Which area/neighborhood do you think has the most potential in city? (Los Angeles: 2009, neighborhoods)

[King0fthehill]

...It'd be best if one could support their choice with reasoning/facts/opinions/etc, and if possible, pictures.

I'd say Westlake has the most potential for LA:

1. Westlake has 2 train lines, ensuring easy service to locales/destinations such as Old Town Pasadena, Downtown Los Angeles, The Staples Center, LA Live, Downtown Long Beach, Hollywood, Universal City, NoHo Arts District, LAX, Olvera Street, Chinatown, Koreatown, etc and soon, USC, Expo Park and Little Tokyo are all within reach.
2. What is, quite possibly the most grand urban park in the city (not including the mammoth Griffith Park, anyways);
3. The most charming and ornate housing/building stock: its preponderance of pre-WW2 masterpieces; buildings that illustrated unfettered ambition and starkly contrast to their current states of various disarray;
4. Density and lots of it;
5. Flourishing culture that is both bustling and vibrant, etc;
6. It is also one of the few nabes where people could WALK to work (assuming they work in Downtown Los Angeles).

Lastly, don't be lazy and forget to click on the mini-compilation of photos I've taken in the neighborhood.

Happy posting!

[Exitus Acta Probat]

I vote for South Los Angeles, because of all the diversity.

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

Westlake is a good choice. I would argue that East Hollywood has a bright future.

1. The Red Line train runs through the area.
2. The Hollywood Freeway Park will be a big draw when it's built.
3. It sits between two very popular areas - the west side of Hollywood and Silver Lake.
4. It's centrally located.
5. Easy access to the 101-Freeway.
6. A new Target store is slated to be built at Sunset and Western. http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/0...pment_du_5.php

Curbed LA talked about East Hollywood's "ascent" a few months ago.

Racked LA: East Hollywood Continues its Ascent with Early California Antiques

[King0fthehill]

Good case, AnUnidentifiedMale....any other places you think are laden with potential?

[AnUnidentifiedMale]

Originally Posted by King0fthehill

Good case, AnUnidentifiedMale....any other places you think are laden with potential?

Depends on your perspective and your definition of "potential". I guess my second choice would be Echo Park, but some would say Echo Park is already gentrified, while others would say it's still a dump.

[US-Traveller]

I think Echo Park and some parts of the San Fernando Valley as well as East Los Angeles have the most potential for future investment. I would love to say Hawthorne, Inglewood, or Compton, but they have been close to very expensive and wealthy areas for many years and have shown little improvement, so I think it will take many more and would require a more robust California economy.

I also might add East Hollywood, except it will be very difficult to overcome its touristy nature.

[cowman809]

Culver City

- Booming art district
- Booming downtown area
- Train line to Downtown and soon SAMO
- Most perfect location in LA, right by the beach, LAX, Beverly Hills, downtown, crenshaw, inglewood, UCLA, USC, SMC, I can go on...
- Extremely diverse, yet peaceful
- Small town look with Big City economy/traffic
- Excellent bus line
- Scenic bike path (la ballona) to the marina
- Blue ribbon schools

[2Easy]

Two neighborhoods to keep an eye on are Boyle Heights and the area around USC. New train lines will open in both areas and unlike the the blue and green lines they will attract investment very quickly.

[avseahawks]

Westlake and East Hollywood are obvious choices for the Central City, in South LA it would be Exposition Park, Jefferson Park, and West Adams (the Expo line will do wonders), and in the Valley its Van Nuys and North Hollywood although I would argue that at least some of NoHo's potential is already being realized but could use work north of the Arts District. The Valley Plaza development will be crucial in moving it forward. Both NoHo and Van Nuys are dense as it is and along current and future transit and have a nice collection of parks with potential or already nice like North Hollywood park off of Tujunga (though many of Van Nuys' best were siphoned off by the Valley Glen, Lake Balboa and Sherman Oaks secessions)

[Petrala]

I'd say if you are a young couple contemplating kids or have kids, the Lake Balboa area would be a good investment. Housing prices are deflated, and some nice homes with 1500+ sq ft and nice sized lots with established trees and lawns can be had for very reasonable prices. Access is close to metro transit as well as a very large recreational area for biking, walking, dog park, lake, etc. Birmingham high has now formally become a charter school so it won't have to deal with stupid LA city school district, YIppppEEEEE!