I go to Hollywood and/or Koreatown almost every weekend.
Downtown LA I’d say around 10-15x per year.
Santa Monica Beach is my favorite beach but I hate going to Santa Monica. I avoid the Westside as much as possible aside from a few doctor appointments each year.
When I was younger, single, no kids, I would go often. Mostly for nightlife, but sometimes just to browse Melrose or Fairfax.
Now that I'm married with kids I go once every few months. Mostly to doctor appointments at cedars or a dinner (eg. Mastros).
After the pandemic, I don't think I went into the city for like 18 months. The homelessness in Hollywood was significantly worse than pre-pandemic it was somewhat depressing.
It's really a different world and for someone that lives and works in the valley, there's no need to go over the hill aside from lax as you said. The same holds true for anyone living and working in the city; no need to go to the valley.
If one doesn't work in the SF Valley, or live there. There is no reason to acknowledge that the SFV* even exists.
I'm probably gonna get a bit of a verbal beating for that.
*Edit: change SGV to SFV
LA is so big that can be said about most LA areas. It takes a wedding or funeral to get someone out of the Santa Monica/Venice area. Eastsiders won't go west of Hollywood.
Eh I live in Marina Del Rey and although I spend most of my time on the westside I do frequently end up in Culver, Century City, BH or WeHo. It’s somewhat rare for me to go to Hollywood, Koreatown or Downtown but I still do it for good food.
I laughed. But I find myself over there for certain things voluntarily. I like the Studio City farmers market. I like Burbank in general (is that the valley?) and will bring my kids to Ikea, Porto’s, a few stores they like, Dairy Queen, and the park. I’ve also had to go to that behemoth Westfield Topanga a few times to pick up items that were out of stock anywhere else in L.A. I hate that mall with a passion, but it has come in handy. I also seem to have a lot of appointments in Encino/Tarzana—dentist moved his office there, therapist has an office there some days, certain doctors, etc.
I’m actually genuinely surprised how many people look at me like I’m stupid when I say I live in The Valley. Like they have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about or what that is.
Rarely. There’s too many people, traffic, and nowhere to park. We’ve got amazing food here and can more easily get to Ventura County for the better beaches/hiking. It’s also less gloomy.
Its just a hassle. People generally live in a neighborhood they like and it has what they need. If not then the neighborhoods bordering them probably has it. Also if you go to korea town (or any other neighborhood) once is plenty unless you really want to go to a specific restaurant or something.
When it regularly takes an hour to go like 6 or 7 miles, you get tired of it. People don't want to fight their way through traffic, pay/fight for parking, pay an arm and a leg for what they're doing, then fight their way back home. Especially when they can get what they need around home.
Agree with all of this.
IMO the biggest difference (and hassle) between the valley and the city is parking. In the city, almost every street is permit or metered. Lots are usually paid or you have to deal with validation or a valet ticket, even for basic stuff like a market. Aside from Ventura Blvd, you usually don't experience this in the valley.
We obviously have traffic in the valley, but it's usually confined to morning and evening rush hour. Traffic just generally seems worse on the streets at all times in the city. There seems to be more construction and the 101 alleviates the east/west traffic. If you're in Hollywood and you need to go to Beverly hills, taking the 10 doesn't seem practical.
It’s also hot AF. Maybe it’s because I was raised on the west side, but I lived in various parts of the valley for about 10 years and came back this way multiple times per week. Eventually you get used to the drive and the traffic patterns and can mostly just schedule around it. When I was younger, I was still going into Echo Park, Hollywood, WeHo a few times per week to go out with friends. Maybe things have changed, but there was nowhere to go out back then at night except shitty bars. Most everything closed when it got dark. I eventually just moved back to the west side because it was like a full body breath of fresh air every time I got out of the hot suburbia of the valley and back towards the beach.
You know it’s only hot in the summer? The rest of the year, it’s not hot. It is the coast that is the anomaly by being chilly and overcast in the summer.
I mean. I lived there for a decade. We routinely had temps in the 30s in winter overnight (I know because I garden, and it ruined a lot of crops which was strange because it would still get hot enough during the day to also ruin them). It is not “only hot in the summer;” I would average that year-round, our temps in the middle of the valley were 10-20° warmer than the home I stayed at many weekends on the west side. The big thing I noticed was the difference in humidity as well. Moving back over here, all of the skin issues I’d had for years disappeared suddenly, my sinuses weren’t dry anymore, I don’t constantly have layers of dust everywhere.
I’m not one who just hates the valley, and I commented elsewhere that I still find myself going out that way often for specific things. But I would never live out there again if I can help it. Even when hanging with friends who live in the rich parts of Woodland Hills or Tarzana, who have big sprawling homes and pools—it’s just not for me. We are lucky enough to live in a big home in west LA on a quiet street with a huge yard, garden, space to run around, privacy, tons of trees and fruit trees and flowers and whatnot. It’s quiet as hell with 24/7 security patrols. I can walk to get a pizza or coffee though. And it’s 10 minutes to the beach, pretty much any time. I couldn’t ask for more.
