Moving to Los Angeles?

Whether you have visited Los Angeles in the past or are just dreaming about moving here some day, you are to be congratulated on your choice. Many of us are from other parts of the United States-and the World-who have been here for a good part of our lives and we wouldn't move anywhere else.

The first thing you have to decide is "which" Los Angeles you are moving to.

Unfairly, Los Angeles has been described as a city without a center--not true--but it is a city with a lot of neighborhoods set in the context of larger communities defined by freeways, mountains and a whole array of other natural and/or man-made "borders."

In metropolitan Los Angeles, you can live at the beach, in the mountains or the flat lands. You can choose the hot areas (temperature wise) or the cool. You can live in a typical cityscape or something more rural. And, yes, you can live in the "cool," the "hip" and/or the "bohemian" neighborhoods. If you have a favorite home style, that, too, may affect your choice of neighborhoods because specific styles were popular as the different neighborhoods began and evolved.

I know where you settle down is as important a decision as you can make. It can be a hard choice. There are literally hundreds of neighborhoods with their individual characteristics and virtues. The L.A. freeways get us around but, unfortunately, they also distract us from some great neighborhoods they pass by. That's why I may be of some help.  After 30-plus years selling real estate, I know most of these various communities and neighborhoods.

I will use your input to help you focus on the best neighborhoods for you.

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Choosing Your Special Neighborhood

Metropolitan Los Angeles has many neighborhoods that you will never know about if you only drive the freeways from and to your present home. We've sold dream homes from the ocean to the desert--well almost--because our kind of homes can be found in almost any neighborhood. Most brokers take one neighborhood, call it their "farm," and stay there. While it is admittedly easier to do that, they can't offer you a selection of neighborhoods from their personal experience. The result is that sometimes you may pay more for a house in a less desirable neighborhood than you would have for one in a better neighborhood. Only because you didn't know the house--or neighborhood existed.

Don't play neighborhood roulette. Every neighborhood offers its own kind of cache' and when you describe your specific needs and interests, We'll have a list of neighborhoods that could appeal to you.

Don't forget: the older the home style, the older the neighborhood it will be in--unless it's a reproduction. But that doesn't mean the older neighborhood hasn't kept improving. After all, Beverly Hills was founded in 1907!

Some Popular Neighborhoods:

A neighborhood is something special. It has its own character, its own comfort, its own special calling. Inhabitants of a neighborhood may only know each other's face--or may be close friends, but either way, there is always the bond of location. Because of its cultural diversity and architectural history, metropolitan Los Angeles offers the buyer a choice of architectural styles. Some neighborhoods are so distinctive and important, architecturally speaking, that Los Angeles designates them Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (known as HPOZs). These neighborhoods are governed by a set of rules legislated by the city of Los Angeles and supervised by the Cultural Heritage Department and neighborhood review boards.

Los Angeles has 20+ Historic Preservation Overlay Zones at this writing.

In addition to the historic neighborhoods, there are many other neighborhoods that have their own personality. Some may eventually be declared historic also. And some are both neighborhoods and in/or incorporated cities. These include--and we're just getting started

• Angelino Heights
• Atwater Village
• Beachwood Canyon
• Beverlywood
• The Brewery
• Bungalow Heaven (Pasadena)
• Cameo Woods
• Country Club Park
• Eagle Rock
• Hancock Park
• Hollywood Redevelopment
• Larchmont Village
• Melrose Hills
• Mt. Washington
• Moreno Highlands
• North University Park
• The Oaks
• Old Pasadena
• Pacific Palisades
• Pickford Village
• Rustic Canyon
• Silver Lake
• Sunset Park
• Third Street Neighborhood
• Toluca Lake
• View Park
• West Hollywood
• Western Heights
• Westside Village
• Whitley Heights