El Sereno
El Sereno Quick Facts
- Where it is: Northeast Los Angeles, inside the City of LA. Not its own city. Bordered by Alhambra to the east, Monterey Hills and Cal State LA to the south, Lincoln Heights and Montecito Heights to the west.
- ZIP code: 90032.
- Getting Downtown: 10 to 15 minutes by car off Huntington Drive, Valley Boulevard or the 10.
- What homes cost: Median sale $829,000 over the last twelve months. The typical sale was a 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,214 square foot house.
- Is it safe: Yes for a working residential neighborhood. Property crime along Huntington and Valley, quiet in the hills. Full answer below.
- The one thing to know: It is one of the last places in Northeast LA where a single family house with a yard and a view still trades under a million.
El Sereno Market Data: October 2026
What actually happened in El Sereno over the last twelve months, straight from the MLS.
| Median sale price | $829,000 |
| Median days on market | 15 days |
| Homes sold in the past 12 months | 189 |
| The typical home that sold | 3 bed, 2 bath, 1,214 sq ft |
| Homes for sale right now | 51 active, 61 with pending |
| Median asking price right now | $799,000 |
| Enough homes for sale to last | 3.2 months |
| Change from a year ago | Down 0.1%, essentially flat |
How fast do homes sell in El Sereno?
Of the 189 homes that sold, 133 of them, about 70%, were in escrow within thirty days, and those closed at 105.3% of asking price. The homes that took thirty-one to sixty days closed at 100.8%.
That is a gap of 4.5 percentage points, or about $36,000 on a median asking price of $799,000. It is among the narrowest gaps in the area, which means El Sereno punishes a slow start less than most of its neighbors do. It is also the only hillside market here where the second month still clears asking.
One of the most forgiving markets in Northeast Los Angeles, and the most affordable.
Is the El Sereno market going up or down?
Flat, and flatter than it looked a month ago. The median sale price moved from $830,000 to $829,000, down 0.1%, and sales eased from 197 to 189. El Sereno is the most affordable neighborhood in this set by a wide margin, and it has held its ground rather than run.
How many homes are for sale in El Sereno right now?
Fifty-one homes are on the market, 61 counting the ones already in escrow, which is about 3.2 months of supply. They are asking a median of $799,000. What is still sitting has been listed a median of 43 days, against 15 days for what sells.
Source: The MLS/CLAW, Area 1214 (El Sereno). Closed sales October 1, 2025 through October 1, 2026, 189 sales. Active and pending inventory as of October 1, 2026. Data deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Compiled by Glenn Shelhamer, The Shelhamer Real Estate Group, CalDRE #01950995.
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Hello!
Welcome to El Sereno, California
El Sereno is Spanish for “The Serene.” Although you may have never heard of it, El Sereno is far from new as it is one of the oldest sections in Los Angeles dating back to 1769 and on track to be one of the hottest Eastside real estate markets. However, history might not be the only reason newcomers are joining the revitalizing neighborhood of El Sereno and its many captivating homes for sale.
The hillsides, the views, the quick side street route to Downtown LA, plus the entrepreneurial spirit behind long-standing gems and new artistic hot spots are drawing in the new faces. Equi-distant from the Highland Park favorites on Figueroa and York and California State University LA, this historic neighborhood and the homes for sale in it, is about to make history yet again.
El Sereno Community
El Sereno is a vibrant and artistic community that was built on the many generations of its residents that took pride in their culture. A variety of residents have lived there for the entirety of their lives and support the growth and rejuvenation of the community.
Although other neighboring cities are more commonly know for their influx of hipsters and creatives, El Sereno has become a home to a handful of young families looking for a place to set their roots. El Sereno has been ranked one of the top areas in Los Angeles for millennials as the sense of community, location, and forethought that this neighborhood is ripe for revitalization.
The “Serene” beauty of El Sereno is meant to be enjoyed. Ascot Hills Park has stellar views and if you’re willing to do a bit of a clime you can see the DLTA skyline. Perfect for family picnics or to take your furry baby out for some fresh air.
The El Sereno Rec Center and El Sereno park is the perfect spot to for sporting activities and family and friend meetups.
For the kiddo’s El Sereno Arryo Playground, with a huge population of kids under five El Sereno build this playground full with jungle gyms, slides and monkey bars.
