Echo Park is a neighborhood in the east-

central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

region of

Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

. Located to the northwest of

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

, it is bordered by

Silver Lake Silver is a chemical element with the Symbol (chemistry), symbol Ag (from the Latin ', derived from the Proto-Indo-European wikt:Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/h₂erǵ-, ''h₂erǵ'': "shiny" or "white") and atomic number 47. A soft, whi ...

to the west and

Chinatown A Chinatown () is an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Austra ...

to the east. The culturally diverse neighborhood has become known for its trendy local businesses, as well as its popularity with artists, musicians and creatives. It has been home to numerous notable people. The neighborhood is centered on the lake and park of the same name.

History

Edendale

Established in 1892, and long before ''Hollywood'' became synonymous with the commercial film industry of the United States, the area of Echo Park known as Edendale was the center of filmmaking on the West Coast. By the 1910s, several film studios were operating on Allesandro Avenue (now

Glendale Boulevard Glendale Boulevard is a north–south street in Los Angeles. It starts off as Lucas Avenue at 7th Street west of Downtown Los Angeles, California. Background The name changes at Beverly Boulevard in Echo Park, north of the Hollywood Freew ...

) along the Echo Park-Silverlake border, including the

Selig Polyscope Company The Selig Polyscope Company was an American motion picture company that was founded in 1896 by William Selig in Chicago. The company produced hundreds of early, widely distributed commercial moving pictures, including the first films starring Tom ...

Mack Sennett Mack Sennett (born Michael Sinnott; January 17, 1880 – November 5, 1960) was a Canadian-American film actor, director, and producer, and studio head, known as the 'King of Comedy'. Born in Danville, Quebec, in 1880, he started in films in the ...

Keystone Studios Keystone Studios was an early film studio founded in Edendale, California (which is now a part of Echo Park) on July 4, 1912 as the Keystone Pictures Studio by Mack Sennett with backing from actor-writer Adam Kessel (1866–1946) and Charle ...

, the

Pathe Pathe or Pathé may refer to: * Pathé, a French company established in 1896 * Pathé Exchange, U.S. division of the French film company that was spun off into an independent entity * Pathé News, a French and British distributor of cinema news ...

West Coast Film Studio, and others. Silent film who stars worked in the Edendale studios included Mabel Normand,

Fatty Arbuckle Roscoe Conkling "Fatty" Arbuckle (; March 24, 1887 – June 29, 1933) was an American silent film actor, comedian, director, and screenwriter. He started at the Selig Polyscope Company and eventually moved to Keystone Studios, where he worked w ...

, and

Harold Lloyd Harold Clayton Lloyd, Sr. (April 20, 1893 – March 8, 1971) was an American actor, comedian, and stunt performer who appeared in many silent comedy films.Obituary ''Variety'', March 10, 1971, page 55. One of the most influential film co ...

, and

Gloria Swanson Gloria May Josephine Swanson (March 27, 1899April 4, 1983) was an American actress and producer. She first achieved fame acting in dozens of silent films in the 1920s and was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, most f ...

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is consider ...

's first film was made at Keystone Studios, as well as the very first feature-length comedy, which starred Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand. The first pie-in-the-face scene was filmed at what later became the

Studios on Glendale Boulevard near Effie Street. The complex, which is now part of a storage facility, dates from 1909 and includes one of the area's first permanent sound stages, the factories where movies are made. The former studio, 1712 Glendale Boulevard, is City of Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 256.

Echo Park Lake

Echo Park Lake's earliest use by the city was as a reservoir. The Los Angeles Canal and Reservoir Co. formed Reservoir No. 4 in 1868. The company obtained the water by digging a ditch that sent water flowing from the Los Angeles River — in the area now known as

Los Feliz LOS, or Los, or LoS may refer to: Science and technology * Length of stay, the duration of a single episode of hospitalisation * Level of service, a measure used by traffic engineers * Level of significance, a measure of statistical significanc ...

— along a zigzag path that emptied into the reservoir. In 1891 the four owners of the surrounding area gave up 33 acres (13 ha) of land to the city around the reservoir so that it could be used as a park. The city began work landscaping the park in October 1892. City parks superintendent Joseph Henry Tomlinson is recognized for coining the name of the new park, which later became the name of the neighborhood. He chose the name because of echoes he heard during the construction of Echo Park Lake in 1892. By 1895, the park and accompanying boathouse were completed. By the late 1910s, motion picture companies on Allesandro Street, now Glendale Boulevard, had been using the park as a filming location. City leaders responded by barring

, home of the

Keystone Cops The Keystone Cops (often spelled "Keystone Kops") are fictional, humorously incompetent policemen featured in silent film slapstick comedies produced by Mack Sennett for his Keystone Film Company between 1912 and 1917. History The idea for th ...

