Topic Author's Original Post - Feb 11, 2013 - 05:37am PT
Up late working, heard cars revving fast, screeching brakes, and about 10 gun shots. I'm working on the floor instead of the couch now. This weekend I looked at a potential house purchase in an area with "good schools" relatively speaking for short commute... there was a murder 2 blocks away last month, about the time of evening that folks might walk their dogs before going to bed.
Ooh... now we got the helicopters flying over to check things out.
Yeah KLK, definitely action within a few miles of where I lived before, but it was nice and quiet north of Indian Rock.
Maidy, where I'm looking now (near Silver Lake)... unsolved murder last month, 5 shots to the chest, on the path that kids would walk to school and two blocks from a house I liked. People pay a premium for Franklin Avenue Elementary. A mile away, ducking in my own home (temporary rental) when 10 shots fired, and it's not a big enough deal to show up on the news. Seeking info to make sense of it, read about other parents explaining gun violence to their 5 year old kids when they witness dudes jump out of a car and fire repeatedly into a house, or babies catching stray bullets or dudes walking with their kids catching stray bullets. But those events are at least half a mile farther away. Complaining about it makes you a gentrified hipster, not like the old-school cool locals who accept living amidst violence.
I'm not this urban. I grew up catching lizards with pieces of grass, or tarantulas. Not bullets. Does the desire for a kid-friendly neighborhood with a short commute time and no hydro-fracking count as a First World Problem? Dammit, maybe I am a hipster. I do drive a Prius, and I do have a beard. But so far I refuse to wear tight pants or elf shoes. Except in climbing gyms.
Hope to meet you out at stoney sometime ;) come tue/thur afternoon/evenings if you can. pretty empty these days cuz it gets dark so early, will pick up in early march after daylight savings change.
I have a friend who lives in silverlake and he seems to like it, but he is tucked away somewhere nice. Cheers-
The trick to living in the LA area is living in a nice community and having as little drive time/hassles/angst as possible. Check out the Alta/Pasadena area. Where you're at and what's a 20 or 30 minute drive away can be worlds apart
can't say is right. If you wanted urban, you found it in the Silverlake area. I mean it's nice and cosmopolitan, but it's edgy and that's always a potential downside of edgy. Berkeley and Oakland have nice neighborhoods too, but no one would or should be surprised by nearby crime.
Definitely other areas of LA with good schools and far less crime. Pasadena is better than Altadena, but both are pretty good. Calabasas, La Canada, Manhattan and Redondo Beach, El Segundo. I live in Westchester, which is boring, hence safe, but the schools are just 'meh', but you could certainly do worse. Lots of places I'm sure I'm missing. Keep looking. They're out there.
I recall working on a haunted house in the yard of my friends mom's place when we were "kids." That was back in 1993 I think. We were so cool that we got on local TV and in the newspapers. In fact, we were one of a few places listed in an article on the front page of the Times. On page three was an article about a six year old girl who caught a stray bullet from a drive-by.
PAGE THREE!
Maybe if the media culture changed, the street culture might change a bit too.
I now life above 7000 feet at Lake Tahoe. Bears are a big concern these days. It's as if the bears are killing six-year-old's in bear-by eatings or something.
I don’t know dude. Sounds like you’re looking in a pretty nice area. Franklin Elementary is essentially Los Feliz. Crime and murders can happen anywhere, but I don’t think that area sees many random bullets flying through the air. The whole stray bullet thing happens, sure, but its pretty f*#king rare, even in bad areas, let alone Silverlake/Los Feliz. I don’t know anything about the case, but 5 in the chest sounds like the victim was a deliberate target, not some poor schmuck out for a jog.
Ghetto birds and gun shots were normal around Echo Park in the 80s. You only really paid attention when they were close. Some of my little neighborhood friends grew up, joined gangs, got shot, did time, whatever. I turned out ok though. Why? Because I had parents that gave a f*#k. What is going on outside your home matters less than what is going on inside. Teach your kids well, and they’ll be all right. Kids have good instincts, and if you give them a good base at home, they’ll quickly learn how to stay safe when you’re not around. In all honesty, I think growing up in that type of environment gave me a clear advantage over other kids from “safer” neighborhoods. That became glaringly obvious in high school. My parents shipped me off to an all boys catholic school in La Cañada. I still lived in LA, but commuted up the 2 every morning. 95% of the guys there were from wealthy La Cañada or one of the other foothill communities. The rest were like me, from LA, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, places like that. Holy sh#t, the sheltered La Cañada kids were lame. They were easily taken advantage of, intimidated, very immature, etc. I saw the same thing at Cal, then again in the professional world. My previous firm had a pretty robust internship to hire program. It was incredibly obvious which kids came from privilege. Yeah, they had great resumes – ivy league schools, academic awards, more extra-curricular activities than you can think of – but no common sense. No ability to determine when they needed to be aggressive, or when to lay back to get something done. No ability to read people. No ability to sense when they were getting f*#ked. We never wanted one of those kids on our team. A kid that came from a shitty area, but made it through a top school, or a kid with military experience, or a rich kid whose parents cut off after high school, those are the ones you wanted to work with. They knew how to get sh#t done.
