Welcome to NELA’s Atwater Village
Atwater Village is a Los Angeles community that lies between the Los Angeles River to the west and the City of Glendale to the north and east. In addition, the neighborhood shares borders with those of Silver Lake to the south, Elysian Valley to the southeast, Glassell Park to the northeast, and Los Feliz and Griffith Park across the river to the west. Much of Atwater Village lies in the old river flood plain, which resulted in deep, fertile soil that local gardeners enjoy today.
In subsequent decades, residents began to settle in the area. Many new residents were newly prosperous workers, including many working at the nearby DWP substation. Spanish-style houses and bungalows were built in the 1920s to 1940s, many of which retain their original details. Growth was aided by the construction of a line of the Pacific Electric Railway with its distinctive “red cars”, which ran down Glendale Boulevard.
What is now Atwater Village began originally as a part of Rancho San Rafael, which covered much of what is now Glendale and northeastern Los Angeles. In 1868, W.C.B. Richardson purchased a portion of the rancho and renamed it Rancho Santa Eulalia. In 1902 this land was eventually subdivided and with some subdivisions offered for sale to prospective homebuilders. Some say that the subdivision that stretched from the Southern Pacific tracks to the Los Angeles River was eventually named Atwater Tract for its proximity to the river – “at-water”. (Neil Malmberg)
Others say the district was named Atwater to honor Harriet Atwater Paramore, a pioneer resident. One of the earliest tracts offered for sale in Atwater Village, this advertisement from the November 17, 1912, Los Angeles Times states that the formal opening for the Atwater tract was on Sunday, November 24. The advertisement touts the convenience of being only 15 minutes from Broadway in downtown Los Angeles. It also states, ‘Ideal location, fine soil on a high dry mesa, with an ever changing vista of beautiful mountains…simply ideal.” (Courtesy Los Angeles Public Library)
Atwater Village’s Architecture
In the shadow of Griffith Park along the Glendale Narrows section of the Los Angeles River sits Atwater Village, a charming slice of Los Angeles homes nestled amid Silver Lake, Los Feliz, and the city of Glendale.
Stylish homes and bungalows proliferated along the tree-lined streets, built in the Mediterranean, English Tudor, Spanish Colonial Revival, California Craftsman, and Fantasy architectural styles. A library, post office, schools, and churches sprang up along with more than 100 family-owned and corporate enterprises.
Nearly 4 miles long and half a mile wide, Atwater evolved as a wholly contained community, prompting residents in 1987 to successfully petition the city to officially add the word Village to its name. (Netty Carr, Sandra Caravella, Luis Lopez, Ann Lawson, Friends of Atwater Village)
Atwater Village’s Must-Haves
deKor - 3191 Glendale Blvd
Swedish-born interior and landscape designer Isabelle Dahlin is the founder of Isabelle Dahlin Design, a full-service design studio; and deKor, a lifestyle and home interiors boutique with locations in Los Angeles, Ojai, and New York City. deKor is a full-service interior and landscape design firm as well and their boutiques boast an eclectic mix of vintage furniture, fabrics, accessories, and custom home furnishings.
Dahlin first moved to the States to attend the Otis School of Art and Design and the New School of Design at Parsons. On moving to the West Coast, she assisted a leading Angeles interior designer before launching her own interiors and landscaping studio. In 2011 she opened the first deKor location in Echo Park, showcasing her unique design aesthetic that mixes old-world Scandinavian elegance with airy, laid-back Californian style.
“My design style is very much based on the Swedish philosophy of ‘lagom’ – a word that can be translated as ‘just the right amount’, ‘in balance’, or ‘perfect-simple’.”
deKor has been named among the 40 of the best home decor stores in America by Architectural Digest and Dahlin’s work has been featured in Martha Stewart Living, Domaine, Architectural Digest, Sunset Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, and Apartment Therapy.
“I believe home environment is a huge component in your wellbeing. Your surroundings should give you a sense of comfort and warmth while expressing a personal sense of style. Happy people contribute more to their communities and help make a better world.My whimsical assortment of Swedish-American interior furnishings are hand-picked and curated with a sense of happiness and eclectic style in mind. I aim to use sustainable materials in each piece we build because that makes for a happier planet.” – Isabelle Dahlin, founder/curator of deKor
Atwater Village Farmer's Market
Launched in June 2005, SEE-LA’s Atwater Village Farmers’ Market continues to thrive. We are at a new location 3528 Larga Ave in Public Parking Lot 646, the market is open every Sunday from 9am to 2pm. SEE-LA’s mission is to build sustainable food systems and promote social and cultural activities that benefit both low-to-moderate income residents of Los Angeles while also supporting California small-and mid-sized farms and local small businesses.
