The Best Neighborhood in L.A.? Try North Hollywood

Photo Courtesy of Flickr/Justin Higuchi A friendly neighborhood gathering at Republic of Pie in North Hollywood. Could the best neighborhood in L.A. actually be in the Valley? I think so, and even though you might be a total anti-Valley snob, if you'll hear me out, you might change your mind.

First, let's get this out of the way. North Hollywood's charms might at first seem hidden, or at least understated. But in its own endearing and refreshingly un-hip way, this neighborhood in the southeast corner of the San Fernando Valley has become one of L.A.'s best - especially for those seeking fast access to many other key 'hoods and relatively spacious housing at a bargain price.

Tucked between the slicker Studio City, solidly middle-class Burbank, mansion-filled Toluca Lake and the pleasant, leafy grid of Valley Village, the core of North Hollywood has a vibe all its own - a little more gritty and densely urban.

It's easy to get anywhere from here: Folks anywhere near the main drag, Lankershim, can walk pretty quickly to the Red Line stations at Universal or Chandler and zip into Hollywood or downtown in a matter of minutes. For cars NoHo is also a wonderland of nearby freeways - 101, 170, 134. A trip to Sunset & Vine literally takes just eight minutes. There's good access to at least four city parks.

But it's not just a bedroom community. Basin dwellers may dismiss the "NoHo Arts District" as a bit underwhelming. But good things have happened in recent years, with a slow-forming critical mass of restaurants, bars and shops.

See also: Sorry, Echo Park, But Highland Park Is L.A.'s Greatest Neighborhood

On Magnolia alone, in the block between Lankershim and Vineland, you can now find the Republic of Pie, the Bow & Truss tapas emporium, the Brickyard billiards tavern and a casual diner simply called EAT. Embedded in that stretch are also a few great old playhouses, with most regularly offering plays, comedy shows and acting classes. Due to open soon are an Udon noodle shop and a brewpub with an ambitious menu.

Head to lower Lankershim near Universal City and you'll find the acclaimed Firenze Osteria, owned by TV super chef Fabio Viviani, but head up that boulevard and there's the cozy nightspot Skinny's Lounge and the marvelously kitschy Tiki No bar, replete with exterior fire-spewing torches. Pass the tenacious (and pugnacious) little comedy club Ha Ha Cafe on the right and one of my favorite all-you-can-eat sushi places, Miyako, on the left, and a few blocks north you'll encounter the snazzed-up district above Magnolia anchored by the grand Academy of Television Arts & Sciences complex and the shaded-glass Arts College building.

There you'll encounter a dense chunk of walkable, urban goodness. It's here that actor Robert Romanus (Damone from Fast Times At Ridgemont High) recently opened Bob's Espresso Bar. There's also a Pitfire Pizza, a sushi joint, the new District Bar, the grandiose El Portal Theater, the two-floor lounge/restaurant Federal Bar (in an old converted bank) and the Laemmle's NoHo 7, which shows a satisfying combo of smarter mainstream films along with weirder indie and foreign choices.

See also: North Hollywood Arts District: An Insider's Guide

What Basin dwellers who dismiss the Valley may not realize is that historic businesses and offbeat, artsy offerings have long flourished in North Hollywood, making it a mecca for shoppers interested in browsing. Looking for hard-to-find videos? Try Eddie Brandt's Saturday Matinee on Vineland. Looking for books? There's Iliad Books, a sprawling, comfortably ramshackle bookstore on Cahuenga.Back in my earliest years in L.A., when I was a new standup comedian living in Silver Lake, some of the weirdest, most offbeat open mics were at now defunct NoHo spots like The Kindness Of Strangers Coffee House and Aaahhhcapella, both on Lankershim, and the crystal-and-tarot-card-vibed Indigo Cafe at Ventura and Vineland.