apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I happen to live in Los Feliz (love it)and have been here a few years, however, it can be relatively expensive now (depending on where you are coming from.

Other options are, and this is depending on your taste, Atwater Village, Echo Park, Silverlake, and one of my new favorites, Culver City. Old Town Pasadena is nice too, but the shops are not necessarily ecletic. Major retailers abound.

I'm in much the same boat you are. Which is to say, a boat in LA looking for a place to dock. Click the link at my name below; you might find it a helpful resource.

Good luck!

I've been living in Chinatown since november. It's not the hipster paradise Los Feliz has become, but it offers it's own stench of cool. Real estate is going for 1/3rd the price of downtown lofts, just blocks away.

Hard question. It really does depend on your taste and how far you're willing to commute to your job. I second the Los Feliz, Silverlake, Echo Park areas--especially if you can be in the hills. I really like neighborhood-y, small town kind of places so I'm putting a vote in for South Pasadena. Eclectic, good restaurants, the Gold (?) Line runs from there to Chinatown, lots of old houses. I don't know how "hip" it is or if there's much nightlife, but there it is.

Where will you be working? For me, this is the biggest consideration. We live in the Mid-Wilshire area and it takes a full hour to get to and from Santa Monica every day during rush hour. On the weekends, it's 20 minutes.

Culver City (310 area code)
Montrose (North Glendale 818)
Studio City (818)
Venice (310)
Silverlake (323)
Long Beach/ Belmonts Shores (562)

All have eclectic shops, good restaurants and farmers markets. The Westside is the most expensive area.

Whatever you do, don't move to unappealing and unhip Cudahy, where I grew up in the 70s. (Really I just wanted to say the name because many Angelenos have never heard of it, even though it has one of the highest population densities in the U.S. outside of Manhattan. Clue: it's next to equally unlovely South Gate.)

Definitely not self-consciously hip (thank gawd!) but South Pasadena fits the bill for "eclectic shops and restaurants, grocery stores or farmers markets" although a few more restaurants are sorely needed.

As far as expense goes - we moved to South Pas four years ago because we got priced out of "hip" Silver Lake/Los Feliz.

My parents moved from Texas to LA. They live in Culver City, and love it. It has the characteristics that you listed. It a great mix of shops and restaurants, plus many of the movie studios are there. I think it seems relatively affordable...well for LA.

I livin' in Hancock Park/ Miracle Mile. It's a super walky 'hood, has a few bars, groovy shops (close to Beverly and 3rd streets - boutique, little restaurant, brunchy places heaven). But, you have have to hunt for an affordable deal.

It's pretty dreamy and not as self conscious, overly hip, indie-rock by numbers that kinda ware me out on other 'hoods (just my personal opinion).

The best thing is to figure out where you will be working b/c a long commute in a LA can pretty much ruin your life.

Angeleno Heights is also a great up and coming Hood (part of Echo Park, old and historic w/ beautiful views). But, you will have to drive to get groceries.

SANTA MONICA!

SANTA MONICA!

SANTA MONICA!

I have lived in Santa Monica for two years (it's a renters dream with rent control!) and I am within a half mile of shopping, restaurants, entertainment, and the ocean! There are hiking trails too!

The air is cleaner and there is less traffic going this way during rush hour... I love it here.

I think the first question you should ask yourself is, "Where am I going to work?" The commute determines (or should) where you live. Because if you're going to work for a creative studio in Santa Monica you're going to want to kill yourself in a couple months from commuting from the East side. And vice versa.

The second question to ask is, "How much money do I have?" Because if you can afford it, nothing beats living next to the ocean. I don't know where you're moving from, but if valuing fresh air means anything to you, you won't want to live anywhere BUT next to the ocean.

How do you do in hot weather? It's 66 - 74 degrees all year round, oceanside. Temps rise to the high 90s on the eastside. If you love air-conditioning, go east. Unfortunately, rent control or not, you cannot live on the Westside without really paying for it. Everything is a little more expensive (gas, groceries, etc.) If income is not an issue, and living in a TRUE neighborhood is the priority, the Ocean Park area of Santa Monica (i.e. Dogtown) or the neighborhood surrounding Abbott Kinney in Venice rules. Los Feliz is the best choice for east-side living.

Personally, I don't know why anyone would move to LA's metro area and NOT want to live near the ocean. Good luck with your move! Oh and whatever you do...remember you live in earthquake country and should not move into a highrise building (this is the number one east coast mover mistake).

I agree with the others - where are you working? That (with the gas prices here) should dictate where you live most likely. As much as I would like to live in Los Feliz where my other friends do (although I must admit I hate the small roads with very difficult street parking, and the grocery stores are a bit dirty for my tastes), my husband and I both work in Beverly Hills, so living there just makes a lot more sense for us. We pay a heck of a lot in my opinon for rent, but I really do love our apartment and it only took us a day to find. Great neighborhood, good stuff within walking distance, maybe not trendy or hip, but clean and friendly people.

Eagle Rock is a 5-8 minute drive from Silverlake/Los Feliz. It's a good alternative if you plan on buying and worth considering if you are renting. The city has added at least half a dozen little shops and restaurants in the past year and more are coming! Because you are a little farther east, you have easy access to the suburban convenience as well as urban charm. There is hardly ever traffic on the 2 FWY and it's fairly easy to find parking. My husband and I lived in Los Feliz for 5 years. Truly loved it, left crying, but couldn't afford to buy, so we opted for Eagle Rock. Now when I drive back to Los Feliz, it's still awesome, but now more apprently crowded....

All depends on where you're going to work. Everyone's mentioned the spots.

