What's the deal with Northridge? (Los Angeles, Long Beach: 2009, crimes, neighborhoods)

[antialphabet]

I've been searching through old posts, some even made about Northridge fairly recently, but haven't really gotten any answers.

I think I'm looking to move there in a couple weeks.

I'm young, in my early 20s. Is Northridge going to be a miserable place for someone who doesn't have a family, and likes to be out and about?

I've driven up there several times, but haven't really explored outside the immediate area of CSUN, where I'm taking classes.

There doesn't seem to be much around there. Any decent bars, sports bars, shops, restaurants, bookstores? My favorite place to just hang out is at a Barnes and Nobles. Where's the closest one?

Any better communities with some entertainment a short drive away? Possibly to live in with still being a short drive(maybe even a bike ride) away from CSUN?

I'm nervous about ending up in the middle of suburbia.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by antialphabet

Is Northridge going to be a miserable place for someone who doesn't have a family, and likes to be out and about?

CSUN, where I'm taking classes.

Barnes and Nobles. Where's the closest one?

I'm nervous about ending up in the middle of suburbia.

These concerns have been brought up before and, for the most part Northridge is pretty suburban. The "fun" spots might be a drive. The consensus amongst the posts I've read is you can drive to the happening places on weekends - when you aren't studying - like during the week.

Do a search on northridge csun clubs single bars bands

You weren't able to use the internet to find a B&N near a particular location? What are you majoring in?

[antialphabet]

Originally Posted by Charles

These concerns have been brought up before and, for the most part Northridge is pretty suburban. The "fun" spots might be a drive. The consensus amongst the posts I've read is you can drive to the happening places on weekends - when you aren't studying - like during the week.

Do a search on northridge csun clubs single bars bands

You weren't able to use the internet to find a B&N near a particular location? What are you majoring in?

Actually, I tried searching on Yelp, nothing came up. And I used a Barnes and Noble store locator, and it showed the nearest one being across the hill, but I know that can't be right.

Edit:
Scratch that..there's one in Studio City.

[the city]

I have heard that Northridge is like a suburban-urban neighborhood of LA. The whole Los Angeles Metro has been all kind of mushed together from bad urban sprawling. All of the once used to be typical suburbs have all been urbanized except in agoura hills and calabasas area. every where else is urban, ex-urban, or suburban-urban. Northridge used to be a suburban neighborhood of downtown LA, but now it's a suburban-urban place where most work in the SF Valley, and then some commute to downtown sometimes.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by antialphabet

Actually, I tried searching on Yelp, nothing came up. And I used a Barnes and Noble store locator, and it showed the nearest one being across the hill, but I know that can't be right.

Edit:
Scratch that..there's one in Studio City.

I meant searching the City-Data Los Angeles forum. You can for text in the body of posts and search for text in titles of threads. I know I've seen posts almost identical to yours.

For B&N looks like there used to be one on Tampa but now only Woodland Hills and Encino

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...44632&t=h&z=12

[matt345]

Originally Posted by antialphabet

I'm young, in my early 20s. Is Northridge going to be a miserable place for someone who doesn't have a family, and likes to be out and about?

Honestly, if you're young and like to be out and about, I can't see you liking Northridge. You're going to have to drive quite a distance to reach any of LA's lively districts.

Originally Posted by antialphabet

I'm nervous about ending up in the middle of suburbia.

Well suburbia is what the Valley built its reputation on. I'm bored living in Burbank and apparently Burbank's one of the more "happening" sections of the Valley. The best SFV neighborhoods for a young person IMO are Sherman Oaks and and Studio City. I know they're quite a haul from Northridge, but pretty much anything in the Western/Northern/Central Valley is either going to be pure suburbia or slums.

[the city]

Well suburbia is what the Valley built its reputation on. I'm bored living in Burbank and apparently Burbank's one of the more "happening" sections of the Valley. The best SFV neighborhoods for a young person IMO are Sherman Oaks and and Studio City. I know they're quite a haul from Northridge, but pretty much anything in the Western/Northern/Central Valley is either going to be pure suburbia or slums.

Westwood, downtown, Venice Beach, Mid-Wilshire, and Hollywood are probably the happening and urban parts of Los Angeles. Everything is urban in the city, but some parts are like urban-suburban and urban-rural with suburban or rural characteristics. That's why I think the best urban experiences is in a city's downtown. LA is so big though it has 5 urban parts of the city-westwood (UCLA), Venice Beach (play area), Mid-Wilshire (bsuiness district), and Hollywood and downtown LA (business, play, and residential areas)

Northridge, and practically every other part of LA used to be a suburb of the downtown. Long Beach and Oxnard also used to be suburbs too. Now, with traffic you have Oxnard as an ex-urban city, Long Beach as an urban city, and pretty much anywhere that is not one of the urban neighborhoods I listed, is a highly urbanized inner suburb of Los Angeles-Northridge, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena, Pomona, etc...

The whole LA area just mushes together looking like one. It's an urban mess.

[the city]

I'm going to CSUN in 2009 btw, and I don't mind that it is a highly urbanized suburban neighborhood of the city. I wouldn't like living in Westwood, Mid-Wilshire, Downtown, Hollywood, or Venice Beach with all the traffic, crimes, and crowds. I like Northridge for being a good campus and being near a mall, and being a safer part of LA. It's still pretty busy and well developed in Northridge and not a true "suburban" neighborhood since it's in an urban city.

[EGR 818]

Most of the bars and clubs in the valley are on ventura blvd, but hollywood isn't that far. I make the drive from northridge to hollywood pretty frequently on weekends, it usually takes 20-30 min to get there depending on what time you leave.

[antialphabet]

Originally Posted by Charles

I meant searching the City-Data Los Angeles forum. You can for text in the body of posts and search for text in titles of threads. I know I've seen posts almost identical to yours.

For B&N looks like there used to be one on Tampa but now only Woodland Hills and Encino

barnes noble - Google Maps

Yeah, I searched a little through them. I guess I wanted the personal touch.

Aw, bummer, so there used to be one right down the street from campus. That sucks.

Thanks for the link!