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Yeah... Los Angeles 101 (so to speak), Lesson 1: North Hollywood is not Hollywood. There is no one who knows L.A. who doesn't know that. Why? Because it comes up from newcomers all the time.
Yeah... Los Angeles 101 (so to speak), Lesson 1: North Hollywood is not Hollywood. There is no one who knows L.A. who doesn't know that. Why? Because it comes up from newcomers all the time.
so what? how is that relevant to the discussion? are the strip malls in hollywood nicer than the strip malls in north hollywood? or vice versa? does the branch of starbucks in one offer a slightly better menu selection than the other branch? can you spot more celebrities in one than the other? do the tacos taste better in north hollywood? if so then color me shocked! I never knew two LA suburbs could be so vastly different from one another. its like night and day!
so what? how is that relevant to the discussion? are the strip malls in hollywood nicer than the strip malls in north hollywood? or vice versa? does the branch of starbucks in one offer a slightly better menu selection than the other branch? can you spot more celebrities in one than the other? do the tacos taste better in north hollywood? if so then color me shocked! I never knew two LA suburbs could be so vastly different from one another. its like night and day!
Well, they are different. It's hard to tell what your direct experience of either place is because you're launching into pat generalities. The only one trying to bring relevance to a discussion of Noho is you.
The last time I was in Hollywood was a couple of months ago. I drove and in fact I got lost. I'll never drive there again. A relative of mine lives near Hollywood and Western east of the 101. I took a wrong turn and went west. My experience of Hollywood Blvd is it's not that wide at all, which is why I get confused by characterizations of grand arteries with ample parking, bigger than Geary or Van Wyck or Queens Blvd. Even the adjacent blocks, no. I wanted to stop off at the Fresh and Easy munchitup once posted about then. No way.
North Hollywood is in the Valley way out there. I wanted to go to that club that has all the weird crap and clown stuff but the walk from the Red Line is dicey and I heard bad things about the owners anyway. But I have a cousin who moved there and I visited him instead. I personally dig it out there. It has a lost vibe that's suburban but funky in a real, little bit dangerous way. But my direct experience is it's not Hollywood.
I dunno, those are my personal, direct impressions. Next time you visit both areas, why not bring your cell phone and show us some pics so we know what you're talking about.
I kind of like North Hollywood for what it is (although haven't been there for a few years) -- it's like Bunjee describes, a bit funky suburban with its own strange vibe. But it has a completely different feel than Hollywood.
Actually, I'm not totally clear on whether or not cisco kid has spent much time in LA at all, anywhere (or just drove through and saw the Hollywood sign from the car?) because even if looking at its "suburbs" (or neighborhoods, or whatever) they can vary SO much. You'd never mistake North Hollywood for Alhambra or San Gabriel, for example. Or Santa Monica for Sierra Madre. Or Beverly Hills for Huntington Park. And I agree: LA 101 is that Hollywood is NOT North Hollywood. It is also not West Hollywood. (It is also not Beverly Hills, another frequent point of confusion, resulting, I assume, from Hollywood the film industry versus Hollywood the actual physical neighborhood.)
FWIW, that incredible variety is part of why I love LA, although I hate freeways, parking lots, and strip malls more than the average person. Although I have also spent time in plenty of strip malls in the greater LA area, as they tend to be the best place to find little hole-in-the-wall interesting and cheap food places. Some of the best food in East Hollywood is found in the mini-strip mall locations, for example, although you may be hard-pressed to find a Starbucks or a celebrity.
In any case, Hollywood the neighborhood is a specific place within Los Angeles.
Actually, I'm not totally clear on whether or not cisco kid has spent much time in LA at all, anywhere (or just drove through and saw the Hollywood sign from the car?) because even if looking at its "suburbs" (or neighborhoods, or whatever) they can vary SO much.
as a visitor I didn't see anything in hollywood that was worth getting out of my car for.
besides that, people simply don't 'get out' of their cars, unless they're walking to the parking lot or to their driveway. because everyone in LA is constantly driving. in LA walking is only for the homeless.
