Kelton Ave, Rancho Park

Kelton Ave close to Westwood Blvd and UCLA is very much a student street so it’s quiet during the day and can be loud at times at night depending on student activity. Since it is in the heart of Westwood, it’s in a very pretty neighborhood and is within walking distance to the movie theaters, Jerry’s Deli and all that Westwood Blvd offers. Interestingly enough, on the other side of Kelton, passed Ohio Ave going towards Santa Monica, the street is very family-friendly and the neighborhood has a completely different feel. Either way rent will be rather high but a little cheaper on the “Ohio side” and perhaps a little less noisy.

This neighborhood is just a few blocks from the UCLA campus and as such its residents are overwhelmingly young college students in their low-20s. While rents are expensive (my friend pays $650 a month as one of four people in a two bedroom apartment) the nightlife is superb, and the area is simply beautiful on the edge of Bel Air and the Westside beach communities. If you're a UCLA student looking for housing nearby, or a young single looking for a neighborhood with an active nightlife, then this is pretty much THE place in Los Angeles (unless you also happen to be a millionaire). The affluence of the neighborhood means crime is low, and the streets are safe at night (as opposed to the student community around USC, across town.)