Post: #1

I went through and read about 7 threads on LA on the forum, and while they were helpful they didn't exactly hit on where to live when moving there. Most touched on night spots, daygame spots, and vacation planning for short durations. I wanted to get a more specific recommendation based on people that live there now.

Background: I lived in LA from 1998-2004, so I'm familiar with it. That timeframe I lived in Westwood and Brentwood. Because of work, family, and some opportunities it makes sense for me to move back to LA for the next two years or so. I'm 31 and do not have a 9-5 job so traffic concerns are a bit mitigated.

As for gaming/women, I'm much better at night than at day. To be blunt I love pink nipples, i.e. I like white women, eastern euro girls, etc. That said I would never turn down a Brazilian given my last trip out there. But overall I like the lighter skinned girls, and definitely no interest in Asian, Indian, Black girls.

Some other points:
* I'm going to buy.
* I'd like to be somewhere with a lot of action. I've always lived in a suburb and want an urban atmosphere, as much as I can get out here anyway.
* I do not want to live in Brentwood, Westwood, South Bay, Downtown, or Pasadena for a variety of reasons.
* I know how important logistics are, so that factors in heavily to my decision.

Right now I'm leaning towards either Santa Monica, or West Hollywood/Hollywood. Any other areas I should consider? Or any preferences on those three? The worst part is I have tons of friends in LA right now but they all are married or have kids so their opinions are not really helpful. I know Hollywood was awesome back in the early 2000s (Shelter, Spider Club, Garden of Eden, White Lotus, etc.) but that's years ago and I have no idea what type of people go out in Hollywood anymore (thought I was told its a bunch of slutty hipster girls).

Thanks gents.

Post: #2

Since you've been gone awhile, you'll be blown away at how much downtown has gentrified in the last 5 years. It's now got people walking around at night other than crackheads and feels like a normal downtown that every other city has. Check it out once again before you make a decision.

Post: #3

I think anyone who can afford to live in Santa Monica, but doesn't, is crazy.

Post: #4

(03-22-2012 10:00 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  Since you've been gone awhile, you'll be blown away at how much downtown has gentrified in the last 5 years. It's now got people walking around at night other than crackheads and feels like a normal downtown that every other city has. Check it out once again before you make a decision.

Actually been out there a few times recently, it's a good change of pace. But not my style really. Edison was awesome but that was a holiday night so not sure if that counts; Standard downtown/Elevate/Library Bar all had a bit of a ghetto/asian crowd; 7th & Grand was a lot of ugly hipsters; last night was at Botegga Louie and it had a lot of lookers, some 9s even, but they were on dates (awesome food though).

Those are just some social reasons. Purchasing property there is not the best idea right now to me either given the fact there is endless supply of new condos popping up that will devalue whatever you buy, and no matter what in the future there will be new complexes, etc.

Post: #5

(03-22-2012 10:34 PM)MikeCF Wrote:  I think anyone who can afford to live in Santa Monica, but doesn't, is crazy.

Can you expand on this if you don't mind? I'm actually driving up to check out a place there tomorrow.

Post: #6

(03-22-2012 10:41 PM)slubu Wrote:  

(03-22-2012 10:34 PM)MikeCF Wrote:  I think anyone who can afford to live in Santa Monica, but doesn't, is crazy.

Can you expand on this if you don't mind? I'm actually driving up to check out a place there tomorrow.

Culver City is worth a look too. Checks some of your boxes re: women, urban, walkable neighborhoods in pockets. Like speakeasy mentioned with downtown...which is very true. Culver City has upped its game since you were there. And I think you should buy if you can. Some great opportunities, and rates are insane!

Post: #7

(03-22-2012 10:41 PM)slubu Wrote:  

(03-22-2012 10:34 PM)MikeCF Wrote:  I think anyone who can afford to live in Santa Monica, but doesn't, is crazy.

Can you expand on this if you don't mind? I'm actually driving up to check out a place there tomorrow.

Good weather. The air is (by LA standards) clean.

If you live close enough (say on 14th Street and between Colorado and Montana Blvd.), you park your car on the weekend. That's it. Walk everywhere.

3rd St promenade to goof off/shop/people watch/run day game.

Kick it at the Board Walk. Burn a few hundred calories walking around, soaking up on Vitamin D, and looking at hotties.

