Universal City, CA

Universal City occupies the hilltop at the top of the Cahuenga Pass, where Hollywood gives way to the San Fernando Valley. The area splits into a few distinct zones. The upper hill is the public side, with Universal Studios Hollywood and its rides, the hotels and the CityWalk promenade. Down at the base, the Metro B Line station and the freeway ramps connect it all to the rest of the region. Nobody really moves to Universal City, since the permanent population is tiny. The homes that matter are in the surrounding Los Angeles neighborhoods, especially Studio City, and for people there this complex works as an oversized neighborhood amenity with restaurants, nightlife and a rail stop. CityWalk is where most locals end up. Doughnut, hot dog and Cuban outposts fill out the promenade, and a coffee counter is never far away. On a Friday night the walkway fills with a mix of theme park guests and studio workers heading home late. Outdoor space here is mostly paved and programmed. The theme park is the green space, with its backlot streets and themed lands, and anyone wanting a real trail or a lawn heads out to the parks of the surrounding city. Groceries, pharmacies and schools are all outside the lines, and weekend and holiday traffic on the hill can back up for blocks when the park is busy. The trade is plain, with a train that runs straight to Hollywood and downtown and a food hall's worth of restaurants a short ride up the hill from the platform.