Best Neighborhoods Around LA for Recent College Grads
For many recent college graduates, living in Los Angeles is a dream thanks to the city’s year-round sunshine and seemingly endless entertainment options, attractions, and amenities. It’s a city that’s not only teeming with potential employment opportunities, it’s also close to the world’s best beaches, recreational parks, and hiking spots. What more could a recent graduate ask for as a transition into the “real world”?
In previous articles, Neighborhoods.com explored affordable neighborhoods to live near UCLA and affordable eastside neighborhoods near USC. However, for many recent graduates who don’t need to stay close to school anymore, there are several other neighborhoods around LA that are ideal for grads who want to start fresh and settle down
Here are four LA neighborhoods for college grads.
Santa Monica
Santa Monica is usually one of the first destinations to visit for those who are new to LA thanks to the city’s many tourist attractions, and it’s also a go-to place to live for many recent graduates. According to Livability.com, Santa Monica is one of the nation’s top locations for those who are on their post-college job hunt. There are several employers situated throughout the city, whether it’s in entertainment, education, government, technology, or healthcare. Most residents living in Santa Monica are also young, working professionals who are ready to mingle and network. With quality eateries, bars, boutique shops, and art galleries, there’s always something to do in the area as well.
Additionally, Santa Monica is very pedestrian-friendly, and the city is currently working to become the world’s first self-sustainable city. However, with skyrocketing real estate prices, this city is getting more and more difficult to live in for graduates who aren’t high earners.
Downtown Los Angeles
Situated on the other side of the city is Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA), which is another hotspot for recent college grads. This neighborhood is currently booming with development, and it’s already filled with museums, food halls, trendy bars, and high-rise condominiums and apartments. It’s hard to believe that DTLA was once known as a ghost town after work hours. After developers started constructing live, work, and play communities in the neighborhood, DTLA gradually evolved into one of the city’s top places to live. With public transit and walkable infrastructure at nearly every corner, residents in this neighborhood don’t even need a car to get around.
For many people, living in DTLA is different from any other neighborhood in LA because it feels very much like living in a busy metropolitan. From international megacompanies and well-known store names to art galleries and mom-and-pop stores, there are hundreds of businesses in DTLA. This makes the area ideal for those recent grads who want to pursue a career in finance, art, fashion, government, or the hospitality industry.
West Hollywood
West Hollywood is located near the heart of Los Angeles, and it’s known for its festive events, colorful sidewalks, eclectic restaurants, and open greenspaces. Because many homes are only a short walk away from the bars along Santa Monica Boulevard and Sunset Boulevard, residents can easily join in on all the action.
Many recent graduates are drawn to this area because of its overall safety, proximity to famous bars, ease of accomplishing errands on-foot, and the neighborhood’s relaxed vibe. West Hollywood, which is also called WeHo, hosts the city’s annual LA Pride Festival & Parade as well as the Halloween Carnaval, which attracts over 10,000 people to the city every year. Residents living in WeHo are typically working professionals in various fields, including entertainment, media, fashion, food, and architecture.
La Brea
A more low-key and laidback neighborhood compared to the others on this list is La Brea, which is tranquil, centrally located, and filled with amenities from museums, grocery stores, and shopping centers. Residents have the luxury of being able to walk to The Grove, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the La Brea Tar Pits. At the same time, residents can easily commute to most parts of the city in about 30 minutes or less, whether they’re heading north towards Hollywood, east to Koreatown, west to Sawtelle, or south to Inglewood. In addition to recent grads and students, people who live in this neighborhood tend to be professionals in education, entertainment, and retail.