Living in Hollywood (Pasadena, Santa Monica, Highland: apartment, to rent, neighborhoods)

[JackNash]

Hi, I'm from Chicago and I'm attending Musician's Institute in Hollywood in the fall. I visited a couple weeks ago and checked out a few areas, and I've decided that living in Hollywood would make the most sense.
I won't have a car and I decided that living walking distance from the school is probably the best thing to do. I was just wondering what parts of hollywood are safe. i was thinking of living somewhere between the school(about hollywood & highland) and Franklin Village. That way I can walk to school and go and be close to the Franklin village area so I can run errands and hang out over there while avoiding the touristy Hollywood area. I really liked Los Feliz, but it's a little too expensive and I would have to take the train to school every day.

My question is what is living in Hollywood like and is the area north of hollywood, east of highland, and west of vine . one apartment that would be perfect location was 1800 Grace. I didn't get to explore the area that much. Anyone know what it's like and if it's safe?

[ToadB]

It's ok. I'm not a huge fan of Hollywood, it feels sorta grimy, but to be fair, it's not particularly unsafe. Just don't wander around in dark alleys at night and you'll be fine. There are a couple convenient subway stops nearby too, as an added bonus.

[uptown_urbanist]

I LOVE Hollywood! We lived at Yucca and Whitley for almost two years, and absolutely loved the location. That area was pretty bad back in the '90s, but now it has definitely cleaned up, from the sounds of it very dramatically. It was gentrifying even in the years we lived there (we were there from 2005 to mid-2007) and from visits back it seems only to have become safer. There are people out at all times of the day and night; the only time I ever felt nervous about being out was at 6 am on a Saturday, and even then there were enough people around that it wasn't too bad. There's actually often more people out on the streets at night than there are during the morning.

That Yucca Corridor area is a mix of different style apartment buildings, from ugly modern to beautiful historic places like the Fontenoy. There's a ton of history in the area - a lot of big names have passed through those buildings over the years.

My neighbors were an interesting mix of people who had lived there forever (seemingly) and who were presumably enjoying super cheap rents thanks to rent control. The studios in my building were mostly younger people, but there were some retirees, too, and the block itself had a mix of different ages, ethnicities, and languages spoken. You get to know, or at least recognize, the regulars, including some real characters.

I didn't drive, either, and had no trouble getting around. There are small markets in the area, and it's a short walk or bus ride to bigger grocery stores if you need one. You have tons of buses going through there, two metro stations, and plenty of things within walking distance. (There's also, if you need it, a Target on La Brea and Santa Monica.)

I lived literally a block away from the place you're looking at, and think you'll be very happy with the location. I can't speak for that exact building, but being a block off of Hollywood Blvd, plus a (very) quick walk from the drug store and a little strip mall with a market.

Don't worry too much about Hollywood being touristy - you can avoid the real touristy stuff, but otherwise the "real" Hollywood sort of overlaps with the rest of it. You'll also be able to wander down and watch people (well, the cars anyway) arrive for the Academy Awards, which is sort of fun. They basically shut down the neighborhood that day, so don't plan on going anywhere. Embrace Hollywood for what it is, and learn to enjoy the tourist with the neighborhood, as it's all sort of combined.

Living in Hollywood you'll also quickly learn to tune out the scientologists. They are EVERYWHERE (they own a lot of Hollywood buildings) but they're part of the landscape, too, and they do provide additional eyes on the street at random times of the day.

Really, I only have good things to say about the neighborhood. Check out the library, the farmer's market (Sunday mornings), and the various area restaurants, especially the hole-in-the-wall places. We only moved because we were having a baby and as a pregnant woman I wanted to have air conditioning for the summer (our building didn't allow it) and we wanted to get a two-bedroom place closer to my work in Pasadena.

You can PM if you have any specific questions, but I hope you enjoy living in Hollywood as much as I did. It's a great place, and the Yucca Corridor is a lot of fun. (but noisy - my husband had to get ear plugs, but in the end we learned to sleep through anything).

[King0fthehill]

prettyugly.: Hollywood

[Todd.LA]

You are making a good choice in living close to where you go to school / work in LA; commutes here can be quite unpleasant. The area you're talking is fine and very urban and dense, so it's one of the better areas to live without a car. You're also close to the subway / bus lines if you want to visit Los Feliz, Downtown, etc. That part of Hollywood still has a bit of grit, but it's not unsafe and has tons of great bars and restaurants. If you like to cook, one possible drawback is the lack of a full-service grocery store in the immediate neighborhood, though the Hollywood farmers market is great on Sunday mornings.

Regarding the tourists, uptown urbanist is right. They're not that bad, and Hollywood is still a pleasant neighborhood despite them. Tourists only really dominate about a one block radius around Hollywood and Highland and rarely venture too much further afield unless riding in an open-top Starline Tours bus...

[BennyPhoenix]

It's not one of the safer areas of L.A.
Be aware of your surroundings, dont walk around alone at 2am, and use some sense and you should be fine.

[rudiecantfail]

I go to Musician's Institute right now and I live in North Hollywood. It's not a bad drive at all, and I feel safe at night. But I also have a friend who lives in Hollywood and I feel fine in her apartment also. It's not as scary as people try to tell you it is. But I don't go out alone after 9 or 10, and when I do I'm with a couple friends or at least a guy.

[JackNash]

Thanks for all the responses. I'm definitely gonna look for a studio in the area I mentioned. I've lived in a city my whole life so I'm good taking the right precautions and the more people, the safer I feel.

[uptown_urbanist]

I'm a woman, not particularly brave about being in rough neighborhoods, and never felt nervous about being in that part of Hollywood at night, especially anytime before midnight. Some areas of Hollywood are less busy and are a bit sketchier, but that stretch that you're talking about is fine. There are tons of people on the streets, so really, don't worry about it, other than taking the basic common sense precautions.

If you're looking for a studio check out the Fleur de Lis on Whitley (between Yucca and Franklin); it's a great building, and I think many students from your school also live there. The only downside is no A/C, but on the plus side rent includes heat.