When we were forced to move to the westside we tried to get all of our friends to come with us. We almost convinced one friend who lived in Hollywood that he and his honey could live in half the space if only they had the beach as a motivation. We even got him looking on Craigslist and West side rentals. The end result? $3000 for the smallest (and kind of skanky) one bedroom.
Our friends have decided to stay put and drive to the beach. Check this out from Curbed LA.
The westside is lame.
Don't want to give the wrong impression--I work (and currently live) on the westside.
As a SF Valley-ite, not by choice, I do miss the cool breezes of the Westside, though not necessarily the high prices.