Over the past couple years, Los Angeles has witnessed the rise of Silicon Beach in the city’s Westside. For those who aren’t familiar with Silicon Beach, it’s basically LA’s version of Silicon Valley, a community dominated by tech start-ups and entrepreneurs.

Many locals suspect that Silicon Beach started after the social media giant Snapchat moved to Venice, a beach neighborhood known for being laidback, quirky, and popular with tourists. However, no one really knew exactly how large and far reaching Silicon Beach could get.

With the growing popularity of Silicon Beach, the Westside has rapidly transformed into a community catering to tech professionals by offering luxury real estate and award-winning dining in more pedestrian-friendly areas. Yet, with growing demand to relocate to the Westside, many tech entrepreneurs are finding themselves unwilling to move to Silicon Beach. Yes, there’s the beach, but there’s also loads of traffic congestion, a lack of parking, lots of tourists, and of course—extravagant real estate prices.

Luckily, there are several alternative LA neighborhoods to live besides Silicon Beach.

Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA)

Located towards the other end of Los Angeles is the booming neighborhood of Downtown Los Angeles. Although it isn’t next to the beach, it offers a more metropolitan environment, which is great for tech entrepreneurs looking for a more professional and business-type atmosphere.

Not only is DTLA highly walkable, it's also filled with luxurious mixed-use developments, shopping gallerias, museums, and office buildings. This thriving neighborhood also has a high concentration of co-working spaces, and according to Built in LA, many Silicon Beach-ers are actually moving out of the Westside and heading east to Downtown.

Glendale

Glendale is an upscale city located in LA County, slightly north of Los Angeles. Since this area is also known as one of the San Fernando Valley’s five incorporated cities, Glendale residents have the perks of being part of both LA County and the Valley. 

Glendale is also home to some of the most expensive neighborhoods in the county like Oakmont and Emerald Isle, but with so many amenities in town such as shopping gallerias, dining spots, and a burgeoning nightlife, this isn’t surprising. Tech entrepreneurs considering a move to Glendale will find that the city is home to over 1,000 tech companies. It’s also the site of some of the nation’s most popular entertainment studios and colleges. 

Although Glendale doesn’t have its own beach, it offers locals and visitors plenty of recreational activities, such as hiking and cycling trails.

Burbank

Burbank is another incorporated city in San Fernando Valley that’s made the list for best tech neighborhoods. Tech professionals moving to Burbank will fit right in with the residents who already frequent the area, including media executives, business professionals, and many millennials.

Although the city has worked hard to become more pedestrian-friendly in recent years, it still has a long way to go. Many people consider Burbank a center of entertainment, and it’s even nicknamed the “media capital of the world,” especially since it’s home to many of LA’s heavy hitters in media, including Disney, NBC, and Warner Bros.

Glassell Park

Nestled at the northeastern edge of Los Angeles in the San Rafael Hills, between Cypress Park, Atwater Village, and Eagle Rock is the up-and-coming neighborhood of Glassell Park. A lot of the business growth and interest in this community is attributed to the popularity of Glassell Park’s surrounding neighborhoods.

There are still only a few tech companies in this community, ranging from virtual reality to design companies. However, for those tech entrepreneurs on the search for an LA neighborhood that’s still relatively affordable (some home prices start in the $400s, according to Neighborhoods.com listings)—this is the place to check out before it becomes outpriced. 

Following a similar pattern to the area’s surrounding neighborhoods, new and trendy eateries, pubs, and cafes have already started to pop up. Though Glassell Park doesn’t offer residents the perks of being near the beach, the community features several industrial parks and homes with a view of Eagle Rock.