Palms

I love Palms so much! It is beautiful, fun, diverse, relaxed, affordable, and friendly. I love the contrast of quiet palm-lined residential streets and the (relative) activity of the main arterials. I love our crazy local landmarks -- the Ivy substation, the old Masonic lodge, the Museum of Jurassic Technology, the ISKCON center, etc.

Palms was originally founded as a train station between (downtown) Los Angeles and Santa Monica and still has the benefits of its proximity to both. Adjacent Mar Vista and Culver City are also nice to be near, especially given the pedestrian-friendliness of the whole area.

By the way, Palms enthusiasts should check out George Garrigues' book on our fair neighborhood - it really highlights what a unique place this is.

I have lived in 3 different locations in the Palms area, and honestly they were each kind of different. I lived on Rose, and it was mostly White, older people and the apartments were more expensive....always very clean and very quiet. After that I moved to Regent (just blocks away) and it had a high population of Mexicans and Mexican Americans (which did not bother me). What did bother me was that the streets and exterior of the apartments were not as well taken care of, and I did witness some petty crime and even had my bike stolen (I largely contribute these factors to bored, unemployed youth). Currently, I live somewhere in the middle, where it is truly diverse. There is no sense that a certain group of any sort lives in my area which is nice, because that is true diversity, and I feel completely safe. Your experience in Palms really depends on where you live in Palms as it is not all the same. And honestly, I think most come to Palms for the same reason, that being that it is one of the last affordable places in LA where you can live and feel relatively safe and live on residential streets lined with trees.

I love Palms!! One of the most diverse areas in the city, you can find many ethnic foods in this neighborhood. There are many apartments and condos,but everyone is friendly. I think Palms NEEDS more PARKS and open space, there is an empty lot on Clarington and Regent near my house which would be perfect for a park. Palms is a great neighborhood.

I've lived in Palms for three years. My apartment is cheaper than most on the block, but it's a pain in the ass to get my landlord to fix anything! I used to work at the CVS and I know that most of those homeless guys come in to buy beer. I tried offering one food, but they don't want it - they want money. There was one guy who wasn't homeless who would just loiter outside CVS all day to collect change, then come in and buy snacks all day. He was just lazy!
I've had my bike stolen 3 times (two of those, it was locked) which is a real hassle when you can't afford a car.
Other than that - I feel safe at night, I like that there's trees, it's close to everything, it's near public transportation, and it has a nice ethnic diversity.

The Palms District is one of the most diverse places in terms of socio-economic and ethnicity in the city. We are part of the young professionals that make up the core of this wonderful district (I have a Masters and my partner has a Bachelors). Are combined income is about $100,000 per year, we choose to live here because of the proximity to West Hollywood and our jobs. This is a renter's community which is not necessarily a bad thing, most people are single or are unwed couples. It is very rare to see school-aged children in this area. We don't plan to have children so we don't want a big house so this area is perfect. I see a lot of gay couples in this area blend in with a lot of straight couples. I love this place.

I moved to Palms from Boyle Heights about 6 months ago ... complaints that Palms is ghetto are laughable in the extreme. I envy your sheltered life if you think Palms is the hood. Now that I have that off my chest, here's what I can say about Palms -- a nice, friendly neighborhood vibe with lots of great food and convenience. Parking and overall street condition are problems. I requested Rose Ave near Overland be resurfaced because the giant potholes near the curbs make parking even harder and possibly even hazardous to my car. Anyway, it's been a little over a month and it looks like the City is acting on it right now. Yay! I hope I'm right. What else about Palms ... lots and lots of apartments, so you might not want to move here if you don't like being right up next to your neighbors. It seems like there's a lot of dog owners in my neighborhood ... I used to be the only person walking dogs before I moved here -- now I'm just one of many. I love Palms personally and recommend it without reservation.

