Is there anything wrong with Van Nuys? (Burbank: apartment complex, neighborhood)

[Hungry For Cheese]

I am taking a class where we had to give an oral presentation. One guy kept saying "Sheb-ro-let"...as in let me get you a drink....LET...not lay....

[fastfilm]

This is relevant as to why we cannot gentrify:

Originally Posted by fastfilm

Some backstory and forwardstory: Van Nuys Blvd., until roughly twenty years ago, had many businesses for all sorts of community needs, department stores, movie theatres, book stores, many kinds of restaurants. The Van Nuys Auto sales district is a vestigial remnant, God bless 'em.

Nowadays, the rest of Van Nuys Blvd. remains stores catering to foreign nationals and immigrants, both legal and illegal, with a specialty of south of our border; i.e., my Asian neighbors as well as fellow afficianados can't find gourmet mom+pop Asian eateries, or even eateries of any other hemispheres. There's also a huge emphasis on third world type sales mindset: I've been eye-witness to peddlars of narcocorridora music cds, copyright-infringing black market media, and hordes of uninspected food vendors selling stale and worse food to children.

Ten years ago, surrounding the Valley secessionist threats, L.A. deigned to transfer funds to needy Valley neighborhoods, and I participated in the Targeted Neighborhood Initiatives that funneled monies to my area for sidewalk repair, speed-bumps, trees planted and building code enforcement. This made for some nice quality of life repairs that benefitted all, and there were many committees and many discussions of how to help all of the area, residential and business. By the by, some of us artier types had to explain to more conservative others that the Ritmo Latino music store that used to be here was in fact a Melrose-type store, with its exuberant modern design and attraction to the young. And we actually got our Historic Preservation Zone Overlay for the sole remnant of the old Valley between Vanowen and Victory, east of Van Nuys Blvd.

What happened next is ...dicey. The districts were re-gerrymandered away from the councilpeople that were helping the forward motion here. It became very clear that, with the exception of clean-up immediately around the Valley City Hall wherein councilpeople would have to actually traverse, the surrounding area was meant to be a dumping ground so that tonier neighborhoods wouldn't have to suffer dog pounds, parole offices, block-wide swap meets and outdoor, stadium-amplification noise festival events that punish all taxpaying home-owning residents nearby.

There is a twelve story office building on Van Nuys near Sherman Way that was damaged in the '94 earthquake that could have been repaired to house pricey offices with an uninterrupted view of the Valley, which could have goosed badly needed tax bases here very nicely. Instead, the city wants to put "projects" housing there.

The city does not want, and cannot get, an upscale area by pursuing its current flaggellation of the Valley policies. After one visit, I know I won't visit the Panorama City Mall again, as it features little I would be interested in, and there's even a language barrier. I am holding out hopes for the Victory Blvd. development near Fulton wherein the owner actually claimed that he decried the lack of basic middle class amenities for our area, such as actual restaurant variety, and was actively pursuing same for this spot.

And brikag, no one is going to go for condos sold as "upscale" in Panorama City along Van Nuys Blvd. This is the exact area wherein the Valley has its one and only gang injunction against the Blythe St. hoodlums and all the others.

As someone who lives here, I'd have to add the language barriers are formidable. There are very few actual "bi-linguals:" most speak the language of the countries from they emigrated, and functionally cannot understand English. They remain overtly antagonistic towards those not from "their home country;" i.e., American citizens, both born and naturalized.

Our HPOZ (historic zone) remains the oasis of neighborliness, as it's more quiet, better maintained, and attracts families interested in avoiding slums within their affordability parameters. No one would be here if we could all afford better; therefore we make the best of it, hence my neighborhood activism.

[Winston Smith]

Chevrolet -- isn't that about as American as one can get? After mom and apple pie, of course.

[ArthursChoice]

Originally Posted by Hungry For Cheese

Yes...Hispanics.....gangs, drugs, crime...Van Nuys BLVD looks trashy and everything is in Spanish...it's like TJ.
Of course there is good and bad...but personally, I see the bad and I don't like it.

DITTO! I was thinking it was a trick question. Is there anything wrong with Van Nuys? Is Beyonce a GREAT singer? LOL. just a joke...Just take that NO and flip it and you'll have your answer.

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by EGR 818

well obviously its not as bad as j-berg, but the other night on vanowen an suv pulled up next to me and some friends asked us were we were from and pointed a gun at us because one of my friends was wearing a pittsburgh pirates hat. Not something you want to have to deal with in the area you live.

It's stories like that which would make me stay the away from the area!

I've actually walked down Van Nuys Blvd., but during the daytime only. It is very "ethnic" and no one harassed me, but I didn't feel proud or happy to be there. It's no Melrose, if that's what someone is looking to live near.

I have relatives who live in Van Nuys and Northridge and they complain about the same issues as many people here have but they still choose to live there. IMO, if you find an apartment in a building that has good neighbors even if the area isn't so great looking then you'll be okay. Like someone else suggested, go visit the place you want to live at both night and day to be sure.

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by fastfilm

No one would be here if we could all afford better; therefore we make the best of it, hence my neighborhood activism.

This is why I admire you, Fastfilm! You try to make the area better, despite all the noncompliance and unreasonable actions of the city council. You don't just sit around and complain about it! Go you!

[ITChick]

Originally Posted by Hungry For Cheese

I was just telling someone at work how stupid it is. He said all the Pacoima boys will be wearing Phillies hats because they won the World Series...I said, "nah they stick to their Pirates hat for that gangsta image..."

That doesn't mean your car was targeted because of your friends hat though...but if they were hispanic...most likely.

Absolutely true! The gangbangers wearing "Pirates" logos started many years ago! Just as you can't wear Red or Blue in certain areas, you shouldn't be wearing the Pirates logo either, just to be safe.

Sometimes "freedom of speech" can be dangerous.

[LAPTOP GAMER]

Not unless you enjoy the Mexican lifestyle and are fluent in Spanish, not at all.

[debbiev2]

Van Nuys area is part of Sherman Oaks, just take a look at the tract map. This was a working middle class area. Lockheed went out of business, and families had to moved. That did not leave a sweet taste in one's mouth. Those closer to retirement was able to maintain their homes. The beauty of living in Van Nuys is because its a jewel. All FWY are accessible, and you don't have the stress of driving two hours to get home from work. On most major streets are mutiple family units which anywhere in Los Angeles creates problem. I find Van Nuys to be a melting pot with all groups of people. I moved here around 2000, and I have seen a shift of the area improving. Why, again its a jewel, and affordable. As far as public schools, you get what you get. If you looking for a place to call home, and to get your neighbors then you may want to move here. It is a place to grow. Furthermore, check with Van Nuys Police department, I think you are going to find that it is not bad, at all. Folks that want to judge ethic groups based upon their perception then it doesn't really do justice to the community. Sure, you have vendors trying to sell good, but they don't last long because there's not much demand. One more thing, there's alot of developers that know its a jewel, and alot people sold their house and moved. For instance, the last home on my street sold for $525,000 about two years ago, and this is around Woodman/Sherman Way. There are pockets of Van Nuys/or streets, I would say that I wouldn't go down, but overall, LAPD does a good job. Welcome to the Neighborhood.

[tuscanigirl]

Originally Posted by xpo166

How is the area around sherman way. I was planning to live in a new condo there in between Van Nuys and Woodman.

Its pretty bad. Shopping mall places line Van Nuys Blvd and there's also a few places that shoot porn in the area (they in the warehouse area). There is nothing redeeming about that area unless you buy or sell drugs.