Miracle Mile vs Los Feliz (Pasadena, Burbank: sublet, apartment, lease)

[aussiewoman]

Hi

My Partner and I are moving to LA in the next few months. We are currently trying to decided on an area to live. We are initially going to look for a sublet or short term lease to get to know the area and the rest of LA before we find something abit more permanent.

We are thinking either miracle mile near the grove/farmers market or los feliz. My partner will be working in burbank and also west hollywood area. I will be looking for work once we arrive.

I was hoping to hear the pros and cons of both areas or suggestions on another area to consider.

We are looking for an area that is relatively central and has shops/cafes etc close by. Safe enough to walk around. We will have a car but are also looking for something that is accessible by public transport. We are after a 1 bedroom/studio around the $2000 mark.

If you could give your thoughts on both areas that would be great.
Thanks

[katenik]

Lots already posted here about those two areas. Both well within your budget, both 'gay friendly', so it's up to you to decide which sounds more your speed. Los Feliz is closer to Burbank; Miracle Mile is closer to West H'wood. Six of one..., as they say. Use the search tool to learn more.

My personal preference would be Miracle Mile, because although Los Feliz itself is a nice area, it is surrounded by some pretty scummy neighborhoods that you would have to drive through to get there from three directions.

[King0fthehill]

How many of these threads do we need?!?! Seriously, these neighborhoods (moreso in LF's favor) come up on a weekly basis..maybe even more.

Both neighborhoods are pretty comparable, but as katenik said, Los Feliz is surrounded by some total pits (freeways, crummy parts of east hollywood, etc) and has some seedy areas itself. For better or worse, the are is a little more trendy than Miracle Mile, and also caters to the 20-something trendster demographic. Oh, and Los Feliz has better transit access (Red Line, Vermont Rapid -- 754, Pasadena Rapid -- 780, tons 'o Sunset buses, etc etc).

Miracle Mile isn't as eclectic and is alot more traditional and straight-laced (and it shows on our pathetic shopping corridor- Wilshire between Fairfax/La Brea). OTOH, the neighborhood is fairly uniform, unlike Los Feliz which has some less than desirable/marginal area, thus making it much more predictable.. MM is also less dense, with many single family residences, and has many more families...especially north of Wilshire. Less traffic, too. The greater Los Feliz/Griffith Park nexus is hands down one of the worst areas to be during rush hour.

Based on your recommendations, I'd give Silverlake, Larchmont Village, Venice, West Hollywood and even Old Town Pasadena and South Pasadena a look -- especially as the latter 2 have stellar transit options.

[uptown_urbanist]

I prefer Los Feliz, as I find it more interesting than Miracle Mile. Those "scummy" neighborhoods referred to above are actually quite interesting, and are filled with lots of interesting shops and restaurants. Both areas are accessible by public transit.

I also really like Hollywood. It's close to both Burbank and West Hollywood, and offers a very vibrant neighborhood life. It is also extremely well-served by public transit, including direct buses to both Burbank and West Hollywood.

You're smart to do a sublet first; as you can tell, once you get past the basics it comes down to personal preference, and you really won't can't get a full taste of each neighborhood without seeing them in person.

[katenik]

If our personal piece of a third world slum right in the middle of our city counts as "interesting," bore me, please.

[LABornandRaised]

I'm not too familiar with Los Feliz, but in the Miracle Mile, my partner was robbed at gunpoint near his apartment (close to the Grove), so I can't say it's a very safe area. Granted it was at around 10pm, which is not really a good time to be walking.

[TheRealAngelion]

Originally Posted by LABornandRaised

I'm not too familiar with Los Feliz, but in the Miracle Mile, my partner was robbed at gunpoint near his apartment (close to the Grove), so I can't say it's a very safe area. Granted it was at around 10pm, which is not really a good time to be walking.

I can assure you that someone has been robbed in Los Feliz at gunpoint too on more than one occasion.

To the OP, the bottom line is you should visit both areas to see which you like best. They are really quite different from one another.

I personally prefer Miracle Mile because it's centrally located with easy access to Beverly Hills, Century City, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Koreatown, and downtown. It has a very high concentration of all kinds of stores and shops, restaurants, cafes, coffee houses, bakeries, and two large fashionable malls (Grove and Beverly Center). I also think it has a more diverse and ecclectic mix of people who live in and frequent the area.

[LaoTzuMindFu]

Originally Posted by katenik

My personal preference would be Miracle Mile, because although Los Feliz itself is a nice area, it is surrounded by some pretty scummy neighborhoods that you would have to drive through to get there from three directions.

I totally agree with this. OP, if I were you, Id definitely choose Miracle Mile over Los Feliz. Nothing wrong with Los Feliz at all, but in choosing between the two, hands down Miracle Mile is the better location. I look at like if I were buying a home, which area would I prefer? It would be Miracle Mile.

Los Feliz is kinda like a "wannabe hip/trendy" North Hollywood. Lots of apartment buildings compared to MM and definitely a lower rent area that is surrounded by even lower rent areas.

[uptown_urbanist]

I guess "lower rent" is all relative - I always thought of Los Feliz as on the pricier side. It is trendy, though, potentially annoyingly so. Those apartment buildings add density to support the many restaurants and shops along Vermont and Hillhurst.

As far as surrounding neighborhoods, are you referring to places like Silverlake? For many people that's a highly desirable neighborhood. And on the other side is east Hollywood, which does have some not as nice areas, but it's also filled with some great Thai and Armenian restaurants. To the south isn't particularly exciting, admittedly. But the OP is not considering living in these so-called "scummy" neighborhoods, anyway, she's talking about Los Feliz itself. It's not like she'll be dodging a hailstorm of bullets as she drives in out out of her neighborhood each day (or takes the bus or the subway, for that matter - I commuted through Los Feliz and adjacent neighborhoods every day for two years with no problems); I think the danger here is really being overstated.

Of course to each his own, and the nice thing about LA is that it does offer something for every taste.

[LABornandRaised]

Originally Posted by TheRealAngelion

I can assure you that someone has been robbed in Los Feliz at gunpoint too on more than one occasion.

To the OP, the bottom line is you should visit both areas to see which you like best. They are really quite different from one another.

I personally prefer Miracle Mile because it's centrally located with easy access to Beverly Hills, Century City, West Hollywood, Hollywood, Koreatown, and downtown. It has a very high concentration of all kinds of stores and shops, restaurants, cafes, coffee houses, bakeries, and two large fashionable malls (Grove and Beverly Center). I also think it has a more diverse and ecclectic mix of people who live in and frequent the area.

My point being, this event hit close to home (as in my life). If someone in my life was personally affected, the odds are the occurences are quite high. You can hear about robberies happening everywhere, but when it happens to you or your family, I think it affects you on a different level.

Anyway, on a different topic, wasn't there a homeless man in the Miracle Mile, Park La Brea area that was set on fire by some a-hole recently?