So says the just released American Planning Association's Great Places in America's Top Ten List.
No other neighborhood in California made the cut!
Echo Lake, originally a man made reservoir became
public city park in 1892. Boathouse dates to 1932. Photo Courtesy of
Arthi Varma.
Carroll Avenue, in Angelino Heights district of Echo
Park, is a quaint and historic block that includes the highest
collection of Victorian houses in Southern California. Photo Courtesy
of Arthi Varma.
Echo Park thrived in the first decades of the 20th
century as a streetcar suburb surrounding Echo Lake. Photo Courtesy of
Arthi Varma.
Residents and tourists look for the freshest produce at Waverly's Farmer's Market. Photo Courtesy of Arthi Varma.
They had this to say about Echo Park:
Echo Park Los Angeles, California
Hilly Terrain Sets Echo Park Apart From Other L.A. Neighborhoods
One
of Los Angeles's first suburbs, the Echo Park neighborhood is a vibrant
mix of cultures, incomes, architecture, commercial activity, and social
activism that has retained its unique character and charm for more than
a century.
Contributing to the neighborhood's eclecticism and
unique sense of place — and reasons for its selection as one of 10 APA
Great Neighborhoods for 2008 — are its varied topography, historic
architecture, and engaged citizens who, over the years, have gone to
great lengths to protect and preserve their historic arts community.
Bounded
by Temple Street to the south, North Alvarado Street to the west,
Interstate 5 to the north and Park Drive to the east, Echo Park is just
two miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles. The neighborhood became
the set for many silent film productions made during the 1920s as the
movie industry shifted to California. A number of celebrities have
made the neighborhood their home, including writer Ayn Rand, actors
Steve McQueen and Leonardo DiCaprio, singer Linda Ronstadt, and
director John Huston.
The
neighborhood's connections to the film industry aside, its first
residents were by and large middle class and white. After World War II,
Latinos began moving to the area and now represent more than half of
the nearly 30,000 residents. Altogether, three-quarters of current Echo
Park residents speak a language other than English at home.
Angelino
Heights near Echo Lake is the neighborhood's most picturesque area.
More than 50 Victorian homes grace this historic district, which was
established in 1983 as the city's first Historic Preservation Overlay
Zone. One entire block of Angelino Heights, which also includes
Craftsman-style bungalows, brownstones, and Streamline Moderne
architecture, is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The
Angelino Heights Historic Preservation Overlay Zone (AH HPOZ) was
expanded in 2008 and covers 235 parcels bounded by West Sunset
Boulevard to the north and a local shopping destination — Echo Park
Avenue — on the west.
The neighborhood's hilly terrain has not
impeded building. Many houses are designed to complement the steep
slopes and take advantage of views. In some cases, buildings curve in
harmony with the crest of a hill. In others, front doors lead not to a
street but to public stairways that enable pedestrians to traverse the
neighborhood's hillsides.
Many
of the neighborhood's two dozen-plus stairways are modest, while others
are landmarks that reward climbers with spectacular views of the Los
Angeles skyline and Hollywood Hills. The Baxter Steps — all 230 of them
— are the tallest in the city.
Unlike many areas of Los Angeles,
several parks are close by including Echo Lake and Elysian Park, the
city's second largest. The park at Echo Lake, home to the city's annual
Lotus Festival, includes an 1896 boathouse and the 1934 Art Deco
statue, Lady of the Lake.
There's been a long history of citizen
activism in Echo Park. During the 1990s residents drew attention to
safety issues, which has help lower property and personal crime rates
in the neighborhood to approximately 20 percent below the city's
average.
Residents also keep a close eye on affordable housing.
Some of the neighborhood's more affordable homes have been stabilized
with the help of the city-supported historic preservation efforts. In
2005, for example, the city approved a small lot subdivision ordinance
that encourages the creation of several units on one parcel. To some
degree the typical size of an Echo Park home — just three rooms — has
helped keep prices from rising significantly compared with other parts
of the city.
Such activism and meaningful community
participation inspires motivation, commitment, and public debate, which
are vital to keeping Echo Park a great place to live.
"For
generations people have come to Echo Park, raised their families,
started vibrant businesses, and given back to the neighborhood and the
city as a whole," says Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. "Today
kids, parents, and grandparents representing numerous background and
cultures come together in Echo Park, making this community an
outstanding example of the great neighborhoods found throughout Los
Angeles."
I have to say I agree. I love Echo Park, have lived here for almost 10 years and despite the recent influx of hipsters, no one can deny its history or beauty.
Go here to see which neighborhoods made the grade as well, as their top 10 picks for Best Streets and Best Open Spaces!
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