South Park
Ranked 50th best neighborhood in Los Angeles
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Great for
- Internet Access
- Eating Out
- Medical Facilities
- Pest Free
- Public Transport
Not great for
- Schools
- Safe & Sound
- Resale or Rental Value
- Shopping Options
Who lives here?
- Singles
- Professionals
- Families with kids
- Retirees
- Hipsters
Got a burning question? Why not ask the locals! Simply ask your question below
Reviews
South Park
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Pest Free
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Internet Access
- Lack of Traffic
- Parking
- Cost of Living
- Resale or Rental Value
- Public Transport
- Medical Facilities
- Schools
- Childcare
"Kartmen and Kenny Would Not Feel Safe Here"
South Park is the home of the massive LA Convention Center, one of those gigantic spaces where they hold everything from automobile exhibitions to comic book conventions. It has multiple halls so they can hold multiple conventions at once.
As to the rest of the neighborhood, the first thing that has to be mentioned is the crime. Although many residents claim that things have improved since the 1980s, in the last six months this has been ranked as one of the top twenty most dangerous areas in terms of violent crime. Despite its relatively small population (about 32,000), South Park experiences about 8 murders a year. Since 2007 there have 32 murders in this area, the vast majority due to gunshots.
You can see the effect of crime fears anytime that you drive through the streets of South Park. When not in use the shops here roll down metal curtains and have barred windows. The buildings here are mostly flat one story deals, with a very non-descript and industrial feeling. But mixed in with these you do find those odd pastel colored gentrified apartment buildings with seemingly no ground floors.
The effects of gentrification are also evident in the many restaurants and nightspots. For example, if you want a steak you might try Palm, an Italian steak place with nice intimate tables and booths and very corny head shots of famous Italians all over the walls. A couple of the cooler lounges in the neighborhood are the J. Restaurant and Lounge and the Corkbar—a great place for wine lovers.
For breakfast, a good place to try is the Original Pantry Café, a Fifties style diner complete with metal barstools and formica counter.
For entertainment, the Grammy Museum is also in the neighborhood.
There used to be the dance place, Crash Mansion, here, which was a pretty cool place, but it seems it has not survived the Recession.
If it were not for the crime this could be a pretty cool place for young people to live.
As to the rest of the neighborhood, the first thing that has to be mentioned is the crime. Although many residents claim that things have improved since the 1980s, in the last six months this has been ranked as one of the top twenty most dangerous areas in terms of violent crime. Despite its relatively small population (about 32,000), South Park experiences about 8 murders a year. Since 2007 there have 32 murders in this area, the vast majority due to gunshots.
You can see the effect of crime fears anytime that you drive through the streets of South Park. When not in use the shops here roll down metal curtains and have barred windows. The buildings here are mostly flat one story deals, with a very non-descript and industrial feeling. But mixed in with these you do find those odd pastel colored gentrified apartment buildings with seemingly no ground floors.
The effects of gentrification are also evident in the many restaurants and nightspots. For example, if you want a steak you might try Palm, an Italian steak place with nice intimate tables and booths and very corny head shots of famous Italians all over the walls. A couple of the cooler lounges in the neighborhood are the J. Restaurant and Lounge and the Corkbar—a great place for wine lovers.
For breakfast, a good place to try is the Original Pantry Café, a Fifties style diner complete with metal barstools and formica counter.
For entertainment, the Grammy Museum is also in the neighborhood.
There used to be the dance place, Crash Mansion, here, which was a pretty cool place, but it seems it has not survived the Recession.
If it were not for the crime this could be a pretty cool place for young people to live.
Pros
- Good Restuarants
- Lots of Convention Places
- Cool lofts
Cons
- Dangerous at night
Recommended for
- Singles
- Trendy & Stylish
South Park
rating details
2yrs+
- Neighborly Spirit
- Safe & Sound
- Clean & Green
- Peace & Quiet
- Eating Out
- Nightlife
- Parks & Recreation
- Shopping Options
- Gym & Fitness
- Lack of Traffic
- Cost of Living
"Not ideal but the lofts are cool"
Downtown is really on the up and up these days. And, South Park is part of that transition. It used to be so disgusting in this area. But, in the last 10 years or so, an influx of developers have come in and transformed old buildings into loft spaces for young professionals who work in the area. A good friend of mine is a lawyer who works for a firm downtown and he just bought a loft in one of the old factory buildings in the neighborhood. It's pretty incredible. The floor tiling is the original 1920's tile and much of the foundation cannot be changed because the building is a historical landmark. The windows are floor to ceiling and they are incredible. The amenities of the building are completely modern and everything else is exactly as it was. The lofts are a little pricey for the size but they are eteranally cool.
There are so many bars and restaurants that have gone up in the area in the last few years that the neighborhood is quite trendy now too. One of my favorite bars, The Edison, is just up the street. It's in the boiler room of an old bank; it's dark and lush and a little creepy. And, everything has an old timey feel to it. Some of the biggest names in foodie restaurants are downtown too. So, you almost don't have to leave the neighborhood anymore. The proximity to USC combined with the new apartment developments is definitely increasing the younger demographic and the cool factor of South Park. But, it still is downtown so I wouldn't call it a late night spot .. . .or, a clean area for that matter.
There are so many bars and restaurants that have gone up in the area in the last few years that the neighborhood is quite trendy now too. One of my favorite bars, The Edison, is just up the street. It's in the boiler room of an old bank; it's dark and lush and a little creepy. And, everything has an old timey feel to it. Some of the biggest names in foodie restaurants are downtown too. So, you almost don't have to leave the neighborhood anymore. The proximity to USC combined with the new apartment developments is definitely increasing the younger demographic and the cool factor of South Park. But, it still is downtown so I wouldn't call it a late night spot .. . .or, a clean area for that matter.
Pros
- Cool lofts
- Historical
Cons
- Traffic
- Dangerous at night
Recommended for
- Professionals
- Singles
- Hipsters
- Students
