Is VAN NUYS CA, a safe place to reside? (Pasadena: neighborhood, to live)

[SloRoller]

Originally Posted by kwholmes

I currently live on the Eastcoast and plan on relocating to Van Nuys, CA with my family in a few months. However, after watching a show called "Gang Land" I am extremely concerned about relocating to CA period! Although I have visited Van Nuys it was only one time for a short period of time to view a few apts. I did notice that many of the neighborhoods were largely populated by hispanics which did not bother us at all...... but it now does since the documentry stressed the facts that many hispanic gangs have been expressing a growing amount of violence against blacks (my family and I are black). Pls I need feedback about this area ASAP

If you're working in downtown L.A.. Van Nuys can be an ugly commute unless you will be taking public transportation. If you're dead set on staying in the valley, take a look at Studio City or Encino, as someone suggested earlier.
You might also consider Culver City or West L.A. That would put you on the Los Angeles side of the Santa Monica mountains / Sepulveda Pass. There are even some nice pockets of Inglewood (Northwest Inglewood near La Cienega / La Tijera, "The Avenues", between Century and Manchester, and some spots North of Manchester, close to Crenshaw). Decent looking places, but not what I would call crime-free.

[CA4Now]

Originally Posted by steven1012

Why Van Nuys? I would never live there. There are so many better areas in the Valley.

Well said.

[Roberto_Sarg2]

I'm in L.A atm on holiday from Australia and I'm staying in a hotel in Hollywood Blvd. I've always wanted to see L.A and and other places in America which are on the list of to-dos whilst in here. Now another place I've always wanted to see was a walmart because i see soo many funny pictures and heard so many stories. So me and my partner took a cab ride to the nearest walmart which happened to be a panorama city. Before we got out and whilst paying for the ride the cabbie say use are v.nice people but when your in walmart "keep an eye on your wallets" nd that was that. me nd my partner didnt really take note of that. after we looked around nd finished exploring what the fus was about we left and started to look for a cab to get back. it was about 10:30pm at this time and we waited at the back on the main st which was van nuys blvd for 40min and not even a single cab drove past. however about 30min in a guy pulled up and asked where we are from and if we needed a ride. we said no and he said that he was a taxi. it was kinda sus ans again we said no thanks. he handed us a card to a taxi company and said to call them if ww need a taxi. he then left however he drove of slow and turn into a carpark about 20m away and parked. it was so sus ans scary. he was of Hispanic backround. we had no choice to call the number because we didn't have a number for any other cab company. another guy ended up coming and again in a normal looking car. we asked him if it was a metered cab nd he replied there are no cab companies in this part of town and it's only private service ones like him self. we were still kind of sus but the time was now 11:30pm and we were getting tired nd the streets were getting scary. we dicided to go with him and i was getting in the car when i noticed the other car had drove around the block and was no parked a few cars away to the side of the road i as saw a gun on the side of the drivers chair. when i saw this i quickly panicked and told the driver im sorry but i dont need a ride anymore and gave him 10buck for wasting his time. i told my partner to we have to go to any shop and stay around people. we ended up calling thr police nd got a ride with them. they told us we were v.lucky and that there is alot of abductions,thefts,robberies in this area. i thank God everyday for giving me the signs to get out of there.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by Roberto_Sarg2

