Mr. CAR and I are native Angelinos and know the valley (SFV) very well. We grew up in Woodland Hills and Sherman Oaks, and still go up there about once a month.
FWIW, it might be a good idea to check out Studio City, Sherman Oaks, North Hollywood, and Burbank if you want to live in the SFV and commute downtown. While traffic to LA might not seem bad from WH when it’s not rush hour, I can assure you that your DH will get sick of the commute very quickly if he’s commuting from Woodland Hills or beyond, even if he tries to leave early, etc.
Just MHO, but if you live in LA, you’ll find that you tend to do everything in a ~5-mile radius or less, if possible. Otherwise, a 30-minute commute can easily turn into a 2-hour commute if things go wrong, especially if you’re going “over the hill” from the valley into downtown LA or Hollywood.
If you’re willing to live near downtown LA, I’ve heard that the Silver Lake area has been gentrifying. Silver Lake was seedy even when my parents lived there in the 50s and 60s, but people are saying that it’s slowly being cleaned up (will always be “gritty” LA, though), and they have some fantastic architecture, if that’s your thing.
I can get info for you on agents, too. Just let me know what you’re looking for. You should use long-time agents who are very familiar with their particular areas, so will need to discuss more exactly where you are thinking of moving to.
One more thing…LA is VERY diverse and has lots of “pockets.” A very bad area can be just a couple of blocks away from a very exclusive area. You need to really understaned all the details, which is why I recommend getting an agent who works in a “micro” area. An agent who knows Glendale well will not be the right agent to use if you’re buying in Woodland Hills. It might be a good idea to think about where you’d like to live and rent there, maybe trying a few different areas and commutes before you buy.
