Walkable part of the city that is also quiet during the day

[disgruntled la native]

Originally Posted by munchitup

I wouldn't call that area particularly walkable though.

Yeah, too far and hectic to walk to Westwood Village.

[Cinema Cat]

Santa Monica is very noisy during the day. Even North of Montana is noisy during the day -- lots of McMansions being built up there. People on cell phones. Leaf blowers. Lots of cars diverted to side streets, trying to avoid traffic.

LOTS of construction going on all over Santa Monica. Roads being torn up. New buildings everywhere. Traffic everywhere.

Old-timers keep complaining that SM is "no longer a sleepy little beach town." And we're right.

[disgruntled la native]

yeah SM is one of the busiest, nosiest parts of la county now. The area by the pier rivals hollywood and highland

[jessemh431]

Hermosa Beach? It's full of young, single, attractive people. During the day it's a cute, walkable beach town. Nice restaurants around. Many of the residents have white-collar office jobs and the like, so they won't be around during the day. But at night, the city comes alive. The bars and clubs are packed nearly every weekend night.

Manhattan Beach just north of Hermosa is more family-oriented. Not as many young, single people, but still has the vibe. Even more upscale than Hermosa and nearly everyone has a high-paying white-collar job. Those usually require them to be gone during the day. Can get a little noisy in the downtown area because the trophy wives and stay-at-home moms go brunching and shopping with their friends in their Range Rovers, but nothing like Hollywood or Santa Monica.

Both can be downright insane in summer, on par with Hollywood and Santa Monica, but for locals instead of tourists. But this only on very rare occasions. Like a festival going on, a national holiday, etc.

Upside of living there is you can bike nearly everywhere. And you can even head down to the beach for daytime naps. During the week it doesn't get too crowded there, unlike Santa Monica, which attracts tourists. It might be a little noisy from the students not in school during summer, but plenty of open space to relax during the day.

Maybe Culver City as well. During lunch time, you might get some noise and traffic from the entertainment industry nearby going for lunch. But it's generally pretty quiet during the day. At night the downtown area comes alive with many restaurant/bars lining the streets and tons of outdoor seating. You can walk to the movies, dinner, bars, and Trader Joe's for groceries.

[owl6969]

Originally Posted by jessemh431

Manhattan Beach just north of Hermosa is more family-oriented. Not as many young, single people, but still has the vibe. Even more upscale than Hermosa and nearly everyone has a high-paying white-collar job. Those usually require them to be gone during the day. Can get a little noisy in the downtown area because the trophy wives and stay-at-home moms go brunching and shopping with their friends in their Range Rovers

places like that ain't noisy at all.

[jessemh431]

Originally Posted by owl6969

places like that ain't noisy at all.

Compared to Hollywood or Santa Monica or DTLA? No. Compared to Torrance or Irvine or Thousand Oaks? Yes.

[tygayolo415]

Originally Posted by JohnG72

At this point it's simply getting better.

No, it's not getting better. That's what people who are putting their eggs in the DTLA basket want to believe. Crime has gone through the roof in the past year, especially in DTLA. This is borne out in the anecdotes reported both on this board and in the news media and in the statistics from the authorities.

Living on a high floor in a modern high-rise is probably the best way to keep the outside noise down and still be in a congested area - which is what walkable really means.

[flibbertigibbet]

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

Beverly Grove. Lots going on there but very quiet during the day, and often at night too. Safe, decent price (still not cheap), convenient location.

I actually lived in Beverly Grove briefly (a few months) while I worked at a hospital in the area. I found it pleasant, but was unable to find much to do in the area at night. Has this changed or was I not looking hard enough?

[flibbertigibbet]

Originally Posted by Cinema Cat

Santa Monica is very noisy during the day. Even North of Montana is noisy during the day -- lots of McMansions being built up there. People on cell phones. Leaf blowers. Lots of cars diverted to side streets, trying to avoid traffic.

LOTS of construction going on all over Santa Monica. Roads being torn up. New buildings everywhere. Traffic everywhere.

Old-timers keep complaining that SM is "no longer a sleepy little beach town." And we're right.

Originally Posted by disgruntled la native

yeah SM is one of the busiest, nosiest parts of la county now. The area by the pier rivals hollywood and highland

I came across this comment on Quora from a musician from SM:

"Quiet all the time! If you hate noise, SM Police and the ocean do a great job of keeping things quiet. And if you like to stay inside and not be bothered, there is no nicer option."

Admittedly, the post was from 2012.

Are there parts of Santa Monica that are quieter than others (side streets) or is it pretty much just overrun by drunken tourists on segways?

I was visiting LA and driving around there just to get a feel for the area (will be moving permanently in a month) and was really impressed by the pier, but then once I went in a street or two things quieted down dramatically. Was this just my impression or is there something to this?

[disgruntled la native]

Originally Posted by flibbertigibbet

I came across this comment on Quora from a musician from SM:

"Quiet all the time! If you hate noise, SM Police and the ocean do a great job of keeping things quiet. And if you like to stay inside and not be bothered, there is no nicer option."

Admittedly, the post was from 2012.

Are there parts of Santa Monica that are quieter than others (side streets) or is it pretty much just overrun by drunken tourists on segways?

I was visiting LA and driving around there just to get a feel for the area (will be moving permanently in a month) and was really impressed by the pier, but then once I went in a street or two things quieted down dramatically. Was this just my impression or is there something to this?

Beverly Grove has a lot going on, especially on 3rd Street and Beverly Blvd. You're also technically walking distance to West Hollywood.

Santa Monica is pretty quiet overall. For example, the residential area north of the 3rd St Promenade (California, Washington, Idaho streets) is very quiet and laid back, but only steps away from the action.