, from shooting any of its comedies at the lake, on the grounds that too many flowers were being trampled. Echo Park Lake was identified as an impaired body of water in 2006, and the city allocated $64.7 million to fund its cleanup and revitalization. The lake was closed off and drained in the summer of 2011 when renovation work began. The rehabilitation project tackled Echo Park Lake not only as a recreational body of water, but also as an important part of the Los Angeles ecosystem. Although Echo Park Lake is man-made, it is part of the local watershed. The lake reopened on June 5, 2013, after a $45 million renovation. Starting in November 2019, a growing population of homeless people began moving into tents in the park, eventually covering the northwest corner of the facility and the entire west bank by the lake. On March 25, 2021, the park was closed for renovations and cleared of the homeless encampments. This was done to address the high increase of the homeless population throughout the park and repair any damages. Closure notices were posted throughout the park days before the sweep, but a crowd of over 200 protesters met LAPD. According to

Mitch O'Farrell Mitch O'Farrell (born 1960) is an American politician, who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 13th district from 2013 to 2022, during which he spent eight days as President of the City Council during the 2022 Los Angeles ...

, more than 120 people experiencing homelessness at Echo Park Lake were successfully moved into transitional housing. This situation has caused tension between neighbors on how to handle the homeless problem in Los Angeles properly.

Transportation

Glendale Freeway termination

The

Glendale Freeway State Route 2 (SR 2) is a state highway in the U.S. state of California. It connects the Los Angeles Basin with the San Gabriel Mountains and the Victor Valley in the Mojave Desert. The highway's southwestern end is at the intersection of C ...

( SR 2) was originally planned and constructed in 1959 to connect with the

Hollywood Freeway The Hollywood Freeway is one of the principal freeways of Los Angeles, California (the boundaries of which it does not leave) and one of the busiest in the United States. It is the principal route through the Cahuenga Pass, the primary shortcut ...

(US-101) through the neighborhoods of Silver Lake and Echo Park, but terminates roughly northeast of its intended terminus at the Hollywood Freeway due to opposition from residents living and developers building on a hill that is now a private gated community called Hathaway Estates. In 1962, as a result of this local community opposition, the full build-out plan was rescinded and construction was terminated at the present SR-2 terminus near Glendale Bl and Duane Street. Since then, commuter traffic exiting and entering on to SR-2 has passed through the community, primarily along Glendale Bl and Alvarado Street, which has contributed to congestion. Since that plan has been scrapped, the freeway is somewhat isolated from the remainder of the Los Angeles freeway system. There have been proposals to turn the freeway stub into a sort of public park.

Pacific Electric Railway

The

Pacific Electric Railway The Pacific Electric Railway Company, nicknamed the Red Cars, was a privately owned mass transit system in Southern California consisting of electrically powered streetcars, interurban cars, and buses and was the largest electric railway system ...

, better known as the Red Cars, used to run through Echo Park along the center of Glendale Boulevard. The citywide system of electric trolleys began with the dawn of the 20th century, ultimately spinning a web of rail that linked cities in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino and Riverside counties. It was the largest and most advanced public transit system in the world at the time. The Red Car system was sold to Metropolitan Coach Lines, whose executive, Jesse Haugh, had connections to a public transportation company funded by General Motors and other auto-related industries. The Red Cars faded out of service not long afterwards, with the Los Angeles-Glendale-Burbank Line that traveled through Echo Park officially ending service on June 19, 1955.

Gangs

Echo Park has been infamous as being a hot spot for gang activity. This was true in the 1980s and 1990s, but in the early 2010s as the neighborhood began gentrifying, rents started to skyrocket, and a controversial

gang injunction A civil gang injunction or CGI is a type of restraining order issued by courts in the United States prohibiting gang members in particular cities from participating in certain specified activities. It is based on the legal theory that gang activi ...

forced gang members to move outside their turf, instances of gang violence waned. In 2013, a Los Angeles judge signed off on a permanent gang injunction aimed at six rival gangs in the Echo Park area, creating what authorities call a "safety zone" for the area. The injunction targets the members of six gangs, namely Echo Park Locos, the Crazys, the Big Top Locos, the Diamond Street Locos, Frogtown Rifa, and Head Hunters. The perimeter for the safety zone is roughly bound by the

Los Angeles River , name_etymology = , image = File:Los Angeles River from Fletcher Drive Bridge 2019.jpg , image_caption = L.A. River from Fletcher Drive Bridge , image_size = 300 , map = LARmap.jpg , map_size ...

to the north, the 110 Freeway to the east,

Beverly Boulevard Beverly Boulevard is one of the main east–west thoroughfares in Los Angeles, in the U.S. state of California. It begins off Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California, Beverly Hills and ends on the Lucas Avenue overpass near downtown ...

to south and

to the west. It includes Echo Park Lake park and

Dodger Stadium Dodger Stadium is a baseball stadium in the Elysian Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. It is the home stadium of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers. Opened in 1962, it was constructed in less than three years at a cost of ( ...

