Echo Park these days though 
Crazy when I pass by it now and nothing but Prius lining it.
Super fucking gentrified.
(Image removed from quote.)
Instagram photo spot? I don't see any hamburgers with eggs on top or smoothies in mason jars.
LA's changed a lot. Downtown's a lot better, though you go from "gentrified" to "skid row" real fast if you're not paying attention to where you're walking.
Generally speaking, the Valley feels rougher around the edges than all but the most notorious parts of LA.
And the least safe I've ever felt in a long time was in San Fran, not LA. We cut through part of the Tenderloin on the way to my friend's office and I was starting to feel pretty nervous about having my camera hanging out in the open.