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.

South Mariposa is one of the little side arteries of major Wilshire Boulevard (a terrific street, drive the length of it on a Saturday afternoon and see the many facets of L.A.'s collective character!) Mariposa is in the Mid-Wilshire section of town, and as with most of the old streets in this area, you'll find some really cool old 1920's apartment complexes mixed in with the newer and far less appealing 70's-era buildings. Urban mix of neighbors with a mostly Hispanic population. The street is relatively quiet once you get a couple of blocks past each of the main street crossings (Wilshire, 2nd, 3rd Street, etc) but ALWAYS keep personal safety in mind, especially if you're alone and walking to/from bus stops, convenience stores, etc. I lived in the great old El Montalbo Apartment building at West 2nd & Mariposa, and I can tell you that I was harrassed in broad daylight more than once as I walked a mere one block to the local AM/PM. The charming art deco apartment buildings are a slice of Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles, but honestly, even though rent here is still fairly cheap, the neighborhood's just a little too sketchy, at least for this single girl, and if you don't have a car, it's a long trudge to the grocery stores on Vermont. Check out the Museum District area of Wilshire Blvd where the neighborhoods are nicer, and the rent not too bad if you've got roommates to split the bill.

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.

Descanso Drive is a small, quiet street nestled in the Silverlake Hills above Sunset Blvd. It's loaded with great old homes, old-school bungalow apartments and lots of lush gardens. Very friendly homeowners, but do make sure you pick up after your dog to keep the good karma going! I lived on an adjacent street (Tularosa) and found Descanso to be one of the most charming streets in this section of the city; a hidden gem perfect for early evening strolls, beginning at Maltman and ending back down at Sunset Blvd, where you can enjoy dinner at any number of great little restaurants. Occasionally there's a bit of noise spilling over from the Sunset Blvd. area, but in all the days and evenings I walked my dog on this street, I was safe, and never bothered by anyone.

Best Feature: Homes, gardens, relaxed neighborhood vibe. AND--Don't miss the "hidden stairways" all over this area of Silverlake, with one entry on Descanso, I believe--these were the stairways built into the hills by the electric trolley cars that used to run up and down Sunset, and they're still a quick and easy way to cut straight down the hill if you're in a rush and don't want to walk the winding streets.

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!

Wilcox is easily the most entertaining street I've ever lived on; it's in Hollywood, right between Santa Monica Blvd and Melrose Blvd, so you're a quick walk from your house/apartment to just about everything you need on a daily basis. CVS, Vons, restaurants, fast food, bus stops, laundromats, etc. Over on the Melrose side, lots of great little one-of-a-kind shops; on the Santa Monica side, a slew of small live theaters and clubs. Walk around the surrounding residential area and you'll find some charming old Hollywood apartment buildings and spanish bungalow style homes with beautiful gardens, a nice retreat from the noise and activity on the major streets. Great area actors and actresses on a budget, due to proximity of agents, theaters, casting directors, etc.

Best feature: Easy access to variety of amenities including bus, grocery, and live theater; walks in the residential areas are pleasant.

Be warned: Very active nightlife on Santa Monica, especially Thurs/Fri/Sat, and it sometimes spills over into the residential portion of the street.

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.