Los Feliz

Hello Los Feliz, California

Los Feliz and is in an affluent hillside neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, adjacent to Hollywood and encompassing part of the Santa Monica Mountains. It’s one of the most coveted zip codes in the city known for its bustling boutiques, cool bars, expensive historic homes, and celebrity inhabitants.

Oftentimes pronounced in more ways than one, Los Feliz (which means “happy” in Spanish) is extremely livable with almost everything one needs within walking distance. A place where residents are most likely to wear out their heels before their tires. Whether you’re looking for culinary eats, trendy boutiques, or simply taking a stroll through some of the most tranquil streets in the city, Los Feliz’s charm is what makes everyone keep coming back.

ITS ALL ABOUT LOCATION

Los Feliz Real Estate

Los Feliz is bordered on the north by Griffith Park, on the northeast by Atwater Village, on the southeast by Silver Lake, on the south by East Hollywood, and Hollywood Hills.

Its borders are Hollywood Boulevard to the south, Hyperion Avenue to the southeast, Griffith Park to the north, the L.A. River to the east, and Western Avenue to the west. Its terrain ranges from flat in heart of the village to quite hilly on its east and north. Other notable streets include Vermont Avenue which many call the downtown of the area, Hillhurst Avenue which parallels Vermont and is a more low-key version of the strip, and Rowena Avenue. Each strip seems to have a personality of its own, still equal parts hip and homey.

Los Feliz Community

Los Feliz Village is the part of the Los Feliz neighborhood that has more affordable housing, with blocks of apartments and single-family homes that are less expensive than those found closer to Los Feliz Boulevard or the Los Feliz Real Estate in the hills.

Many of the homes were built in the 1920s and 30s and are predominantly Spanish-style and classic California bungalows with period revival influences. This is where you’ll find much younger or newer residents of the community, strolling the tree-lined streets enjoying all the amenities in the area.

Los Feliz north of Los Feliz Boulevard, below Griffith Park, is commonly referred to as the Los Feliz Hills. The Los Feliz Hills contains multimillion-dollar real estate and many musicians, movie stars, and entertainment industry types live here as this is one of the wealthiest areas of Los Angeles.

Franklin Hills is situated in the hilly east side of the flats with stunning views and very eclectic residents – from creative types such as writers who enjoy the peace and quiet, to young hipster families who enjoy being close, but not too close to the buzz. A notable feature that tells you you’re in the Franklin Hills? Cross through the iconic gothic style Shakespeare Bridge on Franklin Street which was built in 1926 and is a hidden gem to admire.

Schools in and around Los Feliz from GreatSchools.org

Find your local public or charter school with the LAUSD Resident School Identifier

Los Feliz Art and Shopping

Los Feliz Village is the southern section of Los Feliz, home to most of the commercial storefronts in the district. It is centered on the thoroughfares of Vermont and Hillhurst Avenues and spans from about Prospect Avenue to Los Feliz Boulevard. Vermont Boulevard has a mix of coffee shops, vintage, and bookstores. One of the last authentic bookstores, Skylight Bookstore is always buzzing with readings, discussions, and poetry nights. Check out our recent Silverlaleblog Skylight Bookstore Interview!

Or shop for one-of-a-kind pieces at Squaresville or Y-Que. Head to Hillhurst for more mom and pop shops caring for unique, handmade items. Spitfire Girl, one of our favorites, will surely make the time slip by as you browse unusual gifts, rare jewelry, and bags of fun. Take a stroll down to High-Fidelity Music for used records that will make any collector happy.

The Alcove Cafe & Bakery

Alcove is housed in two of the oldest houses in Los Feliz proper: a Craftsman cottage built in 1897 and a Spanish duplex built in 1916. These two properties have been occupied and enjoyed by many generations of residents and businesses throughout the decades.

Originally built as private residences, these properties were converted to commercial use in the 1970s. Over the last 40+ years, these structures have contained specialty offices, a small private school, a real estate firm, and most recently an escrow company, believe it or not.

1929 Hillhurst Ave Los Angeles, CA 90027
323.644.0100

Kingswell

This Los Feliz neighborhood spot has a lot going on. It’s a retail space combining the loves of professional skateboarding, artistic integrity, tattoo, and fine art while embodying a community of like-minded awesomeness and adventurousness.

Catering to the artistic and forward-thinking side of skateboarding and street culture, Kingswell focuses on Skater owned brands and cutting-edge design in the retail experience.

4651 Kingswell Ave Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 522-3028

Los Feliz Nightlife

Los Feliz Village is home to a handful of trendy bars and restaurants catering to the locals and visitors to the area. They are mostly on Vermont Avenue between Franklin Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard and Hillhurst Avenue between Los Feliz Boulevard and Prospect Avenue. One of our favorites is Bar Corvell in between Prospect Ave And Sunset Blvd.