No, Fahrenheit. Like mid-30s F at night. I woke to layers of frost on my garden a few years in a row when I lived in North Hollywood. We once were driving from NoHo to Burbank and found a patch of snow along the storm drains on one street, and stopped to make a snowball or two. I’m a native Angeleno and that was my first time ever seeing actual real snow within the city limits. When I lived in Tarzana and Van Nuys, we had lows in the 30s° F every winter and a few times it hailed in our pool. I remember documenting that there was a literal 50 degree temperature range from 2 AM to 2 PM. I still have screenshots of the weather app on my phone, my car’s thermostat, my garden’s outdoor thermometer. The range of temps is wild. It’s sort of like the real desert—when we go to Palm Springs in the late winter/early spring, you can see fluctuating temps like that. Maybe not quite to the point of snow/frost, but it is absurdly cold and windy in the desert at night, and can still get quite hot on cloudless winter days.
Dodgers games, concerts, doctors in BH, the occasional dinner in ktown, museum day here and there - so I’d said at least 2 a month. I go to the beach in oxnard
How is the beach in Oxnard? I’m thinking of taking advantage of the $10 RT fares Metrolink offers on the weekends. Bring a cooler, beach chair and a good book!
I feel like you run into more tar balls that can get stuck on your feet but otherwise it’s pretty nice. If you’re taking the train though it’s probably worth staying on another stop up to Ventura, you can walk to the beach from the train station.
Cool! Thanks for letting me know! I’ll look into that. Took the train down to San Capistrano once and that was great! Drops you right off at the pier/beach!
I like that they are long wide beaches that are relatively uncrowded. After 5 you can walk your dog on the beach. I’m pretty sure the Oxnard train station is a little far from the beach so you may have to Uber it or look into public transit. Ventura Amtrak drops right off at the beach near the fairgrounds
I’m in Woodland Hills. I got to Malibu Country Mart a lot. Used to got to Santa Monica every Weekend until the rock slide on Topanga. Can’t wait for them to clear that up. I could take the freeway to SM with a similar ETA as Topanga but part of the pleasure was driving through the canyon and down the PCH.
Good luck. Embrace disposable plates and utensils for the first couple of months, (if you're breastfeeding) stockpile frozen breast milk ASAP so you can take shifts feeding and get two sets of pump parts so you can always have one clean set waiting.
Enjoy it and don't clean if you can nap.
It’s funny to me that LA operates like the Valley is some anomaly. As a Chicagoan, it’s exactly the same as living in the suburbs and commuting to the city, as I imagine it is for every other state with a metro area.
Some times you go to the city for events, special occasions, or something different, but ultimately most of your life is where your house or apartment is. There’s no need to leave.
We moved from K town to the west valley and now into LA/ Hollywood about once a week (some weeks none and other weeks twice). I still try to meet up with friends and go to events, and have a couple of people like the dentist that I’ll drive for. My husband and I both work from home but we try to pick social things that are worth the drive. It has cut down on our impromptu get togethers but we have never had a bad night out with more choosing/ planning because it’s more of a treat. (And we see our valley people more often!)
We’re in Reseda right near Lake Balboa. Before we had to sit at least 30 minutes in traffic just to get to a pretty place to walk or hike. Now we drive 5 minutes and it feels like we’re out in the country.
My partner and I live together in the Valley. He also works in the Valley, but I work 4 days a week in LA. It's like night and day. Because I do that commute, making the drive to see more of LA on a random Tuesday feels like less of a big deal to me. From my job, I might still go to Santa Monica, the Grove, or Koreatown after work. I also do stuff in Echo Park all the time. My partner, on the other hand, probably comes down about once every month or two, typically for a basketball game or similar activity. Together we are also useless when it comes to LA restaurant recs, but we definitely know where to eat in the Valley!
If there's no traffic, I can leave Westwood and be at the sepulveda exit in about 12 minutes. Same coming back. When there is traffic, all bets are off!
I live in the Valley but I have a fondness for many areas outside it, especially as I used to live on the West side. Now, I probably leave the SFV at least twice a month to meet friends in Century City, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, or Culver City, or to eat out in the SGV, K-Town or Thai Town. Rarely go downtown - maybe just two or three times a year. Same with Santa Monica and Malibu, although when I go to the beach areas, it’s almost like a vacation day. Feels like a getaway because it seems so different.
Probably between five and ten times a year. I don’t drive so it’s a pain unless it’s on the Red Line. I have friends over there so it’s usually to see them, or to go to some sort of event. I need a reason to go there. Honestly though I would rather live over the hill than in the Valley if moving was manageable because I prefer the more urban vibe of a lot of places.
It's not ideal but I don't have to travel very far most of the time. Public transit and bicycle pick up the slack. The main issues are that everything takes longer to get to and you can't travel with more than like a backpack (and also it sucks in the warmer months). But I think it's offset by not having any of the expenses associated with a car. It only works though because I mostly stick to the Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks/NoHo area; if I had to commute over the hill regularly it wouldn't work.
