It's not only the Westside.
My girlfriend lived on the border of Hollywood and West Hollywood (La Brea area) and she used to pay around 1200 for her bachelor/studio room. Ever since last year, they would raise her rent by almost $100 every time she asked them for something (fix minor things).
In the end it became too expensive, and she was told her room would be going up to $1600 after she moved out.
Seriously?
I've lived in LA for almost three years. I hate this city. And it's so easy to hate that I don't even say it anymore.
Why would you buy or start a family in a place with polluted air, filthy dirty streets, contaminated parks, high crime, and, more importantly, really bad schools. And you can get all that whilst paying super high rent, as well.
My girlfriend actually used to like LA and then I think I complained so much she is starting not to like it. The funny thing is, she's a ballet dancer, so she's in the arts/entertainment business, so she says she would still put up with all of it if we weren't together.
Man, she's a lovely person, but I usually do not like a lot of people in the entertainment/Hollywood industry (actors/actress, artists, etc.).