North Hollywood and Burbank are more "car guy" areas so you might want to look a few miles north.

As far as spraying anything "legaly", you can almost forget it in the South Coast Air Management Area. Best to hook up with someone that already has "a permitted" spray booth. Waterborne color is the standard and it works just fine. All base coats are still two part, and the top coats are the same.

I have always worked "late nights" and "weekends" on my personel projects at work. These are in warehouse and commercial areas, with not much traffic. In looking back on this practice "it was just crazy"! Three weeks ago, one of my VW racing friends was murdered at his auto repair shop in El Monte, CA. (just a few miles east of Hollywood) He was killing some time on the computer in the office between 8 and 9PM waiting to go to his Basketball game. Hector Urias was a every week racer at Irwindale Dragstrip and a great guy. The Police Chief spoke at his funeral and said he was "The Majic Johnson of El Monte" in always helping kids out. He just adopted a new baby after years of trying to have children. Hector was just in his mid fourties.

Seems like if they can't steal your tools, car, etc., then they will "just shoot you" So very sad times we are living currently.