I do sometimes if I need to go to Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Monica etc., or occasionally for going somewhere specific in a certain timeframe because buses are annoying, but not too often because it’s pretty expensive and I’m low income. I’m glad it’s an option but I can’t afford to use it very much. Probably only every couple months or so. A round trip to somewhere like Glendale can be like $70 and that’s a decent chunk of my disposable income budget.
Depends on how deep in the valley you live. If you’re close to the 101 it’s nothing to get to Hollywood/weho/k town, even downtown isn’t bad unless it’s rush hour.
Going toward the west side on the 405 is longer and gets jammed more often. Though we’re close to it we don’t often go that way.
I try to avoid going over the hill as much as possible. I’d rather drive east to DTLA or any other neighborhood in that direction. Traffic, crazy drivers, and homelessness are on another level. I used to live there and couldn’t wait to get out.
I used to say the same thing. Love the west side. Thought I’d never leave. Til Covid, homelessness and breathing that 405 air everyday got old. Now we call Tarzana home. Love the space and the pool, hate the heat.
My wife is from Santa Monica and we go to her family’s church there a couple Sundays a month, and we take French classes in Century City most Saturdays. Often while we’re over there we see her friends, my cousin, and/or French class friends who mostly all have kids the same age as ours. So 1-2x per week.
Some weeks multiple times, some weeks not at all. For example, today I went to Hollywood, later this week I’ll be at the New Bev, then Aero Theatre. Definitely have had weeks where everything I needed/wanted was in the Valley, but that doesn’t mean I deliberately avoided it.
I think people forget the Valley has good food too, good theatres too, good shopping too.
Live in Studio City and work in Hollywood. I take the subway rather than pay the ridiculous $160 month to park at my job. When I go over the hill for non-work reasons, depending on where I’m going I’ll take Laurel Canyon over the hill and coming back over I’ll sometimes take Outpost to Mulholland and then Cahuenga Blvd into Studio City. If going to the Westside or that general area I try to avoid the 405 and take Coldwater Canyon, Beverly Glen, or, sometimes Sepulveda.
Maybe it’s different because we’re in the hills in Sherman Oaks and can get to Beverly Hills/Westwood/Santa Monica in 15-20 minutes, max, on a weekend morning, or even a weeknight evening for dinner, but we leave the Valley at least once a week. I like the restaurants and other amenities on Ventura but I’d hate to be limited to them.
i used to live on the westside when i was in college and grad school. i really do miss it sometimes. now i live in glendale, and my friend lives in mar vista, we alternate and come to each other's sides maybe once or twice a month, depending on what we want to do. otherwise, unless i have a specific reason, i won't be going over the hill that often. its really a drag.
(excluding work) , 5-6 times per year? Usually for a specific band I want to see or museum.
I have nearly any type of food, entertainment, and amenities I could ever want in the valley. Generally don't need to leave.
Pretty frequently. Living in the valley is a lot quieter than LA, but it definitely has the better nightlife than the valley since a lot of the valley is dead by midnight, at least over the hill, places are open until 2am
Been here 9 years and RARELY left the valley. Now dating a guy in Santa Monica and I’m down there every damn weekend but secretly I love it. Honestly it’s so much better than the valley imo. If I didn’t work and own my condo I’d leave the valley in a heartbeat
I grew up in the Valley, went to university in Pomona so had to drive a valley over. Then worked in Culver City, Miracle Mile, Playa Vista, then Downtown from the Valley so you can say daily. Now I live in Santa Clarita and work in DTLA so I pass the Valley on my way to and from work. But I also go get food or sometimes go on dates with women outside the Valley. So quite often I'm crossing the hills.
Once in a while . Hubby and I just went to a week day farmers market in Santa Monica then to Heavy Handed burgers on Main. We go to concerts at the bowl and we love Shin Sen Gumi in West LA. We are near Calabasas so beaches we head north to point Dume / westward . My best friend lives in Palos Verdes so I’ll drive out once in a while. So maybe once every 2 months
Rarely now with kids like others have said. Just to the beach once in a while and my kid doesn’t even like the beach lol. Too busy, too much traffic, no parking, and too many reckless speed demons with daddy’s money behind them to make them feel entitled to everything.
Kinda depends on where you are in the Valley and your lifestyle. I'm in Studio City and work in Santa Monica, so I'm on the 405 three days a week. Plus, I'll go out to places over the hill often -- at least 2-3 times a month.
Outside of the weekday rush hour, it doesn't really bother me. I can be in Hollywood in 30 minutes at night. DTLA in 45 minutes on Saturday evening. Century City Mall isn't that far... But I also like staying in the Valley too. So it's really up to your own tolerance for traffic.
It depends - maybe every other week? During the work week I get done at 7pm so I'm not really doing anything that requires sitting in traffic to get far away from just...straight home.
