Glendale. What is Good and Bad About That City (Burbank: crime rate, houses)

[UB50]

I've also lived in Glendale in the last 20 years -- and I travel through Glendale often. I happen to love it and I'm looking for a place to move to now -- in Glendale.

There is a huge variety of nationalities in Glendale. Armenian is one of them. A lot of people don't speak English. So what else is new?

Glendale is relatively low crime. I like that part. There is also tons of cool things to do in Glendale or close to Glendale -- so I like that part too.

No place is perfect. If you want to live around white people who speak only English, move to Denver!

[majoun]

Originally Posted by UB50

I've also lived in Glendale in the last 20 years -- and I travel through Glendale often. I happen to love it and I'm looking for a place to move to now -- in Glendale.

There is a huge variety of nationalities in Glendale. Armenian is one of them. A lot of people don't speak English. So what else is new?

Glendale is relatively low crime. I like that part. There is also tons of cool things to do in Glendale or close to Glendale -- so I like that part too.

No place is perfect. If you want to live around white people who speak only English, move to Denver!

I share your assessment of Glendale. Even the bad parts of Glendale aren't that bad compared to a large part of SoCal.

However, you do seem to not be too well informed about Denver which has the same problems as the other cities of the Southwestern USA. You probably meant Boulder

[junkman18]

Originally Posted by James T

It's good if you're Armenian, I suppose.

Not that long ago Glendale was a nice place, Not any more.
I worked for Glendale schools up to 1980 and by then it got so bad I left.

[Clnconcpts]

Originally Posted by TonyT

Well I think I might be able to tell you something about Glendale since I was born and raised in the city.

Glendale started out as a nice bedroom community for Los Angeles. Quiet, clean, safe, and charming. Brand Blvd. resembled the main street of just about any small town in the Midwest. Which makes sense since the city was founded by people from there.

Over the last say 10 or so years, Glendale has most certainly lost it's charm. The city went on building campaign that resulted in high rises that clutter up the skyline, permitted tear downs of single family homes to make way for apartment buildings and condo complexes, and allowed people to build these ridiculous, over scale homes in the hillsides. The result...way too many people concentrated in too small an area.

The traffic on the three main North/South streets (Brand, Central, and Pacific) is horrendous. Many of the side streets aren't much better because people are attempting to use them as shortcuts to bypass the traffic on the main streets. I gave up trying to go to the Galleria years ago. It's a nightmare to try and access and not worth the effort in my opinion.

Crime wise, the biggest thing you have to deal with is property crime (burglary, auto theft, vandalism). Violent crime is much lower than in Los Angeles itself or some other surrounding cities. By the same token, Glendale is still probably one of the most under policed cities around. Not nearly enough police officers for the population that the city has. They do a pretty good job of keeping a lid on things but they are stretched a little thin.

The school system in Glendale itself is marginal. There are some schools that are better than others to be sure, but over all they have declined since I went through them. There are gang problems in the schools, mostly generated by the ongoing conflict between Hispanics and Armenians. It's actually quite amusing in that the Armenian gangs pattern themselves after the Hispanic gangs, right down to the clothes, the shaved heads, and the music they listen too. Put them side by side and you most likely wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

And yes, Glendale has the largest concentration of Armenians outside of Armenia itself. And they make their presence known. From demands that the city recognize Armenian Holocaust as a official holiday, to wanting the Armenian flag to be flown at City Hall, they very much believe that Glendale is their city. It all causes no end of tension with long time residents of the city.

I could go on, but then I'm guessing someone would accuse me of being just another negative poster. As I said, Glendale is the city of my birth, but I don't consider it home anymore. There are certainly still beautiful parts of the city and I would be happy to list them if you like. But overall, Glendale is not a place that I would recommend to anyone at this point.

I second everything here.I gre up in la crescenta, a little town north of glendale.I hate it here now.

[junkman18]

Originally Posted by TonyT

Well I think I might be able to tell you something about Glendale since I was born and raised in the city.

