North Martel Ave, Mid-City West

I lived on Martel between Melrose and Santa Monica for years: I can't say enough great things about how enjoyable it is! Most of the street is comprised of little houses and they are so cute. The street is incredibly green and has a great neighborhood vibe. And, it is quite convenient. Martel goes straight through (after turning into Hauser) to Venice Blvd; so, if you have to get to the Marina or adjacent westside areas during prime traffic hours, Martel is such a blessing. You can also walk right down Martel and hit the prime Melrose area.
Right on the corner of Melrose and Martel is the Village Idiot. This is one of my favorite haunts in the city. The staff is great, it's always got a good bustle to it and the food / beer selection is fantastic. The brussel sprouts are to die for even if you don't normally like them.
The rents on Martel are reasonable as comared to other streets in the neighborhood. The only downside, really, to the street is that cars do have a tendency to whiz by and it's not the widest street around. It's a little scary, actually. But, it's pretty safe, it's a really young street -- even all the way up to Franklin where it's predominantly apartment complexes and there's so much to do right there!