Lots of good restaurants. Sushi (Sugar Fish), Mexican (El Cholo), Italian (La Botte, Piccolo), French (Melisse), Thai (Thai Kitchen) are all within walking distance.

Every gym from low-end (24 hr. Fitness) to high end (Equinox) to the Mecca (Gold's in Venice).

Lots of good bars in SM off 25th St. (Q's, Cabo, Wilshire) and then there are the Main Street bars near Venice ($10 cab ride to Other Room, Basement, Circle, 31 Ten).

If you're single and earning around 80K, you can live a pretty nice life. More money is obviously better, but you don't need to be rich to "make it" in Santa Monica.

Edit: Just saw you're going to buy. My friend just bought a crib. Helped him along the way and checked out the houses. Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions about the real estate market/desirable locations.

Post: #8

Santa Monica, especially near Main Street, sounds like a good bet. The crowd in downtown is a lot more ghetto Hispanic/Asian/white hipster, but still has some decent white girls walking around. Santa Monica's nightlife is pretty white. There are parts of Santa monica that are a little seedy, further from the beach, but never quite dangerous, as far as I know. For cute upper middle class white girls, Santa Monica is probably the top choice.

Venice is fun to walk around, but it's grimy, not cheap, and hard to find a good place. Though my circumstances are a little different.

Los Feliz and Hollywood/West Hollywood might be worth a look, I just don't know them well.

Some guys are fans of Culver City, but I didn't like it. I like nice areas. Culver City seems kinda shitty to me. It's not a place that anyone aspires to live in. They live there out of convenience and compromise. It doesn't have the glamor factor that Venice or Santa Monica does, and it shows when you walk into the Trader Joes and you see schmos walking around in sweatpants. Also fewer white people.

Post: #9

(03-23-2012 01:00 AM)basilransom Wrote:  Some guys are fans of Culver City, but I didn't like it. I like nice areas. Culver City seems kinda shitty to me. It's not a place that anyone aspires to live in. They live there out of convenience and compromise. It doesn't have the glamor factor that Venice or Santa Monica does, and it shows when you walk into the Trader Joes and you see schmos walking around in sweatpants. Also fewer white people.

This is all very true. I live in Culver.

Post: #10

(03-23-2012 12:01 AM)Jesse33 Wrote:  

(03-22-2012 10:41 PM)slubu Wrote:  

(03-22-2012 10:34 PM)MikeCF Wrote:  I think anyone who can afford to live in Santa Monica, but doesn't, is crazy.

Can you expand on this if you don't mind? I'm actually driving up to check out a place there tomorrow.

Culver City is worth a look too. Checks some of your boxes re: women, urban, walkable neighborhoods in pockets. Like speakeasy mentioned with downtown...which is very true. Culver City has upped its game since you were there. And I think you should buy if you can. Some great opportunities, and rates are insane!

Thought about Culver City, but compared to the other places I don't think it is worth it.

(03-23-2012 12:07 AM)MikeCF Wrote:  

(03-22-2012 10:41 PM)slubu Wrote:  

(03-22-2012 10:34 PM)MikeCF Wrote:  I think anyone who can afford to live in Santa Monica, but doesn't, is crazy.

Can you expand on this if you don't mind? I'm actually driving up to check out a place there tomorrow.

Good weather. The air is (by LA standards) clean.

If you live close enough (say on 14th Street and between Colorado and Montana Blvd.), you park your car on the weekend. That's it. Walk everywhere.

3rd St promenade to goof off/shop/people watch/run day game.

Kick it at the Board Walk. Burn a few hundred calories walking around, soaking up on Vitamin D, and looking at hotties.

Lots of good restaurants. Sushi (Sugar Fish), Mexican (El Cholo), Italian (La Botte, Piccolo), French (Melisse), Thai (Thai Kitchen) are all within walking distance.

Every gym from low-end (24 hr. Fitness) to high end (Equinox) to the Mecca (Gold's in Venice).

Lots of good bars in SM off 25th St. (Q's, Cabo, Wilshire) and then there are the Main Street bars near Venice ($10 cab ride to Other Room, Basement, Circle, 31 Ten).

If you're single and earning around 80K, you can live a pretty nice life. More money is obviously better, but you don't need to be rich to "make it" in Santa Monica.

Edit: Just saw you're going to buy. My friend just bought a crib. Helped him along the way and checked out the houses. Feel free to hit me up if you have any questions about the real estate market/desirable locations.

