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September 16, 2007
On Moving To The Valley
So I'm sort of a musician and a writer, albeit aspiring, who after feeling like a misfit among yuppies that I continually ran into in the South Bay where I grew up, was thrilled to finally make the move into L.A. a couple years ago, specifically Koreatown and then Los Feliz. Finally, I was free to wear whatever the hell I wanted to wear, and not get hostile looks from people (I once wore an American Idiot shirt in Manhattan Beach, frankly just because I needed to do laundry, and received glares from every soccer mom I passed. ...Because Green Day are sooo controversial). Finally, I was not the only person alive who had heard of The Kinks. Finally, there were other options for live shows than hardcore punk and reggae. (I'm not dissing either; it was just limiting.)
But my corner of K-Town crushed my spirit with its traffic, honking and lack of parking, not to mention the ridiculously crappy plumbing in my building, and the neighbors who screamed at each other. Los Feliz was first a happy relief, with its many nice trees and loads of bars, shops, and restaurants in walking distance, before once again problems with my building have started tormenting me (the bathtub tap leaks a whole lot of water, the outlets cut in and out), and I miss on-site laundry rooms and a parking spot reserved just for me. I've started to be jealous of the easy-access parking lots in front of the Targets and Ralphs of places like Glendale and Studio City, as opposed to L.A. proper's massive parking structures. (I once made a wrong turn in The Grove parking structure, found myself outside again, gave up and went home.)
Those newer, "character"-less apartments with their functioning A/Cs and heaters aren't looking so bad these days either.
A friend of mine and I are now looking for an apartment to share, and she wants to live in Studio City. At first I was against it, even though I like the place. It was just that I'd finally gotten a cute apartment in an artsy area like Los Feliz and now I had to give up and move to the valley? It just felt like quitting. But the truth is a) S.C. is just a straight shot up the 5 from everything I like about Los Feliz, and b) It's less crowded there and they don't lose power during heatwaves. They don't appear to rent buildings there with no laundry rooms. In fact some of them have laundry machines inside the units! Christ Almighty.
Another truth is, my stint in the midst of other artistic types has shown to have its own burdens to bear. As a group, we are admittedly pretty moody, selfish and pessimistic, and we take ourselves way too seriously. (God knows I have just linked twice to my own posts.) So maybe we shouldn't always run in packs. It's obviously a lot healthier to mix it up a little, and not be one-sided either way. ...I have certainly grown tired of hearing people refuse to go to the "west side".
And besides, I know, I know, there are eclectic and interesting folks in the Valley too, so don't get all riled up. Through my one friend who already lives there, I have met a radio dj, an HBO employee, three audio techs, and one snobby but talented indie rocker. So while it does have massive shopping, and it doesn't have the allure of thrift shops and tiny venues, maybe it's not quite soccer mom territory. Which is really all I can ask. I could torture myself with the epic question, "Can I not be bohemian and comfortable??" But ultimately, you can manage both in Los Angeles. Which is one reason why I love this city.
Photo by Kanaka Pacifica via Flickr
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move to the valley!!!
it is awesome because: less traffic, more parking, access to red & orange lines, easy to get over the hill in the morning (I swear!!!), good restaurants, better apartments!! I have a great 2bd2ba with a balcony & a/c that we're paying $1400 for -- which leaves more cash for grass!! or, uh, whatever your vices are.
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East Sherman Oaks is the best part of the East South Valley Rim, but I am very biased on that 'cause that's where I live. Choice two in my book would be NoHo Arts District. Studio City is very progressive in community, but Sherman Oaks has that too and is a little more funkier.
But don't be fooled into thinking parking is not like it is in K-Town. Some apartment clustered neighborhoods have the same egg hunt. When a friend visits me in a car after 7 p.m., they could easily be parking an 8-minute walk away. And in some areas, parking is plentiful. Check the Parking Restrictions in the area to make sure you are not landlocked by single family homes not wanting apartment dwellers parking on their street.
If you can swing something very near the Red Line in NoHo or Universal City/Toluca Lake, Los Feliz Village is a hop and a skip from the Vermont/Sunset stop. Why would anyone drive to Los Feliz Village when it's a 5-minute walk fromt he subway?
And welcome to the Valley!
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I moved here months ago and haven't regretted it a bit. The eating options can be a tad depressing, but that's just a great excuse to hop over the hill.
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Ben!!! The eating options are great!! Come on, let's compare notes. Email me or Zachatista if you need suggestions.
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Yeah, eating options are plenty good and nothing to complain about. What part of the Valley are you in?
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NoHo. I should've specified, b/c there is plenty to eat in Burbank, SC, and Sherman Oaks...
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I think there is another valley that is overlooked and that is the SGV. I just recently moved from Los Feliz (a lot of us are getting out) to Pasadena and couldn't be happier. The food is way better and I am closer to downtown plus there is a lot of little towns to explore. It is a city with character and I am paying 5 dollars more for a one bedroom than I was for a studio in Los Feliz. I can walk everywhere, my new address has a walkscore of 92 out 100. Beat that!
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I have lived in the Los Angeles area for most of my 35 years on earth (except for college in San Diego). I did a brief stint in the Brentwood ghetto (90049 apartment-ville aka traffic hell), but eventually returned back over the hill. Sooner or later, unless you are really, really rich, just about everyone who makes their life here ends up in the Valley - especially when family comes into the picture.
