Do you consider LA to be flat? (Los Angeles, San Francisco: dorm, neighborhood)

[LuvSouthOC]

The city of Los Angeles? Yes. I think of it as flat. The area, no way!

[GatsbyGatz]

LA has a large mountain range within its city limit that essentially divides the city in half. At the foot of the mountain range are LA's famed hills. LA does become flatter outside of these hills that surround the mountains (think Downtown/South/Central/West LA and most of the San Fernando Valley).

Downtown/South/Central/West LA and most of the San Fernando Valley is generally not as hilly as other West Coast cities such as San Francisco or Seattle, but on the other hand, SF and SEA don't have a massive mountain range within city limits like LA.

But I think it's worth mentioning that part of the reason why LA became such a prominent and populated city is because of the abundance of flat, easy-to-develop land so close to the coast within the LA Basin when compared to other West Coast cities like SF and Seattle, which have very complicated geography and limited land space available. LA city planners in the early 1900's didn't have obstacles to overcome like steep hills or water barriers. The only obstacle was planning around the limited water supply. Once water was transported in, it was all history.

[Pincho-toot]

I'm from Miami so anywhre is pretty flat.

EDIT: Oops! Anywhere is pretty, NON-FLAT!

[erin_elise_]

Originally Posted by GatsbyGatz

LA has a large mountain range within its city limit that essentially divides the city in half. At the foot of the mountain range are LA's famed hills. LA does become flatter outside of these hills that surround the mountains (think Downtown/South/Central/West LA and most of the San Fernando Valley).

Downtown/South/Central/West LA and most of the San Fernando Valley is generally not as hilly as other West Coast cities such as San Francisco or Seattle, but on the other hand, SF and SEA don't have a massive mountain range within city limits like LA.

But I think it's worth mentioning that part of the reason why LA became such a prominent and populated city is because of the abundance of flat, easy-to-develop land so close to the coast within the LA Basin when compared to other West Coast cities like SF and Seattle, which have very complicated geography and limited land space available. LA city planners in the early 1900's didn't have obstacles to overcome like steep hills or water barriers. The only obstacle was planning around the limited water supply. Once water was transported in, it was all history.

you're right! I believe L.A. is the only "major" city with a major mountain range that divides it. (highest peak at approx 10,000 feat at Mt. Baldy.) That's pretty impressive and distinct. Other cities might have mountain ranges, but they are not traversed through to get to other parts of the city like the greater L.A. area.

[West of Encino]

More like hilly.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Anecdote. So I was in Los Feliz with my wife one day. After lunching we felt a little guilty, so we started to head north. There is a trail head in a small park that is like a spur off of Griffith. Started out just a little up grade. And then ... emerging at the crest, we knew we'd done justice to our lunch.

[quixotic59]

Originally Posted by BayAreaHillbilly

Anecdote. So I was in Los Feliz with my wife one day. After lunching we felt a little guilty, so we started to head north. There is a trail head in a small park that is like a spur off of Griffith. Started out just a little up grade. And then ... emerging at the crest, we knew we'd done justice to our lunch.

Was that the one off of Fern Dell Drive that leads up to the observatory? That one almost killed me the first time we did it!!!

[theraven24]

LA is not flat.

[Tlaneloli]

I'm from the Eastside ain't flat around here, especially Northeast.

South Central aside from Baldwin Hills is fairly long and flat though.

Hills on the westside too, and in Los Feliz and Silverlake and Echo Park iirc.

Maybe those two little neighborhoods west of Pico Union too, that I'm not so sure about though.

[munchitup]

The historic city limits of LA are hilly with DTLA, Echo Park, Westlake, Chinatown, Pico Union all being very hilly.

Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Highland Park, Eagle Rock and other Eastside or Eastside-ish neighborhoods are hilly. Mid City is hilly. On the Westside Mar Vista, Santa Monica, West Los Angeles, Baldwin / Crenshaw areas are hilly.

Lots and lots of non flat neighborhoods. Even Pasadena is relatively hilly.