Husband wants to leave Seattle for L.A. when lease is up. (Los Angeles: hair salon, apartments)

[mamainfl]

We are late 50's, wanting an "in-town" area, walkable, although not next to nightlife. I personally want a safe enough area that I can walk to errands by myself.

We will likely take a recon trip next spring. I am thinking of these areas: Atwater Village, West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Westlake, Mid-Wilshire, Beverly Grove. We will rent a 1-2 bedroom, budget under $2200. I would like to find a full-time job that I could walk to. I currently work in a family owned jewelry store, and would like to find something similar in retail sales. Husband works from home.

Do any of these areas fit the bill? I'd like to take the top three and check them out on our recon trip. I would be open to other areas as well, like, what about Burbank?

[timtemtym]

I like Burbank (very cute downtown) and Glendale (tons of new apartments in the downtown walkable area). These are safe cities that are well patrolled. I lived in central Glendale and walked the neighborhood even late in the evening. There are tons of threads on here about the two cities you can look through. Your rent money would go farther in those cities than the other areas you mentioned.

Anything in the city of LA is going to have a higher homeless population than in the smaller close-in cities (Burbank/Glendale/WeHo/Culver City). Those cities push their homeless back across the city line.

Westlake is probably the least desirable on your list. I worked near MacArthur Park. In the 1930s it was a great area. I know it is starting to come back, but it is still just starting. It is mostly older, run-down apartment buildings. One morning I stepped around a dead body while walking from the subway station to work (two blocks). It has a lot going on. I do like the good Guatemalan restaurants in the area!

[Jay100]

Originally Posted by mamainfl

We are late 50's, wanting an "in-town" area, walkable, although not next to nightlife. I personally want a safe enough area that I can walk to errands by myself.

We will likely take a recon trip next spring. I am thinking of these areas: Atwater Village, West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Westlake, Mid-Wilshire, Beverly Grove. We will rent a 1-2 bedroom, budget under $2200. I would like to find a full-time job that I could walk to. I currently work in a family owned jewelry store, and would like to find something similar in retail sales. Husband works from home.

Do any of these areas fit the bill? I'd like to take the top three and check them out on our recon trip. I would be open to other areas as well, like, what about Burbank?

It would help to have more details about your preferences. Personally, I have never found Burbank to be very pedestrian friendly.

I am going to recommend Studio City and Sherman Oaks.

If, however, you are set on your list, I would pick Mid Wilshire as far west as you can possibly go or West Hollywood.

[mamainfl]

Thank you timtemtym and Jay100 for the recommendations. After looking on google maps, Glendale seems to fit the bill! I'm glad you mentioned the homeless. It has become a real problem here in Seattle, and I am weary of the whole topic. Since we only have one car, I really want to be in an area where we could walk to accomplish most errands. (grocery, bank, post office, hair salon, nails, and some assorted retail.) We are interested in older buildings with character, yet with the basic amenities. Do not need a pool or gym.

[saybanana]

Many areas of LA could fit your description.
I personally would look at areas along the Metro Gold Line
Pasadena, South Pasadena, Arcadia, and even other cities beyond but not as familiar.
Only a 25 minute Metro ride into Downtown LA from Pasadena Civic Center area.
Many areas like Pasadena, South Pasadena are good for bike riding and have a lot of greenery tree and attractive streets with old homes brick buildings and interesting older architecture.
If you look into Pasadena, I would say around Colorado Blvd, west of Lake Ave ideally because the financial district is up to Lake Ave, but you can even as far as Hill street or Allen Ave.
I love South Pasadena but it is a small upper middle class area that is just a small residential suburb. So you have basics like grocery store, restaurants, cafes, but not really a huge employment area with office buildings or whatnot.
Highland Park is an up and coming area, along the Metro Gold Line with lots of interesting shops and eateries that cater to a more lower middle class/working class people plus a gentrifying affluent population moving in. So there is more crime and issues but is improving.
Eagle Rock is the community between cities of Glendale and Pasadena and north of the LA neighborhood of Highland Park. It is a more middle class and more gentrified than Highland Park but it was never really a bad area to begin with. Schools in Eagle Rock are pretty good for LA City which is why it attracted families looking for a nice area with good schools but still in LA City borders.

Other places to consider are Fairfax District around La Brea Ave to Fairfax Ave. To the south is Mid Wilshire Miracle Mile and north is West Hollywood. east is Hancock Park and west is Beverly Grove. So it is a great area with more Spanish style architecture

[Astral_Weeks]

Originally Posted by mamainfl

We are late 50's, wanting an "in-town" area, walkable, although not next to nightlife. I personally want a safe enough area that I can walk to errands by myself.

We will likely take a recon trip next spring. I am thinking of these areas: Atwater Village, West Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Westlake, Mid-Wilshire, Beverly Grove. We will rent a 1-2 bedroom, budget under $2200. I would like to find a full-time job that I could walk to. I currently work in a family owned jewelry store, and would like to find something similar in retail sales. Husband works from home.

Do any of these areas fit the bill? I'd like to take the top three and check them out on our recon trip. I would be open to other areas as well, like, what about Burbank?

All those areas you mentioned are worth considering. As another poster mentioned, you might also consider Pasadena (near Old Town Pasadena or near Lake Avenue between Calif and the 210 Freeway). A very walkable and pleasant city.

[Cinema Cat]

Originally Posted by timtemtym

Anything in the city of LA is going to have a higher homeless population than in the smaller close-in cities (Burbank/Glendale/WeHo/Culver City). Those cities push their homeless back across the city line.

Except for Santa Monica. We Santa Monicans are in hot competition with Venice, DTLA, and certain neighborhoods in NYC, San Francisco, and Seattle for the title of Homeless Capital of the United States, as measured per capita.

[pwright1]

Where do you live in Seattle? I moved to Los Angeles from Seattle.

[Miss Pip]

Originally Posted by timtemtym

I like Burbank (very cute downtown) and Glendale (tons of new apartments in the downtown walkable area). These are safe cities that are well patrolled. I lived in central Glendale and walked the neighborhood even late in the evening. There are tons of threads on here about the two cities you can look through. Your rent money would go farther in those cities than the other areas you mentioned.

Anything in the city of LA is going to have a higher homeless population than in the smaller close-in cities (Burbank/Glendale/WeHo/Culver City). Those cities push their homeless back across the city line.

Westlake is probably the least desirable on your list. I worked near MacArthur Park. In the 1930s it was a great area. I know it is starting to come back, but it is still just starting. It is mostly older, run-down apartment buildings. One morning I stepped around a dead body while walking from the subway station to work (two blocks). It has a lot going on. I do like the good Guatemalan restaurants in the area!

I guess it depends where in Glendale. It looks pretty but I find the people to be pretty ghetto and the drivers are more problematic.

I think Sherman Oaks and parts of Studio City are good for walking and running errands, everything is on Ventura Blvd and it doesn't have crazy nightlife. Homelessness doesn't seem to be a big problem there either.

[mamainfl]

pwright1, I live in West Seattle.