Ladera Heights is a good neighborhood to spot some Los Angeles based celebrities. The baseball player Frank Robinson and many of his fellow sports playing peers began moving to Ladera Heights in the 1970s. Since then, celebrities such as Vanessa Williams, Chris Darden, Peter Vidmar, Ken Norton, and Arron Afflalo have all called Ladera Heights home and most still live in this pleasant hillside community in the Los Angeles area.
The community of Ladera Heights is a census-designated and unincorporated community located in the county of Los Angeles, CA. At the time of the last major census, the total population was at about 6,400 people and it is one of the most popular areas on the West Side of the city of Los Angeles. Ladera Heights is adjacent to several major Los Angeles enclaves including Culver City to the West, the neighborhood of Baldwin Hills to the north, and the community of Westchester to the south. Ladera Heights is also only about six miles from the beautiful Pacific Ocean and many wonderful beaches including the broad sands of Santa Monica, Venice, and the calm Marina Del Reys Mother's Beach. Whether you're the beach bum type looking for that perfect tan, or just love soaking in the California culture, Ladera Heights has what you're looking for.
Moving to Ladera Heights, CA
If you want to move to the Los Angeles area and you've chosen to start looking for a great apartment to rent in Ladera Heights, CA, you will be more than pleased with the nice options this community has to offer. Ladera Heights offers premier apartments throughout the community.
Weather Report
LA never suffers from unbearable heat, or cold for that matter, so house hunting is perfect any time of year. If you want a snowy winter, you won't find that here, but you will find palm trees, accessible beaches, and a full range of major retail destinations like The Grove, Westfield Culver City, or Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, as well as movie theaters, museums, and nightlife options by the score.
Finding Your Home
Ladera Heights itself is a quiet, residential area convenient to all the adventures Southern California offers. Finding a place to live can take awhile, as vacancies can be scare. Many locals will tell you that a month or two is a good plan. Rentals can go off the market quite fast so you'll want to look around for a bit and find a couple different options to pick from, then act quickly. You can easily view some online listings as well as the local Ladera Heights newspapers - The Ladera Heights News or of course by reading the classifieds in the Los Angeles Times. Best of all, visit for yourself, and look for rental signs and talk to management at apartment complexes such as the Ladera Gardens Apartments.
Southern California landlords are often stringent about finding information regarding your rental, work, and credit history. So come with your ID, bank statements, tax returns if self-employed, and access to your credit report. Take care of any bad marks or inconsistencies before you start looking, so that dream home doesn't slip through your fingertips.
Neighborhoods of Ladera Heights
The weather is mild and lovely all year 'round, and this community is centrally located on the west side of Los Angeles, convenient to beaches, shops, and entertainment.
Because it is a small community, the Ladera Heights area is considered to be one condensed neighborhood. Here you can find a number of great apartments, rental condos, and house rental options of all shapes, sizes, and varieties. Residents love easy access to the Baldwin Hills Stairs for great views and exercise, the Metro Red Line Station to whisk you downtown, restaurants and shopping. Several excellent grocery stores are nearby including Sprouts Farmer's Market and Whole Foods. You can also easily explore the walking trails and wildlife on the Ballona Wetlands less than ten minutes away. A few great apartment buildings to look into include the Meadows Apartment Homes, The Heights Apartment Homes, and the Allesio Apartments all off of Centinela Avenue. You should be able to find pet friendly apartments, too.
Living in Ladera Heights
This thriving Los Angeles neighborhood is a great spot to enjoy a local LA attractions throughout the year, while living in a nicely contained residential spot.
Fitness and Fun
Want to feel the burn? Ladera Heights is home to one of the most famous fitness spots in the Los Angeles area - the Baldwin Hills Stairs. Visitors can climb over one hundred stairs up a steep hill that leads to a peaceful hiking trail overlooking the city. Bring your camera and a bottle of water! There is also a visitor's center here open Monday through Friday that provides an inside look into the history of the neighborhood.
The Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area is only a quarter mile south of the Baldwin Hills Stairs off La Cienega Boulevard. This is a great place for picnicking and summer BBQs as well as sports activities in the large grassy fields. There are several playgrounds for kids here as well with swings, slides, and merry-go-rounds to enjoy. The Kenneth Hahn Recreation Area is also another excellent spot to see great city views - you can see the buildings of downtown from here as well as parts of Santa Monica to the north. In short, when you move here, bring your camera!
Shop and Dine Time
Ladera Heights is a great place to shop as well. The adjacent Westfield Culver City Mall, also known as the Fox Hills Mall, is a modern home to many popular national retail stores, a Gold's gym franchise, and many restaurants and coffee spots. Only a few blocks away from the mall is the Famous Dinah's Restaurant on Sepulveda Boulevard - an old fashioned family spot to grab some fried chicken or all-you-can-eat pasta on the weekends. Dinah's was featured in the film "The Big Lebowski" and has appeared on television multiple time as well. Across from Dinah's in the same shopping center are several other fun casual dining spots including Martini's Italian Food, Viva Fresh Mexican Restaurant, and King Donut. Just up the street at Howard Hughes Center you'll find a Cinemark multiplex with a vast IMAX/3D-XD screen, and many restaurants from sushi to American style.
Beach Babies
One of the best things about Ladera Heights is its proximity to the amazing beaches Southern California has to offer. Venice Beach is a fun place to shop or people watch on the beachside walkways - there's an enclave of bodybuilders, stores hawking trinkets and art, street performers, and roller skate rentals. Stop by the mod Hotel Erwin and sip a drink or grab a bite on their rooftop ocean view patio. Just a few miles further, you'll find the wide white sands of Santa Monica. which is a famous place for surfing, riding the pier's massive Ferris Wheel, or catching the amazing Sunday Farmer's Market held each week on nearby streets - a culinary must-do. Best of all, barring some winter rainy days, you can stick your feet in the sand any time of year, even on New Year's Day. Take long walks by the beach, take a fifteen minute jaunt into West Hollywood to stroll the boutique shops and funky cafes on Melrose Ave., or drive thirty minutes to take walk along the trail to the Hollywood sign. Basically, if you like the outdoors, shopping, culture -- you can't miss.
Culture Club
Museums and art abound in the area -- ten minutes away on Washington Boulevard in Culver City you will find a large gallery row with opening receptions, free to the public, on many weekends. Twenty minutes north you'll be - without ever getting on the freeway - at the Los Angeles Museum of Art.
Travel Time
Living in Ladera Heights is amazing no matter what you like to do best for fun. From beautiful Los Angeles beaches, to restaurants, to stunning recreation areas, and fabulous weather all year round, you can't go wrong finding a place here. Public transportation is great in this area, although throughout the LA basin people still rely on their cars. However, you can get along fine with or without a car of your own in this part of town. The nearby Metro Red Line station will take you across town by train all the way to Downtown Los Angeles and onto Hollywood for an inexpensive fare with several transfer options. There are also several bus lines running nearby including the Big Blue Bus and Culver City Bus Lines with stops throughout the community and adjacent neighborhoods.
