Posted on February 07, 2022.

Part of moving to LA involves deciding where to live in Los Angeles

Making the move to Los Angeles is very exciting. There’s so much going on in this Southern California city that you’ll never run out of things to do in Hollywood, Ca. However, LA is a major city, so it can be difficult to decide which Los Angeles neighborhood is right for you. You might have an idea of what areas to avoid, but do you know if you want to live in the San Fernando Valley, Los Feliz or Beverly Hills? Each of the neighborhoods in the Los Angeles area has a distinct vibe, so you’re sure to find one for you.

To help you decide where to live in Los Angeles, we’ve created a guide to help you learn more about the different parts of the City of Angels. Read on to find out everything you need to know before you decide where to live in LA as a Los Angeleno.

Culver City is one of the best places to live in LA

Culver City is famous for being home to the MGM Studio and silver screen stars. However, it’s not just a piece of moviemaking history. It’s also where many diverse, young professionals and families call home. Not only does this neighborhood provide great restaurants and fun nightlife, but it also has reasonable rent.

This Los Angeles County neighborhood is close to Downtown LA, Venice Beach as well as Santa Monica, which makes it easy to commute to different parts of the city. Another thing that you’ll have easy access to in Culver City is the amazing Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area. This outdoor wonderland features a combination of the native coastal sage scrub habitat, landscaped areas, hiking trails, and a fishing lake. There’s also a community center and places for kids to play.

If you prefer to spend time indoors, you’ll want to check out the mall known as Platform. The space features everything, including boutiques, bars, restaurants, and a spa that focuses on massages. A few of the best spots to get a drink or a bite to eat in Platform include Loqui, which is famous in LA for its delicious Mexican dishes, and Margot, which is renowned for offering cocktails, small plates, and great rooftop views.

Downtown Los Angeles has emerged as a new hot spot in LA

Some people think they should avoid Downtown Los Angeles, also known as DTLA, due to its infamous traffic and the reputation of Skid Row. However, this LA neighborhood is rich in culture and nightlife. As you explore this part of town, you’ll discover gems like Little Tokyo and the Arts District. You’ll also find that this is one of the most transit-friendly and walkable neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

Downtown LA is full of amazing landmarks, including the breathtaking Bradbury Building, which was built in 1893, and the iconic Angels Flight Railway in the Bunker Hill district. Speaking of landmarks, many people view Skid Row as an infamous one. However, over the years, gentrification has brought new development and businesses to the area, revitalizing this once-avoided area of DTLA.

If you’re looking for amazing Los Angeles restaurants and enticing art and design, the Arts District in LA delivers. In fact, this district is home to Bavel, one of the best restaurants in the whole city. This Middle Eastern eatery is always packed with people looking to grab some shawarma or hummus. While we’re on the topic of good eats, Grand Central Market can’t be beat, as it offers a wide variety of established food stalls and emerging favorites.

Glendale makes the list of the best places to live in LA

When people ask where to live in Los Angeles, Glendale is a North Hollywood neighborhood that often pops up. This area is famous for being the heart of LA’s Armenian population. As a result, it offers diversity and a feeling of community that makes it perfect for families. However, keep in mind that Glendale is about 30 minutes from downtown. This is perfect for people who don’t mind a little commute.

This LA neighborhood is famous for offering views of the Verdugo Mountains and beautiful parks like Griffith Park on its border. This park features more than 4,200 acres of natural terrain and landscaped park and picnic areas. It also holds the honor of being one of the United States’ largest municipal parks that offers urban wilderness areas. Many people enjoy hiking the hills and valleys to check out the wildlife.

Glendale is also renowned for offering amazing Middle Eastern food. Great eateries include Raffi’s Place and Skaf’s Lebanese Cuisine. However, Mini Kabob is the one that truly stands out. It might not look like much from the outside with its no-frills storefront, but this family-run Armenian joint serves up some of the best kebabs and salads in this major city.

Wondering where to live in Los Angeles? Los Feliz is a great option

Although technically in Hollywood, Los Feliz stands out as unique. You can find Old Hollywood charm and hipster delights that have helped this neighborhood make a name that’s all its own. People describe this neighborhood as “relaxed” and “walkable.” 

Like Glendale, Los Feliz is near Griffith Park. That means you can work a corporate day job and still enjoy time hiking in the splendor of nature in an area that’s bigger than Central Park. You can also stop by the Griffith Observatory to see the stars in space rather than the ones in Tinsel Town.

To enjoy the hustle and bustle of Los Feliz, you’ll want to check out Hillhurst and North Vermont Avenues, which are lined with bars, restaurants and boutiques. The food especially stands out here. There’s great Italian food at La Pergoletta and Il Capriccio on Vermont. For incredible Asian food, you can check out Starfish Sushi or Pho VT Vietnamese and Thai Kitchen. There’s something for just about everyone.

