Neighborhoods, City of Los Angeles
© McCormack's Guides
Zip Code: 90027
Neighborhoods of City of Los Angeles, located northwest of downtown L.A. and east of Hollywood. Popular with professionals and people working in film-TV. Close to Burbank (Disney, Warner Bros., Universal City) and Griffith Park, backdrop for many movies. www.mccormacks.com
Good commute because of the happy location and because of the short drive to three freeways that run quickly either to the downtown or to Burbank (the studios). Parts of Silver Lake and Los Feliz are less than a mile from subway stations on Vermont Avenue.
Echo Park, near Dodger Stadium, has many old, small homes. Quality uneven. Some streets sparkle, some fizzle, and even on the same block, upkeep will vary. Number of Victorians preserved. The 15-acre lake, which is aerated, was stocked decades ago with largemouth bass that still thrive. Echo Park borders Elysian Park, large and hilly with many trails and a recreation center.
Silver Lake steps way up in quality and on many streets comes across as middle-class plus. Old Hollywood used to make their homes here. Some mansions beautifully restored. Many apartments. Both Echo Park and Silver Lake meander over hills.
Los Feliz is a prestige neighborhood that scoots around Griffith Park and flows into upscale Hollywood hills, then hits Highway 101, the freeway that drops into Burbank. Just west of freeway is Mt. Olympus, also upscale.
Terrain is rugged and divided by steep ravines. Homes are built on mesas and on ravine pads or wedged into hills and supported by stilts. Shrubs, trees and chaparral galore. Many of the homes run to two-story, four- and five-bedroom units. Some can be classified as palatial. www.mccormacks.com
The ravine homes generally have no views; a few have great vistas. Mt. Olympus introduces the fabled Mulholland Drive, which runs along the top of the ridge. Homes north of Mulholland will often have views of the San Fernando Valley. Apartments and condos in lower hills.
Although close to major jobs centers and the downtown, the upscale neighborhoods manage to command privacy. The streets are narrow and twist and curl and end in cul-de-sacs, which discourages “through” traffic. Stores and businesses are scarce. Most of the shopping is done in the flatlands along Hollywood and Sunset boulevards. Arterials over the hills are few. Patrolled by L.A. police but many homes display private security medallions.
All the schools seem to be located in the flatlands. Served by L.A. Unified School District. Sample academic rankings: Los Feliz Elementary, 50th to 70th percentile; King Middle, 20th percentile; Marshall High, 50th and 60th percentile. Many private schools in flatlands.
Parks and open space galore, thanks to the two large parks. Hollywood Bowl. L.A. City College close by. Many classes, activities. Libraries.
Three to five miles to downtown L.A. Highway 101 and Interstate 5 to downtown. Buses. Subway. Chamber of commerce: (213) 580-7500.
For orientation on cities, towns and neighborhoods of Los Angeles County, see County Overview.
Community web site: www.losfeliz.com