Besides our incredible Farmers Markets, SEE-LA keeps Los Angeles healthy by offering and coordinating many programs that enrich lifestyles, help the community and enhance our mission. We are dedicated to improving access to fresh, healthy foods by way of CalFresh EBT, the WIC program, and Market Match. At the market, you can use your Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program checks (FMNP)
Children across Los Angeles benefit from our ‘Bring the Farmer to Your School’ program, in which local California farmers have provided engaging sessions to schools for over 15 years. Our commitment to community enrichment is extended through our Pompea Smith Good Cooking Buena Cocina Nutrition Education Program, where we offer nutrition education, cooking demonstrations, and much more.
The Atwater Village Farmers’ Market hosts more than two dozen of Southern California’s highest quality local farms including Tutti Frutti Farms, best known for their heirloom tomatoes and other organic produce; Kenter Canyon Farms – with their wide variety of organic herbs and lettuces and La Bahn Ranch – purveyors of the freshest eggs and other poultry. Artisan food offerings include a wide range of breads, ethnic specialty foods items, and other locally-prepared food. The market is a family-friendly affair with local musicians offering live entertainment.
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Atwater Village’s Art & Culture
Treehaus
Treehaus started life as a pop-up shop in a vintage VW bus and has grown into a well-loved style hub in Los Angeles’ Atwater Village. Purveyors of cool, Michelle Pedersen and Saralynne Precht, have channeled their passion for art and design into a kick-ass curated space. Their vibe is an eclectic mix of minimal, modern, bohemian, and general fabulousness.
Treehaus showcases standout small batch, local and independent makers with a focus on socially conscious and female designers. Part of Treehaus’ mission is to give back. To that end, they hold bi-monthly art openings and contribute a portion of their sales to local charities.
Michelle and Saralynne met at a therapeutic program for their children, who are on the autistic spectrum. Because the autism community holds a special place in their hearts, they started “Atwater Cares about Autism” in April, which is Autism Acceptance Month. The fundraiser brings the Atwater business community together to raise money for autism. Look good, do good, feel good…but be badass.
Treehaus is open daily from 10am-6pm and is located at 3153 Glendale Blvd. LA, CA 90039
Momed Mediterranean Restaurant Café & Wine Bar
As food is culture and one of our last surviving languages let me introduce you to the epicurean artists of Momed, short for the modern Mediterranean. Momed is an homage to the kitchens of the eastern Mediterranean and North Africa. Since 2010, Momed has introduced Los Angeles a fresh and sophisticated interpretation of a cuisine based on the centuries-old tradition of seasonal and farm-to-table dining.
The phrase al fresco composed of two words, is borrowed from Spanish for “in the cool fresh air”, still used in Spain to denote sitting outside in the cool open air, whether dining or not. It is not in current use in Italian to refer to dining outside. Instead, Italians use the phrases fuori (“outside”, “outdoor”) or all’aperto “in the open air”. In Italian, the expression al fresco usually refers to spending time in jail. At Momed you’ll be in a wonderfully crafted food vacation!
Currently, their eight appetizers range from cured meats, cheeses of the day, Brussel sprouts with pomegranate molasses, to avocado hummus and house-made chips with sea salt and garlic aioli. Momed also has a brunch menu to wake up even the deepest sleeper! From cinnamon French toast on challah bread to Moroccan crepes, green goddess scramble, to shakshuka a spicy tomato raga with Aleppo peppers, baby spinach, and Chino Valley eggs.
A tagine is a conical cooking pot with a shallow base and tall, cone-shaped lid that is commonly used to make tagines, or stews. The name of the dish and the name of the meal cooking inside of it are the same. The benefit to cooking a tagine (the meal) in a tagine (the pot) is the pot seals in all of the flavorful ingredients that usually have a bit of moisture from sauce and vegetables, then that moisture goes up the sides of the lid and back down over the ingredients, creating a self-basting, flavor-enhancing cycle of deliciousness.
These salads are an experience unto themselves with ingredients like sumac, tarragon, dates, dukkah, organic eggs, piquillo peppers, halloumi, and dill.
Momed’s General Manager and Sommelier is Ehsan Mackani. His wines and beverage program are not by accident or by the recommendations of the traveling wine and alcohol distributors. He has cultivated the depth of his program into the subtleties of region and terroir. A perfect concord between the food, ambiance, and location venue in Atwater Village.
Reserve one of Momed’s special event spaces in Atwater Village for dinner parties, weddings, birthday parties, rehearsal dinners, bridal showers, filming, and more. With a distinctive menu, imaginative wine and cocktail list and a setting unlike any other, Momed Atwater Village is the perfect backdrop to host your celebration, whatever the occasion. From tray passed appetizers to our famous duck shawarma and tajines, your event will be forever remembered as a culinary and social success. Seems like a nice place to pop the question?