The world might have turned upside down, but thankfully some constants remain the same. Bar Covell is here to give you the old vibes you loved in new ways. We’re open for indoor and outdoor drinking and dining. We still have bottles available to-go if you’d like to enjoy your wine at home.

Some were classic dive bars in their heyday, frequented by the likes of Charles Bukowski, Lawrence Tierney, poets, artists, writers, and other creative types.

Pink Elephant Liquor Store

Close to the intersection of Franklin and Western, you’ll find that the Pink Elephant Liquor Store still stands in all its kitschy glory. The liquor store, a favorite haunt of Bukowski’s, appears in his 1978 novel Women. It was, by many accounts, his favorite liquor store in the neighborhood. Pink Elephant had a booze delivery service so Buk could avoid driving and continue writing. Its iconic mid-century neon sign still lights the way.

1836 N Western Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
(323) 664-2169

Skylight Books

Skylight Books is a general bookstore serving the historic Los Angeles neighborhoods of Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Downtown. Located in the shadow of Griffith Park and its iconic Observatory, our Los Feliz neighborhood is host to man independently owned shops, restaurants, and movie theaters. Our curated selection features the best of literary fiction; graphic novels; children’s books; California history and culture; political and social sciences; essays and nonfiction; and books on art, photography, film, and music. We also feature hand-picked magazines and zines, along with a selection of stationery and gifts. Our events program is nationally recognized, and features major touring authors, local favorites, and debuts.

1818 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
+1 323-660-1175

The Dresden Restaurant & Lounge

The Dresden Restaurant & Lounge “The Dresden” to locals has been a family owned Hollywood landmark and staple since 1954. While being featured in countless films (Swingers – 1996, What Women Want – 2000, That Thing You Do! – 1996, Anchorman – 2004) and television series’ (Mad Men – 2015, GLOW – 2018, Aquarius – 2015), the Dresden has also hosted the longest standing live music act in Los Angeles, having Marty & Elayne perform jazz standards every Tuesday through Saturday night for nearly 38 years. The Dresden’s unique layout provides a fine-dining, white-table-cloth, experience in its gorgeous, high-ceiling Dining Room, while also providing a more casual ambiance in the Lounge where patrons can enjoy finely crafted cocktails and live music on a nightly basis. You can enjoy a piece of classic Hollywood Wednesday-Sunday with our doors opening at 5pm daily.

1760 N Vermont Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
+1 323-665-4294

Little Dom's

Located on one of L.A.’s most pedestrian friendly streets, in the heart of the sought-after Los Feliz neighborhood, Little Dom’s combines the laid back atmosphere of Los Angeles with the dynamic feel of a New York block. “We wanted to make it seem like this restaurant has been here forever, even though we completely renovated the space,” says owner Warner Ebbink. “It was important to me to make sure this felt like a neighborhood restaurant because every neighborhood needs one.”

2128 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
+1 323-661-0055

The vintage wooden bar was purchased by Ebbink in Pennsylvania and resurrected in Los Angeles to create a classic and comfortable place to saddle up for your favorite cocktail or entrée. Striking leaded glass windows salvaged from an old building cast a lavender hue over diners in railroad booths. The warm leather and cool white marble tabletops create a harmonious balance of elegant American bistro and a comfortable neighborhood bar. Upstairs, the dining room is retro Hollywood meets modern Rat Pack with characteristic touches such as quirky black and white photos, maps of Italy and mounted fish add to the whimsical vibe.

2128 Hillhurst Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
+1 323-661-0055

Los Feliz Architecture and Real Estate

It boasts some of the best-known residential architecture in the city, including homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright—the Ennis House the Hollyhock House, and the John Sowden (or Jaws House or Franklin House).

The Hollyhock House, with its impressive simplicity, sits atop a pristine bluff that anyone can tour as part of the Barnsdall Art Park Foundation. The so-called “Jaws House” is a residence built in 1926 by Lloyd Wright. It supposedly resembles the gaping open mouth of a great white shark but is built in the Mayan Revival style popular, for a time, with Wright’s more famous father. The house is depicted as the home of Ava Gardner in Martin Scorsese’s and Leonardo DiCaprio’s film The Aviator.

Another significant site is Richard Neutra’s Lovell House, often described as the first steel frame house in the United States, designed in a modernist style with industrial themes and considered a major monument in architectural history, and a turning point in Neutra’s career. It was through the Lovell house that Los Angeles, CA architecture became widely known in Europe and At 83 years old, it has a style that feels as modern as many homes built today.

