Many newcomers in Los Angeles often head towards the most familiar and popular neighborhoods, such as Beverly Hills, West Hollywood, Santa Monica, or Downtown Los Angeles. However, nestled between Beverly Hills, Culver City, Mid-City, and Beverlywood is the small and tight-knit neighborhood of Pico Robertson.

With manicured lawns, beautiful homes, and easy access to daily necessities as well as the freeway, Pico Robertson is highly desirable for many homebuyers. In recent years, this Westside LA neighborhood has also turned into somewhat of a millennial magnet, thanks to new coffee shops and dive bars that have popped up in the community. For those potential homebuyers who are curious about life in Pico Robertson, here are five perks to living in the neighborhood.

Location

Sign for La Cieniga PArk in Beverly Hills with community center in background.

As mentioned earlier, Pico Robertson is tucked between some of the most popular and affluent communities in Los Angeles. It’s a five-minute drive from Beverly Hills, which is surprisingly not one of the most expensive neighborhoods in LA. Many residents in Pico Robertson are well aware of this, especially since the median home price in the neighborhood is considerably lower according to Neighborhoods.com data, landing at approximately $1 million compared to Beverly Hills’ $2.5 million.

This small neighborhood is also surrounded by some of the city’s major boulevards, including Robertson and Pico, Olympic, Venice, and La Cienega. However, the caveat to living in such a central and busy location is the traffic congestion throughout the day. 

Pedestrian-Friendly

At the heart of the Pico Robertson neighborhood is the pedestrian-friendly intersection at Pico Boulevard and Robertson Boulevard. This intersection features many small businesses, cafes, delis, gas stations, and kosher shops, so it’s an active area during the day.

At night, Pico Robertson transforms into a tranquil neighborhood, though there are a few local bars open for those who want to go out at night. Most residents in the community enjoy relative tranquility away from the noise of this intersection because homes are typically located on residential and pocket streets. Most of the sidewalks and lawns are well-maintained, tree-lined, and nicely paved, so those who live in Pico Robertson can easily walk to their preferred neighborhood destinations. 

Shops and Restaurants

Three businesses and restaurants along street.

The Pico Robertson neighborhood isn’t exactly known for having huge shopping centers, but it’s a charming area for antique hunting or even thrift shopping. It’s also home to more than a dozen kosher restaurants, supermarkets, and delis. There’s a wide range of mom-and-pop stores, some specializing in key copies, crystals, home décor, hair styling, cannabis, and many more. However, large shopping malls such as the Beverly Center and The Grove are less than a 15-minute drive away.

Pico Robertson’s main showstoppers are its restaurants, which can be found along Pico Boulevard or Robertson Boulevard. Popular neighborhood fixtures include Nick’s Coffee Shop & Deli, Si Laa Thai Dining, and Trattoria Bella Roma. 

Schools

Pico Robertson is a family-friendly neighborhood with several reputable public high schools, including Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies and Downtown Magnets High School. The neighborhood is also served by local private schools such as Star Prep Academy middle school and Ateret Israel High School.

Good Transit Options

Interior of empty Los Angeles Metro bus.

There are several transit options for residents living in Pico Robertson who don’t want to drive through the city’s mind-numbing traffic. Commuters have the option of taking the Big Blue Bus lines 7 and 7 Rapid, which offer convenient travel to the beaches and shopping areas in Santa Monica.

Residents can also take the Metro’s 17 bus at 3rd and Robertson, which will take passengers to Downtown Los Angeles. If all else fails, Pico Robertson is a solid Westside neighborhood, which means that residents have easy access to the Bird scooters in the area, if they want to travel between neighborhoods or to the beach.