citizenjane

Mission Gorge Rd has got be one of the most eclectic streets I’ve driven in San Diego without it having a theme associated with it. Where else will you find restaurants that include Thai, Vietnamese, fast food, brewery, authentic Italian, multiple Mexican options, and more- all one mile away from Qualcomm Stadium? Lots of options, so much to explore!

Palmilla Dr is a quiet neighborhood street lined with green belts and apartments. You will often find people going for walks whether they are couples, moms with strollers, or students walking a couple blocks up the road to the UCSD shuttle stop at Lebon and Nobel. Palmilla is also in walking distance to a great little shopping center with great pizza at Leucadia Pizzeria, a bagel shop for your mornings, a Vons grocery store, and even a boba shop if you’re looking for one!

Torrey Pines Road is a lovely winding road that drops you on the outskirts of lovely La Jolla. I enjoy driving this road because it’s calm and peaceful and allows you to pass nature on both sides and see a nice house every once in while too. No matter how bad of a day you’ve had, once you start driving this road, it takes you to another place.

Intersecting with La Jolla Village Dr one block away from the 5 Freeway is this small road that offers so much for such a little strip of road. You’ve got pub offerings such as the Rock Bottom Brewery and BJ’s Pizza as well as places for sushi, mediterranean food, teriyaki, and that’s all before you hit the big shopping center with the Whole Foods Market and CVS.

Miramar Road is the stretch of road on the opposite side of La Jolla Village Dr once you cross the 805 Freeway. It’s very industrial in nature, lined with furniture stores, gas stations, and further down some ethnic “hole in the wall” places to eat. The 24-hour Roberto’s taco shop is very popular with neighboring UCSD students and others who like to eat on a student budget!

Governor Dr is in the area of San Diego called University City. While it may only be 2 miles away from the more student-heavy area of UCSD, it gives you a completely different feeling of families, schools, parks, and a nice established neighborhood. You’ll find a local Henry’s Market and Starbucks on this street and a couple of blocks down you’ll find a small Vons grocery store too surrounded by many “mom and pop” shops varying from a donut shop to a down home Mexican restaurant.

Genesee Ave gives you the feeling of one long business park. It also intersects with the University Town Center Shopping Center which includes many department stores such as Macy’s, Nordstrom, and Sears. There’s also lots of restaurants and shops in the adjacent Costa Verde Shopping Center which even includes a car wash and a McDonald’s if you and your car need filling up!

Families and students alike live in this area for its proximity to shopping, lush green parks, the beach (which is a 15 minute drive away), and lots of apartments and condos to choose from with most offering amenities including gym, pool, jacuzzi, barbeques, and volleyball courts. While rent may be a little higher than other parts of town, there’s a price for convenience, comfort, and a clean neighborhood.

La Jolla Village Dr stretches from up toward the beach and Torrey Pines Golf Course to the UTC shopping mall to past the 805 Freeway where it turns into Miramar Rd. Near the 5 Freeway and La Jolla Village Dr you’ll find some shops below the high rise Aventine Building as well as close to Villa La Jolla Dr you’ll find lots of restaurants and shops.

Nobel Dr is situated close to UCSD in certain stretches and therefore has a student neighborhood feel about it- lots of apartments everywhere and shuttle service to the college campus and parts of San Diego. It’s a nice, clean area to live but rent can be expensive. Just have to look around to see what prices are and how many roommates you’re willing to have for convenience!

I would only live on Gayley if I really wanted to walk to UCLA no matter what: it’s noisy, polluted, and has more traffic than many other neighboring streets. It would definitely be my last resort of all the streets to live on in Westwood as a student. There are also a fair number of greek houses there too so if you’re looking for a quiet place to live, Gayley is not it.

Landfair has lots of fraternities and sororities on it being so close to UCLA. It’s not the cleanest street and can get pretty noisy. There is also a fair amount of traffic coming up the street from Westwood Blvd down the hill. I would not recommend this street to families, or anyone who is looking for a quiet place to live.

Bit of a sketchy place to live. Even Westwood Park which is right there behind the Federal Building is questionable. Lots of families still go there to have picnics and people are out playing basketball, but you definitely don’t want to be there at night. Also cars constantly passing by or getting on from Wilshire Blvd make it a very busy and noisy street.

Wilshire is one of the largest streets in LA. It spans so many neighborhoods given it a different character depending on where you intersect. But everyone will agree no matter what part of Wilshire you are on, it is noisy, not very clean, and full of traffic. One of the better parts of Wilshire is near UCLA: it’s not as dirty but still full of traffic, especially right at the 405 onramp. There’s still lots to discover with the VA cemetery there to explore, along with all that Westwood Blvd offers a couple of blocks away. You just have to plan on lots of traffic.

Pico is an exciting street filled with things to see and do. Right at Westwood and Pico you have the Westside Pavilion which is actually a nice shopping center. But the best part is when you’re done shopping and are hungry, just walk out of the mall and you will find 20 restaurants within 2 blocks. Whether you want Italian, Mexican, or something exotic, it’s all right there for you. And many are reasonably priced.

I personally would not recommend living on National Blvd (near the 405 Freeway). I don’t think it’s the cleanest area plus it’s very noisy and polluted with the 405 Freeway right there. While there are lots of retails shops right there and you are centrally located, you would do better making home closer to Sepulveda and Palms where it’s much quieter and cleaner.

Santa Monica Blvd near Westwood is full of hustle and bustle and allows you many retail shops from restaurants to nail salons to big bookstores. Further down you have the mall at Westfield Century City. I think it’s a great mall to window shop since it has many designer stores that are pricey but interesting to see what trends they’re displaying. A very busy street you wouldn’t want to live on, but definitely experience and visit. Plus you can take the big blue bus to get you anywhere.

Ohio Ave is nestled in a quiet little nook nearing Santa Monica. Not too far you’ll find Westwood Park and lots of tree lined streets. Go about a mile away from the trees and you’ll be home to Bristol Farms, the Coffee Bean, and lots of ethnic restaurants including Indian, Thai, and many Persian restaurants and grocers.

Kelton Ave close to Westwood Blvd and UCLA is very much a student street so it’s quiet during the day and can be loud at times at night depending on student activity. Since it is in the heart of Westwood, it’s in a very pretty neighborhood and is within walking distance to the movie theaters, Jerry’s Deli and all that Westwood Blvd offers. Interestingly enough, on the other side of Kelton, passed Ohio Ave going towards Santa Monica, the street is very family-friendly and the neighborhood has a completely different feel. Either way rent will be rather high but a little cheaper on the “Ohio side” and perhaps a little less noisy.

Westwood is a great street for students, conducive to restaurants some pubs, little boutiques for shopping or just looking around. It’s also very eclectic. Be sure to have a homemade giant cookie form Diede Riese or have a cold glass of coconut juice on a hot day at Mr. Noodle. If you’re feeling very adventurous, you can go to Habibi Café to smoke a houka and listen to authentic Middle Eastern music.

West LA is a very convenient area, close to grocery stores, restaurants, and even ethnic food stores.No problem if you don't have a car, directly on the bus route. Bus will take you to UCLA with no problem as well as many other parts of LA without the hassle of driving yourself or parking. Within a mile you can find great Italian gelato, Argentinian empanadas, a Brazilian restaurant/club with live music and dancing on nights, and authentic Cuban food. The neighborhood is mixed with families and students alike but it's a relatively quiet place to live while still being close to everything you need.