What is the appeal of the west side? (Pasadena, Santa Monica: motels, neighborhoods)

[1200RT]

Originally Posted by Jonah1979

Middle of nowhere like Burbank? I can tell you've never lived in a rural area. Ha!

Have you ever lived in Burbank?

[BarcelonaFan]

I don't get the reasoning behind Burbank being so far away from the city at all. The beauty about LA is that it's suburbs and surrounding towns aren't completely disconnected from the rest of the city. Studio City, Sherman Oaks, N.Hollywood, Burbank, etc. are all still bustling, artsy, and eclectic like LA.

I never thought I would love the surrounding areas more than the city itself but I love Pasadena. I really love Studio City too.

I mean that's just unheard of for the surrounding areas to be just as fun and vibrant as the city itself.

I do have to agree with the OP though West LA is fun but it's a bit overrated. I tend to love Hollywood, DTLA, Silverlake and Echo the best. Something about those areas just scream LA.

[Carlite]

Air quality is better on the Westside. That strikes me as the big drawback to Pasadena, otherwise a terrific town.

[PDF]

Originally Posted by Carlite

Air quality is better on the Westside. That strikes me as the big drawback to Pasadena, otherwise a terrific town.

What is the weather like in Pasadena, in comparison?

[Carlite]

Originally Posted by PDF

What is the weather like in Pasadena, in comparison?

Hotter and smoggier, especially in summer. Polluted air gets trapped by the hills around Pasadena.

[phel]

I live in Los Feliz and work in Westwood. It takes me about an hour to drive about 10 miles home every night (mornings are easier.)

I'd love for my commute to be less, but there's really no neighborhood on the Westside that even remotely appeals to me. If work weren't a factor, I think I'd actually prefer to head further East. I get it.

The Westside is just too bland and snobby and it doesn't have the personality of say, Silver Lake or Echo Park. Being so close to Griffith Park is a definite bonus (we're not beach bums but we love the park and Elysian Park is awesome.) The fact that it's very hard to walk anywhere unless you're in Santa Monica doesn't help. LF is PERFECT for walking to the Vista or little restaurants on Hillhurst even just strolling to Barnsdall for the small farmer's market they have there every Wednesday.

Screw it, I'll just sit in my car and listen to music or NPR until I get home to where I want to be.

[taydigga]

Originally Posted by PDF

What is the weather like in Pasadena, in comparison?

Warmer, not super hot, like the Valley but not cool like the westside either. Well not in the summers. I feel that in the spring and fall it's cooler than the west side though.

[taydigga]

Originally Posted by phel

I live in Los Feliz and work in Westwood. It takes me about an hour to drive about 10 miles home every night (mornings are easier.)

I'd love for my commute to be less, but there's really no neighborhood on the Westside that even remotely appeals to me. If work weren't a factor, I think I'd actually prefer to head further East. I get it.

The Westside is just too bland and snobby and it doesn't have the personality of say, Silver Lake or Echo Park. Being so close to Griffith Park is a definite bonus (we're not beach bums but we love the park and Elysian Park is awesome.) The fact that it's very hard to walk anywhere unless you're in Santa Monica doesn't help. LF is PERFECT for walking to the Vista or little restaurants on Hillhurst even just strolling to Barnsdall for the small farmer's market they have there every Wednesday.

Screw it, I'll just sit in my car and listen to music or NPR until I get home to where I want to be.

You're putting all the Westside into one box. Only really snobby areas are Brentwood, Beverly Hills area and maybe even Westwood. Other than that, you're just proliferating the stereotype of the Westside which has a ton of different types of people. The people that live in Palms aren't like what' you'd see in Bev Hills. The people and crowd in Santa Monica isn't like what you see in culver city. It's different. You just inspired a thread for me though...

[bpeeps]

Originally Posted by Spikett

Where you go has a lot to do with it. I seriously considered moving to the westside since I work over there - but I just don't want to live there. Yeah, I'd be home a lot sooner - but I'd be somewhere I didn't like. Woohoo. I'd rather make the drive. I've lived in real rural areas and don't care for them. That being said, the westside is too urban for me in a lot of ways. Not enough open space. I live near Griffith Park, plus there is the open space of Forest Lawn, the backdrop of the foothills, etc... and the downtown skyline is still right there. But as I've said, I know a lot of people wouldn't want to live anywhere but the westside.

I lived at the foot of Griffith Park at Vermont and Los Feliz. Area was nice, loved walking biking around Griffith. I just disliked how dependent I was on Los Feliz Blvd to get in and out of the area. One of the busiest streets on the east-side with a small amount of alternatives. Now I can bike to my work in Beverly Hills and I appreciate that much more. I guess it's all subjective.

[Carlite]

Originally Posted by bpeeps

I lived at the foot of Griffith Park at Vermont and Los Feliz. Area was nice, loved walking biking around Griffith. I just disliked how dependent I was on Los Feliz Blvd to get in and out of the area. One of the busiest streets on the east-side with a small amount of alternatives. Now I can bike to my work in Beverly Hills and I appreciate that much more. I guess it's all subjective.

It's good to hear you bike to Beverly Hills--they need to know about people like you. While many other Southland cities are working hard to make biking easier, Beverly Hills has dragged its heels.