Zephory

Before moving to California, I lived in Michigan. My apartment was right off 28th street. This street is always filled with traffic and has some of the biggest businesses in Grand Rapids. You can find the Woodland Mall a variety of restaurants and other things. The condition of the road starts off good towards Cascade and gets steadily worse as you head down to Division. Around rush hour the traffic gets pretty backed up. The Division area is a pretty shady part of 28th street. Don't stroll around this area after hours.

Jerome street is like a bad version of Castro street in San Fran. Hookers come out at night and so do other crazy people. This is a really shady part of town. I got lost once and ended up cutting through here when I was trying to make it to Venice. The houses look like drug houses and most of the yards are unkept. There are quite a bit of potholes in this area.

Washington Blvd is a lively street. It is very close to Venice and very close to the beach. Instead of parking why don't you take a nice stroll. Everything in this area is trendy. You might catch a celebrity. I have never had this luck. They are often referred to as the Venice Beach celebrities. The real estate in this area is pretty pricey. Everything has a new feel including the main walks and the roads.

This little street is hopping. Located right between Washington and West Washington this street is always alive. You can find many of the performing art students using this stretch to promote their annual youtube videos dedicated strictly to Halloween. Or maybe you will want to catch a contemporary but student remake version of something famous at the Colegio de la película. Parking is limited on the sides because of local businesses and zoning laws. You could probably park in a lot on Washington. The conditions of the road are so-so.

This street is filled with trailer parks. You might as well as pretend you're in Michigan. This is a pretty nasty party of town. I wouldn't suggest walking out after hours. There are some good strip bars off 43rd and Honduras but that is about it. If you drive down this way make sure that you lock your doors.

Right off W. Sunset Blvd this street offers a lot of local art. I consider this area to be the East Town of my hometown Grand Rapids. That was a section of our city that catered to hippies etc... Charles E Young Street is a very curvy street. Street parking is literally impossible because of the narrow lanes and the curves. There are quite a few of local busineses such as coffee shops, some festive art galleries and underground gay bar dive. I would suggest this street if you are looking to escape the havocs of Sunset Blvd. Make sure you check out the Skeleton Horse!!!!

The houses on Bangor Street and the surround area have a Southeast feeling. The houses remind me of such houses that you would come across in Arizona. They have a whole adobe feeling to them. This street recently got repaved in the las couple of years along with a quite a few other streets from the Washington through Cologne area. This is a very safe street that is strictly residential. On the corner of Clyde there is a mom and pop shop that caters to NY style hotdogs with refreshing beverages. Since the roads are pretty much brand new you can expect a smooth ride.

Alameda street is one of the many busy streets in L.A. The street is sectioned off into parts such as North Alameda. The North Part of Alameda stretches right through a popular part of the Mexican community in L.A. As you drive by you will see a lot of restaurants that cater to Mexican style cuisine and colorful billboard signs. Another awesome place of interest is the Union Station. I have taken the trains a couple of times at Union Station to visit my family back in MIchigan. There are many points of interests along Alameda. The road itself offers vital history which attract tourists and locals alike. The traffic is pretty heavy, especially at peak hours. The condition of the road varies but seems to get worse the farther North that you actually head.

Lost in the sprawling jungle of concrete houses with pools this street has something that no other street does. The Christmas Spirit. Touche. When you are driving through the hills and hoping to catch your future dream house you must make sure that you visit Belmont Place during the Christmas holidays. It is quite interesting to view the Christmas decorations. I can't get over Christmas being in such a tropical place. This neighborhood goes all out. It is like a secret competition is going on between the neighbors to see who can create the best display. This is strictly a residential street with big houses and a wonderful loop at the end of the road which will allow your car to swivel around very nicely. Suburbia is my favorite place to stroll.

My boyfriend lives on the most confusing street in L.A., Martin Street. First of all to even get through the street you have to drive through a bunch of catacomb surburbia streets. If you don't know the local streets then you certainly aren't going to know these backstreets. Once you actually get to Martin it veers off into Vaquero Avenue. Vaquero will cross Warwick Ave which will take you to the other part of Martin Street. Martin Street is strictly residential. It is a fairly safe street with a decent road. Unless you have a reason to be here this street is probably out of your way. If you're into Peruvian art then you should check out Valquero Ave. They have a recreation building right around the corner from my boyfriends house on Martin that tells about different Art displays that the street frequently offers. You could park your car on Martin Street because it is not as busy.

Deer Avenue is a fairly small street. Being a native of the MIdwest. I appreciate the quiteness of the street. If you get lost you will have to turn your car around because it is a dead end. Be careful when you pass the 3950 mark the road becomes an excess of potholes. The area is off a busy business section and caters to mostly small businesses and houses that are made into apartments. Chances are you won't discover this road unless you know it. If you do get lost and happen on this road by chance, park over on the side and simmer down from the business of the main streets. There is not much action on this street but I sure do appreciate the quiteness of the street.

Market Street can be a drag, literally. Heavy traffic and deep potholes add to the headache. Avoid the areas around Market 6th St. I was walking home from a club once and I encountered nothing but homeless people. Even in the day when you are coming from the opposite direction on Taylor street, you will still be bombarded by the homeless asking for money.

I have always wanted to live in Chinatown. Being an East Asian Studies major, I love visiting Chinatown. Grant Avenue is the oldest street in Chinatown. There is even a plaque in original Cantonese and English citing this. When you enter Grant Avenue it is like entering a whole new country. You will find everything and anything from China. I would consider walking rather than driving. Most days Grant Avenue is like a sidewalk anyway. Little Italy or whatever you want to call it is also close by. I swear I saw a mobster once!

Folsom Street is a very busy street. Traffic problems can be sketchy at times because of all the events that go on. One of the more notable events is Gallery Crawl, which celebrates artists walking around different streets in San Fran. I got caught in this. It is comparable to being caught in your car during the Carnival in Rio. The part of the street that stretches North past 17th St has been repaved, so driving conditions are good for you car. The street is always busy though. I would take the back roads if you are just trying to get from one location to the next.