stargazer

West 1st Street eventually leads into downtown Los Angeles and is a very busy street. However, the area I am more familar with and am discussing is the section of West 1st between Fairfax and Croft. In this area, west of downtown, it is actually a fairly quiet, nice residential neighborhood. It is still a busier road than the side streets, but it is a nice area and a good place to live, close to major streets such as Fairfax and San Vicente, conveniences, and attractions, but not too noisy and congested. It is a good neighborhood with some nice houses and apartments.

I am most familiar with the section of South Fairfax from Beverly Blvd to Wilshire Blvd. There are tons of cool things in this area. The biggest attraction is the Farmers Market and Grove. I equally enjoyed strolling around the produce stand at the farmers market, then walking into the Grove and browsing some more upscale shops and restaurants. The Farmers Daughter Hotel on S Fairfax is very nice, very eclectic. I recommend staying here if you are going to CBS. CBS Television City is a very short walk across the street. There is a great Thai restaurant also right across from CBS that I highly recommend. It is not too far to walk from this area down to Wilshire and visit the La Brea Tar Pits. There seemed to be a lot of entertainment, food, and shopping on this street. It was fairly busy traffic-wise but not too congested or noisy for LA standards.

Tiverton Avenue is a fairly nice street that runs right by the UCLA medical school. Many students live in this area, however it is not terribly noisy. There can be quite a bit of traffic heading through to campus, however. It also runs right through a small botanical gardens, which is really nice to take a stroll in. This is a really convenient area for students to live in, but apartments are in high demand here.

Roebling Avenue is a short street located very near UCLA's campus. It was nice to live here because it was an easy walk, I didn't have to worry about catching the bus or finding parking anywhere. I found this street to be a little quieter than some neighborhoods close to campus, maybe because it is so short there is less traffic. There are quite a few fast food, deli, and coffee shop type places nearby within walking distance. I would recommend this area for UCLA students.

Ophir Drive features many apartments, mostly inhabited by UCLA students. It is within convenient walking distance to UCLA's campus. There are some decent apartments on this street, better than some areas. The neighborhood is a little quieter than some other streets close to campus. This is a good, more low key place for UCLA students to live.

Levering Avenue is another neighborhood close to the UCLA campus that features many fairly affordable apartments for students. The apartments are very basic but ok, better than a lot of other student areas, and the area is safe. The neighborhood is pretty much exclusively students so there is always a party to be found, which could be good and bad. It can be somewhat noisy and congested at times.

Many students live in this area due to its close proximity to UCLA's campus. You will be able to walk to campus easily from here without worrying with having a car or taking the bus. However, due to the large number of students it tends to be a very noisy area. The apartments on this street are also kind of run down and not very nice, but they are fairly inexpensive which is good for students.

I lived in an apartment on Rochester Ave while a grad student at UCLA. This area is far enough from campus that you feel somewhat separated from all the students and partying, but close enough to be a convenient short commute to campus. A bus stop was within short walking distance. Rochester Ave has easy access to several main thoroughfares such as Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd, Sepulveda Blvd, and the 405. There is not a lot in the way of shopping, eating out, or entertainment in this immediate area, but not too far away are a few delis and a good little Thai place just around the corner on Westwood. Garage parking in your apartment building is a must, as street parking is hard to come by.

Euclid Avenue features many homes converted to apartments for UK students near campus. This end of Euclid is also near many bars and major buildings on UK's campus, including the Student Center and Memorial Coliseum. The end of Euclid away from downtown, near the Chevy Chase neighborhood, is a quirky, eclectic neighborhood featuring many unique shops and restaurants that are more upscale. Traffic on Euclid can be bad and there are several hospitals nearby which can make for noise issues. All the neighbors I had in this area were friendly and it was an enjoyable place to live.

Harrodsburg Road is a fairly busy street so there is quite a bit of traffic noise. Farther away from Lexington, near Man O' War, is a more upscale area so this is the most desirable part of Harrodsburg Rd. I lived near Turfland Mall and this area is quite noisy and a little run-down and unsafe seeming. However, there are quite a few retail stores and several restaurants on this road. The road is not conducive to walking but there is a bus route that has many stops along this road.

Lansdowne Drive is right off of Nicholasville Road, one of Lexington's main thoroughfares and shopping areas, but you wouldn't know it. The neighborhood is relatively quiet, tree-lined, with parks nearby, but you are 5 minutes or less from Fayette Mall, Lexington Green mall, Target, and other retail outlets and many restaurants. Sidewalks provide a nice place to jog or walk through the neighborhood. The neighborhood is middle-class, mostly built in the 60s and 70s, and seems safe.