melp

Magnolia reminds me of the LA you hear about in detective pulps and old movies. I think it's the combination of light commercial business (check out the faded signs in mod, sixties-style script) and middle to upper middle class condos and and family homes a step away from movie and television studios (don't try to visit the hospital on Riverside Drive. It's long since been converted into the set for the sitcom Scrubs).

This is the street where blue-haired old ladies go to get their hair done, and working mothers bring their sure-footed daughters to dance class. The street, for these reasons, has an "authentic" feeling. However, as with any older street, I have noticed that it can do with some face-lifts here and there.

The city of Eagle Rock has all the charm of a small town without having to suffer a lack of things to do, and Eagle Vista Dr. is a perfect distance away from it all to enjoy a more quiet, relaxed suburban life while still being a short distance away from great bars (you got to love The Chalet) and restaurants that serve every type of food. Pasadena, The Los Angeles Zoo and the Gene Autry museum are only a few short minutes away, so there is plenty of opportunity for upscale retail therapy and culture without the hassle of having to suffer long freeway trips through traffic.

Going up Eagle Vista, through the residential area and away from Colorado Blvd, let's you explore parks and wilderness that you wouldn't expect from being so close to Downtown LA.

As the title says Louise is a nice street, not to quiet, not too loud, not too busy, but by no means dead, close to necessities, but not so near that the constant flow of cars blokes everything, and nice enough to have a walk at night, especially in the early summer, when the smell of orange blossoms in the yards fills the air.

I like how all the houses have had the time to "evolve" - that is, they don't look like the average cookie-cutter ranch home, even if that is how many of them had got their start. The street is given more personality with all the different additions that make each home look unique.

the one problem with Louise is, as a main thoroughfare through the small town of Granada Hills, the stoplights are notoriously long - causing many people to make dangerous decisions when they think no one is looking, especially in the dead of night.

While this street is less noisy then the adjacent Sepulveda Blvd. it's not by much. The roar of the 405 travels quite a way and the construction makes for more cars on this surface street looking for a detour that will help them surpass the traffic jams. With the increased number of people comes more pollution, litter and vandalism and i would not recommend Washington Place for a family with outdoor pets, as the potential for them getting hit, or running loose is great.

It is also fairly close to LAX, which is both convenient and a burden. The hassle of getting too and from the airport is made a lot easier with the buses, but I'm sure the sound of jets overhead gets annoying.

There is one bright spot that makes Washington Pl. worth it. Just past the 405, before Sepulveda is Tito's Tacos, for my money the best Mexican food in LA (the lines may look daunting, but here's a hint: go inside where they move faster and bring a buddy with you to stake your claim on a table. The taco's are best when they are hot and fresh).

Stare is just far enough away from busy Reseda Blvd. to be a peaceful and secluded neighborhood to raise a family in, It is close enough to LA proper (a 20 minute drive when there isn't traffic) to offer a variety of things to do, and its within walking distance to some great local restaurants, groceries, and Northridge Park, which is practically across the street.

My complaint, having grown up in a very green neighborhood, would be that the street seems a little bare. The houses are well-manicured and kept in order, but the street itself offers no trees and the roundabout at the end of the col de sac is filled with overgrown, dead grass.

Both my Mom and Gran live in apartment complexes located on Chatsworth street. Every year we watch the small town holiday parade from my Mom's balcony, and, as the main street of Granada Hills, Chatsworth offers many opportunities like this, including an annual street fair and both big name and small specialty stores and restaurants.

The downside, unfortunately, is that I'm a very light sleeper and the busy street offers no respite from the constant sound of cars and trucks. I definitely prefer a much more quiet atmosphere, and the busyness really doesn't afford the luxury of keeping outdoor pets or raising small children.

My previous job was at a residence on Rinaldi (between Louise and Zelzah) and I spent the four years working there dodging a truly obnoxious cop (since sent to a different route because of his fondness for using his bull horn in front of a daycare center), dealing with an old, run down house and trying to keep three dogs out of the busy, busy street. The house that I worked at, and the ones next door, were also set up on a hill, so most of the property was devoted to a slopping, overgrown yard where many pests like rodents, lizards and all sorts of horrifically huge bugs loved to hide.

The street is adjacent to parks, and has a bike path that offers a good ride with many hills - if you're not afraid of the zooming cars, that is (after all, there was a reason for that police officer, even if his methods were annoying).

North of San Fernando Mission, Zelzah becomes a peaceful upper middle class neighborhood, complete with horse trails and a quiet park. Past the college, it stops. In the middle of that is a congested street that nonetheless tries to be a suburban neighborhood.

It succeeds in it's proximity to necessities, like groceries, good food, pharmacies, a post office and clothing stores (with the ubiquitous Starbucks down the street for good measure) and a choice of schools from pre-school to a Master's degree. However, all these things also make the street noisy with the sound of teenagers (when the high school lets out) or traffic (especially when the new Kohl's comes in where a quiet Ralphs used to be).

The houses are also older here and and the front yards are really not appropriate for children playing, at least not on the busier stretches of the street.

I must admit, one of the best things about living on this street is when the beautiful Jacaranda trees bloom their gorgeous purple flowers. One of the worst things is having to sweep up after them.

This is a family block, where people tend to stay for a very long time. It offers affordable houses with big yards that are perfect for children and dogs, which have the unfortunate tendency of making themselves known by barking in the middle of the night. Otherwise, neighbors are friendly but keep to themselves.

There is ample parking and large driveways and the street is within walking distance to Target, Von's supermarket, Trader Joes, and two large shopping centers that feature discount clothing, a variety of eateries, pet and car supplies, movie rental and specialty stores.

There are actually three Simonds Streets in Granada Hills - two of which are quiet residential streets hidden away at the very end of neighborhoods. I've lived on the one between Balboa and Louise for some years now, and, if you enjoy a peaceful and friendly neighborhood where everyone seems to be related or best friends, this is definitely the destination.

It is a good street to raise a family, as there is little traffic and many children. It is also a very ethnically diverse block, with a wide range of friendly and caring people who look after their houses and their neighbors.

Although Simonds is very clean and just far enough from major streets, one drawback is the noise of the nearby 118 freeway. If you don't have good windows, this can be very distracting when you are trying to sleep. Also, since the construction of said freeway, the street has been turned into a kind of wind tunnel, which causes blackouts and poor TV reception for those with satellite or cable (in recent months new companies have been coming in with better services, however. Switching from Time Warner Cable to Verizon FIOS has been one of the best decisions we've ever made).

Overall, this is a pleasant, friendly street in a nice middle-class neighborhood, perfect for new families or those wishing to purchase their first house.