Have been living in Palms for 8 years and I love the apartment I have for the price I pay. I lived in Westwood for 3 years and I wanted out by the end of the first year. Sure Westwood is close to the UCLA campus but the Parking, Traffic, Obnoxious Rich High schoolers and the Overpriced Living wasn't for me. There is a nice balance here in Palms that makes it a great place to live. I feel like this small area is conveniently located in the middle of everything.

I'm so much happier living in Palms! I moved here from ultra-sterile Brentwood two years ago, and haven't looked back. Take a bike ride through the area, and you'll pass small yummy-smelling ethnic markets and restaurants, secondhand stores, the occasional (and awesome) dive bar, the farmer's market on Tuesdays, and some very beautiful houses where you least expect them. Yes, parking can be tough, and there have been a few low-flying news/police helicopters at 1am, but I think this area really exemplifies the Los Angeles "suburb," as it were.

LA native, just moved out to Palms. It's a pleasant neighborhood with a good spread of backgrounds, races, and incomes. Definitely above average as Los Angeles neighborhoods go. I see a lot of reviews here from people who clearly have no idea what a ghetto really is.

I'm really happy to see all the positive comments about our neighborhood. It's diverse, relatively safe(as a young woman I don't really feel threatened walking around late at night), central to major work and play centers, close to the beach, and has decent public transport. Within walking distance from our apartment, I can eat cuisines from about 20 different countries(we counted)! The downtown Culver City area, which is also within walking distance, is growing into a very hip hangout, and while it's painfully yuppie it at least gives us things to do and great restaurants to eat at.
If you're one of those people who gets frightened when you see a homeless person on your street, maybe you should take stock of your own values and prejudices, remember that people sometimes have bad luck, or move out to the suburbs if your tolerance level is just that low. Take a day to volunteer at a homeless shelter, find a local Food Not Bombs or other food distribution group, and spend some time getting to know these "bums" and stop treating them like some sort of alien race. Maybe thank whatever you believe in that you've been fortunate enough to not end up in the same situation.

I don't know how so many people can complain about Palms! I live right off Tilden and Palms, and the area is just fine. We got our Apt (2BR 2BA) for lower than most other decent places in LA, and it's easily over 1000 sq ft! We're within walking distance to Albertsons, Trader Joes, and CVS. There's going to be homeless ppl wherever you go in a big city, aside from maybe Rodeo and Century City. The driving is fluid, and you're within easy access to Venice, SM, Westwood, and WeHo/Hollywood. Seriously, if you want sh*t, then head to South Central or 109th street...but don't complain about a bum here or there. Try living in Europe...

Palms is affordable and relatively safe. I am a working class mother of three and I have watched this neighborhood transform as rents have risen and more and more students and young professionals have moved in. There are still a lot of working class families though. There is some crime and violence but it is mostly kept among teenage gang members or taggers.

I agree with the comments about how the neighborhoods are not homogeneous. I have friends who live in Palms in gorgeous apartments, and in the past year that I've lived on the border (National/Sepulveda), I've ridden my bike around, and places like Rose Ave. are great (ex. around the Vegan Joint).
Parts of Venice Blvd are really interesting and diverse, which was one of the reasons why I checked for apartments there in the first place. Though, when I went apartment hunting, I saw some other streets that weren't so nice and some apartments that were trashed with managers that didn't care and showed us them anyways (though we were just given codes and the managers did not show their faces, like 36XX Midvale).

It is a convenient area and it's not ghetto...granted I wouldn't go around at 1am without being on my toes (or anywhere for that matter...)...if you're worried about crime, check here: http://www.lapdcrimemaps.org/

I've lived in several parts of Palms. When I got there in 1975, there were many more houses, but the apartmentimization seems to have begun in the 1950's. Like most of L.A., there are more businesses today that cater to sophisticated tastes. We were watching a documentary on crime in L.A. a few years ago, and I saw someone had put a bullet hole through the wall of a bedroom I had formerly occupied two doors off Overland. Timing is everything, I guess. One good feature was being able to walk across the street in the early '80's to the rehersal studio and buy guitar strings at 11 p.m. on a Sunday night.