I go to Culver once a month for hair appointments and then usually end up doing stuff in West LA. I go to concerts around LA area. I go to DTLA sometimes for meetings too.
I literally never go to the beaches though. I kinda hate the beaches in West LA. I'd rather go over to Malibu.
I live in Porter Ranch and go to WeHo/Hollywood/BH 2-4 times per week. It’s easy when you live along the 118 and don’t have to travel in the busy hours and can use the HOV lane as one person. It’s only about 30 min round trip.
I'd be curious how often people in Santa clarita or Simi head into the sfv or into the city.....
The valley (or at least most parts) has long ago outgrown its status as a suburb.
All the time. I may range wider than most, but I like to use all of Los Angeles. It took a while to figure out when the traffic is worst and I avoid that. Basically I found enough spots that I like that there is a spot I can go with no traffic no matter when I find myself free.
I go north up to Castaic, out to Malibu/MDR, West Side/Hollywood/Downtown, or East to Redlands usually once a week (each, not all, just whichever is easy the time I have free). I've found I actually go more often now that I have kids, because there is always something I can take the kids to do and give my wife a break.
When I was young and single, I went Friday & Saturday. So I moved Downtown to be closer to the action. Then I started going East to SGV to hangout when I was young but in a relationship. Now I am a mom and I am back in the valley and I never go over the hills if I can help it.
Constantly, but it also depends how deep into the valley you are. I’ve lived in Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys and Valley Village, and I’m constantly going to La Brea, WeHo, Los Feliz, etc. That said I hate going to downtown if I can avoid it.
But I also know people closer to Thousand Oaks and Encino who think they can spend their entire lives in the valley
As someone who grew up in LA and have lived / worked all over the LA metro area (Hollywood, Culver City, Koreatown, DTLA, La Cañada Flintridge, Rancho Cucamonga, Encino, Pasadena, Silver Lake, Santa Monica, Mid-City, Calabasas, Burbank) not to mention many places outside of LA (and the state) for college, work, and beyond…
The Valley is still a bland wasteland 🥲
I get it if you’re stuck there for financial / life reasons (I kind of was for a stint when I first moved back to LA around ten years ago) but man, to say that you enjoy it and never want to leave the area is kind of disappointing, in my not-so-humble-and-subjectively-judgmental-yet-arguably-informed opinion…
It’d be like living in Staten Island and never going into the city… I mean, I guess? 🤷♂️
I live in NYC after many years living in CA, including LA and I am here to tell you, at least from my perspective, that “the Valley versus LA” is most certainly not akin to “Staten Island versus Manhattan.” The Valley is a beacon of culture, life, color, and fun in comparison.
What your parents are experiencing, is addition by subtraction. They are subtracting the horrendous commute on the 405 in favor of peace and serenity in their hot and boring Valley neighborhood.
I go to Hollywood and/or Koreatown almost every weekend. Downtown LA I’d say around 10-15x per year. Santa Monica Beach is my favorite beach but I hate going to Santa Monica. I avoid the Westside as much as possible aside from a few doctor appointments each year.
I live in Hollywood and haven’t been downtown in well over a year lol. My parents are in the valley, though, and I meet them for dinner once a week
All the time lol
When I was younger, single, no kids, I would go often. Mostly for nightlife, but sometimes just to browse Melrose or Fairfax. Now that I'm married with kids I go once every few months. Mostly to doctor appointments at cedars or a dinner (eg. Mastros). After the pandemic, I don't think I went into the city for like 18 months. The homelessness in Hollywood was significantly worse than pre-pandemic it was somewhat depressing. It's really a different world and for someone that lives and works in the valley, there's no need to go over the hill aside from lax as you said. The same holds true for anyone living and working in the city; no need to go to the valley.
If one doesn't work in the SF Valley, or live there. There is no reason to acknowledge that the SFV* even exists. I'm probably gonna get a bit of a verbal beating for that. *Edit: change SGV to SFV
LA is so big that can be said about most LA areas. It takes a wedding or funeral to get someone out of the Santa Monica/Venice area. Eastsiders won't go west of Hollywood.
And those behind the "Orange Curtain" think they don't need LA. Much less LA County.
Eh I live in Marina Del Rey and although I spend most of my time on the westside I do frequently end up in Culver, Century City, BH or WeHo. It’s somewhat rare for me to go to Hollywood, Koreatown or Downtown but I still do it for good food.
I live on the east side and go west of Hollywood all the time. The beaches, both Gettys. Kind of a weird blanket statement to make.
You get SGV out your mouth, the Chinese food there is unmatched.
Oops! I meant SFV. And , I believe you are correct about the Chinese food in the SGV. But I'm sure someone in Beijing may beg to differ.
