Los Angeles is a city where the right neighborhood matters enormously for daily life. Walkable pockets exist — Santa Monica, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, downtown — but adjacent neighborhoods can feel completely different. Commute times to work or social hubs can vary by an hour depending on traffic.
Downtown LA, Santa Monica, Venice, Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Echo Park, West Hollywood, and Koreatown all support meaningful day-to-day walking. Most of the Westside (excluding Santa Monica/Venice) and the Valley are highly car-dependent.
It depends on where you live and work. The Expo Line (DTLA to Santa Monica), the Red/Purple Line (DTLA to Hollywood and Koreatown), and the upcoming Wilshire/D Line extension cover the highest-density corridors. Most other commutes still require driving.
Look at where you work and pick a neighborhood within a few miles. DTLA workers do well in Silver Lake, Echo Park, Koreatown, or DTLA itself. Westside workers should look at Santa Monica, Venice, Mar Vista, or Culver City.