I've lived in the area 10 years. Bums? Ghetto? You've got to be kidding. I work in Santa Monica, and have experienced far more street people in Santa Monica and Venice than I've ever seen anywhere in Palms.

What makes it a good place to live? Close to freeways. Affordable. Shabby but not crime-ridden or dangerous to walk down the street. Good shopping, good dining.

Downside? Apt building density such that you can hear your neighbors sneeze. So many noisy parties that the LAPD just won't come on noise complaints. And...the streets. I sometimes feel that the entire area of Palms is one giant POTHOLE.

I have lived in the Palms "area" which includes the 90034-90066 zip-code for over 25-years. The homeless are people I work with on skid row, for also the same amount of time. People should be more tollerent and grateful. The diverisity; access to shopping, public transportation, and the free way system is also very good. Issues with parking, and pot holes are systemic with life in the big city. This includes parking.
One of the ways we could improve our community would be to have one big block party for all of the students and other folks who perhaps might be directed to a more friendly part of town.Just in case we forget, it's only a few miles to the beach.

I've lived in Palms since 1996 and only had my car broken into once, thirteen years ago.

The parking can be a nightmare, I'll admit that. And the overall density is one of the highest in the city, so yes there are drawbacks.

But the complaints about the homeless are completely exaggerated as are the complaints about petty crime. Try Santa Monica and Venice if you really want to see aggressive homeless people and petty crime. I never feel unsafe in my neighborhood.

As much as I get tired of the suburban vibe, Palms is the best value for your dollar in L.A. if you are a student, artist, or otherwise financially compromised.

It is also part of the city of L.A., e.g. it is rent stabilized. I only pay $500 a month for a studio.

I love all the comments about Palms being a ghetto. There are real ghettos in Los Angeles, Palms ain't one of them. My guess is it's the poor UCLA'ers who are making those comments. These UCLA'ers don't have the financial resources to live UCLA adjacent (Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Westwood, Holmby Hills, Century City, Rancho Park, Beverlywood, i.e. some of the most expensive real estate in the country) so they live in the nearest place their budgets can afford. BTW, because of the high density housing, Palms is crowded, and parking can be a problem. A bicycle works best for quick trips around the neighborhood.

I lived in Palms from 2003-2009 and I just moved to Castle Heights. It's hard for me to grasp why Castle Heights is included in this neighborhood. Palms is densely populated with almost all apartments, while Castle Heights is mostly single family homes. Age, marital status, income, and almost everything is different. The border for palms should be I-10 and south.

Though I found this section of the Times' website while looking for news about a shootng that occured at the local market last night, I still don't think Palms is any more dangerous/ghetto than any other neighborhood in Los Angeles. I agree with what many others have suggested, if you are not a fan of homeless people, do not live in a city--not just LA, almost any city. Granted public parking here is bad, high density, blah, blah, blah. Palms is one of the few areas that are still affordable, and local traffic is nowhere near as bad as the majority of other west L.A. areas. Seriously, boo hoo

I enjoyed living in Palms when I lived there before moving to Santa Monica. I don't remember bums, petty theft, or car ding problems. Had my own parking space...off the alley. I know it's a patchwork of people. It's kind of willy nilly because of the way the area is set up. No center area of Palms as they have in other LA neighborhoods (Silverlake, Sherman Oaks, Venice, etc.) But strategically, it's well placed in terms of driving. I do remember the apartments being bigger as well.

Widening Overland was the best thing they have done in that area. Overland used to look like a back street and was always clogged.