El Sereno Art and Shopping
JUNEBUG MARKET
Junebug Market is a brick and mortar storefront located in the Eastside region of Los Angeles, California. We are located on Huntington Drive in El Sereno, an area with rich history and the oldest community in Los Angeles.
The shop is curated with antiques, ceramics, art, vintage clothing, handmade goods and so much more. We are a new small business and are always looking for new artists with future intentions of organizing events such as gallery nights, tattoo pop-ups, hands on classes, and other functions.
5463 Huntington Dr N, Los Angeles, CA 90032, United States
www.junebugmarket.com
THE GODDESS MERCADO
Organizing, empowering, uplifting, building, and promoting entrepreneurship within our underrepresented Latin women, youth, and queer communities.
Our volunteers assist with branding, logo, graphic design, mobile boutique presentation, marketing and more. Our organization creates opportunities for your youth to express themselves, creatively, lucratively, and with the support of our local community and schools. The women of the goddess mercado are encouraged to support each other by helping each other with set up, buying from each other, and promoting each other.
The intention of the mercado is to create a permanent safe space where our community of vendors and supporters are able to gather, meet and celebrate for we know this strengthens community. The Goddess Mercado was created by Diana Diaz. She recruited 14 local women and founded their first marketplace in City Terrace, April 2021. The Goddess Mercado gave birth to The Queer Mercado July 2021 and The Goddess Mercado Boutique during October 2021.
5384 Huntington Dr S, Los Angeles, CA 90032, United States
www.thegoddessmercado.com
THE LUCKMAN FINE ARTS COMPLEX
The Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State LA is your home for unique cultural experiences. The Luckman Fine Arts Complex at Cal State LA presents cutting-edge professional music, dance, theatre, and visual arts from around the world. Located 5 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, the Luckman is home to three unique spaces: the Luckman Theatre with a capacity of nearly 1,200, the Intimate Theatre with modular seating of up to 300, and the 3,600 square foot Luckman Gallery.
The Luckman was designed by The Luckman Partnership, Inc. This prestigious Los Angeles architectural firm is responsible for such landmark structures as the Los Angeles Forum, Madison Square Garden, and Los Angeles International Airport. The Luckman Theatre was designed to reflect the beauty and strength of “old” California. Characterized by sun-drenched brick buildings and a tiered street of dramatic arches and columns. The Luckman has been described as a perfect blend of the old and the new. Reminiscent of a Roman forum, while maintaining the glorious spaciousness which defines Southern California.
The Luckman Theatre
Designed to seat 1,152 patrons, this beautiful state-of-the-art theatre can also be converted into a 624-seat or a 500-seat house. The facility features excellent acoustics and sightlines, and includes a 48-foot wide proscenium, mechanically operated orchestra pit for 60 musicians, and digital video and film projection capabilities.
The Luckman Street of the Arts
The Luckman Street of the Arts is a grand esplanade complete with an amphitheater linking the Luckman Theatre, the Luckman Gallery, and the Intimate Theatre. Fourteen towering arches frame a sweeping view of the San Gabriel Mountains.
The Luckman Gallery
The 3,600-square-foot Luckman Gallery presents exhibitions that represent a diverse selection of artists. It is home to the Luckman Permanent Collection of over 500 works by Andy Warhol, Alexander Calder, José Sacal, Sister Mary Corita Kent, Alexandra Nichita, Raúl Anguiano, and more.
The Intimate Theatre
The Intimate Theatre is the Luckman Fine Arts Complex’s black box venue. Its modular seating configurations allow it to adapt to the vast array of stagings: proscenium, thrust, or in-the-round. The Intimate Theatre has hosted concerts, film festivals, theatrical productions, live radio broadcasts, televised US presidential forums.
El Sereno History
As one of the oldest neighborhoods in LA, El Sereno has quite a history.
The history of El Sereno stretches back to before the arrival of the Spanish. It is noted that the ancient native village of Otsungna existed in what now is El Sereno. Although no archeological records exist, the recorded annals left by the San Gabriel Mission Franciscans tell us that this village existed alongside a stream that ran North to South through the what is now El Sereno. The village of Otsungna relied on the source of water to meet their daily life’s needs.
The El Sereno area was first visited by Europeans in 1769 when the Spanish overland Portola Expedition passed just south of present-day El Sereno. In 1771, Mission San Gabriel Arcángel was founded, including the area that became El Sereno area of its lands was used for cattle grazing, and an adobe building was constructed there in 1776.