All very true. I guess the only question is if the Hollywood area overall is better or not. I don't really know.

(03-23-2012 01:00 AM)basilransom Wrote:  Santa Monica, especially near Main Street, sounds like a good bet. The crowd in downtown is a lot more ghetto Hispanic/Asian/white hipster, but still has some decent white girls walking around. Santa Monica's nightlife is pretty white. There are parts of Santa monica that are a little seedy, further from the beach, but never quite dangerous, as far as I know. For cute upper middle class white girls, Santa Monica is probably the top choice.

Venice is fun to walk around, but it's grimy, not cheap, and hard to find a good place. Though my circumstances are a little different.

Los Feliz and Hollywood/West Hollywood might be worth a look, I just don't know them well.

Some guys are fans of Culver City, but I didn't like it. I like nice areas. Culver City seems kinda shitty to me. It's not a place that anyone aspires to live in. They live there out of convenience and compromise. It doesn't have the glamor factor that Venice or Santa Monica does, and it shows when you walk into the Trader Joes and you see schmos walking around in sweatpants. Also fewer white people.

Ha, I much rather have the yoga girl from Santa Monica at a trader joe's than schmos in sweatpants. Points taken though, thanks man.

Post: #11

Meant to clarify, Venice is not uniformly grimy. Abbott Kinney is like a Bohemian Rodeo Drive, and the girls there during the day are pretty fine - walk into the restaurant Gjelina and take a gander. Too bad reservations are required... But it varies a ton, street by street, like nowhere else on the Westside. One street has A-list celebrities while another's got crack addicts and gangsters. Some people will ignorantly tell you Venice is affordable, but that's only if you want to live in the shittiest place possible, and possibly live next to gangbangers. Unlike Culver City, Venice is a world destination - for those who dig its style, it's #1 in the country. It doesn't have as many bars though.

I recommend against the South Bay - unless you're dialed in to a strong social network there. I know you already dropped it from consideration, just in case you had any doubts.

A lot of it depends on your budget. The higher your budget, the closer you can live to the hotspots. Still, between Beverly Hills and the ocean, there's a fairly wide range.

I was talking to a girl last night who lives in West Hollywood. She said she wants to move to the Westside because of the constant traffic, and WH's lack of proximity to the freeways. WH is also chock-full of aggressively homosexual men - I went to my chain gym there once, and it was a total gay pick-up joint, weird stuff like a dude standing next to me and staring at me for 60 seconds straight while I'm doing cable pulldowns.

I hear Pasadena nightlife is getting pretty good, but I've never been, and I don't trust mainstream hype.

I know little about real estate, but it seems like property prices in rich areas are much safer bets.

There's also Marina Del Rey, which is nice, mostly condos though and an older, sleepier crowd. Silver Lake, Eagle Rock, Highland Park area has lots of young artsy hipster types, I believe, don't know them well.

Post: #12

(03-23-2012 10:02 AM)slubu Wrote:  All very true. I guess the only question is if the Hollywood area overall is better or not. I don't really know.

Hollywood sucks. It's nothing like it was even a few years ago.

Go out there this weekend.

You won't believe the changes.

Post: #13

(03-23-2012 11:32 AM)basilransom Wrote:  Meant to clarify, Venice is not uniformly grimy. Abbott Kinney is like a Bohemian Rodeo Drive, and the girls there during the day are pretty fine - walk into the restaurant Gjelina and take a gander. Too bad reservations are required... But it varies a ton, street by street, like nowhere else on the Westside. One street has A-list celebrities while another's got crack addicts and gangsters. Some people will ignorantly tell you Venice is affordable, but that's only if you want to live in the shittiest place possible, and possibly live next to gangbangers. Unlike Culver City, Venice is a world destination - for those who dig its style, it's #1 in the country. It doesn't have as many bars though.

Drove up Lincoln this morning from Marina Del Rey to Santa Monica. The crowd varies a lot. I should probably go check out Abbot Kinney. I've heard a lot about Gjelina, but you're right reservations there are ridiculous.

(03-23-2012 11:32 AM)basilransom Wrote:  I recommend against the South Bay - unless you're dialed in to a strong social network there. I know you already dropped it from consideration, just in case you had any doubts.

Yes not even a consideration.

