Does Los Angeles Have Any Actual "Suburbs"? (San Diego: neighborhoods, movies)

[habibharu]

I've been researching the LA area since Ill be moving there soon. Every time i hear or read about a new area I usually look it up to learn more. I often find that most of these places are considered "districts" that are part of LA. So do you guys have any suburbs? Would cities like Pasadena, Glendale, WeHo, SaMo be considered suburbs of LA?

[EscapeCalifornia]

All of the places you named separate are incorporated cities in Los Angeles County. LA is a little different than most cities in that its HUGE. It started out as a bunch of separate cities that all grew together into one big mass. You can drive 30 miles south from downtown and still be in City of Los Angeles. Or you can drive a few miles in a different direction and be in a separate incorporated city like West Hollywood or Glendale.

I think Thomas Bros Maps make it most clear. White is City of LA. Yellow is unincorporated LA County. The other colors of the rainbow are incorporated cities. Today, anything that's not City of LA could be called a suburb even though many of them are quite urban.

[habibharu]

Originally Posted by EscapeCalifornia

All of the places you named separate are incorporated cities in Los Angeles County. LA is a little different than most cities in that its HUGE. It started out as a bunch of separate cities that all grew together into one big mass. You can drive 30 miles south from downtown and still be in City of Los Angeles. Or you can drive a few miles in a different direction and be in a separate incorporated city like West Hollywood or Glendale.

I think Thomas Bros Maps make it most clear. White is City of LA. Yellow is unincorporated LA County. The other colors of the rainbow are incorporated cities. Today, anything that's not City of LA could be called a suburb even though many of them are quite urban.

I see. So places like Sherman Oaks, Hollywood, Calabasas, Chatsworth, Van Nuys, etc are not suburbs either?

[EscapeCalifornia]

Hollywood, Chatsworth, Sherman Oaks, and Van Nuys are all part of LA City. I believe Calabasas is a city.

[Slauson Rosecranz]

Sure it does. For all intents and purposes, Los Angeles more or less invented the concept of suburbanization.

But like most older cities east of the Mississippi, the suburbs that border the inner-city, what would be considered "inner ring suburbs" back east, tend to be somewhat rough and tumble. Compton, Inglewood, Huntington Park, etc.

Palos Verdes, Orange County, the wealthy parts of the San Gabriel Valley (San Marino, La Canada Flintridge) are all the epitome of suburban Southern California. The San Fernando Valley is often disregarded as suburbia, but it's actually in the city limits.

Then there's the world's BIGGEST suburb...San Diego!

[habibharu]

cool, thanks

[KnoxTown]

Originally Posted by Slauson Rosecranz

Sure it does. For all intents and purposes, Los Angeles more or less invented the concept of suburbanization.

But like most older cities east of the Mississippi, the suburbs that border the inner-city, what would be considered "inner ring suburbs" back east, tend to be somewhat rough and tumble. Compton, Inglewood, Huntington Park, etc.

Palos Verdes, Orange County, the wealthy parts of the San Gabriel Valley (San Marino, La Canada Flintridge) are all the epitome of suburban Southern California. The San Fernando Valley is often disregarded as suburbia, but it's actually in the city limits.

Then there's the world's BIGGEST suburb...San Diego!

It really does feel like that. Strange, huh?

[Maine2009]

Originally Posted by habibharu

I've been researching the LA area since Ill be moving there soon. Every time i hear or read about a new area I usually look it up to learn more. I often find that most of these places are considered "districts" that are part of LA. So do you guys have any suburbs? Would cities like Pasadena, Glendale, WeHo, SaMo be considered suburbs of LA?

Calabasas, and Agoura Hills are beautiful suburbs. Calabasas is technically in the Valley, but since Ventura Blvd doesn't run through Calabasas, and the population is much less dense, it has all the charm of a suburban town. It also has the best school system in LA... Aguoura Hills, while alittle bit further West/North up the 101 is also a nice suburban town. Pasadena, Glendale are East of the Valley, and in the other direction (East). I believe they are considered incorporated cities. They are nice areas to live in, but are more conjusted than the west side of the valley where Calabasas is.Good luck!

[Castro Viejo]

Originally Posted by habibharu

I've been researching the LA area since Ill be moving there soon. Every time i hear or read about a new area I usually look it up to learn more. I often find that most of these places are considered "districts" that are part of LA. So do you guys have any suburbs? Would cities like Pasadena, Glendale, WeHo, SaMo be considered suburbs of LA?

As others have mentioned, those are all stand-alone cities within Los Angeles County, but outside the City of Los Angeles' jurisdiction. It's quite confusing sometimes when you haven't the foggiest clue whether you're still in the city or not.

What sort of helped me when I lived there several years ago was to look at the patrol cars roaming the streets. Typically unincorporated neighborhoods/districts of the City of Los Angeles are still patrolled by the LAPD while separate cities like Santa Monica and Pasadena will have their own police force.

And despite what the movies tell you, there isn't a Beverly Hills Police Department (I'm almost sure of that, actually...).

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Castro Viejo

Typically unincorporated neighborhoods/districts of the City of Los Angeles are still patrolled by the LAPD while separate cities like Santa Monica and Pasadena will have their own police force.

Could you have meant "unincorporated neighborhoods/districts of the County of Los Angeles are still patrolled by the LASD while separate...." as I think LAPD patrols the City of LA while the LASD patrols everything else and then some (I think some cities pay the LASD to serve as their police force)?