In 1784, three years after the Pueblo was founded, Spanish Governor Pedro Fages granted all the lands between the Los Angeles River and the Arroyo Seco to Jose Maria Verdugo. The Rancho San Rafael as it was known, covered approximately 36,000 acres (14,569 ha). The El Sereno area was not included in either the pueblo or Rancho San Rafael.
El Sereno was later part of the Mexican Rancho Rosa Castilla land grant. Around 1810, a New Spain government’s adobe toll house was built next to the road from the Mission to the Pueblo (present-day Valley Boulevard/Alhambra Avenue), near present-day Warwick Avenue and Martin Street, just north of Alhambra Avenue.
But it is logical to consider that one of the original 36 adobes built in California was built in El Sereno because the stream known as Arroyo Rosa de Castilla runs down the middle of El Sereno, right past where the original Spanish adobe once stood. The adobe was most likely built very near the native village because the native Tongva people were the primary labor force behind the majority of the Mission’s construction projects, including the building of the San Gabriel Mission. It’s logical to think the native Tongva people living in Otsungna helped with the building of the original adobe. The land now occupied by CSULA is the site where the original adobe once stood. This land/area was the heart of San Gabriel Mission land-grant called Rosa de Castillo.
The first roads were built in 1859 and ran along Valley Blvd. The Southern Pacific Railroad was built through El Sereno in 1876 with a stop at Aurant. On May 1, 1895, the first inter-urban rail route in Southern California opened from Los Angeles to Pasadena along the Arroyo Seco, spurring subdivisions along that passage. By 1915, eleven tracts had been subdivided in the Bairdstown area, centered at Farmdale Avenue (now Eastern Avenue) and Huntington Drive.
During WW1 El Sereno’s population rose as the country prepared for the war. Because of the rationing of gas and rubber, most new residents who came to work at the aircraft and munitions factories in Los Angeles moved to communities along the Pacific Electric routes. EI Sereno experienced huge industrial growth during the war years.
A handful of the families that moved here at the time were Italian-American. The rise in population led to the construction of the El Sereno Theatre at 3333 Eastern Avenue; it was the third theater in the community.
After WW2, restrictions had prevented Mexican-American families who lived in the adjacent communities of Lincoln Heights and Boyle Heights from purchasing homes in EI Sereno. After restrictions were lifted by a 1948 Supreme Court decision (Shelly v. Kraemer), many Mexican-American families moved to EI Sereno. The demand for housing after World War II was satisfied by the construction of new neighborhoods in the southern end of EI Sereno.
Is El Sereno Safe?
The short answer
El Sereno is a working residential neighborhood, not a dangerous one. The crime that gets reported is mostly property crime, and it clusters along Huntington Drive and Valley Boulevard, the two commercial spines. The hillside streets above them are quiet.
What actually happens
Car break-ins and catalytic converter thefts top the list, same as every neighborhood in this part of the city. Tagging on the commercial strips comes and goes. Package theft is the complaint that shows up most on the neighborhood boards. A camera, a locked delivery box, and nothing left on the seat handles most of it.
It changes block by block
Huntington Drive is busy, lit and commercial end to end. Valley Boulevard on the south edge is industrial and empty after dark, which reads as sketchy and is mostly just empty. Climb into the hills off Eastern Avenue or up toward Ascot Hills Park and it is narrow streets, long driveways and neighbors who have been there thirty years. The streets around Cal State LA pick up with student traffic during the semester and go quiet in summer.
Check it yourself
El Sereno is covered by LAPD’s Hollenbeck Community Police Station, 2111 E 1st St, Los Angeles, CA 90033, 323-342-4100. Hollenbeck covers about 15 square miles and roughly 200,000 people, from Boyle Heights up through El Sereno and Montecito Heights, so the division total says more about Boyle Heights than about the hill you are looking at. Ask for the El Sereno reporting districts and compare those to the block.
ITS ALL ABOUT LOCATION
El Sereno Real Estate
El Sereno is bordered on the north by Highland Park and South Pasadena, on the east by Alhambra, on the south by East Los Angeles, and on the west by Lincoln Heights and Montecito Heights. Just east of the 110 freeway makes El Sereno a quick pop over to Highland Park, Eagle Rock or hop on the 5 for an exit to Dodgers Stadium. The back roads make the easy commute to DTLA just 15-20 minutes. El Sereno boasts an abundant mix of Craftsman Bungalows, charming Spanish Revival homes along with some of the most prolific development of newly built homes utilizing some of today’s finest modern architectural designs and materials with sweeping views.