Hollywood isn’t just a place for celebrities to live in Los Angeles

Hollywood is probably the most famous part of LA County. It’s the home of glitz and glamour, but it’s not just a place where movie magic gets made. Real people do live in this Los Angeles area. However, these real people do need to have enough money to afford the rent here. 

As you start to explore Hollywood as one of the places to live in LA, you should know it consists of several areas. Just a few of them include Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Central Hollywood, North Hollywood, West Hollywood, and South Hollywood. You can also find the Hollywood Hills a little further out. You should know that each area has a slightly different vibe, but you can still expect to see celebrities, tourists, and lavish examples of wealth.

There’s a lot of variety in the things to do in Hollywood, California. To enjoy some amazing nightlife, you should visit the Sunset Strip. If you want to indulge in a little retail therapy, Rodeo Drive is the place for you. As for food and drink, there are some of the best restaurants in Hollywood. There’s everything from Wolfgang Puck’s renowned Spago to places for hot dog lovers like Vicious Dogs and Pinks.

Enjoy beautiful views and delicious food when you live in Marina del Rey

Marina del Rey is a wonderful place to live in LA County. As the biggest man made marina in the United States, you can expect to see sights that include beautiful boats and curious sea lions. When it comes to housing, there are many large apartment complexes and towering condos that attract young professionals to this Los Angeles area.

If you love to enjoy sand and surf, Marina “Mother’s” Beach doesn’t disappoint. This 12-acre lagoon is peaceful due to its lack of surf, which makes it the ideal place to relax. You can also visit outdoor spaces like the Aubrey E. Austin Jr. Park and North Jetty. There, you can walk along paved pathways and enjoy views of the harbor and planes leaving LAX. You’re also not far from world-renowned beaches, including Playa Del Rey, Santa Monica Beach and Venice Beach.

Spending time on the water can make you hungry, but thankfully, Marina del Rey has no shortage of amazing eateries. There’s SUGARFISH for fans of sushi rolls and sake, while SALT Restaurant & Bar offers burgers, pizza and salads. You can also find steakhouses, seafood eateries and local Italian gems like Scopa Italian Roots.

Silver Lake rounds out our list of the best places to live in LA

If you want to enjoy the best of Los Angeles without any of the downsides, Silver Lake is your best bet. It has amazing green spaces and the traffic and parking issues aren’t nearly as bad as other parts of the city. Although this area specifically appeals to millennial hipsters, it still attracts a diverse mix of young adults. This area provides easy access to DTLA and Hollywood and surrounding neighborhoods like Echo Park and Angelino Heights, which is great for commuting and checking out the latest in these areas.

People in Silver Lake love to visit the Silver Lake Reservoir. It’s a popular loop trail around a lake that’s a little over 2 miles long. It’s great for both running and walking, and you can even bring a furry friend if your dog stays on a leash. Speaking of dogs, the Silver Lake Dog Park is also a great place to bring your pup.

The Sunset Strip extends through Silver Lake, which provides access to plenty of nightlife. Both on and off the Sunset Strip, you can find plenty of amazing restaurants, as Silver Lake is renowned for its eateries. Some popular destinations include Night + Market Song for Thai street food, Freedman’s Deli and WOOD Silver Lake Pizza & Pasta. 

Original Post: https://www.common.com/blog/2021/04/where-to-live-in-los-angeles-a-complete-guide/

Posted on February 07, 2022.

Welcome back to the Real Estate newsletter. We have a special treat this week, as one of my favorite houses in L.A. surfaced for sale.

It’s not a pristine Midcentury or a modern mega-mansion, but a three-story Victorian in Windsor Square. Straight out of a horror movie, the dramatic mansion with turrets and spires even comes with a blood-red swimming pool.

Tattoo artist Kat Von D of “LA Ink” fame restored the place, and now she’s listing it for $15 million. She’s not the only notable name tied to the property; previous owners of the 126-year-old home include Isaac Newton Van Nuys, whom the neighborhood of Van Nuys was named after, and screenwriter Lucy Dahl, daughter of famed British author Roald Dahl. When it was painted a more innocent shade of white, it also starred as the family home in “Cheaper by the Dozen.” You gotta see the pictures.

Over in the Bird Streets, we got a reminder of what can happen when a property’s price tag is a bit too ambitious. Retired motorcycle racer John Kocinski originally wanted $30 million for his Mediterranean-style mansion but couldn’t find a buyer for three years. Eventually, he auctioned it off in the home’s living room, and the winning bid was $6.526 million — still a high price, but just 22% of his original ask.

On the lower end of the market, we took a look at the latest technology in 3D homebuilding. Once a novelty, 3D-printed homes are now becoming a tool to address the nation’s housing shortage because they can be built much quicker, and with less labor, than traditional homes.

We also got a stellar deep-dive from L.A. Times entertainment reporter Meredith Blake, who answered the question of what happens when things go wrong on those real estate TV shows that seem to spawn out of nowhere every year. The latest one is called “Home Work,” but one homeowner featured on the show called the process “disastrous.” It’s a must-read story.

