Looking for input on Montecito Heights & Lincoln Heights (Los Angeles: renters, crime)

[Astral_Weeks]

I am looking for input on Montecito Heights and Lincoln Heights as neighborhoods in which to live.

More specifically, I have a friend who is considering buying a single-family home in one of the hillside neighborhoods near where the southern border of Montecito Heights and the northern border of Lincoln Heights meet. The home would be for him, his wife and a one year old child. The street they are looking at has stunning views of the Hollywood Hills and the Downtown LA skyline.

How is this area with regards to: crime, safety, proximity to amenities & parks and what about the long-term potential for improvement, etc. I realize it is in LAUSD so the schools will not be great.

The following maps from the LA Times give a sense for the boundaries of each area.

Montecito Heights Boundaries (from LA Times)
Montecito Heights Crime - Mapping L.A. - Los Angeles Times

Lincoln Heights Boundaries (from LA Times)
Lincoln Heights Profile - Mapping L.A. - Los Angeles Times

Any input from anyone with experience in or around this area would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[pbergen]

i'm also interested in learning more about this area, especially with regard to the SFR homes. i've driven around these neighborhoods and have noticed a bunch of small but quaint homes with plenty of charm (along with some very ugly ones) in the hills north of broadway near lincoln high school. seems like an area with a lot of potential for prospective homeowners and renters alike.

what really stood out to me is that there's still a fair number of empty lots along some of these hills. my initial assumption is that they remain undeveloped due to the steep incline, yet other homes have been built on adjacent lots with similarly challenging terrain. so i wonder why these lots haven't been snapped up yet.

here are some examples (scroll to the left and right to view the homes built on the neighboring properties):

https://goo.gl/HIxcNZ
https://goo.gl/FFoVb2
https://goo.gl/AF5SIz

other observations about the area:
parts of broadway in the flats of lincoln heights appear to be vibrant, albeit rough-around-the-edges, with almost all of the businesses catering to the local working class latino population. other stretches of the road seem more desolate and run-down and could benefit from some private investment.

i've heard that there is a creative class/hipster element within the local population - mainly whites and latinos along with some asians - but i haven't really seen much evidence of this during my drives through the area other than perhaps the airliner (a dive bar and live music venue). this is a bit surprising given the neighborhood's proximity to rapidly gentrifying hipster enclaves in the arts district, highland park, and to some extent glassell park, but i suspect that there are more artists and hipsters in the area than i've personally witnessed, and that hipster-oriented businesses will begin popping up on broadway sooner or later.

the proximity of debs park in montecito heights and ascot hills park in neighboring el sereno would seem to be major pluses for those into hiking and scenery, in spite of the recent tragic news about the two deceased women found in debs park.

[Parker501]

If you're looking for a "safe" neighborhood keep looking.
It's not horrible but if you don't already live in the general area (ie coming from the westside) I think you'll be in for a little adjusting.
Btw, Debs park is nice. They did also recently find 2 dead woman there...
(oops - just read the above comment in entirety, sorry for repeat on bad stuff there)

[socal88]

These areas are dumps that won't be getting better any time soon. There was another incident in Montecito Heights where LAPD officers were shot at recently.

It's a shame that some of these hillside communities that have nice views and serene hills became crime ridden a few decades ago.