There's no job that could get me to move to Hell A. I'd rather live in Oildale making minimum wage than I'm move down there and get paid six figures to eat ice-cream and watch the waves. I love caving and the only times i've ever had tight-chest claustrophobia have been trying to get though days south of the grapevine. I'm sure there are lots of nice spots, but they're still too far from my mountains.
Thankfully everyone likes different stuff, so to each their own! Hope you find somewhere you and your family enjoy, and not too far from some rocks!
10 minutes to work is sweet. I'm 30 minutes from home on surface streets and I feel pretty lucky. I could probably work closer to home but professionally I've kind of staked out my turf and personally my kids are kind of set with their school. LA is kind of like life itself in that the place is what you make of it.
I can see if how you lived in Telluride that LA might seem far from the mountains, but Oildale?! That's just a place I drive thru quickly en route to the Needles. Glad it's working for you limpingcrab but I kind of like it here.
LA is a big place with more variety than SF bay area. Definitely better for climbing in the immediate vicinity than SF bay area. It seems possible to plug into a community that matches whatever lifestyle you want as long as you can afford it. That said, you have to be able to afford it, and if your work options are constrained or fixed, then it can be pretty darn awkward to find an overall quality of life match (e.g. commute/traffic, participating in the family on weekdays, etc.)
We're reconsidering South Pasadena, pretty Beaver Cleaver but a nice hilly undeveloped neighborhood in there.
Man, I'm building up a karmic debt for trip reports. Gonna have to do something about that soon.
edit: C'mon donini, you're undercutting sympathy for my first world problems. Is it really possible to have it all? Can I really be happy if I don't have absolutely everything I can imagine that my heart might desire? I think I'm just getting cranky from lack of climbing.
MisterE, next Monday afternoon looks pretty good right now.
Oildale?! That's just a place I drive thru quickly en route to the Needles. Glad it's working for you limpingcrab but I kind of like it here.
Woah, wait a second! I don't actually LIVE in Oildale! I just wanted to come up with a town I've heard bashed here on ST to illustrate my dislike of soCal.
I do like how Bakersfield was in Donini's list right along with gitmo and the Hanoi Hilton, that's funny! Poor Bakersfield, getting a bad rap just because of the pollution and weather and people and location and smells.
Nutjub, good point. LA probably does beat the Bay area, especially for climbing.
Batrock speaks truth about Burbank. One of the cleanest safest cities in the US. They say the schools are the best in LA County. I got sick of the public school crap though and put my kids through secular private school some how. Cost tens of thousands per year. Public schools would play patty-cake all day then send 2 hours homework home to the parents, in first grade!
I never did no homewerk when I wuz a kid and I terned out ok.
Silvelake is the hipster capital of the world!
Intelligensia Coffee on Sunset.
Yuca's Taco Stand up on Hillhurst near Los Feliz
Griffith Park.
So much to do and see.
BE sure to get on your skinny jeans and fedora hat when you go out. Wear a scarf over your $50 vintaged t-shirt.
Burbank has a really nice public library. Took the kids there one day when I needed to hang out in that neighborhood once.
I've lived in Pasadena for years and now Altadena for the past couple. I can vouch for both. Public schools are pretty good, but you need to find the right one that fits your kids (this is true anywhere). When seeking schools, ask if the person offering advice has had direct, ongoing experience with a specific school in the last two years. Dramatic shifts can and do happen either way (especially with leadership changes). Pasadena and Altadena are the same school district and offer open enrollment, though it's not guaranteed (it's done by a kind of lottery). We are very pleased with our kids' school, which is one of the first elementary schools in California that was International Baccalaureate certified.
I've been told that Pasadena has more private schools per capita than anywhere in the country. Whether that's precisely true or not, there sure are a lot. And you get the whole range from inexpensive church run schools to bucco bucks palazzi.
We loved living in Pasadena and love Altadena now. Depends on where you are specifically, but Altadena has a more mountain feel (we are pretty close to the base of the San Gabriels. It's very diverse and quirky and I like to think of it as another iteration of Bezerkley. No big university though.
If you want to ask specific questions, just PM me and I'd be happy to do my best to answer them.
Whatever you do... do not reside in the city of Los Angeles.