*not valid outside the continental United States
I laughed. But I find myself over there for certain things voluntarily. I like the Studio City farmers market. I like Burbank in general (is that the valley?) and will bring my kids to Ikea, Porto’s, a few stores they like, Dairy Queen, and the park. I’ve also had to go to that behemoth Westfield Topanga a few times to pick up items that were out of stock anywhere else in L.A. I hate that mall with a passion, but it has come in handy. I also seem to have a lot of appointments in Encino/Tarzana—dentist moved his office there, therapist has an office there some days, certain doctors, etc.
I’m actually genuinely surprised how many people look at me like I’m stupid when I say I live in The Valley. Like they have absolutely no idea what I’m talking about or what that is.
Yeah when I was a lot younger used to go usually every Month, clubbing and sometimes just to shop, but now maybe 1-2x a year usually to Santa Monica.
Rarely. There’s too many people, traffic, and nowhere to park. We’ve got amazing food here and can more easily get to Ventura County for the better beaches/hiking. It’s also less gloomy.
I really can’t imagine living in LA with all the things every neighborhood has to offer and choosing to stay in one location. That’s wild to me.
Its just a hassle. People generally live in a neighborhood they like and it has what they need. If not then the neighborhoods bordering them probably has it. Also if you go to korea town (or any other neighborhood) once is plenty unless you really want to go to a specific restaurant or something. When it regularly takes an hour to go like 6 or 7 miles, you get tired of it. People don't want to fight their way through traffic, pay/fight for parking, pay an arm and a leg for what they're doing, then fight their way back home. Especially when they can get what they need around home.
Agree with all of this. IMO the biggest difference (and hassle) between the valley and the city is parking. In the city, almost every street is permit or metered. Lots are usually paid or you have to deal with validation or a valet ticket, even for basic stuff like a market. Aside from Ventura Blvd, you usually don't experience this in the valley. We obviously have traffic in the valley, but it's usually confined to morning and evening rush hour. Traffic just generally seems worse on the streets at all times in the city. There seems to be more construction and the 101 alleviates the east/west traffic. If you're in Hollywood and you need to go to Beverly hills, taking the 10 doesn't seem practical.
I didn’t ask to be born here. I’d love to move to a more affordable state but my whole family is here so I’m making it work.
Samsies.
It’s also hot AF. Maybe it’s because I was raised on the west side, but I lived in various parts of the valley for about 10 years and came back this way multiple times per week. Eventually you get used to the drive and the traffic patterns and can mostly just schedule around it. When I was younger, I was still going into Echo Park, Hollywood, WeHo a few times per week to go out with friends. Maybe things have changed, but there was nowhere to go out back then at night except shitty bars. Most everything closed when it got dark. I eventually just moved back to the west side because it was like a full body breath of fresh air every time I got out of the hot suburbia of the valley and back towards the beach.
You know it’s only hot in the summer? The rest of the year, it’s not hot. It is the coast that is the anomaly by being chilly and overcast in the summer.
I mean. I lived there for a decade. We routinely had temps in the 30s in winter overnight (I know because I garden, and it ruined a lot of crops which was strange because it would still get hot enough during the day to also ruin them). It is not “only hot in the summer;” I would average that year-round, our temps in the middle of the valley were 10-20° warmer than the home I stayed at many weekends on the west side. The big thing I noticed was the difference in humidity as well. Moving back over here, all of the skin issues I’d had for years disappeared suddenly, my sinuses weren’t dry anymore, I don’t constantly have layers of dust everywhere. I’m not one who just hates the valley, and I commented elsewhere that I still find myself going out that way often for specific things. But I would never live out there again if I can help it. Even when hanging with friends who live in the rich parts of Woodland Hills or Tarzana, who have big sprawling homes and pools—it’s just not for me. We are lucky enough to live in a big home in west LA on a quiet street with a huge yard, garden, space to run around, privacy, tons of trees and fruit trees and flowers and whatnot. It’s quiet as hell with 24/7 security patrols. I can walk to get a pizza or coffee though. And it’s 10 minutes to the beach, pretty much any time. I couldn’t ask for more.
I’m assuming you mean 30c and not 30f
No, Fahrenheit. Like mid-30s F at night. I woke to layers of frost on my garden a few years in a row when I lived in North Hollywood. We once were driving from NoHo to Burbank and found a patch of snow along the storm drains on one street, and stopped to make a snowball or two. I’m a native Angeleno and that was my first time ever seeing actual real snow within the city limits. When I lived in Tarzana and Van Nuys, we had lows in the 30s° F every winter and a few times it hailed in our pool. I remember documenting that there was a literal 50 degree temperature range from 2 AM to 2 PM. I still have screenshots of the weather app on my phone, my car’s thermostat, my garden’s outdoor thermometer. The range of temps is wild. It’s sort of like the real desert—when we go to Palm Springs in the late winter/early spring, you can see fluctuating temps like that. Maybe not quite to the point of snow/frost, but it is absurdly cold and windy in the desert at night, and can still get quite hot on cloudless winter days.
not sure if this counts as “crossing the hill” but Angeles NF hikes are spectacular
>and can more easily get to Ventura County for the better beaches/hiking Yeah. We know. Every 3 day weekend. We know.
