City of Downey

What a great City Hall. I recently acquired a house in Downey and need to get some property related issues covered before I start improvements. I went to the planning department, building department and the water department.
EVERYONE was just incredibly helpful, accommodating and friendly. They offered me to sit down and wait and they would call me. They gave me all the records I needed and answered every question possible. I will definitely have to go back there soon and I am looking forward to it. I have had to spend some time in another local city hall and they made my building experience miserable. Downey restored my faith in City Halls. THANK YOU.

Love this city everyone who lives here care for there city… love the shopping here too… And all the great bars and restaurants… it’s great!!! And now with the Benihana coming wow!!!

Why Downey?
I can never really figure out this city. I understand its roots as an aerospace hub. But why now? I recently am in the market for rental property. The first properties I was driven through were the «nice» homes off of Florence. Then I was taken to the available apartment complexes in the city. I don’t get it??? The place is land locked, has no hills with views, is built in a flood plane, and is surrounded by even worse neighborhoods on all sides.

I used to live in Downey with my mother and father at separate times.
I still find Downey enjoyable than most cities.
Although I can say that South Downey is some what the ghetto area, the more north you go, the more bigger and expensive houses are.
In the main area of Downey, which is where the restaurants and movie theater is at, is a modern area. The farther you get from there, the more residential it gets.
But Basically, in that area, there’s many Restaurants, stores and movie theater. there’s also a Porto’s if you like that.
I’ll probably do an update another time where this doesn’t sound like I’m trying to promote Downey lol

The administration of this city is completely heartless. Took time off to take care of my mother, after three weeks I called to say I could return and was told the HR manager was not there and would call me back. Never was called back, but got a letter POSTMARKED THE DAY AFTER I CALLED, terminating my employment. I hope one day the city manager has to go through the horrible things they put me through.

FILTHY! We attended an event at Epic Lounge recently. When we got out of our car, the stench coming from the gutters reminded me of being in Tijuana or Ensenada, no, wait Tijuana and Ensenada did not stink THIS bad. HEY DOWNEY!!! Ever think of street sweeping? It is horrible to have to compare your city unfavorably against a city in a third world country. Glad I do not live here. Yuk.

The city of downey needs take In consideration of their walking citizens all four corners of lakewood and Gallatin road are tore up making it almost impossible to cross the street. Also you need to educate the men Woking and one of them was using the bathroom on the ground. Shame on the city I live in learn to take care of it when there is construction. I will hope you think of this at least put up portable toilets you don’t even deserve one star for your neglect unacceptable

Love this city! With so many things happening recently downey’s future looks brighter. When I was searching for a home I was considering cerritos, cypress X etc… and wasn’t really considering downey back in 2009. But more I find out about the city more interesting it got. You will hear many negatives about downey, some may have a valid argument however give this city a look if you’re considering a place to live. Sure downey has gone down some since the 90’s but I would love to move back to downey away from craziness in ktown.

This city rocks! I never lived here but I always got to cruise around and check it out some really great spots. The only down side is probably the major traffic street wise but you get use to it.

What can I say about the city in which I live, except that it is a great city. Downey is the home of the Apollo Space Program, the world’s oldest operating McDonald’s (Speedee McDonalds-​it has a small museum too), and home to a few famous people such as the brother/​sister duo the Carpenters and the heavy metal band Metallica.
My dad decided to settle down in the city he grew up in after being stationed all over the states. He felt that Downey was a safe city with many perks and I am grateful that he did.
Yes many businesses have come and gone and now Downey is trying to keep up with the Joneses by revitalizing the city first with Downey Landing in 2006 and now with Downey Gateway. The introduction of many new businesses and restaurants will help to make our small city a contender with our neighbor cities.
We have our own small school district which I can say is doing great things such as Warren High School being selected as a California Distinguished School! Go Bears!
No city is perfect but I gotta say that I am quite content living here and raising my son in this wonderful city.

