Los Angeles/Northwest

Northwest Los Angeles is a region of the city that roughly comprises the neighborhoods of East Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park, Elysian Park, Westlake/MacArthur Park, and the spacious Griffith Park.

Understand
For the last several decades these areas have been occupied mostly by low-income Hispanic families. Many areas had fallen into disrepair, but over the last few years skyrocketing rents and the increasing cost of living has pushed a younger population further and further east and towards Downtown. Area neighborhoods are changing rapidly, and rents are increasing to reflect this. Hip new restaurants and shopping boutiques open regularly as the property owners renovate and raise rents, pushing the immigrant communities further east and south.

Get in
The area is roughly bounded by an inverted triangle created by the 101 freeway to the west, the 5 freeway to the east, and Griffith Park to the north, and both freeways have multiple exits into the area. The 2 freeway begins/ends in Northwest Los Angeles. Major streets that serve the area include Vermont Avenue and Sunset Boulevard.

The Metro Line subway passes through East Hollywood, with stops at Hollywood & Western, Vermont & Sunset, and Vermont & Santa Monica. Continuing north on the line will take you through Hollywood and Universal City to the North Hollywood Arts District, while continuing south will take you into Koreatown and eventually Downtown LA, terminating at Union Station. Both the and  Lines stop in Westlake at Westlake/McArthur Park station, along Wilshire Blvd between Downtown and Koreatown.

Lots of frequent Metro bus lines serve the area as well, in particular the 2, 4, and Rapid 704 along Sunset Blvd out of Downtown LA, with the 2 continuing along Sunset through Hollywood while the 4/704 split off along Santa Monica Blvd. Less frequent but also useful routes include the 180/181/Rapid 780 along Los Feliz Blvd between Hollywood and Glendale, and the 96 along Crystal Springs Drive through Griffith Park. LADOT's DASH service operates a set of local shuttle routes, including a daily route to Griffith Observatory and the Greek Theater from the Vermont & Sunset Red Line station.

Get around
Major streets in this region include:
 * 3rd Street: Runs east-west between Beverly Hills and Downtown. Served frequently by Metro Lines 16 and 316
 * Alvarado Street: Runs north-south between Pico-Union and Elysian Heights. Served frequently by Metro Line 200
 * Beverly Boulevard: Runs east-west between West Hollywood and Downtown. Served frequently by Metro Line 14
 * Echo Park Avenue: Runs north-south in Echo Park. Served frequently by the Pico Union/Echo Park DASH.
 * Los Feliz Boulevard: Runs east-west through Los Feliz and Atwater Village. Served frequently by Lines 180, 181 and Rapid 780.
 * Glendale Boulevard: Runs east-west in Echo Park and Silverlake. Served by Line 92.
 * Silverlake Boulevard: Runs through Silverlake. Served by Line 201.
 * Sunset Boulevard: Runs east-west between West LA and Downtown. Served frequently by Metro Lines 2, 4, 302 (limited) and 704 (rapid)
 * Temple Street: Runs east parallel to the 101 freeway in the Rampart District. Served by Metro Line 10
 * Wilshire Boulevard: Runs east-west between Santa Monica and Downtown. Served frequently by Metro Lines 20, 720, and the Metro Purple Line

Griffith Park
A large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains above Los Feliz, Griffith Park covers 4,210 acres of land, making it one of the largest urban parks in North America. It has been referred to as the "Central Park of Los Angeles," but is much larger and with a much more untamed, rugged character. Griffith is a great place for hikes, picnics or hanging around with friends, with great views of the city. One of the main hiking trails is located on Bronson Avenue; the street ends at the trailhead.

Despite the vastness of the park, Griffith Park's primary attractions lie along its edges. The iconic Griffith Observatory and the Greek Theatre (see below under Do) sit on the southern edge of the park, perched above the Los Feliz neighborhood. Most of the other attractions are located along Crystal Springs Drive on the eastern side of the park, many of which are geared towards kids, including the Los Angeles Zoo, the Autry Museum of the American West, a miniature railroad, a carousel, recreational facilities, and a Christmas light display in December (expect heavy traffic). A pair of railroad museums sit along Zoo Drive on the northern edge of the park. An equestrian center sits at the very northern edge of the park in Burbank.



Eat
In East Hollywood you can find countless "pupuserias". These thick, hand-made corn tortillas come with quesillo (Salvadorean cheese), pork, chicken, rice, beans, or "queso con loroco" (cheese and vine flower bud). Just look for signs that say "pupuserias." They usually run around $1.50-2 a pupusa. A very delicious food.

East Hollywood's Little Armenia district has a few excellent cheap food options. Falafel Arax at 5101 Santa Monica Blvd has excellent Falafel and Shawerma. Sassoun Bakery, at 5114 Santa Monica has great Lahmejun (Armenia pizza), boregs, zahtar (thyme) and tahini breads. Zankou Chicken at 5065 W Sunset Blvd has popular rotiserrie chicken with great garlic sauce. Carousel at 5112 Hollywood Blvd has an amazing mezze (appetizer) selection, and great food.

Sleep
There's a surprising lack of decent hotel accommodation in the area, but downtown has a handful and is a short drive away.



Go next

 * Downtown L.A. - Located to the southeast of Northwest LA, Downtown Los Angeles has been revitalize, and is now home to the impressive architecture of Disney Concert Hall, sporting and concert events at Staples Center, and a variety of dining and lodging options.
 * Wilshire District - Located to the southwest of Northwest LA, the Wilshire district is home to Koreatown, as well as attractions that include the LA County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Peterson Auto Museum, and the world-famous La Brea Tar Pits.
 * Hollywood - Bordering Northwest LA to the west, the epicenter of the motion picture industry is a must-see for almost every visitor to L.A.
 * Burbank - Northwest LA's northern neighbor is the "Media Capital of the World", home to the studios of Warner Brothers and Disney.
 * Glendale - The third largest city in Los Angeles County is notable for the influence of Armenians on its food and culture, and also for the massive Forest Lawn Cemetery where a multitude of Hollywood stars are interred, including Walt Disney and Jimmy Stewart. The city is located to the north of Northwest LA.
 * East L.A. - The Eastside of LA is home to several neighborhoods that date back as far as the late 19th century and includes Heritage Square, a historic collection of old buildings moved from other parts of LA. The Eastside is east of Northwest LA.