Echo Park

Hello!

Welcome to Echo Park, California​

Echo Park is a densely populated neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles and is typically known as part of the Eastside of LA. Today Echo Park is known for its thrift stores, The Dodgers, dive bars, and vinyl shops. Echo Park has come a long way from being a gateway to immigrants of the city at the turn of the century; to becoming the foundation of the culturally thriving community in Echo Park. Oh, and let us not forget the beautiful lake, from which the namesake is derived. That used to be a dump (literally) how quickly things are changing in Echo Park, CA.

ITS ALL ABOUT LOCATION

Echo Park Real Estate

Echo Park is flanked by Elysian Valley to the north and northeast, Elysian Park to the east, Chinatown and Downtown to the southeast, Westlake to the southwest and west, and Silver Lake to the northwest. Echo Park has no official boundaries or borders. The construction of the 101 freeway and the 2 Freeway also cut off a large section of the neighborhood on the south and west.


Historically, however, some general boundaries of Echo Park are Benton Way or Waterloo Street, Glendale Blvd., Allesandro St, on the west. The northern boundary is Riverside Drive. The eastern boundary borders with Elysian Park (north of Sunset Blvd), Boylston St. (south of Sunset Blvd.) The southern boundary is Beverly Boulevard.

The main thoroughfares and commercial strips are Sunset Boulevard, Glendale Boulevard, Alvarado Street, and Echo Park Avenue.


Within Echo Park lie some of the most historically and architecturally rich neighborhoods of Angelino Heights, Elysian Heights, Historic Filipinotown, and Victor Heights. While some parts of Echo Park are hilly and sloped, most of the area is bikeable and walk-friendly, particularly around Echo Park Lake and the ‘downtown’ Sunset and Alvarado strips.

Echo Park Community

Echo Park, although quickly on the rise as a higher-middle class/wealthy neighborhood, it’s still largely working class and a haven for artists (which we appreciate). Echo Park’s character has continually evolved for over 120 years into a dynamic blend of cultures, incomes, business activity, and social activism making it a truly unique neighborhood that is cherished by its residents. All this, and its historic architecture and magnificent hills are why more and more people have been moving in. Young professionals and families alike are enjoying the walkability and outdoor amenities, while still having a small community and feel.

 

 

Echo Park Community Center

1632 Bellview Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 689 8822

 

 

What started out as a natural arroyo filled with water from a stream is now a remarkable park. The land was donated to the city for use as a public park in 1891, and Joseph Henry Tomlinson designed the park based on a garden in England. The park is 26 acres and has a lake with paddle-boats for hourly rental, and has become a weekend magnet for Echo Park residents and travels.

 

 

Echo Park Schools

Berkeley Ave Children’s Center
1814 Berkeley Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 413-6655

Golden West Christian School
1310 Liberty St.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 413-6272

Logan Street Elementary School
1711 Montana St.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 413-6353

Berkeley Ave Children’s Center
1814 Berkeley Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 413-6655

 

Echo Park Art and Shopping

The commercial strips of Echo Park are filled with trendy cafes, boutiques, restaurants, and bars providing a lifestyle that is an extension of its neighbor Silver Lake. There is a DIY sense of attitude and appreciation for diversity. Sunset Boulevard, both north, and south of Alvarado, is the downtown corridor of the community and is lined with a range of vintage stores, record shops, Mexican bakeries, 99 cent stores, laundromats, and mom and pop fashion shops. Echo Park is home to the annual Lotus Festival, the Cuban Festival, and historic Filipinotown.

 

The past few years have seen more art spaces and galleries hosting local artist exhibits, performance art, and music events. Spaces such as Subliminal Projects and Echoes Under Sunset are intimate venues showcasing multi-media, contemporary, street art, or an impromptu DJ set. You might also pop into one of the many bookstores for a poetry reading or performance art night.

Sage Vegan Bistro

If you’re in the mood for hipster watching and swanky vegan and raw dishes you’ve come to the right spot. Sage Vegan Bistro is a funky neighborhood restaurant that promises to deliver tasteful delights and plenty of eye candy…But don’t take my word for it. Read the article with the owner/chef here at SilverLakeBlog.

1700 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 989-1718

The Short Stop

You can’t visit Echo Park without dropping in for a drink at a dive bar. The Short Stop has a dance floor, pool table, video games, jukebox, and a photo booth–everything that spells success for a dive bar including cheap drinks and sketchy service.

1455 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 482-4942

ESQUELETO

Feeling like buying a little jewelry? Lauren Wolf, designer and owner of Esqueleto, has planted herself a second flagship boutique on Sunset Blvd in Echo Park. Stroll in and check out her eclectic mix of stones and gems fit for a king or queen. The little shop also features up-and-coming designers from around the globe. Read more on Esqueleto in our exclusive interview with Lauren Wolf here at SilverLakeBlog.