At 4.7 squares miles this community and the houses for sale in it, boast smaller sub-neighborhoods including:
Hillside Village – smack in the middle which has come to be the most exclusive and popular sub-neighborhood.
University Hills – with its close proximity to Cal State LA, and its rolling hills, University Hills has a private feel with a strong sense of community.
Rose Hill – Western border
Baird Park – (Bairdstown) northern border.
El Sereno Hills – Eastside, boasting homes for sale with incredible views on streets such as Calandaria.
With record-soaring price tags for homes in neighboring cities such as Highland Park, Echo Park, and Mount Washington, El Sereno offers a little more bang for your buck… for the time being. If Highland Park is the new Silverlake, then El Sereno is going to be the next Highland Park.With average home prices in El Sereno just 5 years ago going for 356,000 to last year with a home sale of over 1 million dollars the appreciation value is skyrocketing at a speed you almost never see.
El Sereno Eateries & Nightlife
EWDD provides Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to the Los Angeles Food Policy Council (LAFPC), which spearheads the Healthy Neighborhood Market Network (HNMN). The program assists neighborhood market owners to build the capacity to operate as successful healthy food retailers in underserved communities. This financial support from the program allowed sibling team Linda and Armando Mejia, co-owners of the Village Mart & Deli, to expand healthy food options in El Sereno.
THE VILLAGE MART & DELI
The Village Mart & Deli is a community hub for El Sereno residents and commuters alike. The store has been a popular stop on Soto Street for more than 30 years, and sister and brother team Linda and Armando Mejia were regular customers before taking over the store in 2018. Buying the deli was a labor of love for the owners, but without prior food business experience, they had to learn on the job with little external support. From the beginning, the owners of The Village Mart & Deli were committed to serving fresh, high-quality food in their deli, so partnering with the HNMN program was a natural fit.
2200 N Soto St, Los Angeles, CA 90032
“My family and I have lived in this neighborhood for a long time, and I always drove by this corner thinking ‘this could be something so great!’ I began going into the store and asking if I could do things for them to fix up the store, like paint and put up some shelves. Eventually, the old owner said she was selling and asked if I would buy it. I called my brother Armando right away. I had a vision for this place and I wanted to do this,” Linda said.
Since 2018, LAFPC has worked alongside Linda and Armando to develop plans for building a healthier food option in the neighborhood. The LAFPC helped them gain a better understanding of current store practices, assess store needs, and supported the owners with the skills and infrastructure necessary to feel confident in their business plan and offer healthier options.
In 2021, the team focused on starting El Sereno’s first farm stand. There are very limited food options in the neighborhood, with the nearest grocery stores located up to two miles away. In pursuit of giving the El Sereno neighborhood the same access to fresh, healthy food options available in more affluent neighborhoods, the owners are working with their HNMN business counselor to cultivate relationships with local suppliers and producers.
Once Los Angeles is in a safe position to host larger community events, which are currently limited by COVID-19 health concerns, the owners hope to hire local chefs to perform healthy cooking demonstrations to showcase how to incorporate local, seasonal produce into familiar recipes. “It’s never been about the money for us, it’s always been about making this place great for the community. We don’t have any farmer’s markets or anything like that in El Sereno. We want to be able to provide our neighborhood with fresh, delicious food,” Armando said.
GREEN GROCER
A greengrocer is a shopkeeper who sells fruit and vegetables.
Torres and Erika Crenshaw opened the market Green Grocer in June as a love letter to tienditas, or corner stores, they grew up with. Like those businesses, the couple says they use the 600 square feet to create a welcoming gathering place that reflects the community’s needs. They are also very intentional about selecting products from local companies that are owned by women, people of color, or queer individuals.
“We are sort of the downtown main street shop that is thinking about power and the ways that so many people have been made to feel not welcome,” says Torres.
