Doesn’t have to be the “coolest” or most expensive one. Just the area that actually feels like home or the one you keep coming back to. Could be for the food, the vibe, the walkability, the people, or just the way it makes you feel. What’s yours and what makes it special for you?
PS: Of course we count cities like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, or West Hollywood as neighborhoods too. 
Atwater Village.
It’s not flashy and it doesn’t try to be. What I love is how small it still feels. You start recognizing the same faces at the coffee shop, the bookstore, the park. There’s a sense that people actually look out for the neighborhood instead of just passing through it. I’ve watched friends raise kids here, seen small businesses survive, and felt like I was part of something steady in a city that constantly reinvents itself. It’s not the most dramatic choice, but it’s the one that feels most like home.
I want to move back to that area at one point.
Awww that sounds lovely. My sister brought me there once. I honestly felt the same vibes. It felt kinda out of place, in a good way. I would love to go there again.
I know Hollywood gets a lot of weird looks, but I’ve been here a while, and I genuinely like it.
Yes, it’s touristy and chaotic in parts. But the energy is real. It’s mostly walkable, you can catch a random show, end up at a bar with a mix of locals and weirdos, and still feel like you’re in the middle of something. The hills at night, the old theaters, the random characters on the street.
I get the appeal of Hollywood, that chaotic energy is real and hard to find elsewhere. I had some fun nights there.
But for me it’s WeHo. It’s still central and walkable, has great food and nightlife, but feels a bit more put-together and less exhausting day-to-day. I like being able to walk to dinner, grab a drink somewhere that doesn’t feel like a tourist trap, and still be close to everything without the constant circus on the boulevard.
I still end up in Hollywood a lot. You guys have the closest In-N-Out plus Runyon Canyon. I think if you avoid the Walk of Fame, it’s actually fun.
The Walk of Fame should be avoided at all costs. 
True, and West Hollywood has Carney's. I love that place and vibe so much. BOA Steakhouse is amazing too. I am getting hungry now. 
For me, it’s Koreatown. It doesn’t always make the pretty lists, and that’s part of why I love it. It’s dense, imperfect, rather loud, and full of life at almost any hour. I’ve had some of my loneliest nights and some of my best ones here.
I think it’s the place where I feel most at home.
WeHo is nice, but I think Palms still feels more like home to me. I lived there for like 8-9 years. The neighborhood is rather quiet, but offers a lot. The only thing lacking is good bars. Irish Times is great, The Garage is okay, Boardwalk 11 sucks deeply, yet I had great nights there in the past. Palms feels calmer, more balanced than a lot of other areas in L.A..
If I had to rank it → Palms, Santa Monica, West L.A. / Sawtelle, West Hollywood.
Santa Monica is still my choice. It’s sad to see what COVID did to some parts of Santa Monica, like empty storefronts. I pray the glory of the old days comes back one day.
Same here. 
BOA is probably booked out. Carney’s is an option. The owner is always super nice. I could talk for hours with him.
I actually booked a table after you mentioned it.
Sunday it is.
I don’t have a “single favorite” neighborhood. I mostly care about safety and cleanliness.
I could live in: Santa Monica, West L.A., West Hollywood, Marina Del Rey, Sawtelle, Mar Vista, Culver City, Palms, Brentwood, Westwood, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades, Koreatown, Los Feliz, Glendale, Silver Lake, Mid-Wilshire.
I would at least consider: Hollywood, Venice, Playa Del Rey, Playa Vista, Downtown, Torrance.
I would avoid most places under the I-10. Especially further south, like Compton, Watts, South Central, Boyle Heights, Hyde Park, and so on.
That was my first recommendation in L.A. as well. That said, there are still places under the I-10 that are good. At least on the Westside.
I never regretted my move to Los Feliz. Once you get closer to Hillhurst or Vermont Avenue, it gets quieter and more chill. Safety up there is also great because people are watching out for each other.
There are so many good little shops and restaurants. It's truly a unique vibe. The only downside is that LAX is a bit far away.
Los Feliz is a great place. Lucky you.
Definitely in my top 5 neighborhoods.
Plenty of excellent locally owned restaurants over there and it's really walkable. Always feels somewhat out of place to me, but in a good way.
Certainly a different vibe than it had 15 years ago. Feels more posh nowadays. It's a bit far from everything. I think that's the key in the end.
I lived in Santa Monica and worked in Westwood. I loved both.
The good thing about Santa Monica is you can wake up, ride your bike along the beach (like down to Venice/Marina Del Rey), do some errands or visit friends, and watch the sunset over the ocean without relying on a car too much.
... and it's a bit colder during heatwaves, which can make a huge difference. That's what I like about Santa Monica, Venice or other beach cities.
I couldn't survive in the valley.