Can you tell me about Panorama City? (Burbank: apartment, rentals)

[majoun]

Originally Posted by perek

I moved out here 2 years ago from Spartanburg, I currently reside in Woodland Hills. I would recommend only considering south of ventura blvd if you can.

I wouldn't. South of the 101/134 and north of Ventura is just as good.

However the Valley gets nastier as you go further north. While between Riverside/Camarillo and Magnolia's generally great, there are one or two bad streets mixed in. Between Magnolia and Burbank Blvd. most everything's pretty good with a handful of bad blocks/bad streets. North of Burbank the bad parts start to increase considerably although there are still good parts as far north as Oxnard St. North of Oxnard St. - fuggetaboutit! (This does NOT apply to the City of Burbank, which doesn't really have any bad areas - it has some run down areas, but nothing I'd consider "bad". Even the area by the airport is more run down than actually a bad neighborhood)

As for Panorama City - AVOID. One of the worst neighborhoods in the Valley which is saying A LOT. Panorama City is the Valley's equivalent of "The Jungle". Extremely crime ridden and gang ridden.

Personally I would choose Encino, Woodland Hills, Sherman Oaks in no particular order.

Woodland Hills is going to be too far of a commute for working in Panorama City. Encino's stretching it. Sherman Oaks would work, however, as would Valley Village, Studio City, Burbank, the better parts of North Hollywood like NOHO, or Toluca Lake ($$$$$, but then so's Encino)

Woodland Hills has the best value in housing bar none and is super close to the canyons and beaches.

Close to the canyons but nothing else, unless you're in the porn biz

woodland hills is the most convenient neighborhood in LA

ROTFLMAO! Woodland Hills is just about the LEAST convenient neighborhood in L.A. unless you're working there or nearby.

The most convenient neighborhood in L.A. would be somewhere around WeHo/Fairfax/Miracle Mile/Hancock Park. The most convenient neighborhood on the Valley side of the hill? Studio City. Easy proximity to the westside, Hollywood, Silver Lake, even downtown isn't that difficult to get to driving....
Sherman Oaks is only slightly less convenient (farther from Hollywood/Silver Lake and points further east although well connected to the westside). Encino isn't quite as well situated.

[JohnG72]

Originally Posted by crmorgan7

I just applied for a job at Kaiser Permanente in Panorama City. My husband and I are in our late 20s, don't want kids, and looking for a new and interesting place to live. We currently live in SC and we hate it. We enjoy watersports, hiking, kayaking, shopping, sight seeing, and much more. We are pretty open minded.

With that said, can you tell me anything about the area? Is it urban or suburban? Boring or exciting?

Panorama City is probably the last place you want to live. I'll note that the hospital is really nice and a very good facility.

Panorama City is majority latino, and lots of spanish speakers. Its old, entirely suburban, run down, and sort of ok, but not really the place for a young couple making an upper middle class income.

As others suggested, you will probably be much happier in Sherman Oaks, Toluca Lake, or Studio City. You can expand that to Burbank or Glendale if you like...even Silver Lake, but those places increase your commute. From Sherman Oaks, Toluca Lake, or Studio City, its probably a 20 minute morning and evening commute...its not far...maybe 6-7 miles at most, but there is street traffic.

As far as your interests:

For water sports you'll need to drive to the beach or to one of the lakes in the mountains. Beachs are 30min-1 hour drive depending on which one. Lakes are more like 45 min-3 hour drive depending on which one.

Hiking...theres lots in the hills above Sherman Oaks, in Griffith Park, in the parks above Burbank, and in the San Gabriel Mountains and Santa Monica Mountains, both about a 30-45 minute drive or more.

Lots of shopping and sightseeing along Ventura Bl. Also lots on the Westside(30 min weekend drive), Southbay(45 min weekend drive), downtown LA(20-30 min weekend drive) and in a whole lot of other places that are not far(Pasadena, Burbank, Glendale, etc).

[LABornandRaised]

Having lived in Panorama City a large part of my life, I saw it turn from a quaint suburb to a place I did not feel safe walking around. I moved out of PC in 1997, so I'm not sure how much it has changed as I try to avoid the North East Valley as much as I can. I recently drove through the area and it does look a lot more run down, especially where the Montgomery Wards building still stands empty.

Panorama sadly had gunshots practically everynight. I just started to ignore it. The closest I ever got to getting shot was when my parents and I were driving home and we saw one gang member shooting at another one and my dad told us all to "DUCK!" while he did a hard U-turn and got us the hell out of there.

I don't recommend living in PC. If you live on the outskirts, you should be fine. In the East Valley, the rule of thumb is the further south, the better the conditions will be. The following neighborhoods should be considered and they'll be listed from furthest distance to closest: Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Toluca Lake, Valley Village, NoHo Arts District, Burbank, and Valley Glen.

[SandyCo]

The L.A. Times just recently published a "crime map". Here are the most recent stats for Panorama City:

Panorama City Crime - Mapping L.A. - Los Angeles Times

I wouldn't live there. Lots of gang activity, barren landscape, rundown neighborhoods. There are poor places in the Valley, and then there are poor and dangerous places. Panorama City is both, unfortunately. People only live there if they can't afford to live elsewhere.

I agree that Sherman Oaks is an alternative, as are Valley Village, Toluca Lake, and Studio City. But I urge caution here, too... Make sure you check out the neighborhood very carefully and stay away from areas that might have apartment complexes that house Section 8 people. I'm all for helping the poor, but most of people on Section 8 in L.A. aren't the kind you'd want as neighbors!

[Fontucky]

Why hasn't anyone suggested Granada Hills North or Porter Ranch? Or maybe I missed it.

[UB50]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

Panorama City is majority latino, and lots of spanish speakers.

While you weren't looking, it changed. There is now a huge population of Filipinos. There is a big Filipino grocery store (just off Van Nuys Blvd.) and Filipino Mall. And another Filipino grocery store on Woodman (Seafood City).

There are loads of Filipinos living in Panorama City now.

[Count David]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Why hasn't anyone suggested Granada Hills North or Porter Ranch? Or maybe I missed it.

Nope, you sure didn't.

[Fontucky]

That's what I thought, but I was too lazy to reread the topic.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Fontucky

Why hasn't anyone suggested Granada Hills North or Porter Ranch? Or maybe I missed it.

I would have written that (or even Simi) but I sensed these people didn't want the family suburban lifestyle as much. GH and PR are nice but might be a little too bland? Whereas near Ventura Blvd might be a little more happening.

[CamaroGuy]

Panorama City is just a notch or two above Pacoima.