The 96 year-old town of Van Nuys is awash in history and witness to a vibrant international culture exemplified by its many ethnic eateries, shops and government offices. Considered by many to be the nerve center of the San Fernando Valley, Van Nuys, or, "the Nuys," is bordered by Sun Valley to its north, Valley Glen to the east, Sherman Oaks to the south, and Lake Balboa to the west.

Continue reading "Neighborhood Project: Van Nuys"

Virtually ignored in most travel guides, this 90-block garment district is arguably the most underrated destination neighborhood in Los Angeles. The Fashion District is dismissed by many as an "off the beaten path" kind of area, when in fact it should be among the top two or three places every visitor to the city should see. That's because LA has become the clothing manufacturing center of America, and the Fashion District is its pulsing heart. More than that, it presents a one-of-a-kind experience only possible in Los Angeles, a funky cross between New York’s Canal Street and a Middle-Eastern bazaar (but with Mexicans). You can buy almost anything here, from shoes to toys to a new pet, and there's no place on the West Coast where you can stretch a 10 dollar bill farther. From the charm of its sidewalk cafés to the persistence of its street hawkers, this is the most frenetic, exciting urban experience in LA. It is also one of downtown's fastest growing neighborhoods, as thousands of new residents will attest.

(Your primer on the fascinating Fashion District begins after the jump!)

Stores on Fairfax Avenue. Photo by Terry Stamatis.

The first time I saw it over a year ago, I thought it was fluke, a coincidence, a mis-hap. But no, it is true, on Saturday mornings in the Fairfax District, Orthodox Jewish families en route to synagogue share the sidewalks with Gay couples walking hand-in-hand on their way to brunch. There are no contemptuous faces or grunts. Instead, they pass each other on the street, sharing good-morning-to-you-too nods. Needless to say, Saturday morning is one of my favorite times to visit Fairfax, but no matter when I am there, I always feel as if I am in the belly of era-conscious beast, the chimeric love-child of elder generations and new bohemians who want to keep the former quondam au courant. The Fairfax district is an electric blend of echoed restraint, capricious indulgence, and post-modern pluralism.

There are three very distinct communities housed in the jumble of high-rise office towers, apartment buildings and houses that make up Koreatown. There is the Koreatown of middle-class and wealthy Korean families, who live, eat, shop, party and golf in a faithful facsimile of their native country. There's the Koreatown of toil and danger, experienced by the Latinos and blacks occupying much of the neighborhood, working in the thousands of local businesses and (occasionally) having to cope with gang violence. Then there's the K-town of the hipster masses who descend on the area at night for booze and music, both of the live performance variety (The Wiltern) and the homemade variety (karaoke!). Three very different communities with a variety of goals and dreams, so of course sometimes people bump heads. But the one unifying force among K-town's disparate communities is a shared love...of alchohol and all-night barbecue.

(Tons more on K-town after the jump!)

I may be biased in saying this, but Silver Lake is one of the best places to live in Southern California. The peeps are chill, the restaurants and bars are amazing, and the area is gorgeous. Hopefully this photo journey will make you a believer.

NoHo Arts is a burgeoning East Valley area that occupies one very eclectic, historic, and active square mile within the limits of North Hollywood proper. The past couple of years have seen a dramatic increase in multi-use condo construction and the arrival of chain retail and food purveyors thanks in part to the neighborhood's role as major transit hub (NoHo Arts hosts the termini of both the Red and the Orange Lines) and the Community Redevelopment Agency's (CRA) massive efforts to (re)vitalize the area. What is at times most striking about this vibrant patch of land is the omnipresent contrast of old versus new, as seen predominantly in the architecture--and in spite of its own blossoming and undeniable urbanity.

West Adams is labeled "Historic West Adams" on the freeway exits leading into the neighborhood, but "historic" is not just a euphemism for old, rundown and where the elite used to want to live -- it actually has a lot of history! Although it's one of those areas that provokes reactions of "really? Is it safe?" when you tell people you live there, the beauties are many and varied.

Beautiful downtown Burbank was the butt of many a Johnny Carson joke. Sometimes one does get the sense that Burbank is a little podunk town, caught in a time warp. It’s like living in Mayberry. People in the higher tax-brackets live in the hills, and around the The Equestrian Center. This post is going to focus on the flats, particularly around the neighborhood called "Magnolia Park" by Real Estate agents trying to make it look more attractive.

(Experience the glory that is Burbank after the jump!)

This summer LAist is going to tackle an ambitious project. We are going to attempt to do a post about every neighborhood in Los Angeles based on LA City Nerd's 172 known designated communities. It might take us into the fall, but every neighborhood/community will be covered, in this lighthearted, and clearly not definitive, tour of LA.

If you would like to send us information, tidbits, little known facts, or full blown posts about your neighborhood, email us at thelaist@gmail.com

Now let's get this party started with Little Armenia, the friendly neighbor of Thai Town, after the jump.