Moving: Where to Live on LA's West Side?

[GrooveMerchant]

What is PCH? Sounds cool. Could pop over to Malibu and lay down a drum groove for Sting perhaps too? I like those Pacific ocean waves on that recent Sting DVD.

[BRinSM]

Pacific Coast Highway

[Los Angel]

The one thig you'll definetley need is reliable transportation. Gigs are all over the palce. If you are going to do the beach scene, Venice might be a good option. Lot's of artist and musician types (and a few crackheads). Overall Venice is a great place. You might more in your element vs. El Segundo, which is ultra conservative and has a hypervigilent police force. There are psuedo lofts (new developments that were recently built to look cool) scattered around L.A., but true industrial lofts are in Downtown L.A., which has recently become a cool place to live. Nice little nightlife, artist types scattred throughout with the homeless.

So my recs are:

1. Go with established resources first to get started (i.e., friend, close to job)
2. Beach $$$ (1. Venice 2. Santa Monica, both not cheap but fun)
3. Hollywood Area $$$, (Laurel Canyon, Studio City, Sunset Area, Melrose, all west of Highland)
4. Hollywood Area $$, (East of Highland Ave, to around Vermont Ave, cool pockets of artsy living, mixed in L.A. seediness, everything is case by case basis).
5. Los Feliz Area $$ to $$$, ( a little north east of Hollywood, great artsy community (rentals), with just the right amount of seediness).
6. Silverlake $$ to $$$, very similar to Los Feliz

[GrooveMerchant]

I'm almost thinking motorcycle. Good times. I'd like to fuse loft living, music scene, and possibly beach area. More wknd research.