You will be getting screwed by the high taxation, poor police service, poor fire department...and LAUSD is one of the worst school systems in the USA. That city just sucks eggs and is quickly becoming a 3rd world cesspool... avoid it at all cost.
Burbank, Montrose, Glendale, Monrovia, Beverley Hills, Santa Monica, Canyon Country or anyplace in Ventura County are all pretty nice.
That said... welcome, come out to Stoney Point - Tuesday, Thursdays.
This gives a nice overview of the crimes within that region. I also look at the predator maps. Nice to know if a sexual offender is living next door, eh?
Bill works in L.A. smack in the middle of the worst of it. I Hated Living There despite the good food.
I now live in Ventura and the poor guy commutes, ends up sleeping over in his office. Yes, I feel real bad about that but I seriously love my "Leave it to Beaver neighborhood" and I couldn't survive without my neighbors who are like family to me. When the kid gets sick, they are there. When my Dad died, they were there. When Bill overworks and doesn't come home for three days, (which he will do no matter how close I am) they are there. Getting good neighbors are like winning the lottery. Serious awesomeness.
I was going to mention Altadena/Pasadena area as well. Puts you on the north rim of LA, but close to some arteries direct to downtown LA. You'll have a little more commuting, but it will save your sanity. Burbank?... very nice place to live but I'd brush up on your Armeneian.
Whatever you do... do not reside in the city of Los Angeles.
You will be getting screwed by the high taxation, poor police service, poor fire department...and LAUSD is one of the worst school systems in the USA. That city just sucks eggs and is quickly becoming a 3rd world cesspool... avoid it at all cost.
And the cops like to use you for target practice.
Guyman is correct. No need to travel to Saigon, Kathmandu, Timbuktu to experience the third world. We got it all right here. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
We're converging on South Pasadena: good schools and safe: check surprisingly good commute to USC on city streets: check hills and open space: check lower property taxes than city of LA: check a few minutes quicker to get out of town for climbing: check
Here are some website tools that I've used extensively in the last 6 months:
*cool older houses
*schools best in area (not sure that is saying much?
*downtown is kinda nice
*excellent farmers market thurs eve?
*close to rose bowl and hills above for road biking
***mt biking the san gabriel mtn front range = world class singletrack
when you land, let's gather Pasadena- based ST'ers for beer. T Yeary, 10b4me, Reilly, KSolem, myself, others?
I was born and raised in Venice Beach and I moved up to Central Cal a few years ago. Its a chore when I have to go visit family back in LA. I would recommend not moving to LA if you have the choice. When it comes down to it, that place just screws with the mind. Too many people, not enough trees, or at least not enough native ones. Silver Lake and Echo Park are definitely no exception, in fact in the last few years they have been getting extremely popular along with Venice among the LA "hipsters". Its nauseating. Expect hipsters eating their arugula and prosciutto burritos on the ground in their Louis Vuitton overalls because is all the new craze. If you have to move to LA, I recommend the area around Malibu/Thousand Oaks. I grew up surfing the area, and the most down to earth people and best scenery is in that area. Not to mention some fun climbing. Echo cliffs has some nice sport.
Good luck!!
-Scruffy
Nut... good choice. My Boss lives there and cummutes into Chatsworth (Stoney Point :>) every day. He tells me its quick each way, cause the 118 FWY hardley ever jams up unless some mishap goes down. So if your schedule lets you off in the afternoon you will be able to get home after bouldering, in the evening, quickley.
South Pasadena does have a great farmers market. Very kid friendly and good food trucks to choose from! Used to go all the time when we lived closer to it.
Lived in LA for many years in the late 60s and 70s. The air was pretty bad then, especially in the valley. Have to admit I hated it and didn't return for a long time. Last trip I was surprised how much it seemed to have improved. The traffic was miserable but the air seemed cleaner than I ever remembered it. What LA has is great access to the mountains and the beach and in some places a terrific kind of social energy.
Car towed because an angry neighbor had their driveway blocked by ~12 inches. It did not block their ability to leave. Community spirit alive and well! It's a dog-eat-dog neighborhood when it comes to fighting over parking spaces for blocks around, especially on Thursdays or Fridays.
Cancer? Get a clue dude. LA county has one of the lowest rates of cancer of all CA counties. It's lower than all those Bay Area counties, and WAY lower than the worst county in CA (Tuolomne). Anf given that CA has one of the lowest rates of any state in the country...well, you're just talking out of your ass now, aren't you.
I lived in SO Pas for 10 years. Great place for the family.
Must place to hit is Busters on Mission. Cross the street from the Gold line station.
The secrete for housing in this area. Check out Cal trans owned homes. If you buying you can get a deal. Rentals are even a better deal from Cal Trans.
