So, here's a question that needs community support... I got the following email today:
Ever since I hopped off the boat from Chicago in November, I've always had a hard time answering the question "where do you live?"
It's not that I am geographically retarded. In fact, I love maps. Already I am pretty familiar with most of Los Angeles, just through my nerdy love of maps.
But I have absolutely NO idea what my neighborhood is called.
[snip]
Our building is in Los Angeles. However, we are that little part of LA that juts out West of Cedars Sinai and is completely surrounded by WeHo and Beverly Hills. In fact, just across our building's alley is BH, and WeHo is sort of across the street and to the North.
To make matters easy on people, I usually say I live in West Hollywood (Beverly Hills would be WAY too pretentious). But I want to know where I REALLY live. I mean, what good is moving to Los Angeles if you can't claim a neighborhood?
I know it's in the Mid-City West Neighborhood Council, but the community is not called "Mid-City West." It's clearly not Beverly Hills, and it's not West Hollywood. It's in the 5th Council District.
If we lived there, we would be to refer to it "Mid-City" or "Los Angeles"; this area doesn't have a community name that is known to us.
Are we wrong? Is it a community that remains unknown to the vast City?
7 comments:
I don't think the area has an official name, but the parking meters in the area near Cedars are in parking district "RA" (Roberson-Alden ???)
Maybe the community should get together to designate a name. I nominate North Robertson. The area is roughly bounded by Beverly - La Cienega - Burton Way - Doheny (subtracting all areas officially within other cities, of course.
I've also heard some people refer to the area as Miracle Mile West, but that may not be too specific since the western boundary of the Miracle Mile is all the way at Fairfax.
The (somewhat out-of date) map of LA City communities at LA Almanac shows that area as part of Mid-City West.
"Miracle Mile West" would be an odd name, IMO, given that Wilshire Blvd. doesn't run through this area.
Isn't that part of what some people refer to as Beverly Hills adjacent?
I think it is also confusing because until West Hollywood became a proper city 20+ years ago, that part of the city of Los Angeles was also referred to as West Hollywood (re: the Durant Branch of the LA Public Library is formerly known as the West Hollywood Branch).
I grew up in south Beverly Hills and my grandparents used to live in that area as did my highschool English Teacher (shout out to the late great Barbara O'Brian) and she used to warmly regard that area as "Grandmother Row".
Out of fondness, though, for the old amusement park and pony rides, I suggest "Beverlyland".
It's called "Beverly Hills Adjacent" :)
I do like "Beverlyland" though for the historical reference. The Militant digs historical references.
As for the western part of Hollywood that's not in West Hollywood, I offer you "Hollywood West" :)
I love the google map! Great job cannot wait until it is mostly completed.
Post a Comment