I'm in L.A atm on holiday from Australia and I'm staying in a hotel in Hollywood Blvd. I've always wanted to see L.A and and other places in America which are on the list of to-dos whilst in here. Now another place I've always wanted to see was a walmart because i see soo many funny pictures and heard so many stories. So me and my partner took a cab ride to the nearest walmart which happened to be a panorama city. Before we got out and whilst paying for the ride the cabbie say use are v.nice people but when your in walmart "keep an eye on your wallets" nd that was that. me nd my partner didnt really take note of that. after we looked around nd finished exploring what the fus was about we left and started to look for a cab to get back. it was about 10:30pm at this time and we waited at the back on the main st which was van nuys blvd for 40min and not even a single cab drove past. however about 30min in a guy pulled up and asked where we are from and if we needed a ride. we said no and he said that he was a taxi. it was kinda sus ans again we said no thanks. he handed us a card to a taxi company and said to call them if ww need a taxi. he then left however he drove of slow and turn into a carpark about 20m away and parked. it was so sus ans scary. he was of Hispanic backround. we had no choice to call the number because we didn't have a number for any other cab company. another guy ended up coming and again in a normal looking car. we asked him if it was a metered cab nd he replied there are no cab companies in this part of town and it's only private service ones like him self. we were still kind of sus but the time was now 11:30pm and we were getting tired nd the streets were getting scary. we dicided to go with him and i was getting in the car when i noticed the other car had drove around the block and was no parked a few cars away to the side of the road i as saw a gun on the side of the drivers chair. when i saw this i quickly panicked and told the driver im sorry but i dont need a ride anymore and gave him 10buck for wasting his time. i told my partner to we have to go to any shop and stay around people. we ended up calling thr police nd got a ride with them. they told us we were v.lucky and that there is alot of abductions,thefts,robberies in this area. i thank God everyday for giving me the signs to get out of there.

This story is going to come off as cute to most of us.

Cliffs:
Aussie tourists wanted to see Wal-Mart
They take a cab to the one in Panorama City
Cabbie tells them to hold onto their wallets
Nothing happens at Wal-Mart
They go outside to wait for a cab to randomly drive-by. They wait awhile obviously.
A private taxi pulls up and asks them if they need a ride. Scared, they decline. He gives them a biz card. BTW, private taxi driver is Hispanic.
They relent and call the number on the biz card.
Different private taxi picks them up.
They see a gun on the front seat.
They panic and pay the cabbie $10 to let them go.
They call the police and the police gives the a ride back to their hotel.

[bpeeps]

LA is not NY and you can't hail a cab as such. Haven't you guys heard of Uber/Lfyt/Sidecar ride sharing apps? Do you guys have smartphones or access to internet, chances are at a big mall like where the Walmart is, there's free wi-fi from some service provider. Kind of silly to not look up methods of transportation beforehand and store/ write down a couple of numbers just in case

Also Van Nuys is not Panorama City.

But you made it back safe and sound, so I guess that's good. If anything it was a learning experience.

[SUPbud]

tourists... such easy marks

I always have a hired local guide, sourced thru my travel agency when I visit a country I dont know the geography, street/culture, and esp. language. If you were right there at the Walmart on the corner of Roscoe & Van Nuys blvd, you should have gone into El Gallo Giro and had a nice chicken Torta & some donut-type snack while you waited for a cab, that you called from your own cell phone, from the list of cab companies you sourced before you even paid for the hotel.

Glad LAPD was there to save your bacon. Some sweet irony, there.

[jm1982]

I never though tourists would go to Panorama City....EVER!

True though that there are very few Walmarts in the L.A area.

I was recently in Mexico, and one of the tour guides joked about the Walmart being the "American Embassy"
So I could see how a tourist might have a desire to visit one.

Not that I've used Uber several times I don't think i'd ever use a cab again unless I needed to. Cheaper, more efficient, cleaner cars, friendlier drivers ,etc.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by jm1982

I never though tourists would go to Panorama City....EVER!

I would, but I would hope they would have done some research first.

A couple of years ago, I went to Chicago on vacation. Wouldn't you know it, Gary, IN was on the travel itinerary I made.

[bruhms]

It's okay.

[seain dublin]

Originally Posted by kwholmes

Thanks for the feedback. Orginally we chose Van Nuys bc of its location (not far from downtown LA) and of course the price. And yes I am aware that there are gangs on the eastcoast but absolutely not to the extent that's over on the westcoast. So what are some safe or safer areas that anyone would recommend?

Where did you get the idea that Van Nuys isn't too far to downtown LA?

While you can take the Metrolink train from Van Nuys to downtown LA, it is a commuter train. You wouldn't want to drive it as commute if you're working normal business hours.

Why is your family moving yet has so little knowledge as to what you're actually doing?

If you want an area that isn't too far from downtown you should look at Glendale, Eagle Rock, or Montrose. All safe areas and much closer.