5761 Huntington Dr N, Los Angeles, CA 90032, United States
www.instagram.com/elserenogreengrocer
The seeds of an idea for a store were planted in 2019 when Torres and Crensaw started volunteering at the El Sereno Community Garden. They were learning about Korean squash and other fruits and vegetables that are culturally important to the neighborhood’s diverse residents. They also became part of the broader food sovereignty movement that aims to help people of color grow their own fresh healthy food. The community garden was also addressing the neighborhood’s lack of access to affordable healthy food. Studies show El Sereno is considered a food desert. That label is complicated, says Torres, who explains people in El Sereno have persevered to have “vibrant food lives.”
A central part of the business model today is keeping their organic vegetables affordable. They sell veggies from the Compton-based Alma Backyard Farms at cost. They also like to support vendors who are exploring their cultural traditions, like frozen dumplings from Montebello’s Ken’s Porkstickers and ice cream inspired by classic Latin desserts from Sad Girl Creamery. They also stock eggs from neighborhood chicken farm Egg Sereno, honey from local beekeeper Victor Jaramillo, and bread from Out of Thin Air, a bakery that supports recovering addicts. Torres and Crenshaw put a lot of effort into making the shop welcoming — down to the details.
For example, they ask customers about their kids, and place a note near the register that reads “check you out.” This all creates an experience involving good company and good food, and it can be done anywhere on a small scale, says Crenshaw. She started by asking herself what was in her control to change in her community. “Because in sustaining ourselves and sustaining the community, it just permeates and ripples out,” says Crenshaw. “I don’t have to change the world. But I can change my block.”
EL SERENO NIGHT MARKET
Starting in 2020 The El Sereno Night Market celebrating the rich history and culture of El Sereno and entrepreneurship has been a massive hit. Every Wednesday from 5pm-10pm it is located at 4899 Huntington Dr. N Los Angeles, CA 90032.
A place to grab homemade tortas, pizza, sushi and your local organic produce.
2200 N Soto St, Los Angeles, CA 90032
El Sereno Architecture and Real Estate
El Sereno boasts an abundant mix of storybook houses for sale and Spanish colonial/Mediterranean bungalows.
With record-soaring price tags for homes in neighboring cities such as Highland Park, Echo Park, and Mount Washington, El Sereno offers a little more bang for your buck… for the time being. If Highland Park is the new Silverlake, then El Sereno is going to be the next Highland Park.
With average home prices in El Sereno just 5 years ago going for 356,000 to last year with a home sale of over 1 million dollars the appreciation value is skyrocketing at a speed you almost never see.
El Sereno boasts an abundant mix of storybook houses for sale and Spanish colonial/Mediterranean bungalows.
With record-soaring price tags for homes in neighboring cities such as Highland Park, Echo Park, and Mount Washington, El Sereno offers a little more bang for your buck… for the time being. If Highland Park is the new Silverlake, then El Sereno is going to be the next Highland Park.
With average home prices in El Sereno just 5 years ago going for 356,000 to last year with a home sale of over 1 million dollars the appreciation value is skyrocketing at a speed you almost never see.
El Sereno Historical Fun Facts
You may recognize the neighborhood from some of your favorite films, music videos, and television shows. In 2008, the Keanu Reeves and Hugh Laurie film Street Kings was filmed here, as were parts of the film Christine written by horror legend Stephen King. Mars Volta also filmed a video for their song “Goliath” in El Sereno. If you are a fan of the classics, you might also recognize parts of the neighborhood from the 1953 version of H.G. Wells’ War of the Worlds. The rolling hills and main thoroughfares of El Sereno were the main backdrops for the film.
The area of present-day El Sereno, south to Twining Street, was included as part of the City of South Pasadena during its incorporation on February 29, 1888. A vote taken on September 28, 1889, however, excluded from the city limits all land south of West Alhambra Road (effective October 2, 1889). A majority of the voters within the revised city limits wanted to prohibit alcoholic drinking establishments within the borders of the city.
Most recently, El Sereno played a major role in the AMC television show Fear the Walking Dead. Some of the characters work at a school in the neighborhood and one attends the El Sereno school.
All the voters in the excluded territory were in favor of exclusion, as they did not want to be in a “dry” town. The same year saw the establishment of a new Farmdale School District and the building of the Farmdale School. This area, as well as South Pasadena, had been part of the Pasadena School District. The prohibitionist sentiments of Pasadena and South Pasadena may have been the impetus for the creation of the new school district.
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.
© 2026 The Shelhamer Real Estate Group. All rights reserved.