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Though it surrounds the UCLA campus, some feel that Westwood has lost its status as a “college town.”

Before considering Westwood, though, one must find a suitable definition for the somewhat elusive term “college town.”

Interpretations vary, but third-year Notre Dame student Stephanie Rosales provided one definition.

“A college town is an area that is accessible and affordable to college students, with a vibrant, life-filled environment,” she said.

In her view, the term denotes much more than the neighborhood near a university – to be a college town, a place must be accommodating first and foremost to the unique needs and desires of the student population.

With the parking difficulties and expensive establishments that currently dominate the Westwood experience, an increasing number of students and alumni feel the town is failing to meet the central goal of any college town – catering to the students.

“Westwood is about as ‘college town’ as you can get in L.A., but it doesn’t retain the college town feel you get in places like Boston or Berkeley,” said third-year geography and environmental studies student Charlotte Vickers.

She identified the high prices of shops and restaurants in Westwood as the most obvious way that Westwood strays from the college town ideal.

“I never really shop (or) eat in Westwood because it’s too expensive,” she said. “The costs in Westwood make me stay on campus. Even going to a movie is really expensive.”

Vickers also noted the great difficulties faced by students because of the limited and costly parking options in Westwood, saying that the parking situation made owning a car in Westwood “a problem.”

Alumna Linda Balbien stressed that the parking dilemma is a decades-old predicament, but said that she has noticed a transformation in other aspects of Westwood since she graduated in 1976.

“It was a lot better back then,” Balbien said. “There were little clothing stores, quirky jewelry stores, unique restaurants. ... It was more independent. It’s way more commercial now.”

Balbien identified the dramatic changes undergone in the Westwood eateries during the past three decades.

“There used to be a lot more restaurants geared to what students can afford,” she said. “(Westwood had) very student-oriented restaurants with good food. ... They took away all this great stuff and put in all these restaurants that are not very unique or special.”

Balbien illustrates her point using the changes undergone on the corner currently occupied by California Pizza Kitchen.

“Before, there was Mario’s,” she said. “It was the best Italian restaurant – a unique place (that was) very non-commercial, instead of California Pizza Kitchen – where there are a zillion across the nation – there was only one Mario’s.

“Westwood has lost a lot of its charm. What do you have now? Another La Salsa. Give me a break.”

Whatever shortcomings Westwood may have as a college town, the area’s unique qualities still continue to impress.

Rosales, a Southern California native whose former boyfriend and sister graduated from UCLA, spends a good deal of time in Westwood when she is not studying at Notre Dame.

She said the town offers much more than its Notre Dame equivalent – South Bend, Ind.

“In South Bend, you can’t walk to anything,” she said. “In Westwood, you have everything right there, everything you could possibly want – restaurants, movies, bars. ... Everything is close (and) people feel safe.”

Incoming freshman Jennifer Friedman said the many attractions of Westwood and the surrounding area guided her decision to attend UCLA.

“Although it is not a typical college town, the other things Westwood offers makes it appealing to a student,” she said, mentioning the wide variety of shops and different people in the town, as well as its proximity to Santa Monica and the beach.

Costs may be high and parking close to impossible, but for most, fun is never out of reach.

“You’ll never get bored,” she said.

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