"The not too expensive" really is the clincher too.

Though I have to ask Kelly g -- HOW did you manage to get into a Rent Control unit in Santa Monica just moving there a couple years ago? I thought since 1999 Santa Monica could ask "market rate" on new vacancies. If there's a loophole I'd love to exploit it!

Rent controlled does not dictate vacancies. Only after you start renting. Once it becomes vacant of any people named on the lease, it can go for market value. Personally, I feel like rent control is absurd. I consider myself fairly liberal, and fit into the typical Angeleno stereotype of most people that frequent this site. What if the state had a car re-sale value control law stating you could only sell it for a given amount? An owner should be able to charge the most he or she can get? If you can't afford it, live somewhere else. I would love to live beachfront in Santa Monica, or in some hip loft in Venice. It's a little out my price range. Instead, I live in Culver City. BTW, CC does not have rent control.

If you're working on the Westside or some parts in Mid wilshire, I would consider CC. Maybe not the hippest, but it's coming up fast. A lot of designers have quietly been moving in. There are a ton of galleries too. Although I don't like all of the businesses in the Downtown Culver area, it's cute and it's fun to walk around during the Farmer's market. Drinks at the Culver Hotel is great. It fits our vibe. Very family oriented with a good dose of hipness, plus it's on the westside which keeps it cool. I think it only got over 80 last year about 7-8 times. The city has a lot of classes and services. Decent public schools, by far better than any other city in the LA "proper" area except maybe Santa Monica and BH.

Good Luck! Above all else, heed the previous warnings. Live close to work! I'd rather live in the most un-hip area 5 min from my work than...

I second Chinatown. I don't think you can get more eclectic, cheap and authentic than that. There's a pedestrian square and side street (no cars) full of live-work galleries in Old Chinatown that I've been daydreaming about investing in for the past two years.

Is LA is not LA... Is Long Beach! The LBC has its share of funky stores, coffee shops and watering holes. It also has gay pride... It's almost an enclave, but much is changing. I have never seen gentrification and construction at such a frightening place. Still, it's perhaps the only place left in the are where you can get beach front property that isn't exclusive to millionaires. (it would break my bank, your mileage may vary).

Others have mentioned this, but let me reiterate: if you know where you will be working, come out here and get a hotel room. Drive your future commute for a few days. It's worse than you think, and looking at distances on a map is a red herring.

I second South Pasadena. I LOVED living in rent-controlled Silverlake for the past three years, but when my beautiful hilltop duplex went up for sale, I had to move and was priced out of my old neighborhood. I found a rather swanky condo in South Pasadena and am enjoying reasonable rent and a walkable/bike-able neighborhood full of cool shops and restaurants.

On the other hand...look out for an expensive duplex to come on the rental market in a few months on a lone hilltop in Silverlake...

I thoroughly affirm the Long Beach vote. And Long Beach has two farmer's markets -- one on Friday and one on Sunday.

The air in the LBC crackles with opportunity, economic development, funky new businesses, and the occasional police force over-reaction. Never mind that on Saturday and Sunday it is ALL about the pooches.

It does come down to where you work, though.

I moved here in December (with Geir, posted above) - and we're blogging about living in the LBC: http://beachhead.squarespace.com

Hey, I don't know where you are coming from or how much you have visited LA, but my guess is you are totally unprepared for how vast the City is. It's more than an hour to drive across (in light traffic). If you live in Chinatown and work in the Valley you are in for one hell of a commute. I know a lot of people said it -- but it really can't be said enough -- live and work within 12 miles.

I recently transplanted from Boston, where I lived in a commercial loft space for ten years, built a pretty decent workshop with basic woodworking equipment you might find in a woodworking enthusiasts garage (drill press, joiner, drum sander, radial arm saw, router table, air system, etc). While I hardly classify my workshop as industrial, I do make noise and kick up dust when producing model furniture, exotic boxes and the like. I have started looking for loft leases in the LA Arts District, Santa Monica, Venice, but often find that with condo planning and residential occupancy, I am not a welcome artisan. Its sort of like only quiet painters, fashion designers and architects are welcome and down and dirty/occasionally noisey artisans who need a more industrial type space, but still want some decent amenities are out of luck. Anyone have any suggestions?

We live in the Fairfax District, near West Hollywood and Miracle Mile. There are tons of cute restaurants and boutiques on Third Street and Beverly Blvd. From our apartment, we can walk to Melrose Avenue, the Grove, the Beverly Center, and LA County Museum of Modern Art. We can walk to get groceries and booze from the nearby Farmer's Market and Whole Foods. It's a killer, convenient homebase. Maybe it's a little more expensive than what you'd find in Chinatown, but it's safe and it's central.

It DOES depend on where you work. If it's in the East Valley, I'd take a look at Eagle Rock and Glendale. But if you are working on the Westside, brace yourself for slightly larger rents, however, they do have some more affordable pockets like W. La (Sawtelle), downtown Culver City, Venice (although Abbot Kinney-area rents are rising fast). I live in Sherman Oaks off Ventura Blvd. While I wouldn't call this area funky and offbeat, there are certainly a lot of shops & restaurants within walking distance.

As far as Santa Monica, it's a great place to live if you want to have the same living space for many years to come. Otherwise, the rent control is not that neat, after all.

Ohhh...I love the posts about Long Beach. I had been taking a few classes at Cal State Long Beach this semester and really liked the beach front/no pretention/really cool vibe I got. I don't know enough about it but I did happen to see a couple open houses - 1200-1500 sq foot condo's (NICE and NEW) between 350k and 450k one block from the ocean! It's just kinda far from everything else mentioned here which sucks:(