Last edited by cisco kid; 07-29-2012 at 10:43 PM..
My experience of Hollywood Blvd is it's not that wide at all, which is why I get confused by characterizations of grand arteries with ample parking, bigger than Geary or Van Wyck or Queens Blvd. Even the adjacent blocks, no. I wanted to stop off at the Fresh and Easy munchitup once posted about then. No way.
Is the whole of Hollywood confined to just one street? Nobody's disputing that Hollywood Boulevard is a more narrow, pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare that is more characteristic of typical commercial thoroughfares on the East Coast. But it's just ONE street. What about people who are not lucky enough to be get an apartment/house a block away from Hollywood Boulevard?
And before I hear the typical cries of "you're cherrypicking!" I should make it clear that that's pretty much exactly what I've done. The difference in urban quality between, say, Hollywood and NoLita is that you don't have dead, lifeless pockets littered with various forms of off-street parking in the latter. As one poster pointed out in a City vs. City thread, you never hear anyone say "That's a terrible, unwalkable stretch of Dupont Circle I have no need to go to" or "That's a terrible, unwalkable stretch of Mulberry Street I have no reason to visit" or "That's a terrible, unwalkable stretch of Back Bay I have no reason to go to."
Is the whole of Hollywood confined to just one street? Nobody's disputing that Hollywood Boulevard is a more narrow, pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare that is more characteristic of typical commercial thoroughfares on the East Coast. But it's just ONE street. What about people who are not lucky enough to be get an apartment/house a block away from Hollywood Boulevard?
Plus, I've posted an article about it a million times, but the adjacent La Brea Ave is getting five mixed use projects which are definitely going to increase the amenities in the area while making it more walkable. Two of the three corners in the streetview I posted are part of those projects and are progressing very quickly.
I would live here in a heartbeat. Melrose is similar to Hollywood Blvd in that it is narrow and has a ton of patio dining, local businesses and plenty of great bars/entertainment. Yes it has a suburban aesthetic, and yes, I would probably be a little less "car-light" but still very urban and walkable. Not exactly the best area for transit though.
This is a pretty poor area of Hollywood, not very interested in living here. Most of the amenities are geared towards the low-income residents of the area, most of which are newcomers from Latin America. That area is also pretty industrial as it was the area that a lot of the sets were built and other movie-related industrial work.
All in all, those areas may not look appealing to someone from the East Coast, but they are more than just a little walkable. For many of those locations a commercial boulevard is a block or two away. These areas are ideal for car-light living.
as a visitor I didn't see anything in hollywood that was worth getting out of my car for.
besides that, people simply don't 'get out' of their cars, unless they're walking to the parking lot or to their driveway. because everyone in LA is constantly driving. in LA walking is only for the homeless.
That's your problem right there.
This does bring out another point about pedestrian activity in Hollywood. People that drive to locations in Hollywood are not going to be able to drive and park right in front of their destinations every single time or even most of the time. The walk from their car to the store will add to the pedestrian environment.
The last trip I used a car for was to get my cell phone fixed near La Brea / Melrose (near that streetview Bajan posted). I decided to take the car because the repair shop was going to close and I didn't think I had enough time for the bus. I ended up parking about 8 blocks away at the first metered spot I could find, and walked about .5 miles back to the shop. For that mile from the car to the store to the car (and for another mile when I had to go refill the meter while they were working), I was a pedestrian and added to the amount of people walking on the street (which was quite a few at 6 PM). I was certainly no less a pedestrian than if I had just chosen to take the 212 bus to Melrose / La Brea and walked down Melrose from there.
Last edited by munchitup; 07-30-2012 at 03:02 PM..
Literally right around the corner from this: Google Maps
Plus, I've posted an article about it a million times, but the adjacent La Brea Ave is getting five mixed use projects which are definitely going to increase the amenities in the area while making it more walkable. Two of the three corners in the streetview I posted are part of those projects and are progressing very quickly.