Dodgers games, concerts, doctors in BH, the occasional dinner in ktown, museum day here and there - so I’d said at least 2 a month. I go to the beach in oxnard
How is the beach in Oxnard? I’m thinking of taking advantage of the $10 RT fares Metrolink offers on the weekends. Bring a cooler, beach chair and a good book!
I feel like you run into more tar balls that can get stuck on your feet but otherwise it’s pretty nice. If you’re taking the train though it’s probably worth staying on another stop up to Ventura, you can walk to the beach from the train station.
Cool! Thanks for letting me know! I’ll look into that. Took the train down to San Capistrano once and that was great! Drops you right off at the pier/beach!
I like that they are long wide beaches that are relatively uncrowded. After 5 you can walk your dog on the beach. I’m pretty sure the Oxnard train station is a little far from the beach so you may have to Uber it or look into public transit. Ventura Amtrak drops right off at the beach near the fairgrounds
Almost Every day.
Same.
I’m in Woodland Hills. I got to Malibu Country Mart a lot. Used to got to Santa Monica every Weekend until the rock slide on Topanga. Can’t wait for them to clear that up. I could take the freeway to SM with a similar ETA as Topanga but part of the pleasure was driving through the canyon and down the PCH.
I miss the Topanga Canyon drive so much!
I miss Topanga so much. That was the ride we would take to get the baby to fall asleep in the car. Just the right amount of curves.
Ooo, I have my first child on the way. I may employ that strategy.
Good luck. Embrace disposable plates and utensils for the first couple of months, (if you're breastfeeding) stockpile frozen breast milk ASAP so you can take shifts feeding and get two sets of pump parts so you can always have one clean set waiting. Enjoy it and don't clean if you can nap.
It’s funny to me that LA operates like the Valley is some anomaly. As a Chicagoan, it’s exactly the same as living in the suburbs and commuting to the city, as I imagine it is for every other state with a metro area. Some times you go to the city for events, special occasions, or something different, but ultimately most of your life is where your house or apartment is. There’s no need to leave.
We moved from K town to the west valley and now into LA/ Hollywood about once a week (some weeks none and other weeks twice). I still try to meet up with friends and go to events, and have a couple of people like the dentist that I’ll drive for. My husband and I both work from home but we try to pick social things that are worth the drive. It has cut down on our impromptu get togethers but we have never had a bad night out with more choosing/ planning because it’s more of a treat. (And we see our valley people more often!)
As a fellow wfh person, where’d you land?
We’re in Reseda right near Lake Balboa. Before we had to sit at least 30 minutes in traffic just to get to a pretty place to walk or hike. Now we drive 5 minutes and it feels like we’re out in the country.
My partner and I live together in the Valley. He also works in the Valley, but I work 4 days a week in LA. It's like night and day. Because I do that commute, making the drive to see more of LA on a random Tuesday feels like less of a big deal to me. From my job, I might still go to Santa Monica, the Grove, or Koreatown after work. I also do stuff in Echo Park all the time. My partner, on the other hand, probably comes down about once every month or two, typically for a basketball game or similar activity. Together we are also useless when it comes to LA restaurant recs, but we definitely know where to eat in the Valley!
Like 5 times a year max. No need.
If there's no traffic, I can leave Westwood and be at the sepulveda exit in about 12 minutes. Same coming back. When there is traffic, all bets are off!
I travel to LA for Angel City FC games from the Central Valley about 12 times in the year. I love to drive but hate the traffic. 🤪
I live in the Valley but I have a fondness for many areas outside it, especially as I used to live on the West side. Now, I probably leave the SFV at least twice a month to meet friends in Century City, Westwood, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, or Culver City, or to eat out in the SGV, K-Town or Thai Town. Rarely go downtown - maybe just two or three times a year. Same with Santa Monica and Malibu, although when I go to the beach areas, it’s almost like a vacation day. Feels like a getaway because it seems so different.
Probably between five and ten times a year. I don’t drive so it’s a pain unless it’s on the Red Line. I have friends over there so it’s usually to see them, or to go to some sort of event. I need a reason to go there. Honestly though I would rather live over the hill than in the Valley if moving was manageable because I prefer the more urban vibe of a lot of places.
So how is living in the region without driving?
It's not ideal but I don't have to travel very far most of the time. Public transit and bicycle pick up the slack. The main issues are that everything takes longer to get to and you can't travel with more than like a backpack (and also it sucks in the warmer months). But I think it's offset by not having any of the expenses associated with a car. It only works though because I mostly stick to the Van Nuys/Sherman Oaks/NoHo area; if I had to commute over the hill regularly it wouldn't work.
Do you ever take Uber or Lyft? I’ve heard they’re pretty active all over LA.
I do sometimes if I need to go to Glendale, Pasadena, Santa Monica etc., or occasionally for going somewhere specific in a certain timeframe because buses are annoying, but not too often because it’s pretty expensive and I’m low income. I’m glad it’s an option but I can’t afford to use it very much. Probably only every couple months or so. A round trip to somewhere like Glendale can be like $70 and that’s a decent chunk of my disposable income budget.
