Picfair or Village Green info? (Vista, Santa Monica: daycare, houses, neighborhoods)

[jslatch]

What do you know about these neighborhoods? Commute time to UCLA? Good for families? (no need to worry about school district; our kids aren't school age yet and won't be for the two years we're living in LA). So what I mean by the latter question is relative safety (i.e. crack dealers at least a few blocks away ) and ideally, near a park of some sort.

What other neighborhoods should we consider around there? The reason I'm looking there is that we found a quality daycare that doesn't have a year long waiting list (unlike all the ones near UCLA) and is affordable. In other words, I'm realizing that we may have to move to where we can find good daycare options. (I may consider Santa Monica or other West LA hoods, but the cost of living - including daycare for two kids - is sky high).

Thanks in advance.

[LivingLikeAGradStudent]

No commute to UCLA is easy unless you're already in Westwood (even Brentwood, just across the 405, is a slog). The Picfair/Wilshire Vista area isn't bad -- I stayed there for about four months. Plenty of shops/restaurants within walking distance, and you can get to UCLA and downtown from there in about 30 minutes on a clear day. Parking isn't easy, and there are a lot of converted multi-unit grand houses with some noise issues.

[majoun]

Where is the Village Green? (the LA neighborhood not the place in Ray Davies' imagination ): ) I've never heard of it.

[jslatch]

It looks like an oasis in an otherwise possibly questionable neighborhood - but what do I know!
http://villagegreenla.net/

And Picfair? Anyone? Both of these neighborhoods were written up as neat places to live by LA Magazine and LA Times respectively.

My main question is commute time to UCLA. THANKS!

[jslatch]

And by Picfair, I meant Picfair Village:
http://tinyurl.com/3yuck6 (broken link)

[majoun]

Originally Posted by jslatch

It looks like an oasis in an otherwise possibly questionable neighborhood - but what do I know!
http://villagegreenla.net/

And Picfair? Anyone? Both of these neighborhoods were written up as neat places to live by LA Magazine and LA Times respectively.

My main question is commute time to UCLA. THANKS!

I assume Picfair is the area south of the Miracle Mile, the area around Pico and Fairfax, due to the (long shuttered) Picfair Theatre (used to see cheap movies there as a kid). That area's now more well known as Little Ethiopia. Some parts are OK, other parts aren't so nice, and there are some nasty areas close by to the south, southeast, and east. (OTOH, it is also near some extremely nice neighborhoods to the north and west) If you're moving around there you want to be closer to Olympic, preferably north of San Vicente, definitely north of Pico. That area did get pretty badly affected by the troubles that L.A. went through in the early 90s, but it seems to have bounced back to some extent. Very ethnically and racially mixed.

As for the Village Green, I know it under the name Baldwin Hills Village (that's how it's referred to in books about LA architecture). Not too far from the easternmost parts of Culver City (might want to check that area out as well) The Village Green is located between some VERY nasty areas on the north (like Baldwin Village, nicknamed "The Jungle" for a very good reason, long a Blood stronghold; the infamous Crenshaw district is also close by) and some of the nicest African-American neighborhoods in the country on the south (upper middle class Baldwin Hills and upper class Windsor Hills - both, but especially the latter, are home to quite a few A-A pro athletes and entertainment industry people). From the article it sounds acceptable for non-racists, but keep in mind that Baldwin Village is very close by, and that area's been one of the main spots of the recent wave of racist gang shootings. Also, the schools are really horrible.

For commute time to UCLA, Little Ethiopia/Picfair/Wilshire Vista would be better.

[Kake1223]

village green is a great place to live if: you don't have kids or you can afford private schools.

it is centrally located and you can get to downtown l.a.; beverly hills, the beach, the southbay, culver city, in less than 20 minutes (non rush hours). the reason why is it is easily accessible to both the 10 and the 405 freeways.

the schools are crappy and i would recommend travelling west (culver city) for grocery shopping and movies, but that's only about 5 minutes drive away. i know this message is probably out dated, but just in case any one was interested, i thought i'd share the info as i've lived there off and on since the 80's.

[ChrisLAXEncounter]

I have lived in the Village Green and commute to Westwood, which is where UCLA is located. It is a 30 commute. The schools are not crappy - whoever said that is a fool!
Baldwin Village Elementary, across the street has a very high rating. There is one of the best magnet programs in LAUSD at nearby Hamilton High.

The issues about drugs, gangs, etc. are both false and uninformed. I have walked to the laundry, supermarket, McDonalds, etc. for 10 years and have never seen a drug dealer, etc.