I have lived in Palms for 10 years and love it. I didn't understand the negative comments until I looked at the map of the area Palms comprises. I live on Rose between Sepulveda & Overland and I've experienced few problems with crime or homelessness in the entire time I've been here (I don't have to street park though). Are there some homeless people? Of course - show me an area (that an average person can afford) that doesn't have this problem. I often walk in the neighborhood for exercise or on trips to the many stores close by and it's great. There are, however, areas on the map of what is considered Palms that I can see might have more of the problems mentioned in other comments. Bottom line: Don't assume the whole area is the same. Like most other neighborhoods in LA, a few blocks can make a big difference in one's experience.

I lived in Westside Village on Tilden, near Palms. Wonderful community. No sidewalks. At night is felt very rustic with the mature trees & vegetation.

Have always wondered why L.A. decided to ruin palms by changing the zoning to high density. When I lived there it was a quiet, pleasant community of single family homes, the perfect place to live. Last time I visited, the only things I recognized were the street names and the Palms School (eight grades when I lived there). The beginning of the character change seems to have run coincident with the decision to take away the Venice Blvd. streetcar to Santa Monica (the Venice short line). Sad, sad, sad.

I have lived in Palms for more than 20 years, starting in a bungalow on Motor and consistently moving a few blocks west every few years ending up on Bentley. In all that time, we've never had any major problems. You can't beat the promimity to both the 10 and the 405 and it's nice living among a wide range of people (ages, interests, ethnicities). Sure there are homeless people (where are there NOT)? My advice is, if you don't like it in Palms (ghetto? are you people kidding? What? Did your parents throw you out of the Beverly Hills family home?), do the rest of us a favor and move.

I live in Palms because it's what I can afford, within a half hour commute of Century City. I've lived in Palms for 5 of the last 8 years (the other 3 in Culver City). I've had my car stolen (window smashed in), my purse stolen, homeless men have tried to hit on me, every scratch and ding on my car is because my parking space is in front of the building's trash and the dumpster divers bring metal hooks to root around, this summer a male prostitute tried to solicit me...
I'm outta here as soon as I get the last credit card paid off!

I love living in Palms. The families in my neighborhood are friendlier than college students. For a friendly neighborhood feel, visit Victor's Meat & Deli--great people work there, and also The Coop Pizza. Another gem is India's Sweets & Spices and Simpang Asia's kitchen.

I am a UCLA grad student and bascially have to live in Palms on my budget. This place is a dump, overpriced, full of petty crime and bums. I cannot wait to get out.

I love plams and i agree its not ghetto at all. I moved from mid city to plams about two years ago and plams is definitely better. The environment is great and friendly.

Yea Palms is not ghetto at all. Try going south west of culver city or a big north east into west adams. Palms is a bit ghetto when you cross under the freeway to the northeast.

Anyone who thinks Palms is "ghetto" should try living in San Francisco...try the Mission, or the Tenderloin. Do they have CPK ASAP and Famima in the "ghetto"? I think not, my friends. Palms....WE GO HARD!!!

i think palms is the perfect balance between the uppity gentrification of downtown culver city and the vibrant immigrant culture near the intersection of venice and overland. i love all the little ethnic grocery stores along venice blvd west of overland. if you explore on foot, there are so many gems!!

yeah, it can be kinda ghetto.... i've walked past more homeless people than i can count on my way to the gym... but i suppose that just adds "character", right? ;)

There are a bunch of USC students in Palms, too. Living in Palms is much, much nicer than living near the USC campus.

Palms is highly populated with UCLA graduate students and is commonly referred to as "Palmton" or the "graduate student ghetto." This explains many of its stats (ex. high percent of Bachelors degrees). Despite all this education it is still crappy. Lots of homelessness and petty theft. There are some nice parts in the north west but don't live here unless you have to.

The best part about Palms is how the homeless dig through the dumpster and pick cans outside your window at all hours of the night/morning and wake you up.

Apparently, I have been living in Palms for 10 years and never once realized it. I live in the little section north of National. We always called ourselves Castle Heights (or Beverlywood adjacent), never Palms.

Love living in Palms!