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LA NEIGHBORHOOD GUIDE                                                            ︎

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


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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?     ︎︎︎
BY THE COAST


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.”