The Official Los Angeles Shopping + Dining Thread

[eglbc]

scan this thread, it has your answer

What kind of living vibe are you looking for ?

 

[acecow]

Also, it may depend on where you work...

Valley for cheaper accommodations, but worse heat in the summer and little going on.
Hollywood for traffic, noise, bums, and partying/restaurants. Same for Downtown, really.
Koreatown for scratches on your car, kbbq and traffic 24/7.
Santa Monica for more comfortable cool weather, proximity to the ocean.
My personal favorite is Culver City, because there's little traffic, nice weather, and it's located about 15 minutes away from all of the above-mentioned places. (except for the valley, but who'd want to go there?)

 

[foodguy]

i think the perfect introduction to LA is miracle mile. great apartments, still relatively affordable, convenient to downtown, ktown, beverly center area, hollywood, west hollywood, etc.

 

[zSolaris]

scan this thread, it has your answer

What kind of living vibe are you looking for ?

I have been slowly going through it all in my spare time! I'm about 10 pages in haha.

I guess I'd prefer somewhere not overly "active" or noisy but close enough to such areas. Not sure. Just anywhere that's safe and not overly expensive would probably work too.

Also, it may depend on where you work...

Valley for cheaper accommodations, but worse heat in the summer and little going on.
Hollywood for traffic, noise, bums, and partying/restaurants. Same for Downtown, really.
Koreatown for scratches on your car, kbbq and traffic 24/7.
Santa Monica for more comfortable cool weather, proximity to the ocean.
My personal favorite is Culver City, because there's little traffic, nice weather, and it's located about 15 minutes away from all of the above-mentioned places. (except for the valley, but who'd want to go there?)

I'm going to be working in Commerce (near Downtown). Can't really be a railroad engineer without a railroad. =\ I was looking into Downtown but don't know if I'd want to be near all that noise and hustle/bustle all the time. Culver City is nice (aunt lives in Marina Del Rey so I end up in Culver whenever I visit) but might be a bit far from where I work. I'll be sure to look into it again!

i think the perfect introduction to LA is miracle mile. great apartments, still relatively affordable, convenient to downtown, ktown, beverly center area, hollywood, west hollywood, etc.

Had completely overlooked the Miracle Mile. I've found a couple there that I'm interested in. Thanks!

 

[Spencer]

Working in Commerce....hmmmm, how about Los Feliz? Good resturants/bars, close to Hollywood and Downtown. Horrible traffic aside, i'd say you're looking at about a 30 minute commute to Commerce, not too bad.

 

[foodguy]

yeah, there's really no place very desirable that's convenient to commerce. one idea -- and i don't know whether it will work -- might be long beach. there's a light rail that will take you fairly close. passes over some of hte rail yards, i believe. in long beach, pretty nice mix of residential -- houses, apartments, lofty stuff downtown. and if you're coming from some place less urban than la, it's more manageable.

 

[acecow]



yeah, there's really no place very desirable that's convenient to commerce. one idea -- and i don't know whether it will work -- might be long beach. there's a light rail that will take you fairly close. passes over some of hte rail yards, i believe. in long beach, pretty nice mix of residential -- houses, apartments, lofty stuff downtown. and if you're coming from some place less urban than la, it's more manageable.

Long Beach is nice, but I bet he'd like to be more in LA than its surrounding areas. I think he should just look for an apartment in Downtown LA. That area has been on the rise recently.

 

[StanleyVanBuren]

ya don't say

 

[foodguy]

you bet. check out some of SVB's "well-dressed man in an alley" photo series. honestly, though, if you hadn't lived in nyc or another large urban center, living downtown -- even in the new, improved, cleaned-up, hipstered-out downtown, could be a bit of a shock. and i say that as someone who has worked there at one end of another for almost 25 years. it's a lot better than it used to be -- light years -- but if you've never lived among the homeless, if you're used to being able to park your car and make a quick run to a grocery, it might not be for you.

 

[acecow]



you bet. check out some of SVB's "well-dressed man in an alley" photo series. honestly, though, if you hadn't lived in nyc or another large urban center, living downtown -- even in the new, improved, cleaned-up, hipstered-out downtown, could be a bit of a shock. and i say that as someone who has worked there at one end of another for almost 25 years. it's a lot better than it used to be -- light years -- but if you've never lived among the homeless, if you're used to being able to park your car and make a quick run to a grocery, it might not be for you.

That's true. I'm comparing it to what it has been 10 years ago. But compared to Palos Verdes it's still a slump. Still better than most of the areas around Commerce.

 

[zSolaris]

Working in Commerce....hmmmm, how about Los Feliz? Good resturants/bars, close to Hollywood and Downtown. Horrible traffic aside, i'd say you're looking at about a 30 minute commute to Commerce, not too bad.

30 minute commute isn't half bad at all. I'll look into it. Thanks!

yeah, there's really no place very desirable that's convenient to commerce. one idea -- and i don't know whether it will work -- might be long beach. there's a light rail that will take you fairly close. passes over some of hte rail yards, i believe. in long beach, pretty nice mix of residential -- houses, apartments, lofty stuff downtown. and if you're coming from some place less urban than la, it's more manageable.

Maybe I'm looking at the wrong thing but it looks like I'd have to switch off the train near USC to a bus to Commerce if I did that. Not too bad overall. I'll keep it in mind.

you bet. check out some of SVB's "well-dressed man in an alley" photo series. honestly, though, if you hadn't lived in nyc or another large urban center, living downtown -- even in the new, improved, cleaned-up, hipstered-out downtown, could be a bit of a shock. and i say that as someone who has worked there at one end of another for almost 25 years. it's a lot better than it used to be -- light years -- but if you've never lived among the homeless, if you're used to being able to park your car and make a quick run to a grocery, it might not be for you.

Yeah my original plan was to either live in Koreatown (and pretty much forget English as I'd only use Korean) or in Downtown. If a few places I've found near Downtown are half as good as they claim, I'll probably live there. I've lived in Seoul so I suppose I can survive in LA haha.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[acecow]



Yeah my original plan was to either live in Koreatown (and pretty much forget English as I'd only use Korean) or in Downtown. If a few places I've found near Downtown are half as good as they claim, I'll probably live there. I've lived in Seoul so I suppose I can survive in LA haha.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

So you're Korean? Then you should definitely stick to K-Town. I'll be happy to meet up for dinner at a kbbq when you get here.

 

[zSolaris]

So you're Korean? Then you should definitely stick to K-Town. I'll be happy to meet up for dinner at a kbbq when you get here.

Yeah I am haha. Born there, lived over in the states most of my life. There's a place on the edge of Silver Lake and Koreatown that I'm looking into. I might end up there as it seems nice enough.

As for KBBQ, I'm down. I'll let you know whenever I get into town haha.

 

[Spencer]

Soowon Galbi for KBBQ

 

[zSolaris]

Soowon Galbi for KBBQ

Been there. Bloody amazing.