The Lycee International de Los Angeles is tucked away in the valley of the Franklin Hills. Designed by architect John Lautner in the International Modern style and constructed in 1960, this bilingual college preparatory school is a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural monument and was the only school ever designed by Lautner.

Legendary Walt Disney drew his first image of the iconic Mickey Mouse in Los Feliz which was also home to Disney’s first animation studio. In 1925 the Disney’s built a studio at the northeast corner of Griffith Park Boulevard and Hyperion Ave, the birthplace of various classics including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Sadly, the original landmark is no longer here, and in its place a Gelson’s market. However, a trip out to California Adventure theme park at the Disneyland resort (hint: the entrance) might throw you back to a place Walt once called home.

The introduction of mid-century modern, mixed with the Spanish Colonial Revival mansions and the charming California Craftsman bungalows that all stand today make Los Feliz real estate a gem for architectural buffs. There is everything from classic California craftsman in the flats, to majestic Mediterranean, French, and English in the estate properties.

The median sales price for single-family homes sold in the 90027 Zip Code currently is $1,270,000. The lowest-priced home ranged from $775,000 to $33mil, with a medium average of $1,010 per sq ft sold. Of the 174 listings sold from August 2022 to August 2023, the average time on the market was 28 days with the medium days being 16.

The median sales price for condominiums sold in the 90027 Zip Code currently is $805,000. The lowest-priced condo ranged from $493,000 to $1,205,000 with a medium average of $713 per sq ft sold. Of the 26 listings sold from August 2022 to August 2023, the average time on the market was 27 days with the medium days being 14.

Los Feliz Historical Fun Facts

The neighborhood was named after its land grantee, José Vicente Feliz whose 8,000-acre land grant included Griffith Park and other modern neighborhoods. An old adobe house built in the 1830s by his heirs still stands on Crystal Springs Drive in Griffith Park, named for Griffith J. Griffiths, another prominent figure in the area’s history.

The grant was confirmed in 1843 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena, to Jose Feliz’ daughter in law, Maria Ygnacia Verdugo de Feliz. When Maria’s husband died, she inherited the rancho and later married Juan Diego Verdugo. When Maria Ygnacia Verdugo de Feliz passed away.

Don Antonio de Feliz inherited Rancho Los Feliz. Don Antonio de Feliz resided on the hacienda with his sister and niece. On his deathbed, rumor has it that his signature was affixed on a will drafted by Don Antonio Coronel. Feliz then died of smallpox in 1863. When his niece Petranilla discovered that her uncle had been tricked into signing away the entire inheritance over to Don Antonio Coronel, she put a curse on all of the lands, the new owners, and swore that no one would ever benefit from the ill-gotten spoils.

And so it became serious, as the curse seemed to take effect almost immediately. Many of Coronel’s close associates suffered violent deaths, their cattle sickened and died, and their lands were destroyed by flood and fire. Coronel, wanting to get rid of the curse, sold the property to James Lick, a wealthy businessman who then died in 1876.

If there really was a curse, then it was the family of Griffith J. Griffith for whom its gravest vengeance was reserved. 1884, Welshman Colonel Griffith J. Griffith assumed ownership. Griffith, a mining and real estate magnate, donated the land that is Griffith Park today to the city of Los Angeles for use as a park. Some did not know, however, that Griffith was also a chronic alcoholic who spiraled out of control and later blamed Petronilla’s curse on the land to be the cause of his drinking and criminal behavior.

At the time of his death in 1919, he had bequeathed more land for a Greek-style theater, and $700,000 to the city with the objective of establishing an astronomical observatory. Today, a bronze statue stands at the entrance of Griffith Park and Fern Dell, one of the first areas which the Feliz family developed.

The neighborhoods surrounding Griffith Park were developing at the same time, notably the exclusive gated community of Laughlin Park which was home to stars of the day including Charlie Chaplin and Cecil B DeMille. Nestled between the former Edendale movie center and the new Hollywood, the neighborhood was a perfect location for film and industry types. In the 1920s the north side of Los Feliz Boulevard was lined with Japanese-owned nurseries.

Neighborhood children waited eagerly for movie stars such as Greta Garbo and Ginger Rogers to pick up their weekly bouquets. Other areas within Los Feliz include the Los Feliz Hills and Los Feliz Estates (north of Los Feliz Boulevard), Los Feliz Village, Los Feliz Square, Los Feliz Knolls, and Franklin Hills. While the character of the lower, south end of Los Feliz is not as exclusive and expensive as the hills, the tree lined streets and well-kept Craftsman’s are a gem of their own.

