DEAREST angelenos
A GUIDE BROUGHT TO YOU BY NATIVE ANGELENOS
PICK AN AREA BELOW
READ ON THE LEFT
TOP OF THE WESTSIDE (001)
Fairfax District
Melrose
West Hollywood
Beverly Grove
IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA (002)
DTLA
Echo Park
Chinatown
Elysian Park
Little Tokyo
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NORTH OF THE CITY (003)
Griffith Park
Silverlake
Los Feliz
East Hollywood
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SOUTH OF THE CITY (004)
Crenshaw
Leimert Park
Exposition Park
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WITHIN THE CENTER (005)
Koreatown
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BY THE COAST (006)
Venice
Mar Vista
Marina del Rey
Westchester
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Dearest Angelenos is a welcome letter to those who are looking to move to Los Angeles or recently have. It is an evolving archive of LA experiences meant to give insight into the many ways of LA living. All excerpts are from native angelenos and transplants with a few years under their belt.
Have a LA story to share? ︎︎︎
TOP OF THE WESTSIDE
Fairfax District
“My neighborhood is mostly older people, so I didn’t have any close friends except someone who lived a block away. Because I’m so close to 3rd Street and the grove, we spent much time there for dinner (and occasionally shopping). All in all, it was pretty calm and quiet. And contrary to popular belief, I’ve never met any celebrities (except for one, but that was a whole different thing). In the area I consider my neighborhood, it’s pretty much all houses and duplexes.
Technically its called Beverly grove because its in between Beverly Hills and the Grove. The smaller version I consider my neighborhood is the residential area boxed in by four major streets (Wilshire, Fairfax, 3rd, San Vicente/La Cienega).”
Overall View of LA:
overrated
It’s by no means bad but the traffic is horrid, random people get so rude for no reason, almost everywhere is crowded, and it’s so damn expensive. However, it has so many kinds of really good food, when people aren’t rude they tend to be pretty nice, and there’s a lot of diversity.
“My neighborhood is mostly older people, so I didn’t have any close friends except someone who lived a block away. Because I’m so close to 3rd Street and the grove, we spent much time there for dinner (and occasionally shopping). All in all, it was pretty calm and quiet. And contrary to popular belief, I’ve never met any celebrities (except for one, but that was a whole different thing). In the area I consider my neighborhood, it’s pretty much all houses and duplexes.
Technically its called Beverly grove because its in between Beverly Hills and the Grove. The smaller version I consider my neighborhood is the residential area boxed in by four major streets (Wilshire, Fairfax, 3rd, San Vicente/La Cienega).”
Overall View of LA:
overrated
It’s by no means bad but the traffic is horrid, random people get so rude for no reason, almost everywhere is crowded, and it’s so damn expensive. However, it has so many kinds of really good food, when people aren’t rude they tend to be pretty nice, and there’s a lot of diversity.
overrated
It’s by no means bad but the traffic is horrid, random people get so rude for no reason, almost everywhere is crowded, and it’s so damn expensive. However, it has so many kinds of really good food, when people aren’t rude they tend to be pretty nice, and there’s a lot of diversity.
IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA
Echo Park
True Stereotype:
every LA transplant does not know there’s anything past echo park
“Its aggressive and a very impatient part of LA. I was just a kid so I remember hearing a bunch of helicopters and eloteros ringing their bells around my street. But once I came back after Florida everyone I knew was much older in comparison to the kids my age in Florida. Growing up in LA as a whole if you aren’t pampered or rich makes you grow up pretty fast. DTLA has a huge sense of community which is great its so compact and understanding when it comes to new cultures. I love it I love it but it’s too loud sometimes and it makes me restless. I live in studio city now so it’s very quiet and different I don’t miss the noise.
