cons of Los Angeles.
