The Westside: What's the big deal? (Los Angeles, Torrance: middle school, place to live, restaurants)

[Jay100]

Originally Posted by matt345

When I lived in LA, I would sometimes hear people and the media hype up "the Westside". I would read about how for some "fortunate" Angelenos, Los Angeles "ends at the 405 freeway". Does anyone on the Westside really feel this way? I mean, yes there's Santa Monica and Venice, but what else is there to do west of the 405 freeway outside of going to beach and hanging around your house? I don't know about you, but I'd be extremely bored if I limited all my activities to points west of the 405. What about West Hollywood, Melrose, The Grove, Robertson Blvd, Beverly Hills, or Hollywood? And then of course there's Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Koreatown...Dodger Stadium!! I know I shouldn't take the "I never go west of the 405" statements literally, but why would anyone even consider that to be desirable? Sounds like a pretty boring, and certainly not enviable, life to me.

I think it's true and I don't blame anybody for thinking the way they do. I have friends on the WS and they really do not venture into the less desirable parts of LA. Why should they? They have different lives than the majority of Angelenos. Heck, more power to them!

[nickdahammer]

What killed the Westside for me was the traffic. 30 years ago we'd drive up for gigs, clubs, a bite at Barney's Beanery or Johnnies. It was great, and we could hop in the car late at night and it was a breeze. Over the years my orbit got smaller because it took so long to get anywhere. Now, thanks to the subway, I hit Hollywood on busy nights, or Pasadena, downtown, etc. It's been a good thing in that I have explored alot of places I never hit before. Someday soon I hope to hop the Expo Line for a pastrami at Juniors. But until then, I'll be content hanging more to the East.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by californio sur

The Westside, to me, is epitomized by the HBO comedy series, "Curb Your Enthusiasm." Larry David is always driving around neighborhoods I recognize in West Los Angeles. It just seems exactly like the TV program: mostly upper middle-class to wealthy professionals who live in large homes w/ pools. Mostly Anglo\ Jewish\ Iranians who eat at sidewalk cafes or dine in expensive restaurants on La Cienega\ Pico\ Sunset blvds. Everyone has a dog or two and maybe a maid. All are liberal and many read the New York Times.

Now a different HBO show, "The Entourage" is definitely the Hollywood Hills\ West Hollywood. Young single and wealthy who go to pool parties\ club in West Hollywood\ go to gyms that have valets. Lots of beautiful women who go topless at parties\ clubs\ swimming pools. Everyone smokes weed non-stop. Lots of actors\ musicians.

Being the token native westsider I have to say that Entourage and Californication are much more appealing vision of the westside than Curb Your Enthusiasm - Entourage and Californication are fantasies of the ideal good life on the westside to me (not attainable, obviously), with Californication being more gritty (but that's because it's Venice not West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, or Westwood).

Yet there are other westsides not represented in film. Ghetto Westside, Traditional Westside, and Immigrant Westside (which overlaps with both Ghetto Westside and Traditional Westside). Traditional Westside (that part of the westside that still seems like the westside I grew up in) hasn't been captured in film or TV much - let's just say it's Cinema Bar, not Sky Bar.

CINEMA BAR, Live Americana and Country Fried Rock Music in Culver City

[Urban Spaceman]

The West side used to be a cut above the rest of LA but with overcrowding and overdevelopment it has gone downhill. Santa Monica was cool and clean and almost sleepy in the 80s. Once they developed the 3rd St. Promenade traffic started getting out of control.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by Urban Spaceman

The West side used to be a cut above the rest of LA but with overcrowding and overdevelopment it has gone downhill. Santa Monica was cool and clean and almost sleepy in the 80s. Once they developed the 3rd St. Promenade traffic started getting out of control.

The old Westside's pretty much gone - Culver City's its last remnant, although Mar Vista and parts of Sawtelle and West L.A. still have some of the old qualities. There are other parts of the Westside that certainly have many good things about them - SM's Ocean Park is one of the best neighborhoods in greater L.A., like a cleaner and safer Venice ; and Venice itself despite its problems is still a good place to live - but they are different than in the old days. While SM is the only westside area that hasn't experienced "family flight" - a phenomenon that began in LAUSD areas but which has even spread to non-LAUSD Beverly Hills and non-LAUSD Culver City despite perfectly good schools - southern SM used to be filled with families with kids ; nowadays there are entire blocks in Ocean Park with nary a child to be found.

Northern SM, Brentwood, Westwood, BH, Sunset Strip, etc. have changed beyond recognition, and are very sterile and dull. The Promenade's a tourist trap. When the office buildings on Olympic were built that also worsened traffic.

[disgruntled la native]

Ah the Westside, I've lived there my whole life. Have lived for various periods of time in North Santa Monica, the Palisades (Huntington), and Westwood/Bel Air border.

As others have said not all of the Westside is equal. But generally the accepted borders for the wealthiest parts would be doheny drive (the end of beverly hills) to the east, the ocean to the west, mulholland drive to the north, Montana Avenue/Wilshire Blvd to the south.

