LA, is Americas’s second largest city, encompassing over 500 square miles and home to just under four million people. Trying to “see it all” can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Not if you think of LA as what it really is, a city of neighborhoods, each with its own unique character and charm.
View of Downtown LA from the 101 S Freeway
Whether you’re a local or just visiting I find the best way to see the City of Angels is to pick a specific area of town and focus on it. You’ll have to drive a few extra miles, Angelenos are famous for staying in their own neighborhoods, but you’ll get a whole day of exploration and fun for the price of a “little bit” of traffic! Feeling ambitious, pick two neighborhoods, we did!
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Exploring Silver Lake and Echo Park
For the second installment of our culture club we chose Echo Park and Silver Lake two of LA’s most hipster neighborhoods. We started in Silver Lake, which is also the more gentrified of the two. Echo Park is on the grittier side, but I really like that about it. Both are a treasure trove of one-of-a-kind shops, restaurants and hidden gems just waiting for you to discover them.
Beautiful Echo Park Lake
You might also be interested in: Things to do in LA’s Koreatown
Silver Lake
Alfred Coffee
We started our day at Alfred, which is famous around town for it’s But first, Coffee slogan. If you ask me, Alfred Coffee has their priorities straight, because as far as I’m concerned nothing happens before coffee! Beyond their coffee and tea beverages, Alfred also serves a lovely and delicious version of one of LA’s more popular dishes, avocado toast! Not an avocado fan? You’ll find other food items as well.
Alfred Silver Lake is located at: 3337 1/2 W Sunset Blvd., LA. They are open Monday thru Friday 6:30am to 5:00pm and Saturday and Sunday 7:30am – 6:00pm.
Lark Cake Shop
Having just enjoyed a bite to eat next door at Alfred, we stopped in Lark Cake Shop at the request of the kids, and thankfully we were in the mood to say yes! The Ice Box Cake was delightful as was everything else we sampled.
Lark Bakery is located at 3337 W Sunset Blvd., LA
The Maven Store
Okay, so this wasn’t a kid friendly activity, but we couldn’t resist stopping in Maven, a Louisiana based clothing shop with it’s unique and affordable apparel, jewelry, and gift items for a bit of retail therapy.
Shopping in Silver Lake at Maven
The Maven Store is located at: 3333 W Sunset Blvd., LA. Hours: Monday – Saturday 11:00 am – 7:00 pm and Sunday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm.
The Hidden Stairs of Silver Lake Walk
LA wasn’t always the car town it is now, and at one time public transportation was the primary mode of travel. People used an extensive network of staircases to get from their hillside homes to their transit stops, and many of these historic staircases are still in existence. These days they are used primarily for urban hikes and exercise and a climb to the top will grant you fabulous views of the city.
View from the top of the Micheltorena Stairs.
Because these staircases are located within residential neighborhoods, they are often hidden from view, so finding them can be a challenge, but don’t worry I’ve done that for you.
The Hidden Stairs of Silver Lake Route
Let’s get climbing!
Along the way we took the time to stop for rest breaks and to enjoy the flowers, murals and art installations along the route.
je t’aime LA
We were surprised and delighted during one of our rest stops when we unexpectedly met up with Party Goats taking a break of their own between engagements. Apparently party goats is a thing!
Party Goats
The stairs are steep and some quite narrow. Bring plenty of water, be mindful of high temperatures and wear appropriate attire. The Goods Mart on Silver Lake Boulevard falls in the middle of the route and is a great place to stop for more water and snacks.
We stocked up on water at The Goods Mart.
The Hidden Staircases walk begins at the Micheltorena Stairs across the street from Alfred Coffee. Hours: 24 hours but remember it is a residential area, so be respectful. You’ll find the route we took here: The Hidden Staircases of Silver Lake.
Echo Park
@la_steez
Honey Hi
Honey Hi turned out to be a perfect place for us to grab a late lunch after climbing all those stairs. The menu is filled with organic, sustainable comfort food and is vegetarian and child friendly with a casual atmosphere. I thoroughly enjoyed my chimichurri skirt steak and the dragon fruit lemonade was as tasty as it was pretty.
Honey Hi is located at 1620 Sunset Blvd., LA. The cafe is open every day from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm.
The Echo Park Time Travel Mart
Wherever you are, we’re already then.
How could we resist a visit to The Echo Park Time Travel Mart, a convenience store for time travelers? Inside we found fun from every era, past, present and future including, dinosaur eggs, robot milk, t-shirts, and so much more.
Wherever you are, we’re already then.
All proceeds help support the free programs at 826LA a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.
The Time Travel Mart is located at 1714 W Sunset Blvd., LA. The Mart is open Monday – Sunday 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm.
