Anthony Carroll

Pacific Palisades is in the hills with gorgeous views. It is a neighborhood where the rich and famous reside. It is filled with gorgeous homes on perfectly manicured yards and meandering streets with high hedges. The community is located North of Santa Monica and West of Brentwood. It is a bit out of the way, but definitely worth the drive.

While writing this review prices for available homes ranged from $2 million to over $19 million, and rental prices ranged from $5,000 to $15,000/month. As you can see it is for a buyer or renter with deep pockets.

Greenbriar is a beautiful community across from Glendale Community College and next to Verdugo and Nibley Park. The homes are large, beautifully maintained and are not quite mansions, but more like "executive" homes. They are well situated on large lots and the landscaping is very manicured. The community feels very green, and a bit off the beaten path...not easy for public transportation. Although...it is close enough to shopping and restaurants and most importantly the glendale Freeway for a commute into Los Angeles.

The property values are much higher than many Glendale neighborhoods. Prices at the time of my review ranged from $700,000 for 1,500 sq. feet to $1.5 million for 4,000 square feet. Rentals are difficult to find. There was one 3500 square foot home with 3br/4 baths for $8,500.

A wonderful community with lovely large homes and a decent commute to Los Angeles...for the buyer with lots of cash.

The Mount Washington Neighborhood is a hilly oasis on the NorthEast side of Los Angeles. The area has a mix of historic homes and mid century homes. Many of the properties have nice views and large lots. The area is one of the most affluent areas in East LA. It is quickly becoming a popular alternative to the westside and finding more bang for your buck.

There were many properties available for sale at the time of writing this review, and ranged from the high $300,000's to just under 1 million. There were only 3 rental properties available at the time of the review and were $1000 for a 1 br and $6,000 for a 4 bedroom property.

Tujunga is located in the Tujunga Valley, and has the San Gabriel Mountains to the North and the Verdugo mountains separating Tujunga from Glendale, CA. The elevation is 2,000 feet above sea level, and is said to have the cleanest air in Los Angeles...a reason to choose to live in Tujunga.

Tujunga's demographic is different than neighboring La Crescenta-Montrose with a much lower income level and number of residents with a college degree. Tujunga was where E.T. was filmed in the forest scenes. Tujunga is home to Angeles National Golf Club, at the base of the Angeles National Forest.

Home prices at the time of writing this review are reasonable for Los Angeles. Prices ranged from $285,000 to $600,000. Rentals were not plentiful, and ranged from $1,500 to $3,000.

A reasonably priced place to live with cleaner air...that is if you don't mind the drive.

North Hollywood has been going through a transformation slowly over the past several years. Mostly due to the formation 743-acre North Hollywood Development District and the subsequent NoHo Commons projects. The residential area around the red and orange line subway is growing with apartment complexes and the idea was to create a walkable urban village.The NoHO arts district was created in 1992 and is trying to emulate the feel of SoHO in NYC.

Home prices at the time of writing this review on average ranged from $350,000 to $800,000. There were some lower and much higher, but most fell into this range. Rentals are plentiful, but mostly 1 and 2 bedroom apartments. The prices were in the $1,000 to $2,500 range.

The location is great in relation to getting on the 101 into LA or West Hollywood or other parts of the Valley. North Hollywood does not feel as manicured as its neighboring Valley communities like Burbank or Toluca Lake. It has more of an urban feel.

Arcadia is an upscale Suburban community approximately 13 miles North East of downtown LA and at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. The population is about 55,000.

The community has many parks including the extremely well maintained and large Arcadia County Park, Santa Anita Park and Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden.

The average property prices range from $550,000 to $3,000,000. The majority of the prices are in the $800,000 range for 3,000 square feet 3 br/3ba. Homes offering newer construction, larger lots and more amenities are on the higher end.

A wonderful upscale suburban community perfect for commuting to downtown Los Angeles.

Northeast Pasadena is defined locally as two independent neighborhoods: Upper Hastings and Lower Hastings. The main access road is Sierra Madre Boulevard. The most prominent building in Hastings is The Church of the Nazarene which supposedly can be seen from outer space. The Van Halen Brothers grew up in Hastings. Hastings also has a popular annual Christmas Display.

Lower & Upper Hastings have a similar feel. Well maintained nice size homes averaging in the 1800 Sq. ft. range. Prices range from $375 for a 2br townhome to $1.2 million on the high side for a 4 br 3K sized home. Upper Hastings the Streets are a bit tighter, and more heavily treed. There is a large shopping area at Hastings Southernmost end and one at the corner of Sierra Madre and Michillinda.

When I think of California living..I think of beach, natural beauty and mountains. Malibu offers all of this and much more. That is...of course...if you have a few million to spend. To really get a true feeling for Malibu you have to walk on the beach, or visit someone who owns a home in the hills looking down at the beach. Shopping is plentiful. My favorite is the Malibu Country Mart. It is a wonderful place to spend the day shopping, having lunch, and on Sunday visiting the Farmer's Market from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Restaurants are plentiful. Nobu is the latest high-end celebrity magnet eatery.

Prices range for example from $529K for a 2 br/1 ba condo to $54 M for a 13 br/14ba 16K square foot home. Most of the prices you see are 2-4 million for 3-4 bedrooms and about 3000 sq. ft. Needless to say...pricey. One of my favorite areas is Point Dume with it's breathtaking rocky outcrop and wave riding seals.

Glenwood could easily be a neighborhood used as a movie set with it's well maintained homes and landscaped streets. The homes are a mixof the best architectural styles California has to offer. The homes East of Kenneth are very spacious and offer much larger lots. The homes to the West of Kenneth tend to be less square footage and offer smaller yards as you go further West towards Glenoaks Blvd.

Glenoaks Blvd. offers typical strip mall shopping, and many different types of dining. Although the area around Brand Park is made up of wealthy residents, you will not find high end restaurants or boutiques. Luckily, it is not a far drive to the Americana in Glendale City Center or into West LA for more options. The small village on Kenneth Road offers a few Mom and Pop stores and gives you a feeling of stepping back in time. A great place to live for many reasons.

If you have wanted to be an urban apartment dweller of a luxurious new construction apartment...living in Glendale's city center is a great choice. The amenities, activities and features are wonderful. Imagine 5 star hotel-like fixtures, spa/resort like-pool area and world class shopping in your back yard. The rents are competitive if not reasonable when compared to apartment complexes in a 5 mile radius. Additionally the commute into downtown LA and West Hollywood are relatively simple...to excellent when going in after hours. The obvious cons are traffic, parking and the constant flow of visitors to the shopping areas.