The Westside is nice if you're a little kid or you're middle aged and settled down. It's safe and has a familiar culture dominated by Jews with some WASPs and Asians, and you never really do need to go east of the 405 for everything you need.

But you're right, it's terribly boring if you're a young single adult looking to have fun. That's why in some ways living in the hills or west hollywood is much more fun. Much more edge and culture. And things don't close at 10 pm there.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

Ah the Westside, I've lived there my whole life. Have lived for various periods of time in North Santa Monica, the Palisades (Huntington), and Westwood/Bel Air border.

As others have said not all of the Westside is equal. But generally the accepted borders for the wealthiest parts would be doheny drive (the end of beverly hills) to the east, the ocean to the west, mulholland drive to the north, Montana Avenue/Wilshire Blvd to the south.

You mean "sterile, boring, overpriced wasteland with no culture that I'd only live in for free"?

The Westside is nice if you're a little kid or you're middle aged and settled down.

Not too many little kids on the westside these days outside of Santa Monica.

It's safe and has a familiar culture dominated by Jews with some WASPs and Asians, and you never really do need to go east of the 405 for everything you need.

Well, the 405 is right in the middle of the westside, and many of the areas you mentioned are east of the 405.

But you're right, it's terribly boring if you're a young single adult looking to have fun. That's why in some ways living in the hills or west hollywood is much more fun. Much more edge and culture. And things don't close at 10 pm there.

True, and there are even a couple of British pubs in Hollywood if you really miss the westside - contrary to popular belief they're not all west of the 405, just most of them.

[disgruntled la native]

Originally Posted by majoun

You mean "sterile, boring, overpriced wasteland with no culture that I'd only live in for free"?

It's also beautiful, quiet, and sheltered. Some people like that. Also, when I think of sboring wasteland I usually think of 90% of the sfv, much of the San Gabriel Valley, Culver City, Torrance, etc. The Westside is sterile but has varied architecture and neighborhoods.


Not too many little kids on the westside these days outside of Santa Monica.

Plenty in the Pacific Palisades, probably more than anywhere. Not that many kids in Brentwood and Bel Air and Beverly Hills, but still enough to support the local schools.

Well, the 405 is right in the middle of the westside, and many of the areas you mentioned are east of the 405.

I know, but I'm saying that you can live in the Palisades or Brentwood and never have to travel east of the 405 for your needs. Which is good or bad depending on your perspective.

True, and there are even a couple of British pubs in Hollywood if you really miss the westside - contrary to popular belief they're not all west of the 405, just most of them.

The Westside is far from perfect, but it's probably the best area to live if you're a little kid or older and settled down. The downsides are that it's boring, has exceptionally bad traffic, and is expensive. But with the exception of Midcity/Weho/Hills area it's the best place to live. Safe, good schools, good weather, nice scenery. That's what the hype is about.

[majoun]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

The Westside is far from perfect, but it's probably the best area to live if you're a little kid or older and settled down. The downsides are that it's boring, has exceptionally bad traffic, and is expensive. But with the exception of Midcity/Weho/Hills area it's the best place to live. Safe, good schools, good weather, nice scenery. That's what the hype is about.

The good schools on the westside are in Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, and Culver City. BH and CC all have considerably fewer families with kids than they used to. As does WLA (I read that only 2% of the population in the 90025 and 90064 zip codes consists of families with kids and one of the two junior highs- now-middle schools I attended as a kid, Webster, now has VERY few kids from the neighborhood. Not sure about the current composition of Walgrove Elementary, which I attended back in the late '60s and '70s, or Mark Twain Middle School where I attended 7th grade)

The rest is LAUSD and thus has pretty damn lousy schools (although when I was growing up it was a different story).

I've seen what's happened to the westside over the years - it's not what it was. While I never lived north of Wilshire I did go to Uni High many years ago which Brentwood, Westwood, Bel Air, Holmby Hills, etc. are part of the area for and had friends growing up in those areas. Not that many kids from the neighborhood go to Uni these days and it no longer is the jewel of LAUSD as it was.

If any LAUSD area has more kids than the rest of westside areas outside SM, I'd think it wouldn't be Pacific Palisades but probably an area with more immigrants like Del Rey.

As for the best place to live in L.A. if money were no object: Los Feliz hands down (except for the schools issue but everywhere you mentioned as being "good parts of the westside" except for BH and SM has that same issue). But if you think CC is a "boring wasteland" you know little about CC - it's hardly the most exciting place around but has more to offer than you'd think....I'd like to see down to earth bars and restaurants try surviving in the Palisades. (OTOH, if a certain pub which is a hangout for the westside's white racist crowd moved to the Palisades from Culver City, they'd be perfectly welcome to it!' CC would gain by its absence)

[TheBarrenLands]

I personally don't care for LA's West side. It is sadly full of many of the stereotypes that outsiders have about LA: the rich, bleached blonde types driving around in their Ferraris, drinking wheatgrass on their way to yoga class. Too many high-end boutiques and snotty folk over there, with the exception of Santa Monica. I personally like the South Bay area of Los Angeles the best (Redondo, Hermosa, and Manhattan Beaches, Torrance, Gardena, Palos Verdes).