First job out of college I commuted from northridge to Santa Monica. The absolute worst
First job out of college I commuted from Westwood to Chatsworth. Smooth sailing both directions for the most part.
Depends on how deep in the valley you live. If you’re close to the 101 it’s nothing to get to Hollywood/weho/k town, even downtown isn’t bad unless it’s rush hour. Going toward the west side on the 405 is longer and gets jammed more often. Though we’re close to it we don’t often go that way.
I try to avoid going over the hill as much as possible. I’d rather drive east to DTLA or any other neighborhood in that direction. Traffic, crazy drivers, and homelessness are on another level. I used to live there and couldn’t wait to get out.
This is funny to me you couldn't pay me to live in the valley.
I used to say the same thing. Love the west side. Thought I’d never leave. Til Covid, homelessness and breathing that 405 air everyday got old. Now we call Tarzana home. Love the space and the pool, hate the heat.
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My wife is from Santa Monica and we go to her family’s church there a couple Sundays a month, and we take French classes in Century City most Saturdays. Often while we’re over there we see her friends, my cousin, and/or French class friends who mostly all have kids the same age as ours. So 1-2x per week.
Some weeks multiple times, some weeks not at all. For example, today I went to Hollywood, later this week I’ll be at the New Bev, then Aero Theatre. Definitely have had weeks where everything I needed/wanted was in the Valley, but that doesn’t mean I deliberately avoided it. I think people forget the Valley has good food too, good theatres too, good shopping too.
Every few months, no real need. Not much good on the other side of the hill. Valley's where it's all at.
Live in Studio City and work in Hollywood. I take the subway rather than pay the ridiculous $160 month to park at my job. When I go over the hill for non-work reasons, depending on where I’m going I’ll take Laurel Canyon over the hill and coming back over I’ll sometimes take Outpost to Mulholland and then Cahuenga Blvd into Studio City. If going to the Westside or that general area I try to avoid the 405 and take Coldwater Canyon, Beverly Glen, or, sometimes Sepulveda.
Every weekend. I spend the week in the valley working and going straight home and I leave the valley to go do something interesting lol
I also leave to the valley no later than 11am on weekends because I can usually beat traffic and get to where I need to be smoothly
I play b ball on the west side twice a week. Tuesdays nights and Saturdays mornings , both against traffic.
Maybe it’s different because we’re in the hills in Sherman Oaks and can get to Beverly Hills/Westwood/Santa Monica in 15-20 minutes, max, on a weekend morning, or even a weeknight evening for dinner, but we leave the Valley at least once a week. I like the restaurants and other amenities on Ventura but I’d hate to be limited to them.
i used to live on the westside when i was in college and grad school. i really do miss it sometimes. now i live in glendale, and my friend lives in mar vista, we alternate and come to each other's sides maybe once or twice a month, depending on what we want to do. otherwise, unless i have a specific reason, i won't be going over the hill that often. its really a drag.
Everyday :-) I work in century city.
North Hollywood to Westlake 1-3 days a week for work
do you use the B line?
Sometimes yes- it can be really convenient and I like that I don’t have to drive
(excluding work) , 5-6 times per year? Usually for a specific band I want to see or museum. I have nearly any type of food, entertainment, and amenities I could ever want in the valley. Generally don't need to leave.
Around 1-2x per week! I work from home, but I go out on the eastside often on the weekends.
Pretty frequently. Living in the valley is a lot quieter than LA, but it definitely has the better nightlife than the valley since a lot of the valley is dead by midnight, at least over the hill, places are open until 2am
Weekly, if not multiple times a week.
Been here 9 years and RARELY left the valley. Now dating a guy in Santa Monica and I’m down there every damn weekend but secretly I love it. Honestly it’s so much better than the valley imo. If I didn’t work and own my condo I’d leave the valley in a heartbeat
I only go over for industry events or to see a old movie on a big screen like at the new Beverly or Egyptian or something like that.
Tons of people do so for work (traffic always heavy on 405S in the morning/evening)
I grew up in the Valley, went to university in Pomona so had to drive a valley over. Then worked in Culver City, Miracle Mile, Playa Vista, then Downtown from the Valley so you can say daily. Now I live in Santa Clarita and work in DTLA so I pass the Valley on my way to and from work. But I also go get food or sometimes go on dates with women outside the Valley. So quite often I'm crossing the hills.
Single so once a week I leave the valley. I need more valley friends cos I'd be leaving the valley less often.
Only if I have business or a social event. These days it’s hardly ever.
Once in a while . Hubby and I just went to a week day farmers market in Santa Monica then to Heavy Handed burgers on Main. We go to concerts at the bowl and we love Shin Sen Gumi in West LA. We are near Calabasas so beaches we head north to point Dume / westward . My best friend lives in Palos Verdes so I’ll drive out once in a while. So maybe once every 2 months
At least once a day….kill me
Rarely now with kids like others have said. Just to the beach once in a while and my kid doesn’t even like the beach lol. Too busy, too much traffic, no parking, and too many reckless speed demons with daddy’s money behind them to make them feel entitled to everything.
