October 21, 2008

Someone Explain Why Atwater Village is 'Cool'

ANOTHER NEWBIE to Los Angeles, hailing from northern CA and now "working and living near the 10 and the 110," wants to know what's so cool about Atwater Village.
"I went to a party in Atwater Village this weekend and then checked out a few of the furniture stores in Silver Lake. So, I don’t get it. Can someone explain to me why these areas are 'cool' and my neighborhood is not?"
Silver Lake, perhaps, but Atwater Village as "cool?" Maybe "solid," "interesting," "stable," "friendly" and "convenient" before "cool."

UPDATE: Curbed LA weighs in on cool-uncool debate.

5 comments:

Click Clack said...

i don't really feel the need to live in a "cool" neighborhood, but between the douchemachine that the Griffin is, the Roost, the Bigfoot Lodge and Club Teegee, AV is just as "cool" as Silver Lake when it comes to night life.

Miles said...

It's not the night life, people. It's the neighborhod. I can walk from my house down 3 pleasant blocks with mixed bungalow and apartment housing, up to Glendale blvd. and go to the bank, the coffee house, the wine store or grab some killer tacos or vietnamese food or even just a burger. Then grab the local weeklies and have a pleasant walk home.

What's not to like about that?

What else? It's mostly quiet, yet feels urban. It has a very mixed population: latino, white, asian, black, philipino, straight, gay.

And we all mostly get along.

I was born in L.A. and have lived in the valley, the westside, Hollywood and Atwater. And Atwater really has been the best.

Lulu said...

I don't know if Atwater even wants to be "cool" but I know it doesn't mind being Cool Adjacent. We're in close proximity to very hip areas and I think we are our own personality, thereby making us interesting and quaint. I love that we're a bedroom community and our streets are safe to walk at night like Miles pointed out.

I love that I can always get a good night sleep here, unlike when I lived in WeHo and I would wake up to hearing noisy neighbors being "happy."

I'm not aspiring for cool. I'm looking for nice neighbors, housing that appreciates, safe streets and great midnight tacos. Not Hugos. :(

Mark said...

after the griffin moved in it definitely had an impact on my good night's sleep, but otherwise I've got no complaints. Atwater has the best bike path, access to the river, the golf course, cool spots to eat, four bars, and a great farmers market. And yes, it totally is cool adjacent. the trader joes and gelsons are just over the bridge and glendale is just up the street. Atwater is the shit.

Miles said...

Indeed. Atwater is the shit in the most positive way.