1298 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 947-3508

Masa

Displaced Chicagoans and those who simply love Chicago-style pizza run to this Echo Park restaurant that makes authentic deep-dish pizza, yes, in Southern California! All of their “masa” (dough) is daily backed in their bakery, and their sauces and dressings are all made from scratch, as well. Masa uses only organic, local produce, along with “imported” Chicago favorites like Scala’s Authentic Hot Giardiniera among other ingredients. If you want some real Chicago-style Italian food without getting out of town, head over to Masa.

1800 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 989-1558

Echo Park Nightlife

Echo Park has become the ‘it’ place to hang out and there’s no need to wait for the weekend.  Music venues and bars throughout the neighborhood host nightly game nights and live shows. One of the most popular performance spaces is the Echoplex, which was invaded for a surprise performance a few years ago by – ready for this – The Rolling Stones. Now that’s next level shit. Party on a Tuesday night? Why not. Head to the Short Stop for some serious dancing and stiff drinks.


If you’re just getting out of a Dodger game and want to celebrate the win, head to any of the cool dive bars or old school eateries and toast to the best baseball team ever (GO BLUE!).


If you’re more about food than drink, you’ve come to the right place. Echo Park has become a foodie destination dining scene that mixes neighborhood staples with neighborhood newcomers. Culinary gems such as the uber-hipster Sage and Mohawk Bend mix with some of the best taco trucks in the city.

Live Music | Echo Park

There are plenty of live music events happening every week in Echo Park. Take your pick from music venues like Spaceland (in nearby Silver Lake), The Echo, and Echoplex. They’re all unique and serve up a memorable night on the town.

 

With more sounds going digital every day, it’s nice to support the local Echo Park vinyl record shops that are popping up around L.A. Along with Vacation Vinyl in Los Feliz, Origami Vinyl is a very welcomed addition to the east side of Los Angeles. Their record selection is impressive with new and hard to find indie rock albums along with some hip-hop, rock, and reissues. They also have live in-store performances that are hard to beat. Drop in and say hello.

The Echo

1822 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 413-8200

Echo Park Architecture and Real Estate

Echo Park is home to some of the last remaining and most well-preserved architecture in all of the city, most notable Angelino Heights contains some of the best remaining examples of Victorian architectural styles in Los Angeles, as well as later examples of Craftsman and Mission Revival styles. Angeleno Heights was the first neighborhood in Los Angeles to be adopted as a Historic Preservation Overlay Zone. The 1300 block of Carroll Avenue, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is a sight to see. The meticulously restored manors along this street draw camera-toting visitors and film crews on a regular basis.

 

The wooded hills at the north end of Echo Park is a residential area known as Elysian Heights. The area has breathtaking views and feels like the city is a hundred miles away. Historically home to artists, political radicals, architects, and filmmakers, the homes are just as eclectic, yet still bohemian in their own right.

 

The thing that draws a new generation of bohemians with Eastside dreams to Echo Park is the abundance of charming craftsman homes and their prices. The area is populated primarily with modest-sized homes and a good bang for the buck can still be had here, although the demand has been growing steadily.

 

Echo Park Real Estate value has been on the steady rise since the early 2000s and following the Great Recession. The inflow and push of young executives, artists, and tech-minded entrepreneurs have given way for new business and Echo Park Real Estate development. The neighborhood has lately seen a major facelift and revitalization both commercially and residentially. Never in Echo Park, Real Estate’s history has there been such expansion and economic growth making Echo Park the perfect neighborhood to call home.

Echo Park Historical Fun Facts

At the end of the 19th century, a horse-drawn trolley rambled up a dirt road that is now Echo Park Avenue, which led into hills covered with fields of native grasses and wildflowers. If one person could be called a founder, it would be Thomas Kelley, the carriage maker turned real estate developer.

 

Kelley and his business partners sold off pieces of what they called the Montana Tract to individuals who built the business district along Sunset Boulevard and the densely packed homes and apartments that surround Echo Park Lake. Legend says the lake, which is actually a man-made reservoir, got its name after workers building the original reservoir said their voices echoed off the canyon walls. The “Lady of the Lake” statue was not added as a feature until years later. Enclaves of rich neighborhoods began popping up, eventually becoming the prestigious Elysian Heights and Angelino Heights areas for upper-middle-class Victorian–era Los Angeles from the late 1800s.

 

Recently a plaque honoring film industry pioneer Mack Sennett which states ‘THIS IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF MOTION PICTURE COMEDY’ was restored and placed in its proper location, along with Glendale Boulevard near Aaron Street in Echo Park. This was the first true site of Sennett’s sound stages, almost 100 years ago, and one could say what put Echo Park on the map, the movie industry! Similar to adjacent Silver Lake, the area thrived as part of the Edendale movie magic and its proximity to the downtown. Several silent comedies were filmed here as were several Laurel and Hardy, Charlie Chaplin, Our Gang, Ben Turpin, Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle, Charley Chase, Chester Conklin, and Three Stooges shorts.

