Citizens of Toluca Lake, North Hollywood, Studio City and other portions of the East San Fernando Valley have a new representative on the L.A. City Council this year — but he’s far from an unfamiliar face in the community. Elected in November to succeed termed-out District 2 Councilmember Paul Krekorian, Adrin Nazarian took on the role after having served Toluca Lake and surrounding areas for a decade in the State Assembly. A near-lifelong Valley resident, he brings deep local knowledge, as well as a wealth of government experience on the federal, state and local levels, to further his mission of making L.A. a safe and affordable place for people to live and work.
Summarizing what’s changed since his previous Toluca Lake Magazine interview at the start of 2020, Nazarian acknowledges the intervening years weren’t always easy. “When I was in [state] office, I still felt like I was in my late 20s, maybe,” he remarks. “During the pandemic, I felt like I was in my 80s. It took a bit of a toll.” But the stresses of that time haven’t dimmed his enthusiasm for his work. “As corny as it sounds, I think public service is very honorable and I love it,” he says. “I think the people in it make it honorable.”
Also unchanged are the personal motives driving him to give back to L.A. and ensure it remains accessible to all. Nazarian was born in Iran to parents who had immigrated from Armenia; they were then forced to flee the Iran–Iraq War when he was a young child, ultimately moving to the U.S. and settling in the Valley. “I came here as a refugee, and this city was a harbor for my family,” he explains. “I want my kids to have the same opportunities that I did, as an immigrant who didn’t even speak the language. They should have the same opportunities, if not even better. But right now, it’s just very expensive to do anything, whether to go to college or try to buy a home here. It’s very important for people to feel that sense of security, that they have a place where they can grow and raise their families, that they can provide for them sufficiently. And those are things that I want to work on.”
That’s why Nazarian jumped at the chance to run for the L.A. Council seat and return to City Hall, where he formerly served as Krekorian’s chief of staff from 2009 to 2012 before being elected to the Assembly. “Quite frankly, I never was enamored of running for state office,” he admits. “In fact, I had skipped over an opportunity before. The only reason I did it last time was because I felt if Paul Krekorian was going to be on Council and I could be in the State Assembly for a lengthy period of time, then I could actually get a lot of things done. We could work in tandem and get things done for the East Valley.”
While he did accomplish much for his constituents during his terms in Sacramento, those efforts were frequently challenged by the vast scope of solving problems on a statewide scale, combined with the many obstacles to direct action inherent in the legislative process. In contrast, Nazarian says, “the best job I had as a staffer was in the city, because not only did I get to learn a lot about the city, but I saw how a little bit of knowledge can actually open a lot of doors. If you know the right individuals, if you know the right departments, if you know the right process, you can very quickly get the services needed for your constituents. And it’s extremely gratifying when you’re able to actually deliver something and get it done right away.”
Nazarian notes there have been some changes in City Hall since he last worked there. “Physically, the building feels a lot more siloed” in the wake of the pandemic, he says, with increased security creating a buffer between offices. “I would want to change that. Good interaction is what allows good decisions to be made and free and accessible government to exist.” And, of course, the issues have evolved as well, particularly with homelessness reaching crisis levels. But Nazarian points out that the fundamentals of the work haven’t changed, and his extensive experience has equipped him to navigate the shifting landscape. “This is a people’s business no matter what office you’re in,” he says. “The more time you’re able to serve, the better refined you become in how to address issues. It allows you to understand different systems around you, so that you know what delays to anticipate and what quick avenues to take. So yes, some things have changed, but I feel like I’m in my groove.”
Nazarian has hit the ground running, urgently aware that the city is up against some major issues — including the wildfires that struck shortly after he took office. “I came in with the fires, so I [introduced] quite a few safety motions to make sure that we always have the resources we need, given that we are facing more and more of these devastating natural impacts,” he says. Beyond that, Nazarian lists the cost of living as one of L.A.’s biggest challenges and identifies several key areas where regional government can help. One is building an adequate supply of both affordable and market-rate housing to meet demand and reduce prices across the board. To help with this effort, one of his first actions was to introduce a motion to place a measure on the ballot that would restrict major housing corporations or hedge funds from purchasing large numbers of single-family properties and taking them out of market circulation.
Another step is improving public transportation: “If we had a rail system that did not look like a starfish — where all of the ends led into the center — but instead had a web that connected the ends of the starfish together, we would have a much more reliable, cohesive and connected rail system, which means that people would rely much less on their vehicles and could forgo owning or leasing a car.” Furthermore, Nazarian says, “You’ve got to make sure people feel safe — safe to raise a family, safe to invest their life savings to open up a business or pursue their business strengths.” That means supporting small businesses through policies and processes that help them and their communities prosper, plus fostering critical local industries; another motion he introduced would make it easier for the entertainment industry to conduct work in L.A. by easing permitting and reducing costs. It’s also important to make sure that residents feel comfortable and secure in their neighborhoods. “I don’t want families leaving the busier parts and hubs of L.A.,” Nazarian says. “I want families to be raising their children and their youngsters here, as I am, because that’s what’s going to support the city’s infrastructure in the future.”
All of these were the primary concerns Nazarian repeatedly heard from district residents as he campaigned door to door before the election. “The Valley used to be a place where you could buy a home and raise a family comfortably. That’s not the case right now,” he says. But he’s still proud of the area’s many strengths, including effective homeless services programs, a continued desire to invest in the community, and engaged and involved residents. That’s particularly true of Toluca Lake, where Nazarian’s connections run deep. “I love this area,” he says. “When we first got married, my wife and I were renting on Riverside and we would literally walk to local businesses on a nightly basis.” After starting a family, they bought a home in West Toluca Lake. Nazarian especially admires the neighborhood’s balance between tradition and innovation. “I love the character that this area has maintained, and I think that while it’s changing over time, it’s adapting very well and still very positive.”
Despite his longtime familiarity with the community, Nazarian is quick to defer to residents and business owners about what it needs to continue to thrive. “I think a lot of times, people that have been in an area for a long time have better answers than their elected officials. My constituents who have been living in Toluca Lake for the past 20, 30, 40 years, or have been running their business there, can provide me with the insight I need,” he says. “I want to have a very close working relationship with the business and residential hubs all throughout the district. Toluca Lake provides a very cohesive one, because it’s also got multiple organizations that work well with each other.”
Having always prided himself on maintaining a very responsive office, Nazarian says his goal is to ensure his constituents have access to help for whatever issues they may have, and even if their needs go beyond what the city can address, his office can connect them with appropriate resources at the county, state or federal level. In addition to hosting regular neighborhood cleanups, self-defense workshops and tenant rights clinics, his office is introducing “coffee with a councilmember” events where residents can have one-on-one conversations with him in a more casual, accessible environment. It has also partnered with the LAPD to hold public safety and community services forums throughout the district, addressing constituents’ security concerns and giving them the opportunity to get acquainted with their area’s senior lead officers and council office staff. Nazarian invites residents to contact his office if their neighborhood or community center would like to host one of these forums.
Asked what he most wants locals to know, Nazarian concludes, “I’m committed to this job, because I’m extremely optimistic about the future of Los Angeles. I have a lot of hope, and I think that there’s a lot of people around me who feel the same way. This is where they grew up; this is where they had a chance to become successful and to have a family around them, to build a community around them. And I know that we’re going through challenging times…. I think it’s critical for us to know that we are capable of innovating ourselves out of these situations in a compassionate way. And I’m going to be working to that end.”