foxnfrocks

Reseda is one of the main thoroughfares through the valley. Cal State Northridge isn't far off and the street is dotted with dorms and businesses catering to the university community. There are some decent restaurants along Reseda but for the most part, this is a street to be avoided if you need to get somewhere quickly. The portion of Reseda between the 118 and Nordhoff is pretty clean but after that, the street leads into the actual city of Reseda which is kind of a dumpy area.

I take Figueroa down to York to the 110 on my way to school or downtown but often times, the few blocks surrounding Figueroa and York are crowded with traffic and pedestrians. I find it much easier to take Garvanza Avenue to Avenue to York and cutting through a residential neighborhood. The neighborhood itself is colorful but can be a dangerous place. I have seen police cars speeding through the area on several occasions and just a few months ago, an innocent bystander was shot and killed in a gang shooting at the Rite Aid on the corner of Garvanza and York.

Sesnon is up in the foothills of Granada Hills. When entering from Balboa, the street winds through a residential neighborhood and leads you to Bee Canyon and O'Melveny park, two of the nicest parks in all of Los Angeles county. It would be a great place to live, the homes are well kept and on large lots and there are several great schools in the immediate area. Coyote and mountain lion sitings are common so keep an eye on your pets and children.

My first apartment was on DeSoto across the street from Chatsworth high. The street usually experiences heavy traffic and there is nothing really distinctive about the look or feel of the area. The only major convenience is the 118 onramp on the far north end of the street. De Soto gets a little bit nicer as you get closer to the foothills but on the whole, it's kind of your typical valley street lined with strip malls and overwhelmed with traffic.

Chatsworth Street is one of the lifelines of Granada Hills, home to its annual Christmas parade and many of the older establishments of the community. Many businesses come and go but over the past few years, the dynamic has shifted from service oriented to retail. You may recognize the street from Fast Times at Ridgemont High or various TV commercials. Granada Hills High School is not far off and the street tends to be cluttered with school kids loitering or walking home in the afternoon.

This road should be the final level of frogger! I only ever take this road if the road out onto Eastern is too crowded. There are at least a dozen speedbumps at close intervals and they're not the soft, shallow kind either. There are always students crossing the street and the high school students are especially difficult to reckon with. The school is overrun by a ferral cat population so you have to watch out for them too while you're driving. There's a metrolink station too but no free park and ride.

If you attend Cal State LA, this is usually where you exit to get to the school. There's an over priced gas station right next to the freeway onramp and a guy with a fruit cart at the gas station every day. The giant McDonald's on the West side of the street is supposed to be one of the largest McDonald's in the world but in order to get there you have to make a u-turn coming off the freeway and then do some crazy loops around the parking lot. Traffic tends to be a mess during school days and if traffic is a really bad, it's occasionally hard to merge right to get into the lane that leads onto the university road.

Avenue 60 runs through Hermon, a community surrounded by Highland Park. The street crosses the Arroyo Seco which is little more than a trickle of a stream at best, but still a great place for a quiet, introspective stroll. The residents of Hermon pride their community and the street is often bustling with people coming and going from the adjoining dog park and bike path along the Arroyo Seco. Within close proximity to the Southwest Museum, the Lummis House and the Southwest Museum Gold Line train station.

Eagle Rock voters are usually faced with the question "north or south of the boulevard?" when being sent off to their voting booths. What this question essentially boils down to is "do you live on the nice side of the boulevard?" Everyone aspires to the north side, specifically Hill Drive. Hill Drive is a picturesque street of an odd but lovely assortment of houses ranging from arts and crafts style bungalows to ranch houses. It is a great place to take a walk at dusk with the kids/lover/dog/whatever. Every now and then you'll come across a skunk or raccoon but ultimately, that's part of the charm of meandering along Hill Drive.