Echo Park Lake
The kids were very excited about our next stop, Echo Park Lake, where our main goal was the Lake’s swan pedal boats. We weren’t the only ones with this idea, and the line was long, but we took turns waiting, while the rest of the group passed the time walking the lake path and watching the turtles and other wildlife in the park.
Echo Park Lake
Mama and baby turtle
Recently upgraded to include shade canopies, these brand new swan boats can hold from 2 – 5 guests. Apparently our kids had forgotten how tired they were after our stair hike because they really wanted to pedal, so we sat happily shaded in the back enjoying the fountain and city views while they did all the work.
Echo Park Lake Swan Boats
The Lake’s annual Lotus Festival celebrates the bloom of Echo Park Lake’s famous floating flowers. This free event celebrates the Asian-American community in LA and has been taking place for 38 years. This year’s festival celebrates the Chinese community. Expect food, dragon boat races, and hundreds of glorious lotus flowers.
The swan boats are open 7 days a week 9 am – Sunset. The last boat goes out 1 hour before sunset. Adutls are $11 and children (17 years and under) $6 for a one hour rental.
Admission to The Lotus Festival is free. This year’s festival takes place on Saturday, July 14 and Sunday, July 15, 2018, from 12:00 pm.
Angelino Heights
Established in 1886 Angelino Heights is one of LA’s oldest neighborhoods and was the city’s first recognized Historic District. It is well known for it’s large concentration of unique architecture including Victorian, Turn of the Century and Revival. While again, not exactly a kid friendly activity, our drive through the neighborhood gave the kids a chance to rest before arriving at our final stop of the day.
The Charmed House
One of the homes was featured regularly on the television series Charmed. Due to its picturesque beauty the entire neighborhood has been featured in countless television shows and films.
Angelino Heights is located within the boundaries of the Echo Park neighborhood and just a short drive from Echo Park Lake.
Milk Shop
Our final stop of the day found us back in the Silver Lake neighborhood. We wanted to end our day with a visit to Milk Shop, an old fashioned ice cream parlor and bake shop with a modern day twist!
Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich
Not only were the treats Insta worthy, but they were delicious. I couldn’t resist the cookie dough to go, yes please!
Milk Shop is located at 1639 Silver Lake Blvd. They are open 12:00 pm to 10 pm Sunday to Thursday and 12:00 pm to midnight Friday & Saturday
Bonus Stops:
Fancy a little more time in this area? Here are three additional destinations very worth making time for with or without the kids.
Neutra VDL House
Architecture lovers won’t want to miss a visit to the Neutra VDL House located on Silver Lake Boulevard. Built by the famed Modernist architect Richard Neutra 75 years ago, the VDL house was named a National Historic Landmark in 2017. Tours of the home and garden are available, and are given by architecture students.
The Neutra house is located at 2300 Silver Lake Blvd., LA. Tours of the VDL House are ONLY on Saturdays from 11am to 3pm. Admission is $15 Adults and $10 Students and Seniors. Children under 15 are free as are members of the press and Cal Poly Pomona students, faculty and staff.
Pine & Crane
Pine & Crane is aTaiwanese restaurant in the heart of Silver Lake with a casual family friendly atmosphere. The food is fresh, delicious and affordable.
Pine and Crane is located at 1521 Griffith Park Blvd., LA. Their hours are Wednesday – Monday 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm. They are closed Tuesdays.
The Chandelier Tree
Should you find yourself in the area after dark I highly recommend stopping by The Chandelier Tree. Created by, Silver Lake resident and artist, Adam Tenenbaum the tree is located in his front yard. Visitors to the tree are very welcome and if you’re so inclined you can contribute to Adam’s electric bill, by inserting coins into the meter beneath the tree. Check out this neat little video to learn more about the Chandelier Tree.
The Chandelier Tree is located at 2811 W. Silver Lake Drive, LA.
Where we went:
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beatravelling
I had no idea Silver Lake and Echo Park looked like this… I have never considered visiting. Love it!! #citytripping
Hilary
Aren’t they lovely?! You’ll just have to find your way here at some point!
beatravelling
I know 😀 I have been to LA twice, and figured I had a few more things to see, like a short stop of a couple of days. But with all the tings you keep bringing to my attention, I need a week at least 😀
Are We Adults Yet
I love doing so many of the “stairs hikes” hidden around LA! It’s such a good family activity or a good one for out of town guests who want a neighborhood tour! I also have definitely brought many a visitor to the Time Travel Mart 🙂
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http://www.areweadultsyet.com
Hilary
We love them too! Though in hindsight earlier in the day might have made more sense. Maybe we can go back in time at the Mart and do it again?! 😂
California Globetrotter
OOh I love those staircases and don’t even get me started right now on how much I freaked out about those swan paddle boats!!! You’re going to make it very hard to come home to Cali for anything less than a week! Pinned! #CityTripping
Hilary
Only one week?! You’ll need more time than that!
