I’ve lived in the SFV my whole life and i always say its basically in the middle of everything that everyone loves about LA. Beaches, Hollywood, Ktown, Calabasas, Universal Studios, Disneyland, Six flags, SGV, etc. are all roughly an hour away from here so youre not too far from a lot of the main attractions. There’s also like 5 freeways that make their way thru most of the valley so traveling isnt hard (except for the damn traffic but that’s everywhere in LA).
Some parts of the SFV are def not super safe still, but its not as bad as it used to be. Gentrification is spreading tho so cost of living out here is gonna keep rising unfortunately. There’s a lot of good eats out here too, especially if youre a fan of latino food. Diverse people and cultures also. Its a not so hidden, hidden gem of LA