Built in 1931 by Ben Sherwood, this complex of eight cottages was a likely inspiration for Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. With cragged thatched roofs, black timber framing and random patches of rusticated masonry, the cottages are a prime example of the so-called storybook style—a minor phenomenon in Los Angeles architecture of the 1920s and 1930s.

Located at the 2900 block of Griffith Park Boulevard in Los Feliz, the cottages stand just a few blocks from the original site of Walt Disney’s studios on the corner of Griffith Park and Hyperion, these cottages were designed by Ben Sherwood for animators that worked at the studio, some of whom worked on Snow White and the Seven Dwarves – hence the name. The style is known as Storybook Architecture and was popular in the ‘20s.

Walt Disney worked nearby from 1926 until 1940. The current owner is Sylvia Helfert, who purchased the property in 1976. She claims that a former Disney employee used one of the cottages as an office space during the production of Disney’s classic 1937 re-telling of the Brothers Grimm tale. It’s hard to imagine that Disney could have overlooked the charming coincidence of the cottages’ number, eight, as a perfect dwelling for Snow White and her suite of seven dwarves.

The cottages, nicknamed the “Snow White Cottages” by locals, made a more literal film appearance as the location for the Sierra Bonita apartment complex in David Lynch’s 2001 neo-noir thriller Mulholland Drive.

With time, Walt and Roy ended up buying identical homes on Lyric Avenue with the earnings from their cartoons. Roy and Edna lived at 2491 Lyric Avenue, which was next door to Walt and Lillian. It was at this home where Walt had created his first Mickey Mouse cartoon, Plane Crazy.

Is Los Feliz Safe?

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

Crime Rates in Los Feliz

Los Feliz in terms of crime rate in Los Angeles is not one of the safest cities to live in with 551 total crimes being committed to every 100,000, according to The University of Southern California’s Crosstown project whose data comes from the two largest agencies, the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department. The Los Feliz Community along with Silverlake do contain some of the most affluent neighborhoods and tremendous resources are available. In major cities with trendy bars and late night activities this draws more people in from outside the community to attend these events. With more people and later hours this correlates to an increase in the majority of the crime which is burglary and petty theft rather than assault and murder as you see in other regions. Los Feliz backs into the highest safety rated area of Griffith Park which means that the majority of its Northern borders share that area.

Crime Statistics and Types in Los Feliz

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. There were 10 accounts of burglary theft in August and 9 assaults with no homicides

Homeless Population in Los Feliz

According to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority LAHSA in the Service Planning Area Metro 4 where Los Feliz resides as of 2022, 109 individuals constituted the entire homeless population of Los Feliz 44,678 population.

Twenty percent of the homeless population are on the streets predominantly in the major areas of high density along both Los Feliz and Vermont Boulevards. Other major areas such as South L.A (SPA 6) have 14,598 homeless people in 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%.

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)

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.

Local Resources:

Northeast Community Police Station

Phone (Voice): 323-561-3211
Phone (TTY): 877-275-5273
Address: 3353 San Fernando Rd., Los Angeles, CA 90065

Los Angeles Fire Department Station 35

Phone: 213-485-6220
Address: 1601 N. Hillhurst Ave. Los Angeles CA 90027
Website: http://www.lafd.org
Hours: Monday through Sunday, 24 hours per day
Phones: Dispatch – 24 hours – English/Spanish Service/Intake (213) 485-6185
Administrative (213) 485-6235

Los Feliz Neighborhood Council

Neighborhood Councils are liaisons between neighborhoods and Los Angeles City Hall. Council board members are city officials elected by their communities and advise on issues such as development, homelessness, and emergency preparedness on behalf of local residents, schools, and businesses.

Each council is allocated a taxpayer-funded annual budget to be used for operational expenses, outreach, service projects, and local events. There are currently 99 neighborhood councils in Los Angeles, each serving about 40,000 people. You can learn more about the city’s various neighborhood councils at empowerla.org/councils.

CONTACT US

We are here to help and answer any question you might have.

We look forward to hearing from you!
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 27003, Los Angeles, CA 90027
Phone Number: (213) 973‑9758

The LFNC is a part of the City of Los Angeles government under City Council Districts 4 and 13, and works closely in cooperation with the CD4 and CD13 CouncilMembers and their staff.

Want to contact the City Council?

Contact CD4 | contactCD4@lacity.org
Contact CD13 | contactCD13@lacity.org

Don’t know your district? Find it HERE.

Health Services of Los Angeles County

Phone: 211
Services: 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

Phone: 213-202-5669
Services: Meals for seniors 60+

Los Angeles County Domestic Violence Safety Plan Hotline

Phone: 800-799-7233

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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.