Skyler - Learningbrave
Um…part goats??!! Bahaha!! That is hilarious! I totally agree with you about picking on or two neighborhoods to really explore and enjoy. Once I tried the opposite and it was NOT fun! My husband and I had just arrived from Australia (longest flight ever!) and decided to do a whole day tour of all of LA…and then we slept through most of it and spent hours on a bus feeling a bit tortured. I would much prefer to re-do that experience and find some good food, paddle on a swan boat and climb some funky stairs! Thanks for the info. #CityTripping
Hilary
Oh! I do hope you’ll come back and try again!! You need to!
Paul Healy
Wow! I’m inspired. This is a great list of things to do, I never knew half of these things were there. Your photos are great too, it all looks so colourful. I’m making a beeline for Milk Shop – those treats look incredible.
Hilary
Thank you so much! The Milk Shop is delicious and fun! So many great finds in LA, if you have time to seek them out!
Tanja
pretty cool steps and some beautiful houses #farawayfiles
Hilary
The Victorians are lively aren’t they!
Sharee (Inspire Family Travel)
It’s nice to hear more about LA; we visited pre-kids, but it was a short trip and we only saw a very small part. The swan pedal boats would be a hit with our family – they look like lots of fun! #farawayfiles
Hilary
The boats were surprisingly fun!! I would even do it again!
Trish @ Mum's Gone To
I love so many of the places you’ve mentioned – the coffee shops, cakes, stairs, swan boats… I think I’ll come for a month or two!
We’ve started to stay local when we visit some cities. In London we try not to flit across the city but explore one part of it per visit – you do discover far more.
#farawayfiles
Hilary
A month or two would be great!! I moved back two years ago and feel there is still SO much left to discover!
Clare Thomson
You always go on the best day trips, Hilary, and I couldn’t agree more about picking one or two areas to do well rather than trying to rush around and do everything. If you did that, you wouldn’t have time for all those lovely foodie stops along the way! Both these neighbourhoods appeal to me. When you’re travelling with kids, I think it’s great to combine something physically strenuous like climbing those stairs and pedalling the boats with sweet treats and looking at those amazing houses. #FarawayFiles
Hilary
Thanks Clare! You know how I feel: there is always time for dessert! So much to discover here I’ll be busy for ages!
brandangelak
Visiting LA with kids has always seemed a bit overwhelming to me. I had no idea where to even start. Thank you for sharing these ideas! #farawayfiles
Hilary
So glad you found some fun ideas! LA is one big playground!
Elizabeth (Wander Mum)
I absolutely love those stairs – could see myself doing the hike up…one day I’ll finally get to LA! Echo Park looks awesome too! Thanks for linking #citytripping
Hilary
Come visit when you get a chance I think you’ll love it here!
Corey | Fifi + Hop
Oh the chandelier tree! I completely forgot to check that out on our visit! I’ve seen photos of it before, bummer. Love the idea of the hidden staircases, and all your food stops look amaze. You capture food so well in your photos – not my forte! #farawayfiles
Annabel Kirk
I love those stairs and the views from the lake are beautiful. I’d quite like to stop at that milk shop too, everything looks delicious!
Hilary
Delicious and fun! The lake was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t sure I’d love it but I did!
Nicola
I recognise those houses from Charmed!
#farawayfiles
Hilary
Fun right?!
dearmummyblog
Wonderful photos and we can’t believe L.A. is 500 square miles! That’s massive. Love the hidden stairs! #FarawayFlies x
Hilary
It’s SO big, but with so much to offer!!
Janis
I love the look of the hidden staircases in Silver Lake, they are a great find, and I certainly couldn’t resist stopping for an ice cream at The Milk Shop #farawayfiles
Hilary
The stairs are beautiful and brutal! One deserves an ice cream after completing them!
Katherine
What a cool, comprehensive guide! I was wondering why I’d never heard of Silver Lake or Echo Park… then I realised that they’re the hipster areas where I definitely would not fit in. Except that I’m a total hipster at heart, just without the sartorial stylings. #FarawayFiles
Hilary
Thank you! They’re both really fun areas and well
Deserving of time spent with or without kids!
Caity Pfohl | The Pamplemousse Papers
I love this post! The street art on the hidden stairs is so great, the goats are adorable and I’d love to check out the time travel mart and chandelier tree! I’ve only seen a small part of LA and would love to explore more. Bookmarking this for later! #farawayfiles
Hilary
One of my favorite neighborhoods! Hope you get to come back and explore!