Valley Village, Los Angeles, CA

Valley Village is a pocket of Los Angeles that broke away from North Hollywood in 1991 and put up its own street signs, and it still reads as the quieter residential stretch between NoHo and Studio City. It sits north of the 101 and west of the 170, with Magnolia, Laurel Canyon and Burbank boulevards carrying the shops. Homes trace back to the 1930s and 1940s, when studio workers built near the lots. Side streets hold Spanish-style houses and ranch homes on roomy lots, many with deep backyards and mature trees. The boulevards are lined with apartment and condo buildings, and small-lot homes and townhouse projects keep replacing older houses along the edges. Valley Village Park, on Westpark Drive, is the neighborhood's green block, with playgrounds, picnic tables and a walking loop. The Tujunga Wash greenway runs along the channel with native planting and a path, and the large North Hollywood Recreation Center and skate plaza sit on the east side near Chandler. Burbank Boulevard west of Laurel Canyon has a run of kosher spots, with Tel Aviv Grill, the Le Market grocery and Sam's Kosher Bakery within a couple of blocks. Gelson's on Laurel Canyon houses a Viktor Benes bakery counter for bread and pastry. Black Rabbit Cafe on Whitsett is a neighborhood coffee stop. Errands stay local, with Gelson's, a Jons International Marketplace on Magnolia and small markets along Burbank Boulevard. Most people drive, though the North Hollywood Metro station is close enough for a short bike ride or bus trip. The 101 and 170 meet at the southeast corner. That interchange is also the drawback, since freeway noise carries onto the nearest blocks and Laurel Canyon Boulevard jams at rush hour. Away from the boulevards, Valley Village side streets stay quiet, and most of them are a short walk from the park or the wash path.