Birdseyeview

Hamilton Way is a hilly little curl of a street located just off Sunset Boulevard in the Silverlake section of town; I never lived on this street, but I had a friend living here, and I visited often, walking by myself from Tularosa, down the hill, across Sunset, and up this little street, and I was never harrassed during my solo walks. Hamilton is actually a great walking street with its many adobe/bungalow style apartment buildings and houses. Lots of gardens and fruit trees everywhere, and relatively quiet despite its proximity to Sunset. Easy access to bus stop, convenience stores, clinic, and many of Silverlake's great shops and restaurants. You'd need to either drive or bus it to grocery stores and movie theaters though. Great for pets, especially dogs--plenty of good walks all over the Hamilton section of Silverlake (though the nearest dog park is by the Reservoir and might not be your idea of walking distance.) Lots of up and down hills are good exercise for people too, but if you're not very mobile, you might not love this location.

Manchester is one of the major arteries of the Playa Del Rey/LAX area. It's a wide, busy street with lots of shops, restaurants and an abundance of apartments and condos; major new construction at the busy Manchester/Lincoln Blvd. intersection means even more rental communities are on the way. But despite the bustle of moderately heavy traffic, the Playa/LAX portion of Manchester is really not a bad street to live on, provided you remember basic personal safety (there is an occasional police incident on this street.) You're within easy walk or drive of grocery stores (including Gelson's on Lincoln), gas stations, laundromats, and loads of restaurants (KC's Creperie and Italy's Little Kitchen are my personal favorites.) Plenty of mass transit access, and if you're an Otis College or Loyola Marymount student, this is an ideal spot for you as it's very close to either campus. There are some lovely, quiet residential neighborhoods nestled all over this area, and they make for great walking/jogging trails. And nothing beats the cool sea breeze coming from the ocean, which is a mere five minutes' drive from the Manchester/Lincoln intersection!

If you're thinking of living on Maltman, be aware that while this street certainly has some charming sections, you should check out alternate Silverlake streets. Maltman is a hilly street, great for a workout walk, but not so great if you aren't terribly mobile, and you don't have a car. This street intersects Sunset, and you'll find plenty of restaurants, shops, bus stop, and even a free clinic; but some of that Sunset action spills up a portion of the street, more so than other streets, making for noise and traffic. There are also some pretty dumpy-looking apartments closer to Sunset. Things improve at roughly the Descanso crest of the hill. Then you find some quiet, well-tended residences which charm with their old-L.A. vibe; however, Maltman borders Bellevue Park, and some of that element spills over onto the residential area, with sometimes dicey results. And as with most of the through-streets in Silverlake, the hills are charming, but the closer you are to the 101 freeway, the less inviting the neighborhood.

Like so many streets in Los Angeles, Micheltorena has its ups and its downs, literally. I lived on what I'd call the "down" side of the street--the "flatlands" near the 101 freeway, where things got a little dicey, in terms of safety; and buildings/houses weren't always kept as tidy as I would have liked. The nearest bus stop was on a dicey little sliver of a street; after one too many encounters with drunken vagrants, I opted to walk all the way up to the Sunset Blvd. stop. On the other hand, walk up towards the Sunset section of the street, and you're in Silverlake heaven! Micheltorena crosses Sunset (with lots of shops and restaurants) and then climbs higher up into the hills; it's one of the best L.A. neighborhood walks I've ever had, particularly when you reach the grounds of a rumored-to-be-haunted old mansion which belonged to a 1920's heiress and is now a nunnery.

My advice: Pay attention to what section of Micheltorena you're considering!

I've lived all over Los Angeles, and this was one of my favorite addresses. Tularosa is a charming little street in the Silverlake section of town, bounded by Bellevue on one side (nearest the 101 Freeway) and Sunset Boulevard on the other side. I found it was best not to wander too close to the 101 side of the neighborhood, as things got a little dicey down there; but the hilly area of Tularosa was a charming slice of classic Los Angeles; apartment complexes mixed in with old bungalow-style homes from the 1930's and on. Lots of hills all over the surrounding neighborhood made for great exercise; if you (and your dog) like a good cardio workout, this street is perfect for you! A relatively easy walk down to Sunset, where the little Silverlake Village has plenty of restaurants and unique shops...but don't eat too much, because you've got to walk back up Maltman's steep hill to get home.

Best feature: Great for walking, and architectural gems everywhere; relatively easy proximity to Sunset Blvd shops and restaurants

Be warned: If you don't enjoy walking up and down somewhat steep hills, Tularosa may not be for you; parking was sometimes an issue; the nearest bus stop is on Sunset Boulevard, a good 15-20 minute walk from Tularosa; steer clear of the area closest to the 101 Freeway.