Los Feliz Homes
Los Feliz has long been a well kept secret for those in LA who want glorious, hill homes and convenient access to the city but don’t want to wrestle with the frenzy of the neighboring hills to the West. It’s a consistent destination for actors/writers/directors/musicians who are well established but still want a semblance of normalcy.
The perception is; when you arrive to LA you move into Hollywood and the Sunset Strip while you fight your way to legitimacy – and then, once you have it – you move to Los Feliz where you can live the good life and not deal with the drama. It’s a bit editorial, but accurate. Typically, the lots are larger (and more spread out) than you’ll find in the Hills closer to Hollywood and Sunset Strip. Living in this neighborhood means being near theatres (whether it’s the Greek theatre or the vintage, Vista theatre), boutiques, stellar restaurants and coffee shops. Los Feliz village (its commercial heart) sits below the foothills nestled between Vermont and Hillhurst Aves.
The neighborhood also sidles up to Griffith Park (which is the largest municipal park in the country) and the Griffith Observatory (pictured above). As one of LA’s older neighborhoods (it was one of the original outlying hubs for downtown in the early 1900′s) – there is a strong presence of homes built in the 20′s, 30′s, 40′s and 50′s – spanning everything from inimitable Spanish homes to some of the premiere Mid-Century architects and their works.
Los Feliz At A Glance
Neighborhood Statistics
Population:36,933
Size:2.61 square miles
Population density:13,512 people per square mile
Median Income:$50,793
Median Age:36 years old
Average Household Size:2 people
Violent Crime Rank:113 of 272
Property Crime Rank:81 of 272
Crime in Los Feliz
One of our favorite online resources is the LA Times Crime Map of LA. This is an amazing website that lets you look at crime (essentially as it’s happening) throughout each neighborhood in LA. What’s amazing is that you can scroll through a calender and see every day’s ativity of crime, and get a very clear (and quick) picture of the state/nature/profusion of crime in any neighborhood in LA. If you haven’t checked it out – you should. But, for if you look at it for Los Feliz, you get the impression that crime is pretty infrequent – and pretty low grade – in Los Feliz. Mostly a car getting broken into here and there – some occasional burglary and theft. Very little violent crime. The Real life factor of life in Los Feliz is – uber safe. I would feel comfortable sending my wife anywhere in Los Feliz, 24 hours a day. I would almost let my 4 year old walk anywhere, anytime in Los Feliz – my only concern would be fast moving cars (for the 4 year old).
Schools in Los Feliz
Los Feliz, one of the more affluent neighborhoods for the East side of LA, has recently become one of the destination neighborhoods within the city for some of its education options. Franklin Elementary is consistently one of the highest ranked public elementary in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), which brings tangible added value to property located in this school district. Ivanhoe Elementary is another great public option with stellar benchmarks year after year. The Lyceé International de Los Angles is a private bilingual immersion school (French/English) known for attracting an international student body due to its multicultural environment and academic rigor. John Marshall Senior High is the busiest school in Los Feliz with just over 2,500 students enrolled and a student to teacher ratio of 25:1. The neighborhood’s largest public high school offers a full sports program and a magnet track.
Parks & Amenities
Griffith Park, is quite simply, a natural marvel that exists in the heart of the second biggest city in the country. Several times larger than both Central Park and Golden Gate Park, it is one of the largest urban parks in the country. Miles and miles of hiking trails and mountain to explore- and not just for bipedal visitors. It exemplifies one of the great qualities of LA; so perfectly perched in its urbanity, it offers such ready escape to the outdoors.
Griffith Park
From where this hiker stands, he could be snow skiing in one hour, or be could be surfing. One can ride horses in Griffith Park, see Shakespeare performed outside in the old LA zoo, watch a concert at the Greek Theatre, look out over the city of up to the stars at the Observatory – or simply sit and picnic under a canopy of trees. It makes me wish I took more advantage of it… For you history buffs, here you go…
Griffith J Griffith arrived in what was known as Rancho Los Feliz in the late 29th Century to start an ostrich farm. In 1896 Griffith donated his land to Los Angeles because he was allegedly scared by the ghost of Feliz. This park is usually referred to as the Central Park of LA. It has hiking and equestrian trails, playgrounds, a golf course, and other sport fields. There is also a miniature railroad with locomotives, passenger cars, and streetcars operated by the volunteers of Los Angeles Live Steamers. The beautiful William Mulholland Memorial Fountain, the Los Angeles Zoo and the Autry National Center are also nearby. Los Feliz is also home to the Griffith Observatory which is a popular tourist attraction opened in 1935. Its planetarium was usedto train pilots during the World War II, and astronauts for the Apollo program. Today there are occasional shows and several exhibits related to space and science. During the five working days of the Observatory the admission to the building is free, although minimal price is paid for some shows. The Greek Theatre, an amphitheater, is located in Griffith Park as well. It was built in 1929, and after several renovations, today it has 5,900 seats. They hold many concerts, shows, and even graduation ceremonies of some schools.
Restaurants
The East side of Los Angeles has long been home to some of the cities most sought after restaurants, but as the creative, cultural hub has continued to solidify in Los Feliz (and Silver Lake), the number of destination dining experiences has been multiplying. Los Feliz’s commercial and retail hub in anchored by Vermont Ave. (to the west) and Hillhurst Ave (to the East). These 2 streets bookend what is generally considered Los Feliz village, and where much of the social life of Los Feliz occurs. The area is small and walkable, so you can really mull over options and decide what you’re most craving. On Hillhurst Ave., at the northern end (near Los Feliz Blvd) is Little Dom’s; one of the neighborhood’s staples. It does a perfect job of skirting between a casual and fine-dining experience and has great pizzas, etc… Yuca’s, Los Feliz’s most famous taco stand, is only 2 blocks down the street and is arguably the best $5 lunch you’ll get anywhere in the city. Their Cochinita Pibil drives people to be the point of obsession, so just be careful or you’ll suddenly find yourself eating their 3-4 times a week (and make sure not to confuse the Los Feliz location with their Hollywood shop). Alcove Cafe is a popular place for healthy salads, soups sandwiches and mostly it’s outdoor dining. Alcove will have people there all day, enjoying Spinach salads and the sunshine. Over on Hillhurst Ave’s sister street Vermont is Figaro – the French cafe where we all get to feel like we’re in Europe – and try out our French on the staff. They’re not usually amused (or proficient in French) but the ambiance makes it all irrelevant and worthwhile. Fred 62 is just around the corner for an all-american, bacon-cheeseburger type time. For home chefs McCall’s Meat and Fish Market carries the finest meats and cheeses in the city. And we’d be remiss not to mention the 2nd-generation-family-owned Rocco’s Italian Deli, a workplace favorite.
Entertainment & Nightlife
There’s no shortage of entertainment in the neighborhood. The storied Greek Theater is a must-play for any major act passing through town, and the open air auditorium is a great place to pass time even on their off-nights. Residents will find comfort in the venue’s policy of a hard close at 11pm. Skylight Books, one of the city’s few remaining brick and mortar bookstores, holds regular readings of novels and plays. Less than a mile away you’ll find Shakespeare in the Park, a small theater company that puts on free Shakespeare shows in Griffith Park. The Upright Citizens Brigade, considered to be a contemporary Groundlings, hosts daily and nightly shows (as well as improv classes, for the dreamers).
Most of the residential streets in Los Feliz have permitted parking- which may leave guests groaning – but keeps traffic to a minimum – great for hikers/runners/bikers enjoying Los Feliz’s winding, well paved and tree adorned roads.