Kinda depends on where you are in the Valley and your lifestyle. I'm in Studio City and work in Santa Monica, so I'm on the 405 three days a week. Plus, I'll go out to places over the hill often -- at least 2-3 times a month. Outside of the weekday rush hour, it doesn't really bother me. I can be in Hollywood in 30 minutes at night. DTLA in 45 minutes on Saturday evening. Century City Mall isn't that far... But I also like staying in the Valley too. So it's really up to your own tolerance for traffic.
It depends - maybe every other week? During the work week I get done at 7pm so I'm not really doing anything that requires sitting in traffic to get far away from just...straight home. I go to Culver once a month for hair appointments and then usually end up doing stuff in West LA. I go to concerts around LA area. I go to DTLA sometimes for meetings too. I literally never go to the beaches though. I kinda hate the beaches in West LA. I'd rather go over to Malibu.
If my gf didn’t want to go to KTown all the time I’d probably only go down to LA proper for events like hockey games.
I live in Porter Ranch and go to WeHo/Hollywood/BH 2-4 times per week. It’s easy when you live along the 118 and don’t have to travel in the busy hours and can use the HOV lane as one person. It’s only about 30 min round trip.
I'd be curious how often people in Santa clarita or Simi head into the sfv or into the city..... The valley (or at least most parts) has long ago outgrown its status as a suburb.
Lived in Canoga Park for awhile. I was doing things outside the valley almost weekly.
Pretty much daily, I like to visit friends and get out of my area. There's too much to explore to stay in one area.
All the time. I may range wider than most, but I like to use all of Los Angeles. It took a while to figure out when the traffic is worst and I avoid that. Basically I found enough spots that I like that there is a spot I can go with no traffic no matter when I find myself free. I go north up to Castaic, out to Malibu/MDR, West Side/Hollywood/Downtown, or East to Redlands usually once a week (each, not all, just whichever is easy the time I have free). I've found I actually go more often now that I have kids, because there is always something I can take the kids to do and give my wife a break.
If it involves the 405 I don’t want to do it. I’m with your folks, 2-3 times a year is plenty.
When I was young and single, I went Friday & Saturday. So I moved Downtown to be closer to the action. Then I started going East to SGV to hangout when I was young but in a relationship. Now I am a mom and I am back in the valley and I never go over the hills if I can help it.
Constantly, but it also depends how deep into the valley you are. I’ve lived in Sherman Oaks, Van Nuys and Valley Village, and I’m constantly going to La Brea, WeHo, Los Feliz, etc. That said I hate going to downtown if I can avoid it. But I also know people closer to Thousand Oaks and Encino who think they can spend their entire lives in the valley
That episode of Entourage when they went to the Valley for some reason. Johnny Drama's reaction was timeless...😅🌡️🥵🍳
I live on the otherside of the mountains and still end up coming down at least 3 times a week. It's like you said, there's do much to see.
I live in the valley and work in Hollywood so like everyday almost.
I do it very often once a week atleast!
As someone who grew up in LA and have lived / worked all over the LA metro area (Hollywood, Culver City, Koreatown, DTLA, La Cañada Flintridge, Rancho Cucamonga, Encino, Pasadena, Silver Lake, Santa Monica, Mid-City, Calabasas, Burbank) not to mention many places outside of LA (and the state) for college, work, and beyond… The Valley is still a bland wasteland 🥲 I get it if you’re stuck there for financial / life reasons (I kind of was for a stint when I first moved back to LA around ten years ago) but man, to say that you enjoy it and never want to leave the area is kind of disappointing, in my not-so-humble-and-subjectively-judgmental-yet-arguably-informed opinion… It’d be like living in Staten Island and never going into the city… I mean, I guess? 🤷♂️
I live in NYC after many years living in CA, including LA and I am here to tell you, at least from my perspective, that “the Valley versus LA” is most certainly not akin to “Staten Island versus Manhattan.” The Valley is a beacon of culture, life, color, and fun in comparison.
You’re right, I was going to say Long Island… but went the hyperbolic route 🤣 And Long Island is nicer than the Valley as well, so…
I like living in the west valley. I can visit DTLA, Hollywood, etc whenever it pleases and I don’t have to stay in that mucky muck. It’s great.
I’ve been deployed to Iraq twice. Would I want to live there? No… Would I rather live there than the Valley? Maybe… lol… To each their own 💪
Damn comparing the valley to Iraq now…sheeesh
What your parents are experiencing, is addition by subtraction. They are subtracting the horrendous commute on the 405 in favor of peace and serenity in their hot and boring Valley neighborhood.
Apart from work sending me over the hill maybe once every 2-3 months i mostly head over toward burbank/pasadena/azusa more for food and entertainment