Atwater Village’s Real Estate
In May 2021, Atwater Village home prices were down 10.9% compared to last year, selling for a median price of $1.2M. On average, homes in Atwater Village sell after 34 days on the market compared to 58 days last year. There were 10 homes sold in May this year, up from 6 last year. (Redfin)
Atwater Village Preferred Mortgage Lenders
We work with two preferred lenders with experience, industry success, and slightly different lending styles.
Joe Tishkoff of Finance of America is currently the number four loan originator in the United States. He offers an array of complimentary mortgage tools available on the Internet – with 24/7 access for easy, convenient, online pre-approvals and applications for jumbo, conventional, FHA and VA loan programs along with real-time current rates. Together, with the assistance of experienced staff, and/or a trusted real estate brokerage referral, I can successfully guide you through the often difficult and confusing process of choosing and obtaining the exact loan to meet your own unique and specific needs in the neighborhood you’d like to call home.
A 36 year established veteran of real estate finance, I have had the kind of experience that counts in the fast-paced world of real estate. I have become very much in tune with local conditions. Intelligence and a strong work ethic are the essential elements of my success as a loan consultant and trusted real estate mortgage adviser. Specialties: FNMA, FHA and VA conforming and government financing options as well as high balance conforming and “jumbo” financing market expertise. Mortgage Banker License #0910184 | Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Residential Mortgage Lending Act | Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee #15499 | Kansas Licensed Mortgage Company | Licensed by the N.J. Department of Banking and Insurance | Licensed Mortgage Banker — NYS Banking Department | Rhode Island Licensed Lender | Massachusetts Lender/Broker License MC1071.
Sosimo Avila Jr has always had a passion to help people. From a young age, he connected with not-for-profit organizations to provide assistance to those in need at a global level, including American Samoa, Mexico, and Japan. After graduating from High School, he continued his education for humanitarian aid by completing Bible College at campuses worldwide. Once graduated, he was hired to establish new Bible Colleges across the globe. During that time he taught, developed curriculum, and oversaw the financial aspects of over 30 domestic institutes and over 12 international college campuses.
Education and aiding people in life have always been two of his great passions which have carried him through all his careers and still drive him in lending today. In addition to his genuine care for people, another motivating factor that fuels Sosimo’s lending career is rooted in a personal experience. The place he called home was lost, after his mother received misleading financial advice on a home loan. Seeing first-hand a single parent loses her property, which could have been avoided by the correct mortgage education, drove Sosimo to take his desire for education and aid to a new industry.
He was trained and mentored by some of the best in both the real estate and lending sides of the industry. His skills in financial responsibilities and being a professor of a variety of courses are now used to serve families in all of California. Coming from a family of five who had the opportunity to enjoy a home, even just for that short period of time, makes it his personal goal to ensure all qualifying or future qualifying families can enjoy that same blessing but for much longer.
Sosimo’s license covers all of California and he has been able to use it to help many families throughout the state and in a variety of different situations. From first-time homebuyers to move-up buyers, investors, education, and aiding people in life have always been two of his great passions which have carried him through all his careers and still drive him in lending today. and those choosing to downsize; Sosimo is able to provide each client the educated mortgage experience they deserve.
His attention to detail makes the process seamless, starting with an initial conversation to determine each individual client’s hopes and dreams and ending with either a funded loan or strategy on how to move forward in the future. Sosimo and his team have the knowledge and financial tools to ensure every customer is taken care of throughout each transaction and scenario. Regardless of what stage you are in, whether it’s just starting to research your options or are getting a second opinion before placing an offer, Sosimo and his team will be ready to help you. Their mobile and web-based method of assisting you in gathering your documentation and their face-to-face no-cost consultation process give you an experience you should never move forward without. Don’t miss out on getting the exact help you deserve from an individual who will provide you with an unparalleled experience. Sosimo will be more than happy to bring you the education and help you deserve every step of the way.
![View of Atwater Tract Train Station Early 1900’s “Atwater Village” Photographical History [Arcadia Publishing]](https://shelhamergroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Atwater-Historical-Photo2.jpg){kind=link}
![View of Atwater Village and the Hyperion Bridge, 1940’s “Atwater Village” Photographical History [Arcadia Publishing]](https://shelhamergroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Glendale-Hyperion_bridge-Atwater-Village.jpg){kind=link}
![Intersection of Fletcher Drive and San Fernando Rd in Atwater Village, south of Glendale 1936 View of Atwater Village and the Hyperion Bridge, 1940’s “Atwater Village” Photographical History [Arcadia Publishing]](https://shelhamergroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AV3.jpg){kind=link}
![Pacific Electric Red Car 1940’s “Atwater Village” Photographical History [Arcadia Publishing]](https://shelhamergroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/AV4.jpg){kind=link}
