Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, CA

First off, a boundary dispute.   LA residents have a foggy definition of Miracle Mile's boundaries - for many (including Miracle Mile community groups), Wilshire or 6th St. are the northern boundaries, and for others, "Miracle Mile" refers to areas as far north as the Grove.   For the sake of discussing the area in general, this wiki refers to the boundaries marked on the map, from 3rd Street down to San Vicente, with information about the Farmer's Market, Grove, and Pan Pacific Park thrown in.   

A great mix of residents call Miracle Mile home.  From families in the area for decades to successful 20 and 30-something newbies, those who reside here are a lively bunch of intellectual / busy types who love being right in the center of things, enjoy the energy that pulses through the region, and have decent amounts of money to afford life along 'the mile'.    If you like spending all day watching TV with the blinds closed, this is not for you.   If you like waking up and walking or jogging through landscaped museum grounds or along streets with great old architecture, and on the way visiting your favorite local coffee shop or browsing for fruit and veggies at LA's largest daily farmer's market, you've found paradise!    

The region also borders the predominantly Latino and African American communities to the southeast, and the Jewish Pico/Robertson area to the southwest and west, and the Koreatown community to the east, ensuring a vibrant mix of cultures overflowing into Miracle Mile.

Links: 

Miracle Mile Action Committee: http://miraclemilepatrol.org/

Miracle Mile Residential Association: http://miraclemilela.com/  (great photos and history)

Miracle Mile has the great luck of not being a stereotypical "destination" for nightlife (as neighboring Hollywood and West Hollywood are), leaving locals to enjoy much of the scene themselves.   As such, the nightlife is lively but mellow (revelers will be drunk, but not debaucherous).

Bars/Clubs:  The well-known venues to all in LA residents include the El Rey (concert venue for up-and-coming, and sometimes quite well-known bands), and Miracle Mile's two authentic Irish pubs - the relatively famous Molly Malone's (where Flogging Molly got their start), and the very historic Tom Bergin's (LA's oldest Irish pub).   These will likely boast the highest numbers of non-locals.  The old Conga Room recently became Busby's east (the other half of Busby's west on Santa Monica Blvd), and the next-door El Toro Cantina has jumped in on the fun (now together with Busby's on their website), which could soon also be a non-local hub as well.   All three locales are great places to spend a Friday or Saturday evening and meet a few single compadres.    The Farmer's Market, believe it or not, offers two watering holes that sell both international label beer and wine and local favorites as well (only till 11pm though, so they're starter bars for spots like Molly Malone's).  Local haunts like Luna Park on La Brea provide a mellow dining / cocktail experience, but on a whole, there's a shortage of other restaurants like it for the dinner & drinking nightlife option.   If it is this you seek, you may be disappointed by the offerings here and might want to look at Santa Monica or West Hollywood as alternatives.

Restaurants: Most of the restaurants along Wilshire cater a bit more to the daily lunch-break crowd than locals seeking fine dining.   Chain eateries like Baja Fresh, Quizno's, Koo Koo Roo, and Marie Callendar's comprise the scene here (although the Marie Callendar's building itself is spectacular and resembles an old European train depot or something like it).   Local exceptions to the chains are the hard-to-find (and thus mostly local) Back Door Boba (look across from Kinko's), and breakfast/lunch/coffee spot, Black Dog Coffee, both of which are still predominantly lunch-time destinations.   For health-conscious locals, Mäni's Bakery Cafe on Fairfax serves food made with the healthiest ingredients possible (and even dessert made with sugar alternatives)!

Farmer's Market:  If you're willing to put up with vans full of tourists (worst in summer, bearable to unnoticeable at other times of the year), the LA Farmer's Market on 3rd and Fairfax offers a proliferation of food stands and mini-restaurants, some of which serve amazing food.   Not to be missed: the Pampas Grill (Brazilian BBQ at its best for the price, evidenced by lines that often wrap around the corner).  Try the top sirloin with sides of garlic rice, black beans, plantains, cheese bread, and fried yucca.  AMAZING.... Also great: Charlie's (great breakfast omelettes, french toast, and waffles), Bennett's Ice Cream (home-made creams and sorbets, try the watermelon sorbet....), and the Gumbo Pot (if you've missed Jambalaya and beignets since your last trip to the Big Easy).  

"Fine Dining": The attached new and glamorous Grove shopping center offers higher-end chain restaurants like Maggiano's Little Italy, Woodfire Grill, and Cheesecake Factory, along with other non-chains (French, Japanese, and Italian cuisines).   These are pricier and obviously in the middle of the Grove (complete with hoards of people), but if you seek the outdoor European cafe feel, dining while overlooking cobblestone streets and fountains should do the trick.  