If you’re sick of reading by this point, try listening. A new episode of The Times, L.A. Times’ daily podcast, looks into Santa Monica’s dark housing history, which saw the city evict hundreds of Black families in the 1950s and ‘60s and is now trying to bring them back. Columnist Gustavo Arellano is your host, so you know you’re in good hands.

While catching up on the latest, visit and like our Facebook page, where you can find real estate stories and updates throughout the week.

Victorian haunt comes with surprises

Even in Windsor Square, a neighborhood filled to the brim with some of the city’s finest pre-World War II architecture, this three-story Victorian stands alone. The dramatic mansion is owned by tattoo artist Kat Von D, who just listed it for $15 million.

The gothic haunt has lived a full life over the last century. It was built in 1896 by Isaac Newton Van Nuys, a businessman and the namesake of Van Nuys who owned much of the San Fernando Valley in the 19th century. In 1915, his son, J. Benton Van Nuys, had the entire home moved to its current spot in Windsor Square.

British screenwriter Lucy Dahl, daughter of famed author Roald Dahl, picked it up in 1998 for $1.3 million. During her ownership, the house had its biggest claim to fame when it starred as the family home in the 2003 comedy “Cheaper by the Dozen.” Dahl then quadrupled her money by selling it to Von D for $6.5 million in 2016.

Von D, whose full name is Katherine Von Drachenberg, restored the place to its original style. Today it showcases bold spaces with chandeliers, ornate fireplaces and stained-glass windows across 12,500 square feet.

Once listed at $30 million, a mansion sells for much less

Retired Grand Prix motorcycle racer John Kocinski isn’t exactly riding off into the sunset after selling his mansion in the Bird Streets. The home was auctioned off for $6.526 million — just 22% of his original price tag of $30 million.

The buyer is Michael Shabani, founder of the real estate investment firm Crown Equity. About 15 people showed up to the auction, held in the home’s living room on Saturday, and Shabani won a bidding war against Josh Altman, a luxury real estate agent with Douglas Elliman.

“Michael isn’t even sure what he’s planning to do with the home yet,” said Patrick Fogarty of Hilton & Hyland, who represented Shabani in the deal. “But at that price, he had to purchase it.”

3D-printed homes keep spreading

For Apis Cor, a construction company based in Melbourne, Fla., building certain kinds of homes relies an awful lot on a key team member named Frank, writes Melissa Hernandez.

Frank has an arm that reaches more than 16 feet, said Anna Cheniuntai, the company’s founder and chief executive, and can follow a computerized design blueprint while pushing out a steady stream of beaded construction material used to make walls.

Frank, it turns out, is a large, mechanical component of the technology used to build 3D-printed homes.

Proponents of the technology in recent years have pointed to 3D-printed homes as an innovative step toward addressing housing needs in the United States and elsewhere. Several projects are underway as communities cope with housing shortages and experiment with options.

Home makeover show gone wrong

Aubry Bannion was thrilled when Andy and Candis Meredith, a pair of home-flippers, asked her to be on their new show called “Home Work,” writes Meredith Blake.

Days before the show’s channel, Magnolia Network, officially launched in January, Bennion set off a frenzy when, in a lengthy series of Instagram posts, she shared the fiasco she’d experienced behind the scenes on “Home Work.” That “three-week” job ultimately took five months, during which she cooked on a hot plate in her guest room. Weeks went by with no contact from the Merediths, except when they asked her to wire money while they were on vacation in Europe.

The Merediths eventually completed enough work to make the kitchen camera-ready, and Bennion feigned excitement as they filmed a reveal for the TV show. (She ultimately paid the Merediths $13,000, and her renovation was not featured in “Home Work.”) Within days, paint on the laminate cabinets had begun to chip.

Podcast explores Santa Monica’s dark housing history

In Santa Monica during the 1950s and ‘60s, city leaders evicted hundreds of Black families to build what ended up being the 10 Freeway. But now, in an act of civic penance, Santa Monica is trying to bring some of those families back. It comes at a time when municipalities across the United States are reckoning with their racist actions from the past, writes Gustavo Arellano.

In the episode, Arellano talks with housing reporter Liam Dillon and Santa Monica native Nichelle Monroe about Santa Monica’s attempt to redress a historic wrong.

What we’re reading

In a seller’s market, people listing their homes find themselves with more power than ever, and many are flexing that power to negotiate the fees they pay to agents. MarketWatch reports that the average commission rate for agents was 2.63% of the sale price for a three-month stretch ending in November 2021, which is the lowest on record.

Although $1.1 million is the approximate median home price in many L.A. neighborhoods, in Aruba, it goes pretty far. The New York Times went house-hunting in the Caribbean on that budget and found a three-bedroom villa overlooking a golf course.

Original Post: https://www.latimes.com/business/newsletter/2022-02-05/real-estate-newsletter-20220205-hot-property