 

As many middle-class white residents relocated to the suburbs after World War II, Mexican Americans moved into the area’s affordable homes, becoming Echo Park’s majority, along with smaller populations of Chinese, Filipino, and Southeast Asian immigrants. During this era, the neighborhood was shaped by the diverse and colorful artists, musicians, and intellectuals. Years later, the neighborhood was affected by the evictions at Chavez Ravine and the division of the barrios by freeway construction. An area that underwent years of racial hostility towards Mexicans in the low-income neighborhood, Mexican American youths part of the zoot suit riot culture, and later gang periods of the 1970s and 1980s, Echo Park has had its share of violent periods.

 

Today, however, Echo Park has stayed strong in its culturally rich foundation and is safe for the most part, although you might not want to take a late-night stroll on some streets. There is still plenty of movie-making magic happening here too, and street & music festivals happen a few times a year. Although Echo Park has changed dramatically over the past century, it has managed to retain the historic character and strong sense of identity that sets it apart in a modern and sprawling metropolis.

Is Echo Park Safe?

Outside view of the Northeast Los Angeles Police Station which serves Echo Park

Every metropolitan city with high density carries with it the increase for crime based on the increased population sample. As a whole Echo Park is safe and here are the numbers!

 

Crime Rates in Echo Park

Echo Park reported an average of 54 crimes per 1000 residents in 2022 according to The University of Southern California’s Crosstown project. Every metropolitan city with high density carries with it the increase for crime based on the increased population sample.” We, humans, have a hard time comparing things unless we are assisted. And when we don’t have that assistance, we can go to extremes. What is the typical experience? What are the extremes? Of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County 52 of the LA neighborhood’s have a property crime rate between 16-25 people per 1000 residents. The lowest being 9 and the highest being 167. Only 12 of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County have a violent crime rate of 11-15 people per 1000 residents. The lowest being 1 and the highest being 45. 

 

Crime Statistics and Types in Echo Park

For a more comprehensive look take a look at the Los Angeles Police Department Crime Mapping site. You can get up-to-date crime statistics for neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles. The majority of crime that takes place in Echo Park is vehicle break-in, larceny, and burglary. Assaults constituted only 14.6% of the 144 total crimes committed in the Month of May 2023.

 

“Los Angeles saw an 11% increase in its overall crime rate in 2022, with 60 reported crimes per 1,000 residents last year compared with 54 per 1,000 residents in 2019. The data includes both violent crimes, defined by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to include rape, robberies, armed assault and homicide, as well as property crimes, such as burglary, arson and vehicle theft.” 

 

“Across Los Angeles, auto parts are being snatched and sold at an unprecedented pace. Last year hit a record when more than 6,970 auto parts were reported stolen, 219% more than the number reported stolen in 2018.” (Usa Today)

Homeless Population in Echo Park

According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority LAHSA as of 2022 423 individuals constituted the entire homeless population of Echo Park’s 34,269 population. 

 

In the Service Planning Area Metro 4  where Echo park resides there were 17,820 individuals that were homeless and or in vehicles based on the data collected from Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority in 2022. Other major areas such as South L.A (SPA 6) has 14,598 the San Fernando Valley (SPA 2) 9,829 and the lowest region is the Antelope Valley with 4,598. The range falls between the highest being the South Los Angeles Service Area at 1.38% and the lowest being the San Gabriel Valley at .28%. Echo Park / Service Planning area 4 is at 1.23%.

An image of the Greater Los Angeles Service Planning Areas (SPAs)from LAHSA that outline the 8 different regions of the 2022 of the homeless populations based on geographic regions.

Homelessness and Housing Challenges

It’s impossible to discuss crime in Los Angeles without considering the city’s massive unhoused population, which by some measurements is the largest in the nation.

 

The greater Los Angeles homeless Service Planning Areas (SPA’s) are broken up between eight different regions each with unique challenges to address compassionately and effectively based on the numbers of human beings that they serve. Rehousing L.A is at the forefront of active solutions leading to change. The people on the frontlines of Rehousing L.A’s rehousing system made more than 84,000 housing placements in the past five years. L.A. County is increasing coordination among mainstream systems–foster care, hospitals, jails and prisons–to better prevent homelessness. The focus being on emergency shelter to better rehouse people long term. This fall, we will roll out shared success measures and goals to hold our rehousing system accountable and increase coordination. Our 88 city governments must focus on increasing affordable housing.

