downsides of living in Hollywood?

[munchitup]

Originally Posted by rzzz

Bedbugs are something I hadn't thought of. Thanks for reminding me. They were pretty bad in NYC when I was there but I hadn't even thought to check if they had infested LA yet.

Though I disagree with most of what Nafster said, I've got to second this, my apartment building had a bed bug outbreak too. Kinda goes with the territory though.

And ignore the train advice, plenty of normal people use transit. If you come to LA with the mindset that you must drive everywhere, you are going to hate it here.

Also note the people really hating on Hollywood DON'T live there and never have, while those that have lived there / live there are positive about the neighborhood.

It's fun, it's exciting, there's always something going on, it's busy, IMO it's the most functionally walkable part of LA (DTLA is great but needs more grocery stores), it's dirty, yes it can be depressing (though also I see homeless in a new light now) but I really enjoyed that area (still do) and really miss it.

One last thing to note, there is so much more to Hollywood than the Highland / Vine / Blvd nexus. Franklin Village, Thai Town, Theater District along SaMo Blvd, Melrose... Lots more than just a tourist trap.

[Mister 7]

I live on the western edge (Franklin Ave west of LaBrea) of Hollywood and I love it. I agree there are some seedy areas of Hollywood, but there are also perfectly nice and safe areas, also. I have never felt anything but 100% safe here, absolutely love the fact that I can walk to the subway (DTLA is one of my favorite places to visit), good freeway access, and hey, when I'm old, I can tell my grandchildren "When I was younger I lived right smack dab in the middle of Hollywood, a few blocks from the Walk of Fame."

[latino_esq]

Originally Posted by kmo20

I wouldn't say "perfectly safe". There have been several shootings around Hollywood & Highland in the past couple years. Helicopters are also frequently swirling above the area.

Also, it's dirty and reeks of broken dreams.

Helicopters flying over Hollywood indicative of the crime but is often more indicative of the news covering traffic in the area or due to events on Hollywood Blvd such as the Academy Awards, etc. But Hollywood does have its seedy areas outside of the spots I indicated earlier which I would stay away from.

Originally Posted by Nafster

Don't live in Hollywood because it sucks. Plain and simple. Bad apartments, crime, touristy spots, bed bugs, bed bugs bed bugs (all of my friends who live in Hollywood live in different complexes - all suffered from bed bug outbreaks... yikes!). There are some great new complexes being built but they are expensive and again, they are in Hollywood. Then again, I just had bad experiences all around there and I've joined the crowd that avoids the neighborhood like the plague.

I agree with some others on here when they say that for some reason walking around in Hollywood is depressing. It does truly reek of broken hearts, dreams, and drug use.

LOL @ "wreaks" of broken dreams. I can't necessarily disagree with this. Hollywood is definitely the city where you can place an image behind the many, MANY, who moved to LA and failed to realize their Hollywood dream and/or fell into some kind of drug addiction and later on homelessness. This may sound harsh, but I never think about it and such people never garner any of my sympathy. But I disagree with this characterization of Hollywood as depressing. I think the upsides to the area, the restaurants, theaters and nightlife, are what normally define the vibe in Hollywood.

[HarryKerryJr]

The problem is that the crime stats for Hollywood are actually pretty good or not that bad, but statistics can't tell the whole story about Hollywood as a place with its dangers that can end in shootings (mostly the club crowd) or the lack of police allowing the murder of the young woman by a mental homeless, who are in large population and quite unexpectedly violent. I'm not talking about Hollywood weirdness, but that element that can often lead to someone getting hurt and having to deal with it as a resident. I lived just off Sunset by Orange for quite a while, and being just few blocks away made all the difference in the world. More cops should be there because Hollywood can't be quantified by stats, but as long as the LAPD brass still consider COPMSTAT and NOTHING else in its deployment, Hollywood will remain the sleeping danger that will bite you when you are not looking.