Westwood

I went to UCLA and I lived in Westwood all four years. Westwood is the most sublime college village period. You don't really need a car in Westwood (which is rare for Los Angeles) because Westwood has everything. There are now two grocery stores in the wood-- Whole Foods and Ralphs-- and several chain restaurants. Chain restaurants may not be a big deal to most people; but, they're pretty hard to come by in Los Angeles. And, furthermore, BJ's is so very good.
Diddy Riese is a must for a Westwood visit: two cookies sandwiching a scoop of ice cream for a dollar. That is a pretty small price to pay for heaven. Headlines is great for breakfast. The subscription special (two eggs, hashbrowns, toast and coffee) isn't anything worth writing home about, but for five bucks, it's hard to beat. Also Jose Bernstein has great breakfast burritos for really cheap and they deliver until 3 am.
As far as nightlife, Westwood is a little lacking for anyone over college-age. The only place I would go in after graduating is Westwood Brew Co. It was my favorite place in college and you can still definitely catch a lot of the "older" crowd. You can always go to the W on the other side of campus but that place is really trendy. During the day, the W is fantastic, however, for a swim, drinks, and to listen to the school bells toll from a bit of a distance.
The apartments there are pretty disgusting. They are so run down and because of the demand, they don't have to be fixed before new tenants come in. But, the residential neighborhood on the sorority side of campus is stunning. Huge, beautiful homes on the most serene tree-lined streets. That was where I always went running if I wasn't up for the campus perimeter. It's so lovely over there.
Parking is atrocious but there is so much to do: shopping, 3 theatres (including the famous Fox theatre), the Geffen has some of Los Angeles' best productions . . . I could go on and on. I do feel a bit sorry for people who bought those multi-million dollar homes to live in a somewhat rowdy area, but overall, I have nothing but great things to say about this part of town.