Dennis RomeroHow things have changed.
More than 20 years ago, Snoop Dogg's bodyguard fatally shot a gangster in a Palms park, and the violence wasn't that unusual. The community of postwar apartment complexes has been home to occasional gang violence, with 18th Street, Sotel and Shoreline Crips members sometimes calling it a temporary home.
See also: Rent Continues to Rise in L.A.
Now? Not so much. Rising rents have made what was once an ugly duckling of the Westside a new home for UCLA students, community college–goers and young professionals:
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The education location website Niche Ink looked at the number of people age 25 to 34, median rent, median income, percentage of population with degrees, diversity and low unemployment to come up with its determination (with some dubious data thrown in).
Palms was named “Best Neighborhood for Millennials” in L.A. as part of Niche Ink's list of “The 25 Best Cities and Neighborhoods for Millennials.”
The lower Westside community has a population of 40,000 and has a median household income of $57,124 (which is above the national average), according to the site. It's 38 percent white, 25 percent Asian, 23 percent Latino and nearly 9 percent African America.
About 58 percent Palmsians have a bachelor's or master's degree, according to Niche Ink.
Nationally, L.A. ranked as the 17th best American city for millennials (and yet they keep coming).
Factors include a $1,218 median rent (which sounds a little low to us), a $26,482 median income (that's definitely questionable), and a small, 14 percent slice of the demographic pie that's age 25 to 34.
See also: 10 Great, Cheaper Neighborhoods Right Next to Yours
Credit: tiarescott/Flickr
See also: California Rents Are Almost America's Worst
The median household income for L.A., according to the U.S. Census, is $56,241. Per capita income, including children and individuals, takes us down to $27,900, according to the Census. But Niche Ink is saying Palms has a $57,124 median household income. The site appears to be using apples-and-oranges data.
In any case, that's quite a low rank for a city that attracts tons of out-of-state young people with stars in their eyes. Niche Ink says the No. 1 millennial city is New York, which appears to attract people for many of the same reasons.
Strangely, New York has the same 25-34 number, 14 percent, a lower median rent of $1,157 (that just can't be), and a higher median income of $31,703.
We're starting to have our doubts about this list. But Palms — yeah, it's hot, in an average apartment kind of way.
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