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Growing up, I used to play at the Venice and Vermont McDonald’s all the time. My mom was studying at usc when I was a kid so I frequently hung around the campus. I’d spend hours at The Walt Disney concert hall, LA historic park, and Chinatown as well.”
overall:
I mean it’s a beautiful city filled with an insane amount of history and culture every genre of life thrives here in the right times it’s a very strong city too it will break people and make you reflect
NORTH OF THE CITY
Los Feliz
True Stereotype:
Everyone here wants to be famous & an influencer
False Stereotype:
we are not ALL snobs!
“Growing up in Los Feliz was really special. It is in the center of everything you could possibly ever need: grocery stores, restaurants, coffee shops, bars, boutiques, movie theatre, parks, hospitals, etc. I am fortunate and grateful that my parents settled in an area that was so up & coming for me to experience my early childhood & young adult life in.
The people in Los Feliz come from many diverse backgrounds. I would say ranging around middle to wealthy class folks..although within the past 10-15 years it has become extremely trendy and there have been lots of creative arts + design people moving in.
I would say the overall vibe is very chill. It has definitely become a young crowds/tourist type attractive space. Being so close to Hollywood, The Griffith Observatory, Griffith Park, and the Greek Theatre has made it so there is always foot traffic, happy people, and smiles all around.
I would say there are 3 prominent places located in Los Feliz that always take me back when I think about growing up there. The first would be the Los Feliz Library-it was right around the corner of my house which made it extremely fun to go after school to check out a book or during the weekends with my dad. The second would be Palermo’s on Vermont which is an Italian restaurant my family loves. My folks know the owner since he opened the restaurant back in the 70s so that is a staple for get togethers and special occasions. The third and final place would be Chase Bank which used to be this large liquor store right across the street from the Library. I would go on walks with my dad and we would go into the liquor store and buy candy (mostly ring pops & watermelon flavored hubba bubba gum or even on special occasions ice cream) it was something I always looked forward to until it closed. I miss it very much.”
Overall:
I have a love/hate relationship with LA. I feel like it’s so hard to get that type of answer from an LA native because most of the time, people will tell you how much they love it and that it’s perfect the way it is. I don’t like to bullshit people, so I’ll let you know: LA is great but has flaws. It is becoming extremely expensive, and the quality of life is different from what it used to be. Unless you are making thousands, it’s worth it, but I cannot say LA is my permanent home.
I have a love/hate relationship with LA. I feel like it’s so hard to get that type of answer from an LA native because most of the time, people will tell you how much they love it and that it’s perfect the way it is. I don’t like to bullshit people, so I’ll let you know: LA is great but has flaws. It is becoming extremely expensive, and the quality of life is different from what it used to be. Unless you are making thousands, it’s worth it, but I cannot say LA is my permanent home.
Venice
True Stereotype:
The stereotypes I found to be true were that it is expensive. Goodness, I am still determining where my money goes these days. Coming from the Midwest, an excellent meal was $12; here, it’s about $20. Don’t get me started on housing. One room in a three-bedroom apartment in Venice is about $1,000. I had a one-bedroom apartment in Michigan (900 square feet) for $1,000. I’m still getting used to the prices, but if I can make it here, I’m sure I can make it anywhere.
False Stereotype:
Stereotypes I’ve debunked are probably about the people. While there are a lot of aspiring actors, models, singers, etc., who are focused on growing their social status, there are also people who don’t have any social media here at all.
When talking to people who have lived here for 6+ years, one thing they say in common is that everybody is fake, but they’re projecting. It’s all about who you surround yourself with and the energy you give out of the energy you receive.
“When I first came to LA, it was three years ago. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed. I came here for two weeks to look at apartments. It was in August of 2020, which was the time that LA had that crazy heat wave. The fires were terrible, so you couldn’t see anything because of the smoke. I stayed in the Ventura/ Van Nuys area, and we made sure to visit all the touristy spots like Hollywood Blvd, which may have played a role in my distaste for LA. During this trip was when I decided I didn’t want to live in LA. It may be because I had just come from a small village in Spain, and the city shock got to me, or it was just my personal experience in the two weeks I was there.