Haven't we been over Walkscore's overly-simplistic methodology about a zillion times already? As this guy stated:
Quote:
Scott Bricker, the director of America Walks, says, “If you do a Walk Score search on Beaverton Transit Center, in suburban Portland, it has a Walk Score of 96, off the charts,” he says. “If you look at a Google Map, you see you can’t walk anywhere. It’s all strip mall stuff, five lane streets.”
Quote:
Originally Posted by munchitup
I would live here in a heartbeat. Melrose is similar to Hollywood Blvd in that it is narrow and has a ton of patio dining, local businesses and plenty of great bars/entertainment. Yes it has a suburban aesthetic, and yes, I would probably be a little less "car-light" but still very urban and walkable. Not exactly the best area for transit though.
That area looks absolutely dead.
Quote:
Originally Posted by munchitup
This is a pretty poor area of Hollywood, not very interested in living here. Most of the amenities are geared towards the low-income residents of the area, most of which are newcomers from Latin America. That area is also pretty industrial as it was the area that a lot of the sets were built and other movie-related industrial work.
Isn't Hollywood supposed to be one of the best urban areas in the LA region? If so, that's a bit sad, honestly. Again, you never hear people say, "That's a pretty poor area of the West Village/Dupont Circle/Rittenhouse/Back Bay/Haight-Ashbury, not very interested in living there." There's a dramatic difference in the quality of the built environment.
Quote:
Originally Posted by munchitup
All in all, those areas may not look appealing to someone from the East Coast, but they are more than just a little walkable. For many of those locations a commercial boulevard is a block or two away. These areas are ideal for car-light living.
I would say it's comparable to Little Five Points/Inman Park in Atlanta in terms of function, but denser in form. I don't think I would be doing a lot of walking there just like I would not be doing a lot of walking in some of Brooklyn's southern neighborhoods.
Haven't we been over Walkscore's overly-simplistic methodology about a zillion times already? As this guy stated:
That area looks absolutely dead.
Isn't Hollywood supposed to be one of the best urban areas in the LA region? If so, that's a bit sad, honestly. Again, you never hear people say, "That's a pretty poor area of the West Village/Dupont Circle/Rittenhouse/Back Bay/Haight-Ashbury, not very interested in living there." There's a dramatic difference in the quality of the built environment.
I would say it's comparable to Little Five Points/Inman Park in Atlanta in terms of function, but denser in form. I don't think I would be doing a lot of walking there just like I would not be doing a lot of walking in some of Brooklyn's southern neighborhoods.
Hollywood has low income areas because it is not just a "neighborhood" - it is larger, closer to a district of Los Angeles (i.e. South Bronx). It has poor areas and more wealthy areas, and neighborhoods within it. I consider this diversity of neighborhoods within it a good thing because hoods you mentioned have had nearly all the character sucked out of them by over-gentrification (and are the premier urban neighborhoods in their cities, which I don't think Hollywood is to LA). And like I said, it is an industrial area (not making excuses, that is just what it is). I don't see anything in those streetview that makes them inherently unwalkable, the worst I saw was just some parking lots that are ugly but very easy to walk past. It is going to take a while for LA to get an "A" in urban aesthetics. I just ignore the bad and enjoy the good, of which there is significantly more.
As far as Little Five Points, I see little in common with Hollywood. In form or function. Outside of the main drag that is Little Five points the rest of the neighborhood might as well be a rust-belt Thousand Oaks, CA. I'm sorry but density absolutely matters, even more than built environment. I would have a hard time finding any of this even remotely walkable.
Additionally, I notice the dramatic drop-off from the central area to outlying residential areas. In Hollywood it is much more gradual as you progress south (while it is sustained East-West).
If you find parts of South Brooklyn unwalkable, then are you really an objective commentator? Perhaps I am not objective either because I am willing to walk further or -gasp- past a parking lot or two.
Last edited by munchitup; 07-30-2012 at 06:49 PM..
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