Anyone read Bright Shining Morning? It's a novel that takes place in LA - with short historical anecdotes at the beginning of each chapter. I liked it, being from LA. When I was in high school in LA I read a book for a report about the 1890s depression in Seattle......and it's still depressed! HahA!
I used to like Pacific Palisades, drive your car to the expo line terminus (it will eventually reach Santa Monica) and take the train into 6th street (i think)
Palisades is close to topanga which is hill town vibe with a patchouli fragrance, Froggies is an alright bar then drop down over it to hit stoney.
I lived in LA, went to school in Inglewood,know that town like back of my hand .you wake up with ambulance noise and go to sleep with LAPD helicopters chasing someone ridding a 66 impala every fuc*ing day.16 lanes of traffic,packed up with people from every where hating each other, artificial high end life in one and poor people living on the other end.
I've lived in Hell A for fifty-nine years. Once I reached the age of eighteen, started looking around, and noticed the place was becoming a hellhole, and has only become worse. the reason I am still here is for the job(which will hopefully be changing soon), and I have a family obligation.
My god, what a pathetic group of whiners (you know who you are). Do you ever stop to think that the whining is not just a simple observation about the bad vibe but actually contributes to it. If you live a crappy part of town, acknowledge that it's crappy but do nothing to remedy it (other than to whine to other people about it), then you are the biggest single problem with your life. Some people are perpetually dissatisfied. Don't blame it on the city.
Sorry for the rant. I think sewelly put it much more politely and succintly that I did. No place is perfect, though some places are far closer to it than others. We all get that.
LA is OK if you decide to embrace it and look at the positive side of So Cal. It certainly has many negatives but also has some positives . Having grown up in LA and having returned to live there more than once over the years, I definitely miss it at times but also do not miss certain aspects....mainly traffic and cost of living!
Overall I'm cool with socal, but done with Silver Lake. At least south of Sunset.
Damn choppers circling so low and loud that it sets off the car alarms. I'm tired of feeling like I live inside the chase-scene of an action movie.
I just shut off the lights in my house, deciding I don't want to be in a fishbowl if the bad guys are running around looking for a place to hide.
I had a theory that maybe I just live next to a helipad for the LAPD and so hear lots of traffic for that... maybe 'tis so. But that wouldn't explain the daily circling ON TOP OF MY HOUSE.
I normally don't like to whine, but thanks for tolerating some venting.
Sewellymon: if our plans come to fruition in South Pasadena, I will summon the local denizens. The house in question has possibilities for monstrous commercial-scale home climbing gym. And my lady is already on board, no risk of veto (heck, she even built a commercial bouldering gym before).
Scott, I have lived in San Fernando Valley for 4 years now, and have NEVER had anything like what is happening where you are happen here. I am a small-town guy, so it's not like I am insensitive to the craziness - quite the opposite.
LAPD helipad is downtown. But I get your drift, I have had bad bad thoughts regarding hovering helicopters, but my beef is news choppers, not LAPD. I once called ABC7 and threatened to start shooting at it. Believe it or not, there have been, and are, huge efforts to reign them in. It's not been easy for a variety of reasons. http://la.curbed.com/archives/2013/03/aerial_traffic_1.php http://la.curbed.com/archives/2013/02/aerial_traffic.php
I would love to be in Franklin Ave. school district, but S.of Sunset sucks.
If you end up against the mountains keep your eyes open before you buy. Every wonder how that dried up arroyo has all those rounded, water polished stones in it that look like they belong in the Merced? Maybe things a long time ago were wetter down here, but keep this in mind when looking for a place: http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_22705522/arkstorm-flood-event-could-devastate-california
I've been watching this thread to see how much bashing LA takes and I am not surprised.
FWIW- Over the years, every girlfriend from out of the area has exclaimed to me something along the likes of .." wow, I never knew there were places like this in LA." There are remote, wilderness like areas so close to the city that most Angelinos ( I prefer the term, L Aliens!) are not aware of.
It's kind of like the glass half full/ half empty idea. I love the great access to mountains year round, access to the beaches year round. There are some 30 different climbing areas within 2 1/2 hours of my house. I have gone water skiing on New Years Day & have gone snow skiing in July.
I could do with less traffic & congestion but that's the price for living somewhere that many others want to live too.
That's a recurring theme in reagan country...Roll the dice , lose your ass , then get the stupid tax payers to bail you out...Oh , i forgot , then blame the tax and spend liberals..
There are amazingly beautiful open spaces close to LA. Unfortunately, the culture down here is rife with callous disregard for it all. The amount of trash, graffiti and broken glass is appalling. The cultural difference between SoCal and NorCal is evident. One caveat is a mile or two from the trailhead, the impact is greatly reduced.
good schools and safe: check
Let us know!