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The city of Los Angeles is famous for its warm weather, beaches, and for being not just a home for celebrities but the home for celebrities. L.A. has a rich history and vibrant, exciting style of living that attracts people from everywhere, especially those seeking a career in entertainment.
Now, wherever you’re at in the decision-making process of moving to Los Angeles, we know you probably have this question: what neighborhood is best? And if that’s the case, have no fear! Bellhop is here with five of the best up-and-coming neighborhoods in Los Angeles to help you make your choice.
The 5 best up-and-coming neighborhoods in Los Angeles
Los Angeles is a huge city, and as you might expect, there are many neighborhoods that would make a great place to live. Of course, we’re all about saving time here at Bellhop, so we put together a quick list of the best up-and-coming neighborhoods in Los Angeles to make your home search a little easier.
Glassell Park
One of the top, most affordable neighborhoods in Los Angeles to buy a house
Looking for a nice bungalow or single-family home in a charming neighborhood in California? If so, take a peek at Glassell Parks! This northeast L.A. neighborhood is surrounded by Eagle Rock, Glendale, Mount Washington, and Silver Lake–some of the city’s most desirable neighborhoods.
Glassell Park started being developed in the 1900s and became considered part of L.A. in 1912, with the city of Los Angeles acquiring the rest of the neighborhood just four years later. From Glassell Park, you can get to the Glendale Freeway, which will make it easy to get to other parts of the city in a jiffy, whether you’re traveling for work or fun.
This neighborhood has a median home value of $1.08 million in December 2023, up 5.6% since a year prior.. Average rent price is about $2,595.
There are quite a few excellent schools in Glassell Park, including Kedron Head Start & Pre-School, Glassell Park Elementary School, St. Bernard Catholic School, Luther Burbank Middle School, Irving STEAM Magnet School, Optimist High School, and Highland Park Continuation High School.
As for things to do, Glassell Park offers you many options, from bars and restaurants—like Dunsmoo and Wife and the Somm— to spas, the Glassell Park Recreation Center, Glassell Pool, and much more. So, if you want an all-around great place to live in the City of Angels that caters to young professionals and families alike, Glassell Park is a good pick.
Faircrest Heights
One of the all-around best up-and-coming neighborhoods in Los Angeles in 2023
While we’re talking about the best up-and-coming neighborhoods in L.A., Faircrest Heights is definitely on the list. A quiet but fun neighborhood, Faircrest Heights is located south of Pico Blvd and west of Fairfax Blvd. Fairfax is to the east, while Venice Blvd is to the south.
Homes in Faircrest Heights have a Spanish-Mediterranean influence, with the majority being single-family homes. Most of the houses in the area went up somewhere between the ‘20s to ‘40s, so the houses have a unique style and architecture that showcases what was popular back then. (The median home price is currently $1,367,000 in December 2023, down 9.4% from last year, with the median rent at $3000, up from last year.)
If you have kids, you might also be wondering about the schools and parks, and the good news is there are plenty nearby. For schools, there is Crescent Heights Blvd Elementary School, Canfield Avenue Elementary School, The City School, New Los Angeles Charter Middle School, Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies (LACES), and Fairfax High School.
As for parks, there is the Westside Neighborhood Park, Playground Pavilion, Reynier Park, and Genesee Avenue Park. That means that if having a place for your little ones to play is important (especially if you have young kids), then Faircrest Heights could be a good fit for you.
Playa del Rey
One of the best neighborhoods in Los Angeles for young professionals
Playa del Rey is one of our favorite places in Los Angeles. It was called Palisades del Rey when it first came to be back in 1921 and quickly became known for the beach, attracting many custom-home buyers and celebrities, such as Charles Bickford.
Playa del Rey is right on the beach, located in Santa Monica Bay, just over 2 miles from the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The median home value is $1,126,696 in December 2023, and the median rent in Playa del Rey is $4,200.
If you’re deciding between Playa del Rey and Marina del Rey, which is another beach neighborhood nearby, one person on Reddit says, “I would say go with Playa. It’s probably going to be cheaper. It’s smaller, but more walkable and more casual because it’s right on the beach.”
Overall, we would say that Playa del Rey is a great place for young professionals, but it does serve families well, too. For instance, there’s the beach, where you can swim, surf, lounge, and bicycle to your heart’s content. There’s also the Playa del Rey Center (a mall), where you can spend your weekends and buy something from one of the city’s popular boutiques, such as Lily Love Boutique.
For schools, you have Paseo del Rey Elementary School, Playa del Rey Elementary School, Katherine Johnson STEM Academy, Marina Del Rey Middle School, WISH Academy High School, and St. Bernard High School–to name a few.
And of course, great restaurants adorn Playa del Ray: Over the Bridge Cafe, Amar Bakery, Deck 84 (with views of the drawbridge!), Elisabetta’s, and Dada, just to name a few. You can’t go wrong.
Culver City
One of the best neighborhoods for kids and young professionals in L.A.
Culver City is a breathtaking city in L.A. that’s close to the downtown area, Beverly Hills, and Inglewood. This neighborhood offers a world-class food experience, with several tasty bars and restaurants serving cuisine from all over, from modern Europe, Mediterranean, and Italian to French.
The city itself was plotted out in the year 1914 and quickly became recognized as a top location for filming. It was in Culver City that some of the world’s most famous movies were filmed, including The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Grease.
So, you can see why so many Californians enjoy living in Culver City, especially if you work in entertainment, but you might be wondering how much it costs to get a place there. Here’s the answer: the median home value is $1.309,467 in December, 2023, and the median rent is $3,575, both up since the same time last year.. Even though the city is so famous, it’s still more affordable than other parts of California, making it worth it to move there as a young professional or with a family.
Speaking of which, you have many activities in the area for families, including Under the Sea (an amusement park), Wild Child Gym, and Culver City Park. There are also several schools (Braddock Drive Elementary School and Gifted Magnet, El Rincon Elementary School, Culver City Middle School, Turning Point School, Culver High School, Park Century School, etc.).
Monrovia
One of the best L.A. neighborhoods for families
Situated at the bottom of the San Gabriel Mountains in Southern California is Monrovia, a charming neighborhood that’s loved for its “small-town” feel, strong economy, and being the home for many technology and software companies (Parasoft Corporation, Tech Rockstars Inc., The Technology Depot, RBJ Software, Inc., etc.).
According to the City of Monrovia, this neighborhood has a fascinating history. In the 1880s, a few people turned part of Mission San Gabriel into the quaint town we know today as Monrovia.
So, if you’re thinking about moving your family to California, why not consider Monrovia? As Kathleen mentioned, the neighborhood offers a long list of things to do. It also offers many schools, including Monroe Elementary School, Mayflower Elementary School, Clifton Middle School, Santa Fe Middle School, Monrovia High School, and Canyon Oaks High School.
If you want to buy a house there, plan for a median home value of $938,597 in December, 2023. (The average rent is $1,923.) Yep, you heard that right! Monrovia is not just a great place to raise a family, but it’s also one of the best neighborhoods to buy in Los Angeles.
Plan your move to Los Angeles today
You deserve to live in a place that you’ll love, and that could be Los Angeles! If you’re ready to get this move on the road, Bellhop is here to help. We’re happy to offer a hand as your local Los Angeles moves and long-distance movers in Los Angeles, taking care of all the basic moving tasks, from loading your items up onto a delivery truck to unloading them at your new home in one of the best up-and-coming neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Whatever you need, we’re there. We can even help with last-minute LA moves. Book a move online today.
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