(03-23-2012 11:32 AM)basilransom Wrote:  I was talking to a girl last night who lives in West Hollywood. She said she wants to move to the Westside because of the constant traffic, and WH's lack of proximity to the freeways. WH is also chock-full of aggressively homosexual men - I went to my chain gym there once, and it was a total gay pick-up joint, weird stuff like a dude standing next to me and staring at me for 60 seconds straight while I'm doing cable pulldowns.

From my experience and what's been told to me, West LA and West Hollywood have the absolute worst traffic. Re the gym, if it's the 24 on Santa Monica Blvd. I've been there and yes it's ridiculous - I felt for the first time what it must be like to be a girl at a gym, all dudes staring at you.

(03-23-2012 11:32 AM)basilransom Wrote:  I hear Pasadena nightlife is getting pretty good, but I've never been, and I don't trust mainstream hype.

The few times I've gone out in Pasadena it's been atrocious. My friends and I literally thought we were in a circus. Never seen so many fat, ugly and midget type chicks. For a 10 minute span I could not find one chick I'd consider even talking to. Maybe I went on some off nights, but at least in my eyes it is not good. Lots of latinas though if that's your thing.

Post: #14

(03-23-2012 01:43 PM)slubu Wrote:  

(03-23-2012 11:32 AM)basilransom Wrote:  Meant to clarify, Venice is not uniformly grimy. Abbott Kinney is like a Bohemian Rodeo Drive, and the girls there during the day are pretty fine - walk into the restaurant Gjelina and take a gander. Too bad reservations are required... But it varies a ton, street by street, like nowhere else on the Westside. One street has A-list celebrities while another's got crack addicts and gangsters. Some people will ignorantly tell you Venice is affordable, but that's only if you want to live in the shittiest place possible, and possibly live next to gangbangers. Unlike Culver City, Venice is a world destination - for those who dig its style, it's #1 in the country. It doesn't have as many bars though.

Drove up Lincoln this morning from Marina Del Rey to Santa Monica. The crowd varies a lot. I should probably go check out Abbot Kinney. I've heard a lot about Gjelina, but you're right reservations there are ridiculous.

(03-23-2012 11:32 AM)basilransom Wrote:  I recommend against the South Bay - unless you're dialed in to a strong social network there. I know you already dropped it from consideration, just in case you had any doubts.

Yes not even a consideration.

(03-23-2012 11:32 AM)basilransom Wrote:  I was talking to a girl last night who lives in West Hollywood. She said she wants to move to the Westside because of the constant traffic, and WH's lack of proximity to the freeways. WH is also chock-full of aggressively homosexual men - I went to my chain gym there once, and it was a total gay pick-up joint, weird stuff like a dude standing next to me and staring at me for 60 seconds straight while I'm doing cable pulldowns.

From my experience and what's been told to me, West LA and West Hollywood have the absolute worst traffic. Re the gym, if it's the 24 on Santa Monica Blvd. I've been there and yes it's ridiculous - I felt for the first time what it must be like to be a girl at a gym, all dudes staring at you.

(03-23-2012 11:32 AM)basilransom Wrote:  I hear Pasadena nightlife is getting pretty good, but I've never been, and I don't trust mainstream hype.

The few times I've gone out in Pasadena it's been atrocious. My friends and I literally thought we were in a circus. Never seen so many fat, ugly and midget type chicks. For a 10 minute span I could not find one chick I'd consider even talking to. Maybe I went on some off nights, but at least in my eyes it is not good. Lots of latinas though if that's your thing.

Basil is giving great info. Agreed!

Post: #15

There's a new spot on the west side that sounds interesting and worth checking out. Just passing it along: http://laist.com/2012/03/30/absinthe_jaz...pianos.php

Post: #16

(03-30-2012 04:05 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  There's a new spot on the west side that sounds interesting and worth checking out. Just passing it along: http://laist.com/2012/03/30/absinthe_jaz...pianos.php

I'm going be in Santa Monica for a few days next week. I'll check it out and report back.

Post: #17

(03-30-2012 04:05 PM)speakeasy Wrote:  There's a new spot on the west side that sounds interesting and worth checking out. Just passing it along: http://laist.com/2012/03/30/absinthe_jaz...pianos.php

I'm sort of friends with one of the managers of this place, I want to check it out as soon. Be interested to hear your thoughts.

Post: #18

I'll try to check it out in the coming weeks. Tonight and next weekend are my Hollywood recon nights...trying to see what the crowds are like for the potential move.