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California Ave, just north of Wilshire Blvd. in Santa Monica goes directly onto the Pacific Coast Highway at it's western end and stretches throughout Santa Monica to the east. It is a well groomed street in a quite rich neighborhood. It houses quite a few parks and also quite a few churches. Mostly apartment buildings line the street itself, but some houses are located on the numbered streets it crosses. It's proximity to Wilshire Blvd, the beach and Montana Ave (a great shopping street) make it a very convenient place to live.

The neighborhood surrounding Grant Elementary in Santa Monica is quiet, family oriented and clean. On the south-east side of Santa Monica, Pearl Street runs through this neighborhood and is in fact where Grant Elementary is located. Pearl serves to connect much of southern Santa Monica to the rest of LA. It runs from Bundy to Lincoln, linking the two big North-South arterial roads. Despite this, Pearl is a very peaceful street, perfect for families. With the great local public schools and the large number of big houses with big yards, it's really a good place to raise a family.

Venice is a very busy street. There are some apartments, a lot of stores and a lot of restaurants. Many parts of the street stretch three lanes each way. It's a great way to get across town in times of heavy traffic, but not a good place to live. Apartments are cheap, but for a reason. There are, of course, better parts -- in fact, some of the sketchier parts in Venice have of late become much more trendy and safe, but most of the street is still very, very urban.

Amherst Ave. is a residential street filled with condos and apartment buildings. Within walking distance of quite a few nice restaurants, such as the Literati Cafe and Amandine Cafe, the location is an ideal place to settle for singles, young couples and retirees. Everything you might need is within walking distance, as is Wilshire Blvd. The buses that run on Wilshire, particularly the Rapid Bus line, make it a real hub for transportation. With the help of the bus, all of LA is accessible from Amherst Ave. It is also very close to Santa Monica -- walking distance in fact -- and that is definitely another bonus.

Having lived here off and on for 10 years, I've had lots of experience with the pit falls of this street. One would think that the fact that it only runs two blocks and dead ends at an apartment complex would mean it would be a quiet, peaceful street, but that is not the case. The street is busy at all times of day or night, making parking or even waiting outside often a troublesome activity. One feels relatively safe as there are many eyes on the street, but it is also true that in years past, there was some gang activity in the western most block.

That said, the neighborhood is improving rapidly along with the improvement of adjacent Culver City. In five to ten years time, I suspect the street will be markedly different.

Ventura Blvd. is one of the main thoroughfares that runs through the San Fernando Valley. It has a lot of chain stores, such as Staples and Bed, Bath and Beyond, but that is not what makes it special. Ventura Blvd. manages to be this great mix of big chain stores and little boutique shops. In a way that is rare in Los Angeles, it really offers the best in walkable, diverse shopping. Unique shops such as Storyopolis, a children's bookstore and Art's Delicatessen, a world famous deli give the street a fun local flavor.

I am most familiar with the section of Meier that runs from Little Palms Blvd to Venice Blvd, a four block stretch of mid-sized homes. The Northern-most block is lined with architecturally significant modern tract homes designed by architect Gregory Ain, as are quite a few of the surrounding streets between Palms and Marco.

The neighborhood is quiet, the neighbors are friendly and the streets are well-groomed. The neighborhood has improved quite a bit in the last 20 years, with many of the older homes in the neighborhood being bought by developers, demolished and replaced with brand new luxury homes.

At the intersection with Venice Blvd., one can find quite a few ethnic restaurants within walking distance. Of particular note is Hurry Curry, an Indian take-out place that has a great local following. The neighborhood is definitely in transition -- some of the older businesses are leaving and are being replaced by some more gentrified shops and restaurants.