Trick-or-Treat Housing Index: Top 5 Los Angeles Neighborhoods
By: Spencer Rascoff, Zillow COO | October 26, 2009
Zillow folks tend to get a little carried away with Halloween (read: outlandish costumes and haunted house roundups). This year we decided to take it one step further and create the inaugural Zillow Trick-or-Treat Housing Index.
We created this index for Seattle, where Zillow is located, and Los Angeles. Los Angeles intrigued us because Zillow closely follows the celebrity real estate scene, and many A-list stars live in recognizable Los Angeles area neighborhoods.
As a Beverly Hills native, it’s my pleasure to present you with the best overall neighborhoods to trick-or-treat this Halloween.
Top 5 Los Angeles Neighborhoods to Trick-or-Treat
1. Venice
2. Los Feliz
3. Westwood
4. Silver Lake
5. Beverly Hills
Methodology
There is a common belief that wealthy neighborhoods are the Holy Grail for harvesting the most Halloween candy. However, to provide a more holistic approach to Halloween trick-or-treating, the Zillow Trick-or-Treat Housing Index was calculated using four equally weighted data variables: Zillow Home Value Index, population density, Walk Score, and local crime data. Based on those variables, this Index represents neighborhoods that will provide the most candy, with the least walking, and minimal safety risks.
Halloween Hot Spots
Venice, one of the most vibrant and eclectic areas of Southern California, is the #1 Los Angeles-area neighborhood to trick-or-treat this Halloween. While the scene is a bit edgy for little kids, adults looking for an excuse to dress up and party will surely have a good time strolling Venice Beach. The city ranked in the top 40% percentile in every Index category (Zillow Home Value Index, density, crime, Walk Score).
As the dad of two young kids, Los Feliz (#2) and Silver Lake (#4) are the two spots I would take my family trick-or-treating since they are ideal places to go for safe, family-friendly fun. For $5, kids can ride the Live Steamers train in Griffith Park through through 30 professionally-staged Halloween displays ($5).
Westwood is home to the University of California Los Angeles and is bordered by the affluent neighborhoods of Brentwood and Bel Air. The Westwood neighborhood ranked in the top 50% percentile for crime, walkability, and Zillow Home Value Index ( the median home value in the area is $820,100). Before you hit the streets, grab a bite to eat in Westwood Village and trick-or-treat at the many retail stores. This is a nice alternative for families with young children who can’t make the trek up and down neighborhood streets.
Don’t be surprised if you see busloads of kids and star seekers unloading to walk the streets of star-studded Beverly Hills. If you’re willing to venture up winding driveways knock on gargantuan doors of mega mansions, this is the place for you. Just remember that ringing the doorbell of a big gate isn’t quite the same as knocking on someone’s front door. Beverly Hills is a very safe neighborhood, ranking in the top 10% for low crime rates. The area also has the highest Zillow Home Value Index on our list at $2,236,700. If you’re lucky, you may run into local residents such as Faith Hill and Tim McGraw and Courtney Cox and David Arquette. If you do go to Beverly Hills, be sure to go to “the flats” rather than “the Hills” — that’s the part of Beverly Hills north of Santa Monica Blvd and South of Sunset Blvd, specifically the 600, 700 and 800 blocks of Roxbury, Bedford, Camden, Rodeo, Beverly, Canon and Cresent Dr.
I’ll be in Seattle this Halloween evening (check out the Seattle Trick-or-Treat Housing Index) but to all my friends and family living in LA, have a safe and happy Halloween.
See the Zillow Trick-or-Treat Housing Index for:
- Stumble it!
- Categories: Real Estate Oddities
Comments
6 Comments so far
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hd on October 26, 2009 4:22 pm
I would not take a child trick or treating in Venice, Silverlake, or Los Feliz. Venice and Silverlake are areas that “love to party” but the parties are adult themed. VERY ADULT, meaning drinking, drugs and sex. The areas are unsafe for children at night. Silverlake also has few sidewalks, poor lighting and has narrow streets. Los Feliz has the NEW “estate area” which might be a good area for kids to trick or treat and the roads are pretty wide there (although it is inhabited by recent middle east immigrants that arent used to nor do they participate in Halloween). That said, lower Los Feliz has crime and the extremely wealthy areas are either gated or are up winding streets that lack sidewalks and have poor lighting, PLUS allot of wealthy “partiers” that will be driving DRUNK … VERY UNSAFE. Griffith Park is a haven for drugs and “sex in the bushes” … not a place I would take a child to at night.
Beverly Hills Flats is a good choice (Above Santa Monica and below Sunset) Westwood is another great area (Little Homby being the best of Westwood)
Now, since I have stated that 3 areas are UNSAFE, let me give you some excelent alternatives,
TOLUCA LAKE … The residents are known for giving out EXTREME AMOUNTS of candy and other stuff and are very generous. Hit up Rick Dees, etc. (Stay closer to the actual lake and work from there. Safe FLAT STREETS. Toluca Lake and Hancock Park are LA’s only true “OLD MONEY” neighborhoods that arent GATED.
West Hills (Northwest San Fernando Valley) and area Seattle Based Zillow labels as poor is an area that is home of working Set Designers and other people who earn at the (”Zillow Impoverished level” of only 150,000 to 300,000 a year). It is an area where decorations are all over and there are SIDEWALKS, and wide well lit streets. The only drawback is the hills do climb so wear your hiking shoes, but if the night is clear the valley views are unlimited (even though Zillow thinks the view lots are worth less than the non view lots). Concentrate on the older wealthier (to EVERYONE but Seattle based Zillow “experts”) neighborhoods closer to the Chatsworth Resevoir and Chatsworth or above Valley Circle nearer Hidden Hills (Hidden Hills is private so its not worth bothering to go to). Always stay in the Hills because thats where the people with money and treats are.
and last but not least, Brentwood, especially by the Riviera Country Club. Well lit, wide streets and ultra safe and family oriented.
I did not put hancock Park in since the good area is surrounded by “gang infested areas”. The big homes are great but many do not open up for Halloween due to crime in the area.
Oh and Seattle based ZILLOW, since when do smaller homes without views on smaller lots in a neighborhood cost more than premium view lots with pools?
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