 

Each year, more than 21,000 people get rehoused, but more than 80,000 people become homeless. L.A County has increased prevention efforts in our mainstream systems and increasing affordable housing. Since COVID-19, health authorities recommended against moving encampments, resulting in 17% more visible tents, vehicles, and makeshift shelters–with fewer people in them. Since the count, there’s been a record number of actions to help move people inside. (LAHSA)

Changes in Echo Park and Housing Initiatives

Recently in Echo Park the chain-link fence around the famous lake was removed. Newly-elected City Council member Hugo Soto-Martinez campaigned on a promise to remove it, and he defeated the incumbent, Mitch O’Farrell, who oversaw the process that led to the fence going up. The fence allows the park to be locked at night by employees of the city, which prevents the return of the homeless encampment that was cleared from the park in March 2021, an action that prompted a confrontation between hundreds of Los Angeles Police Department officers and hundreds of activists who were protesting in favor of the encampment. The removal of 183 homeless people residing around Echo Park Lake was said to be necessary for repairs. The individuals were offered housing in motels and told they could not stay in the park. Just eight years earlier the city had spent $45 million to refurbish the park, but after the encampment was cleared the park needed $600,000 in repairs.


Under the “Inside Safe” program initiated by Mayor Karen Bass as well as the Project Roomkey/Homekey state and local program of converting hotels to housing for the homeless, unhoused people who return to Echo Park Lake after the fence comes down will be offered housing in a motel. “We are shifting the way the city approaches homelessness, and the Inside Safe initiative represents a change in how we help and house people living in tents and encampments,” Mayor Bass said. “The new strategy on homelessness I am bringing to City Hall replaces quick fixes with real solutions. People should not be left to live and die on the streets because the city isn’t giving them someplace to go. Under my administration, we are giving people safe places to move inside, and we will ensure people can stay inside and safe for good.” Major Karen Bass

Neighborhood Council and Community Engagement

The Echo Park Neighborhood Council is a publicly funded and elected group of individuals who live, work, own property, or otherwise have a connection to Echo Park. They address issues and engage in initiatives affecting the neighborhood as a whole, as well as in each of its six districts. The EPNC connects residents on a local level with their city government and aims to address issues of safety, development, and quality of life with those who live and work around us. The Echo Park Neighborhood Council’s Homelessness & Housing Committee (HHC) mission statement is “The EPNC Homelessness & Housing Committee seeks to implement ideas that will benefit our unhoused residents. HHC strives to connect those experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity to resources and to advocate for the effective use of government programs to help address our housing crisis.” They have board members and meet the 1st Tuesday of the month at 7pm.
Echo Park Neighborhood Council Map which is a visula comprehensive guidline of where the emergency services are in the Echo park Boundary areas.

Neighborhood Watch and Crime Prevention

To keep an eye on things in your neighborhood the more modern neighborhood watch is Crime Stoppers. This site is where you can submit a tip, follow up, and collect a cash reward! “The purpose of Los Angeles Regional Crime Stoppers is to prevent and reduce crime, by forming a partnership among the community, law enforcement and the media to offer anonymity and cash rewards to anyone providing information leading to an arrest. Crime Stoppers encourages members of the community to assist local law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime by overcoming the two key elements that inhibit community involvement: fear and apathy.” (Crime Stoppers)

Outside View of Los Angeles Fire Department 20 Echo Park With A Fire Engine And Firefighters Heading Out Of The Station On An Emergency Call

Your Next Chapter Starts Here

Senior Guide

Our golden years bring lots of changes.

It’s important to consider the people you invite to be on your support team. Part of that team is a Senior Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) by your side.

Local Resources:

Northeast Community Police Station

323-561-3211 (Voice)

877-275-5273 (TTY)
3353 San Fernando Rd.
Los Angeles, CA 90065 


Los Angeles Fire Department Station 20 Echo Park

213-485-6220
2144 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles , CA 90026


Echo Park Neighborhood Council
Email: info@echoparknc.com
Mailing Address:
1226 N. Alvarado
Los Angeles, CA 90026


Health Services of Los Angeles County
211
Primary care, emergency services for insured, uninsured, low-income, no income

 

211 County Help Line
For emergency food/shelter, dial 211 and choose option 3

 

Emergency Senior Meals Response
213-202-5669
Meals for seniors 60+

 

Los Angeles County Domestic Violence Safety Plan Hotline
800-799-723

Echo Park is in Central Los Angeles, between Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles. It is situated near the 101, the 2, and the 5 freeways. Echo Park is flanked by Elysian Valley to the north and northeast, Elysian Park to the east, Chinatown and Downtown to the southeast, Westlake to the southwest and west, and Silver Lake to the northwest. (Los Angeles Times Mapping L.A. )

THE SHELHAMER GROUP   |    DRE: 01950995

Glenn Shelhamer is a licensed real estate broker DRE: 01950995 in the state of California and abides by equal housing opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. To reach The Shelhamer Real Estate Group’s office manage please call (310) 913-9477.

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