South Mariposa Ave, Koreatown

South Mariposa is one of the little side arteries of major Wilshire Boulevard (a terrific street, drive the length of it on a Saturday afternoon and see the many facets of L.A.'s collective character!) Mariposa is in the Mid-Wilshire section of town, and as with most of the old streets in this area, you'll find some really cool old 1920's apartment complexes mixed in with the newer and far less appealing 70's-era buildings. Urban mix of neighbors with a mostly Hispanic population. The street is relatively quiet once you get a couple of blocks past each of the main street crossings (Wilshire, 2nd, 3rd Street, etc) but ALWAYS keep personal safety in mind, especially if you're alone and walking to/from bus stops, convenience stores, etc. I lived in the great old El Montalbo Apartment building at West 2nd & Mariposa, and I can tell you that I was harrassed in broad daylight more than once as I walked a mere one block to the local AM/PM. The charming art deco apartment buildings are a slice of Raymond Chandler's Los Angeles, but honestly, even though rent here is still fairly cheap, the neighborhood's just a little too sketchy, at least for this single girl, and if you don't have a car, it's a long trudge to the grocery stores on Vermont. Check out the Museum District area of Wilshire Blvd where the neighborhoods are nicer, and the rent not too bad if you've got roommates to split the bill.