Now after being in LA for about eight months, I absolutely love it. I’ve learned that LA is just a bunch of little cities put together, and it’s about finding which city works for you. Santa Monica/ Venice area is my favorite part of LA. I don’t see unrealistic people with plastic surgery everywhere I go. I usually see average-looking people living their day-to-day life. Being on the coast, I can drive up PCH and be in the Santa Monica mountains in just 40 minutes. If I want to see snow, I can drive 2 hours to Big Bear.”
“When I first came to LA, it was three years ago. Honestly, I wasn’t impressed. I came here for two weeks to look at apartments. It was in August of 2020, which was the time that LA had that crazy heat wave. The fires were terrible, so you couldn’t see anything because of the smoke. I stayed in the Ventura/ Van Nuys area, and we made sure to visit all the touristy spots like Hollywood Blvd, which may have played a role in my distaste for LA. During this trip was when I decided I didn’t want to live in LA. It may be because I had just come from a small village in Spain, and the city shock got to me, or it was just my personal experience in the two weeks I was there.
Now after being in LA for about eight months, I absolutely love it. I’ve learned that LA is just a bunch of little cities put together, and it’s about finding which city works for you. Santa Monica/ Venice area is my favorite part of LA. I don’t see unrealistic people with plastic surgery everywhere I go. I usually see average-looking people living their day-to-day life. Being on the coast, I can drive up PCH and be in the Santa Monica mountains in just 40 minutes. If I want to see snow, I can drive 2 hours to Big Bear.”
South LA
True Stereotype:
We are ghetto.
(I think it’s true but it a ghetto fabulous type of way. There’s so much diversity and culture in LA that you won’t find anywhere else.)
False Stereotype:
It’s always sunny …
that’s a lie
“Growing up in South Central LA, everybody knows somebody. It felt so big when I was younger, but I realize how small it is as I’ve gotten older. I’ve always lived in really quiet areas. In the first house I lived in, the ice cream truck and the elote man would come down my street, which was a peak of my childhood. Once I moved to the neighborhood where I currently reside, there was none. When I say it was quiet, it was dead silent most of the time, but I eventually got accustomed to that silence. Now I really like where I live. I got close to my next-door neighbor a few years into living at my new home. She was an older black woman. I would always go to her house after school, eat dinner or snacks, and discuss how our days went.
Sometimes we’d play tic tac toe. That’s a core memory of mine. The overall vibe of LA was lively. This city has so much culture, from the Latinx to the black folks, Belizeans, and Jamaicans. There were festivals throughout the year, which I didn’t appreciate as much then as I do now. Taste of Soul would have to be one of my favorites. Everyone is gathered on Crenshaw, and people come out to dance and be together. It was a communal event that I really enjoy to this day. A prominent place from my childhood would be the Magic Johnson movie theater. There was a full arcade in the front, and it was always packed.”
“Growing up in South Central LA, everybody knows somebody. It felt so big when I was younger, but I realize how small it is as I’ve gotten older. I’ve always lived in really quiet areas. In the first house I lived in, the ice cream truck and the elote man would come down my street, which was a peak of my childhood. Once I moved to the neighborhood where I currently reside, there was none. When I say it was quiet, it was dead silent most of the time, but I eventually got accustomed to that silence. Now I really like where I live. I got close to my next-door neighbor a few years into living at my new home. She was an older black woman. I would always go to her house after school, eat dinner or snacks, and discuss how our days went.
Sometimes we’d play tic tac toe. That’s a core memory of mine. The overall vibe of LA was lively. This city has so much culture, from the Latinx to the black folks, Belizeans, and Jamaicans. There were festivals throughout the year, which I didn’t appreciate as much then as I do now. Taste of Soul would have to be one of my favorites. Everyone is gathered on Crenshaw, and people come out to dance and be together. It was a communal event that I really enjoy to this day. A prominent place from my childhood would be the Magic Johnson movie theater. There was a full arcade in the front, and it was always packed.”