The quality of life is just better. If you work around here too, then you're totally styling with a breezy commute. It's got much of the glamour of LA in easy reach, without the pretense that infects more prestigious hoods.
I currently reside in Studio City, and have also lived in Glendale, Burbank, and Sherman Oaks. Glendale and Burbank are cheaper, cleaner, and have virtually no crime, but it's much less sophisticated than east Valley burgs. Anyone who is really from LA (I've lived here since I was 2) knows this is where real, genuine Angelenos live - not the posers who just moved here to "make it" in the entertainment business. Most of my neighborhood is populated by successful behind the scenes people, as well as a few more famous types.
The Valley is full of hidden gems - parts of Toluca Lake rival Bel Air (and it's absolutely poluted with celebs), and the Rancho equestrian area of Burbank and Glendale is amazingly cool - a bit of country in the city. Studio City, Sherman Oaks, and Encino are all very nice places to live, full of lots of beautiful women who generally don't sport visible tattoos and facial piercings.
But what about the heat, and the smog? August and September can be brutal, yes - that is what air conditioning is for. But when it's February, and it's 80 degrees and sunny in Studio City, while it's 60 and foggy on the West Side, we're styling.
But I welcome all Valley bashers to pipe in. Don't move here, please, I beg you. I plan to move back to Glendale or Burbank eventually though, I'm sick of the homeless, car break-ins, and the non-existent police presence in my million dollar neighborhood. I respect the LAPD greatly, there just aren't enough of you guys.
Some of the Valley is pretty bleak though, I'll admit that. I don't live in that part. The areas in and around the hills are as nice as anything "over the hill."
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GUEST #8 WHO ARE YOU??? I heart you.
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Great points #8 and so true about the winter time. And yes, there are many crummy parts of the Valley, products of icky planning days.
Osterizer, Pah-Sah-Deh-Nah is great too. It reminds me of Evanston, IL, where I was born.
Ben Bang, I'm not sure which part of NoHo you are in, but if it is NoHo Arts District, I know what you mean. It's going to be a kick ass neighborhood when all that is on its way gets there, but it is still a 'hood in transition. I am curious how the Bank Heist at Weddington/Lankershim will turn out if it ever opens.
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Yeah, arts district... you're right about all the development... it's what put me over the edge in deciding to move here, combined w/ the red line access. Guess I'm just impatient.
I just glanced over at the Bank Heist on the way to that new How's and noted no new signs of progress. The How's was a lifesaver. Stay away from the Ralph's at Magnolia & Vineland at all costs!
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Apart from that bit about being sick of the break-ins by #8 in Studio City (say what??), that was all extremely comforting. And I feel welcomed! :)
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A+ #8.
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I just moved back to NoHo after 4 years in Hollywood and I'm happy to be back home. Plenty of parking, less traffic, a new dog park, HOWs!!!, etc. I am loving it. Totally worth that extra 15 minutes commute to work to live in a nicer bigger apartment.
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I was born and raised in Sherman Oaks, and after 22 years, I am a recent transplant to the westside. I gotta say, I am really sick of the valley bashing that goes on. Why the hell do I have to defend myself? Some of the reactions I get resemble those you'd get if you said you lived in Baghdad or something.
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Baghdad is to Valley as Seacrest is to hip.
A baloo is a bear.
I think LA residents in general are uncomfortable with the fact that nearly every 'hood/region/valley/basin rules in its own way. Its like that coolest-girlfriend-ever and you're waiting for the bottom to drop out.
I've only been in LA two years. And I don't feel like I have to defend shit, although I do feel a little bad when the peeps back East are silly enough to ask about the weather.
Sunny and 75 never gets old. Neither does Beverly Glen up to the Valley. Or the mountains at dusk driving East from Century City.
Personally, I've been hooked on dem hills/valleys in Echo Park, east of Silver Lake and West of Dodger Stadium. My bohemian lifestyle occasionally includes trips to the wash n fold. I always sleep with the windows open.
People can make fun all they want. I say fuck it. Have them over for BBQ -- best defense. Go with Studio City if that's the place -- it's very hard to go wrong here, my experience, esp. if it feels right.
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Simone, car breaks-ins or BFMVs (Burglary from Motor Vehicle) as the LAPD refers to them (you'll also see BTMV, t is for theft) are the biggest problems for the areas of the South Valley and I suspect other parts of LA too.
And if that is the biggest problem, then that's not horrible. Rather have that then home burglary epidemics (which happens too).
Simply put, you can pretty much (99%) avoid yourself being a victim of a BFMV by never leaving anything visible in your car. Better yet, don't leave anything of value (even CDs) in your car. Subterranean parking lots seem to get hit a lot.
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don't do it!!! :)
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I live in Van Nuys. Does this make me square? I don't really care, because I have discovered peace. Previously I lived in Burbank for years, but I couldn't afford to buy a house there. Van Nuys is not the prettiest place, and yes, there could be better eating options, but it is quiet, I have wonderful neighbors, and it is surprisingly convenient as it is right near the 405. Every time I have to go to the Westside or to hipsterville aka the Eastside, I just cringe. There is no place to park and it's even filthier than the filthy parts of the Valley. But if you like living on top of many layers of other hipsters, that's cool with me, because I want the Valley to stay quiet and peaceful.