The important thing to note is that unlike New York/Manhattan, LA hasn't really had a downtown that is exclusively commercial property. Businesses are scattered throughout the regions' major cities (LA, Pasadena, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Irvine, etc.) That means that those commercial areas are intermixed with housing, etc. This works great if you can land a near-permanent job, then buy housing nearby. It's not so good if you can't afford housing in the area your employer is located (the westside), or if your employer relocates their HQ across town after you're bought your home.
