S. Rampart Village area (Orange, McArthur: mover, neighborhoods, theater) - Los Angeles - California (CA) - City-Data Forum

JMONK · 02-06-2012, 08:33 AM

My wife and I are moving to LA the first week of May. It's just the two of us and our pit bull. We're planing on keeping it small either a studio or 1 bedroom. I found some places in the S. Rampart area that are well priced and allow the type of dog we have I'm just concerned about the area since it does seem to be a little on the cheap side. If anyone lives in that area I would really appreaciate any info.

A1Lexo · 02-06-2012, 08:47 AM

First off, I don't know anyone who calls that area Rampart Village. Second, it's an area that has a very bad reputation, but it's also one of the coolest parts of L.A. There are theaters near by. Lots of great food. It's poor, and there is crime, but as with much of L.A these days, the danger gets exaggerated on these boards. Here are two articles about neighborhoods in the area that may be helpful.

Westlake, LA - NabeWise, neighborhoods revealed

P-Town Stay Down - Historic Filipinotown for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at the Amoeblog

JohnG72 · 02-06-2012, 08:55 AM

I don't think anyone can provide a concrete answer as its literally block by block in that area. I've been on one street there where the area between Temple and Beverly was an absolute mess...like I live in the city and I was scared in that one block....yet the same street south of Beverly was a totally different vibe and look.

JMONK · 02-06-2012, 09:42 AM

Hey thanks for the input. I knew when I put Rampart Village I was probably setting myself up. It sounds like it's hit or miss but there's also some cool stuff in the area. I saw there was a famous hamburger spot that puts chili on the hamburger so it can't be all bad. I think we might be leaning toward Hollywood it just seems like the dog could be a little tricky there.

Mr. Opinionated · 02-09-2012, 04:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMONK

It sounds like it's hit or miss but there's also some cool stuff in the area. I saw there was a famous hamburger spot that puts chili on the hamburger so it can't be all bad.

\

Lol... Well if you mean Tommy's, you cant use that as a barometer, as other cool chilli burger spots like Pink's and Carney's are all in different kinds of places, and signify nothing about whether their areas are safe or not. L.A. is just to expansive and as mentioned earlier, different from block to block, to sum up what to expect from a neighborhood from weekend to weekend.

Das Disco · 02-09-2012, 05:06 PM

I live off 3rd and La Fayette Park Place. Its a very nice street. The surrounding area is... well... i would be lying if i said it was 100% safe. The next block over is Rampart.

In general, i really like where i live. The bad thing is parking is very hard to come by, you wouldnt want to walk around a lot on Rampart especially at night. I have parked for from my building and had to walk at night and never had a problem.

Magisan · 02-29-2012, 04:53 PM

There are some really great inexpensive housing with great character in LA if you are willing to keep an open mind. Safe and cheap are all relative depending on what you are used to & your comfort level. If you want the quiet suburb feel where streets are wide and housing is similar block by block then Orange County or the valley is probably a better fit. But in general the heart of LA is about living street to street. "Rampart Village" is small section with a new name designation so most folks are not familiar with the term. There are parts that are gritty yes but there are great pockets in that neighborhood that most people are unaware of and it has a lot to offer since it is so central to the city and so close to Echo Park & Silver Lake, Korea town, or Downtown. LaFayette st. to Vermont Ave. between Temple st. and Wilshire blvd. have some great finds & very doable if you find a great building or small duplex. For now since you are new to LA, don't bother looking south of W. 3rd st. between S. Rampart blvd. and Union Ave. This is getting close to the McArthur Park area. A single, young, artsy musician guy can do Mc Park or an LA native gentrifer but probably be difficult for young couple from out of town with a pit. That said, there are some great housing stock in that section that will probably get revamped as it has some great history as it was once the burgeoning LA art scene back in the day. There are some great architectural bldgs you just don't see often. In general North of Beverly Blvd. in the Echo Park neighborhood might be your speed. It's got a young hip, art & music vibe with a nightlife mixed into an existing ethnic community. There are some nice quiet streets in the hills if that suits you too. Moderator cut: links removed

Overall, pricing is more expensive north of Sunset Blvd. and gets cheaper the further south you go. But they are starting to climb as gentrifiers are creeping into the area south of the 101. If you are a mover and a shaker, don't let comments like "stay away from south of the 101 freeway" scare you. Yes there are dicey streets south of the freeway but there are some great streets as well in Echo Park's Historic Filipinotown section. As I mentioned, living in the heart of LA is block by block and in my opinion there are some great bargains between Temple and Beverly with some original Craftsmans and spanish style duplexes & fourplexes just west of Alvarado.

The other great area to check out is Echo Park's Victor Heights neighborhood. This is truly a bargain if you want downtown skyline views and an awesome park to hike. Most people don't know about the hill since it has only a few streets that go through it but it's right below Elysian Park (great hikes for the dog) and just above Sunset. Really great Spanish style bungalows and duplexes on Marview and White Knoll. It's the most eastern edge of Echo Park yet a stones throw to the Downtown scene, Little Tokyo, Arts district and Chinatown & not to mention all great cafes and bars up Sunset by the Junction. Hope this helps.

JMONK · 03-01-2012, 08:51 AM

Magisan thank you very much for all the great info.

Magisan · 03-02-2012, 08:57 AM

You bet. And if you are still curious about the Echo Park nabe, since the link with some information got removed by the moderator (sorry, didn't know I couldn't post since I'm new to this forum) you can check out "Echo Park Now". It's a blog with good underground info and there's a map under "about echo park" tab. (I have no affiliation but of all the blogs out there for Echo Park, this one seems written in a less opinionated voice but with great current info) Other thing is to check out wikipedia for any nabes you are curious about. Best of luck!