[Kingofthehill]

west oslo, definitely. the east was historically factories and workforce housing, and its more modern areas are where most of the city's (and by extension, country's) immigrant population live. parts of the groruddalen, as it is known in norwegian, are 95-100% immigrant. west oslo, by contrast, is much more posh, aristocratic, grand, etc. - at least to the extent modest norwegian culture will allow.

la's western areas, especially those on the beach and in nearby hills, are indeed the preferred areas. this extends all the way down from malibu to the palos verdes area, before picking up again in coastal orange county. the non-coastal, but hilly areas, of west la, such as beverly hills, brentwood, bel-air, calabasa, beverly park, etc., - are also very sought after, historically influential, and expensive areas.

more recently, however, the cultural, dining, arts, creative, etc., scenes have been moving east. it has more or less been expanding west-to-eat from hollywood, to silverlake, to echo park, to downtown la and boyle heights, and up to highland park. even koreatown, in the geographic center of the city, is getting in on the action. i'd say this is where most young people and those into the arts, urbanity, etc., are (or want to be) these days.