Love the City of Downey. If I am correct, I think the City of Downey has been voted somewhere as the most friendliest and family oriented city here in CA. I can tell you that it’s true for the most part. The people in the Downey area seem to be a bit more relaxed and not as stressed as those in the nearby surrounding cities. I also like that the city leaders are involved deeply in their community and that speaks a lot for itself, you don’t see it as much in other cities or with other city leaders. At least not for free, usually it involves some kind of political or financial interest to most of them.
As one reviewer posted, some of the cops can be ADAM HENRYS, but that is anywhere you go. You have good cops and then you have some s – t bags that simply want to wear the badge, look cool, collect a paycheck and can care less about what is going on and around their community. I know… I used to be one for one of America’s biggest cities, and when I resigned from their department I can attest that it was a job that I hated and wouldn’t ever want again; corruption, dirty unions, networks of corrupt and dirty attorneys, etc. But again, there are good ones and bad ones, and sadly that’s the case everywhere. The bottom line for being a cop anywhere is that the end of the day, It is the Point that you will go home that evening! If you were wearing the boots, you’d think the same way… especially during these difficult times when reprimanding a s – t bag in society will get you in trouble for doing your job. Like I said, I wouldn’t want to do the job, not even if it paid a $ 1000 an hour.
On a more positive note, the City of Downey hosts many businesses and you can assure that you can find almost any product and or service that you need. It also has several parks, to include a wilderness park where families can go and relax to nature. Downey also has a few river bike paths that connect you to several other locations, my favorite being the one on Firestone just West of Old River School Road.
That particular bike path connects you to the Long Beach, Shoreline Village. As a matter of fact, it pops you out right where you take the boat rides to Catalina Island, but a few hundred yards you are in Shoreline Village. The ride from Firestone to the Long Beach took me approximately 2 hours, on a single-​speed beach cruiser, and an extremely low intensity level. Trust me, it is really relaxing. Just ensure that you don’t come back after sundown, it gets really dark in the bike paths and there are several transients who live on the river beds. I even saw families with kids living in these shacks! Sad.
The other caution is that during the summer these river bike paths have tons of mosquitos come out right before sun down and they are annoying when you are eating some that slap your face as you’re riding back.
Yes, come down and visit Downey.
There is tons of History here too, I wish I could write more :)

I live in Downey, the city itself is great! This review is based on the Parking Enforcement Dept/​Traffic Unit.
I got a citation in the mail from the City of Downey, Parking Enforcement. The citation had the date and time given, the time stated on the paperwork I received was «12:33AM». Now mind you the citation was given to me for «2 hour parking violation», the signs outside my residence state that 2 hour parking is from 7AM TO 7PM, so how was it that I received it at 1233am?
I appealed the citation only to get the following response «parking violation valid». Not sure how the Traffic Unit considered this a valid parking citation when it fell outside the time period stated on the street signs. I then requested a hearing, never got any kind of response and since my registration was due in August, upon renewal the citation had already been added to my registration. In other words, I never got the chance to appear in person to explain the situation. And I even submitted pictures of what the signs stated.
I then called the traffic department and the gentleman that answered said that the citation was «valid» because the original citation stated it was at 1033am (mind you, I never even saw an original citation). I explained that on my paperwork it says 1233am so I’m going based on the information THEY are providing me. He continued, the citation is valid because on the original it’s HAND WRITTEN that the time was 1033am.
Ohhhh how convenient that the citation is hand written! But yet, they don’t send you a copy of the original paperwork and they did not allow me to show up in person to appeal it. They FORCED me to pay something that was clearly discrepant and when you try to fight for what’s right, they won’t give you explanations or any form of proof. Whether or not they admit it, they were wrong. OBVIOUSLY the person that entered this into the system, input it incorrectly so my case should have been DISMISSED!
Thank you for taking my money without giving me actual proof, and for not allowing me to show up in person for a 2^nd appeal. It’s been over a month that I submitted for an appeal and nothing.
Hope my money goes to something good and not in ANYONE’s personal pockets!

Downey is THE BEST. I’ve lived here for 9 years now and I must say I love it. It’s a nice little city that is rarely crowded, the homes are nice and there are lots of trees and birds lol. Occasionally you might even see raccoons, squirrels, and possums, where I live anyway. This place rocks.

Good city lots of place to shop and eat just be careful with the cops they can jerks most of the times

Seems like a nice city. Going to lunch here.

I’m not going to lie, I will miss living in Downey. I know I was fed up of living there, in that apartment at the Telegraph Gardens Apts, but it has nothing to do with the city of Downey. It was more of an «I been here to long!» It was the routine, the monotony… It was me searching for some change, any change, and moving residence to something cheaper, to a neighboring city (Montebello, Ca.) was an easy one. I will miss some of my favorite restaurants (elephant bar, gloria’s, downey pizza co., toyitos, and Kyoto sushi). I will miss driving by those huge houses/​mansions and fantasizing about owning one. I’m sure I’ll visit Downey more than a few times, especially with the withdrawal symptoms. But then as time passes by the visits will be less and less. But Downey and I know that it wasn’t love but lust, Downey knows that it was a move I had to do, because deep down in my heart I’ve always been an East Los Angeles dude. And so we part ways, wow… maybe someday, when we both are mature and settled we can have a coffee and reminisce. I’ll drive down your streets and shop at the Stonewood mall just for old times’ sake. It’ll be fine Downey, things will get better with time.

Great city. Well kept. Nice homes, great parks, & good residence. Downey however needs more restuaraunts.