Links:

The El Rey: http://www.theelrey.com/

Molly Malones: http://mollymalonesla.com/

Tom Bergin's: http://www.tombergins.com/

Busby's / El Toro Cantina: http://www.busbysonline.com/

Farmer's Market Bars: http://www.farmersmarketbars.com/

Luna Park: http://www.lunaparkla.com/

Back Door Boba (no website): 5484 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036 - tel: (323) 933-4020

Black Dog Coffee: http://www.blackdogcoffee.com/ 

Mani's Bakery Cafe: http://www.manisbakery.com/

LA Farmer's Market (general): http://www.farmersmarketla.com/

Pampas Grill: http://www.pampas-grill.com/

The Grove: http://www.thegrovela.com/

Are "old" and "historic" enticing adjectives to you?   If so, you'll find the apartments and homes south of Wilshire lovely and brimming with 1930s charm.   People in this region pay decent amounts of money (but amazingly for the location, not ridiculous amounts) to live in old buildings, and those moving to the area should know to expect "older" apartments compared to other areas.  This is not to say that they're dumpy - most are far from it.  Many have been restored and are quite beautiful both inside and out.   However, don't expect them to come loaded with modern appliances or high-tech gizmos (unless you count exquisite moulding).  Be prepared to enjoy this, or avoid it if old architecture is not your thing.    Rents can range anywhere from $950 for studios (great) to $2000 or more for two bedrooms.  Older homes in this area are beautiful (many bear faint resemblances to spired castles or Spanish haciendas) and often rent for substantially more.

North of Wilshire sits Park La Brea, the place to look if "new" and "community" are your thing.    Built in the 1940s as homes for returning WWII vets, the octagonal Park La Brea towers and adjacent bungalows underwent renovations in the early 2000s to make the community more "rentable" and "liveable" for 20- and 30-somethings seeking the neighborhood's intellectual energy.   The refreshed community now comes equipped with a gym, dry-cleaning, pools, park-like landscapes, etc.  1 bedroom apartments in the old towers can cost between $1200 and $1650 (not outrageous considering the central LA location and amenities).   Park La Brea can be great, as long as you don't mind a somewhat confusing community layout and having to give your visitors detailed explanations of how to find both your tower and your apartment.  

Fancy luxury condos and apartments recently joined the Park La Brea mix (built opposite the Grove to cater to people with money).   These adjoin Park La Brea but are not part of the old octagonal high-rise tower neighborhoods built in the 1940s (and as such, rent for triple the price).  

Links: www.parklabrea.com

Driving: Miracle Mile is intersected by many of LA's arteries (Fairfax, La Brea, Wilshire, Olympic, San Vicente).  Both a blessing (to be well connected) and a curse (everyone else uses these streets and clogs them at rush hour), transportation "is what it is".   Freeways are not nearby, however, so those who need to commute to areas by freeway might not want to rent here.   Those working in Hollywood, downtown, or along Wilshire / Olympic will enjoy relatively painless commutes. 

Public Transportation:  This is one LA neighborhood where commuting by bus is a breeze, thankfully for those using the otherwise limited public transit here!   Rapid and regular bus lines run along Wilshire, Fairfax, La Brea, and Olympic.   The Metro purple line stop is not far away either (Wilshire and Western) and there are talks underway (but don't hold your breath) to extend the purple line to Fairfax. 

Parking:  There's a joke that Miracle Mile got its name because "it's a miracle if you can find parking within a mile".  While finding parking on a Saturday or Sunday morning might be easy, weekday parking and overnight parking in some areas is difficult, and many blocks restrict parking to residents only (you can buy a zone pass if you live there).   Not all streets are like this though - check with each apartment building and see if a spot comes with your rent, and if not, read the signs on the street to see what you're dealing with.   The Park La Brea complex has its own gated parking lot, so likely if you're looking to rent there, you'll get your own assigned spot.

Smells:  Do you enjoy the smell of asphalt?   You know, when your neighbor is having a new tar roof put on the house - that smell?  :) If you don't like it, beware of renting in areas downwind of the La Brea Tar Pits.  Though the smell typically won't travel farther than a block or two, those along Wilshire and Curson will definitely notice the aroma of prehistoric asphalt wafting toward them on off-shore breeze days (the typical wind pattern in LA).  When the Santa Anas blow, those west of the pits will get the smells.  If you're looking at apartments adjacent, give the air a sniff test.  Some days are more "aromatic" than others, but you should be able to get a feel for it.   After a while, it's likely that smell will be as comforting to you as your mom's cookies baking in the oven, but until then, keep the Glade Plug-Ins handy. :)  

Are we really in Miracle Mile?:   If you're looking on Craigslist, you'll see a lot of apartments for rent that claim to be in Miracle Mile but in fact are not.  Be careful of this, as shady landlords may try to charge Miracle Mile prices for spots in less affluent neighboring communities where rents would otherwise be much cheaper.  

