Re: Tell me about West LA
West side pavillion is close by, but the Santa monica mall is probably closer. grocery and drug store is not an issue at all in that area. maybe two to three blocks before you run into one.
Re: Ikea, my hunch is that the carson one is probably a wee bit closer than the burbank one, and you dont have to do the 405-101 traffic in case of carson. there are a few good used furniture stores in west hollywood too, and many of them deliver for free to stay competitive.
west LA is filled with persians (my persian friends call it mini-tehran), so you will find plenty of halal and kosher stores. i never ate desi while living there, but "javan" restaurant on santa monica blvd is a must eat persian place thats just down the road..