Los Feliz is a large neighborhood perched within the hillsides south of Griffith Park between Los Feliz Boulevard and Hyperion Ave within Hollywood. The neighborhood is comprised of beautiful old mansions, vintage apartment complexes, and simple small homes that draw musicians, photographers, producers, writers and other artists.
Today, we pronounce the area with a Spanish accent (“Los Feh-LEES”); however, growing up I remember that the adults used an American accent (“Los FEE-Lez”). Both pronunciations are acceptable. The neighborhood is named after José Vicente Feliz, a Spanish-Mexican rancher.
Things to Do in Los Feliz
When driving east down Franklin Avenue, you will enter Los Feliz after passing Immaculate Heart High School and American Film Institute.
Within two miles you’ll arrive at The Shakespeare Bridge and the end of Franklin Avenue. Built in 1926 and renovated in the ’80s, this Gothic-inspired concrete bridge once passed over a brook that flowed west of John Marshall High School. There’s a secret garden under the bridge! To get there, head up St. George, turn left on Lyric Avenue, and then turn left on Monon Street until the street ends.
Originally called “Prospect” and serviced by street cars, Hollywood Boulevard was just a sleepy street in Southern California at the turn of the 20th century. Its history is further detailed here.
Most of the houses in this neighborhood were built between 1915 and 1950 and offer a glimpse into Hollywood’s unpretentious origins. For example, walk by 2495 Lyric Ave and you’ll see Walt Disney’s first home where he drew the first drafts of Mickey Mouse. At 406 Kingswell Ave, you’ll see his uncle’s home, where he lived in the garage and was probably dreaming of a place called ABC Studios at 4151 Prospect Ave.
Things To Do on Hillhurst Avenue
Few tourists make it all the way to Hillhurst Avenue, an unhurried street with vintage boutiques, trendy restaurants, quality grocers, flower shops, and spiritual doctors. Drop by Carol Young‘s store and check out her durable “undesigned” wearables. Her clothing has been created and cut in the studio behind the boutique since 2006. Buy gifts for friends at SpitfireGirl, a boutique with candles, housewares, and accessories.
There are over a half dozen cute and unique coffee shops on Hillhurst. The most popular among them is called Alcove (1929 Hillhurst Avenue), where you can admire the cakes, muffins, and cookies on display while standing in line and enjoying a meal for as long as you’d like outside without fussy waiters. The beautiful restaurant is located in the two of the oldest residential structures in Los Feliz, originally a Spanish duplex built in 1916 and a Craftsman cottage built in 1897. The food is delicious!
Nossa (1966 Hillhurst Avenue) is a Southern Brazilian restaurant with Northern Italian flairs such as octopus ceviche, tagliatelle pasta, and moqueca de peixe, a Brazilian seafood stew.
For quick picnic pairings on your way to Griffith Park, check out McCall’s Meat & Fish Company offers (2117 Hillhurst Ave), which has fresh deli sandwiches from Wednesday to Sunday and high quality meats that do not use antibiotics and growth hormones. Jen’s Splendid Ice Cream‘s (1954 Hillhurst Ave) butter-smooth ice cream doesn’t use synthetic flavorings or dyes. And while Yuca’s “hut” within the parking lot of 2056 Hillhurst Ave looks suspicious, it is said to serve some of the best tacos in Hollywood for 45 years using the same family recipe.
Things To Do on Vermont Avenue
Vermont Avenue happens to be one of the longest streets in Los Angeles stretching into San Pedro, which is 23 miles away. Vermont Avenue was served by street car operators until 1963. The Northern-tip of Vermont Avenue is still a walkable commercial zone with historic boutiques and restaurants.
As teenagers, my friends and I would walk to Vermont Avenue from school to shop at the vintage stores and give the waiters grief at the restaurants like Fred 62 (1850 Vermont Ave) and the French-themed bistro Figaro (1802 Vermont Ave). There are newer options with renovated spaces such as Atrium (1816 Vermont Ave) and Loupiotte Kitchen (1726 N Vermont Ave).
You mustn’t skip Skylight Books (1818 N Vermont Ave) which regularly hosts authors’ events and book clubs. Skylight Books opened in1996 on the former site of another bookstore landmark called Chatterton’s.
Los Feliz Theater (1822 N Vermont Ave) is an art-deco cinema house built in 1923 offering some of the most affordable shows in town on 3 intimate screens. The theater offers indies, new releases, vintage and private screenings.
Parks & Hikes in Los Feliz
Between Maxwell Street, Ettrick Street, Rowena Avenue, and Hyperion Avenue, the Rowena Reservoir is a 9-acre pond with waterfalls, artificial rocks, landscaping, and decorative fencing. Though the LADWP property is frequently closed for protecting facilities underground, it’s a stunning and gorgeous walk.
As local students, we took school field trips to the Hollyhock House (4800 Hollywood Blvd), but I did not appreciate Frank Lloyd Wright’s first project until I re-discovered the park in my adulthood. Those geometrical shapes are hollyhock flower patterns, which were a favorite of Aline Barnsdall, the oil heiress who lived at the residence. The park’s south side has a view of the rapidly changing DTLA skyline, while the north side has views of the Hollywood sign and Griffith Park. There are dozens of activities like wine tasting events, summer Shakespeare, painting class, or art gallery exhibitions.
Also, there are secret stairs located at 2251 N Berendo for a nice workout. The flight of stairs to leads past Glencairn, Bryn Mawr and continues up to Glendower.
Located on Western and Hollywood, the Cara Hotel is an elegant, intimate hotel with breezy balconies, a refined courtyard with a pool beneath palm trees, and a glamorous furnishings.