Glendale started out as a nice bedroom community for Los Angeles. Quiet, clean, safe, and charming. Brand Blvd. resembled the main street of just about any small town in the Midwest. Which makes sense since the city was founded by people from there.

Over the last say 10 or so years, Glendale has most certainly lost it's charm. The city went on building campaign that resulted in high rises that clutter up the skyline, permitted tear downs of single family homes to make way for apartment buildings and condo complexes, and allowed people to build these ridiculous, over scale homes in the hillsides. The result...way too many people concentrated in too small an area.

The traffic on the three main North/South streets (Brand, Central, and Pacific) is horrendous. Many of the side streets aren't much better because people are attempting to use them as shortcuts to bypass the traffic on the main streets. I gave up trying to go to the Galleria years ago. It's a nightmare to try and access and not worth the effort in my opinion.

Crime wise, the biggest thing you have to deal with is property crime (burglary, auto theft, vandalism). Violent crime is much lower than in Los Angeles itself or some other surrounding cities. By the same token, Glendale is still probably one of the most under policed cities around. Not nearly enough police officers for the population that the city has. They do a pretty good job of keeping a lid on things but they are stretched a little thin.

The school system in Glendale itself is marginal. There are some schools that are better than others to be sure, but over all they have declined since I went through them. There are gang problems in the schools, mostly generated by the ongoing conflict between Hispanics and Armenians. It's actually quite amusing in that the Armenian gangs pattern themselves after the Hispanic gangs, right down to the clothes, the shaved heads, and the music they listen too. Put them side by side and you most likely wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

And yes, Glendale has the largest concentration of Armenians outside of Armenia itself. And they make their presence known. From demands that the city recognize Armenian Holocaust as a official holiday, to wanting the Armenian flag to be flown at City Hall, they very much believe that Glendale is their city. It all causes no end of tension with long time residents of the city.

I could go on, but then I'm guessing someone would accuse me of being just another negative poster. As I said, Glendale is the city of my birth, but I don't consider it home anymore. There are certainly still beautiful parts of the city and I would be happy to list them if you like. But overall, Glendale is not a place that I would recommend to anyone at this point.

There is nothing negative about telling the truth.
My father worked for Glendale ploice and I worked for the Glendale schools. ( G.U.S.D.) Just last year I had to call the school main office and this is a public phone number, and had trouble finding someone that could speak English. Where is this heading to?

[SandyCo]

Originally Posted by Clnconcpts

I second everything here.I gre up in la crescenta, a little town north of glendale.I hate it here now.

I grew up in La Crescenta, too, and wish I could afford to move back there. I didn't think it had changed that much. Please enlighten me.

[Clnconcpts]

Originally Posted by SandyCo

I grew up in La Crescenta, too, and wish I could afford to move back there. I didn't think it had changed that much. Please enlighten me.

The Armenians have taken over.I wouldnt live here anymore.what was once a nice town, isnt anymore.

[James T]

That's sad. In just a few years there will be no place at all left in CA for regular Americans.

[junkman18]

Originally Posted by Clnconcpts

The Armenians have taken over.I wouldnt live here anymore.what was once a nice town, isnt anymore.

I was born in Glendale and worked in Glendale but grew up in La Crescenta.
Like most of SoCal its going down the toilet. What's going to happen when all the hard working white tax payers move to other states?? We moved out a California last year and so glad to be out of there,,,

[majoun]

Originally Posted by junkman18

I was born in Glendale and worked in Glendale but grew up in La Crescenta.
Like most of SoCal its going down the toilet. What's going to happen when all the hard working white tax payers move to other states?? We moved out a California last year and so glad to be out of there,,,

Say what you will about Armenians, they are certainly very hard working people. I've never heard anyone complain about them not being hard working - when anyone gripes about Armenians it usually has to do with their extreme sharpness with money (and their reputation for being tight-fisted when it comes to money). Like all stereotypes this is not true for every single Armenian, but it does seem to be a cultural characteristic.

And if you think Glendale's gone down the toilet, you really haven't seen much of SoCal.