Crime Blotter: LA is a big city complete with crime like any other, of course, but Miracle Mile borders on areas where crime is more a daily occurrence than not, so it's good to know where the borders begin to get "sketchier".   East of La Brea and south of San Vicente typically will be a bit rougher, though I also know someone whose car was broken into just off Wilshire, so there's no hard and fast rule.   The few blocks along Fairfax between Wilshire and 3rd can also encounter rough-and-tumble moments.  For fun, you can check out the LAPD crime blotter and see what types of crimes are happening in the region (this is great for any area of LA).

Links: http://lapdcrimemaps.org/ 

There are copious streets on which to walk dogs in Miracle Mile, and parks in which to throw them frisbees and let them run around.  Pan Pacific Park across from the Grove and Park La Brea is a great option for this, as it is huge!    Be careful with your dog in the park surrounding the La Brea Tar Pits - asphalt seeps creep up in different spots daily, and you don't want your dog to join the mix of mammoths, dire wolves, and saber-tooths in the museum. :)

Cats and some breeds of dogs are allowed in Park La Brea - check with other individual apartments on their pet restrictions.

Miracle Mile's nickname isn't "Museum Row" for nothing, and the area owes a lot of its intellectual vibe to the existence of these institutions.  Gracing the area with their presence are:

The Peterson Automotive Museum (cool cars, car history, and the infamous location of Notorious B.I.G.'s murder)

LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, complete with beautiful new addition and lamppost jungle beaming light into the night sky)  

The George C. Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits (Ice Age death trap window to LA's cenozoic past, also setting for the movie Volcano, amongst others)

California Craft & Folk Art Museum (delve into culture through art)

The Architecture and Design Museum (open only when they have special exhibits)

Walk to Pan Pacific Park and explore the little known Holocaust memorial in the northeast corner.  Stroll through the Grove.   Sample fresh fruit at the Farmer's Market, or join one of the knitting clubs that meet upstairs on weeknights, or sing karaoke on Friday nights.  Stick twigs in tar seeps in the La Brea Tar Pits park, or watch volunteers excavate bones from Pit 91.   Sit outside at your favorite cafe and sip a coffee while reading the newspaper.    Just chill and "be".

Anywhere between 3rd and Olympic (at the north and south), and Fairfax and Hauser (at the west and east) will keep you centrally located and within walking distance of the museums, Farmer's Market, and Grove.   Any further to the outskirts and you don't feel as if you're as close to all that "Miracle Mile stuff". 

Groceries:  There are a Ralph's and a Smart & Final on Wilshire, a Whole Foods on 3rd and Fairfax, and a Trader Joe's at 3rd and La Brea.    Two 99 Cents stores back up into each other (why do we need two?) at Fairfax and 6th (the smaller one), and Fairfax and Wilshire (the larger one).  

Pharmacies: CVS (3rd & Fairfax) and Rite Aid (Wilshire) reign here

Banks:  the four major chains in LA have branches here: WaMu, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Union Bank of California

Gyms: Miracle Mile residents strangely demand major variety in their gyms; demands of which are met by LA Fitness, Bodies in Motion, Meridian Sports Club, Boot Camp LA, Curves, Hollywood Academy Gymnastics, and LB4LB Boxing

This area offers a lot for families to do together on weekends.  I always see local kids getting pushed in strollers through the Farmer's Market, swinging from monkey bars in Pan Pacific Park, playing tag in the La Brea Tar Pits park, and walking the neighborhood hand-in-hand with their moms & dads. Families striving to keep kids cultured have museums at their fingertips, and spots like the Grove and Farmer's Market hold family activities and events both during the year and for the holidays.   A winter highlight is the "snow" falling at the Grove around Christmas (they're actually tiny bubbles, but look remarkably like snowflakes).  It "snows" typically at 7pm each night.  

Schools:  Fairfax High (public), Yeshiva Gedolah (private, Jewish), Shalhevet School (private, Jewish), Hancock Park Elementary (public), Cathedral Chapel (private, Catholic), and Wilshire Crest Elementary (public) are found in and around Miracle Mile.   As it is so centrally located, many children attend schools within surrounding areas as well. 

Links:

http://www.farmersmarketla.com/newsandevents/index.asp

http://www.thegrovela.com/events/kids-club/