. The injunction, a civil order, prohibits two or more listed gang members from associating in any way in public or in common areas like courtyards. It also allows for stricter penalties if any listed gang member is caught with drugs, alcohol, guns or vandalizing property.

Geography

Echo Park has many rolling hills and valleys with a few flat areas like Echo Park Lake. Its main commercial corridors are Sunset and Glendale boulevards.

Location

According to the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the Un ...

'' "Mapping L.A." project, Echo Park is in Central Los Angeles, between Hollywood and

Downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) contains the central business district of Los Angeles. In addition, it contains a diverse residential area of some 85,000 people, and covers . A 2013 study found that the district is home to over 500,000 jobs. It is ...

. It is situated near the 101, the 2, and

the 5 The Five may refer to: Film * ''The Five'' (film), a 2013 South Korean film * '' El 5 de Talleres'', a 2015 film set in Argentina * '' Top Five'', a 2014 American film starring Chris Rock Literature * The Five (gods), a group of five gods in Tr ...

freeways. Echo Park is flanked by

Elysian Valley __NOTOC__ Elysian Valley, commonly known as Frogtown, is a neighborhood in Central Los Angeles, California, adjoining the Los Angeles River. It has two parks, both maintained by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA). The Frog ...

to the north and northeast,

Elysian Park Elysian Park is one of the largest parks in Los Angeles at 600 acres (240 ha). Most of Elysian Park falls in the neighborhood of the same name, but a small portion of the park falls in Echo Park. The park was created by city ordinance on April 5, ...

to the east,

and

to the southeast, Westlake to the southwest and west, and

to the northwest. Boundaries are the

Golden State Freeway Interstate 5 (I-5) is a major north–south route of the Interstate Highway System in the United States, stretching from the Mexican border at the San Ysidro crossing to the Canadian border near Blaine, Washington. The segment of I-5 in ...

–

interchange at the north apex, Riverside Drive on the northeast,

neighborhood on the east, Stadium Way and Beaudry Avenue on the southeast, the south apex being Beaudry Avenue and West Second Street and the west limit being an irregular line consisting of Second Street and Beverly Boulevard, then moving upward north along Benton Way and the Glendale Freeway.Thomas Guide, Los Angeles County, 2004, pages 594 and 634

Climate

Being in the central part of

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, Echo Park experiences a hot-summer

Mediterranean climate A Mediterranean climate (also called a dry summer temperate climate ''Cs'') is a temperate climate sub-type, generally characterized by warm, dry summers and mild, fairly wet winters; these weather conditions are typically experienced in the ...

(Csa). Temperatures here are almost identical to that of

Districts

Within Echo Park are the following:

Angelino Heights

Angelino Heights is most notable for its

Victorian era In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the period of Queen Victoria's reign, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. The era followed the Georgian period and preceded the Edwardia ...

residences, although these are few in number. It lies at an elevation of .

Elysian Heights

Since the 1910s, Elysian Heights, along with Edendale, has been home to many of the counter-culture, political radicals, artists, writers, architects and filmmakers. The children of many progressives attended school there during the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

Temple–Beaudry or Central City West

Temple–Beaudry forms a triangle south of the

, east of Glendale Boulevard, and west of Beaudry. Settled in the late 1800s as a residential neighborhood, many of the residences were torn down as part of

slum clearance Slum clearance, slum eviction or slum removal is an urban renewal strategy used to transform low income settlements with poor reputation into another type of development or housing. This has long been a strategy for redeveloping urban communities; ...

in preparation for a high school, which was instead turned into Vista Hermosa Park, and in anticipations of the expansion of the Downtown business district west across the

Harbor Freeway A harbor (American English), harbour (British English; see spelling differences), or haven is a sheltered body of water where ships, boats, and barges can be docked. The term ''harbor'' is often used interchangeably with ''port'', which is a ...

, for which some promoters used the term "Central City West" around 1990 for this area plus the area to its south, immediately west of the Harbor Freeway and as far south as Olympic Boulevard.

Victor Heights

Victor Heights lies between

Chinatown, Los Angeles Chinatown is a neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles, California, that became a commercial center for Chinese and other Asian businesses in Central Los Angeles in 1938. The area includes restaurants, shops, and art galleries, but also has a reside ...

, and the central part of Echo Park, off

Sunset Boulevard Sunset Boulevard is a boulevard in the central and western part of Los Angeles, California, that stretches from the Pacific Coast Highway in Pacific Palisades east to Figueroa Street in Downtown Los Angeles. It is a major thoroughfare in t ...

near the

Pasadena Freeway Pasadena ( ) is a city in Los Angeles County, California, northeast of downtown Los Angeles. It is the most populous city and the primary cultural center of the San Gabriel Valley. Old Pasadena is the city's original commercial district. I ...

below

. One of its streets is the hilly Figueroa Terrace, where in 1992 a resident named Betty Oyama lived and helped popularized a name for Victor Heights as the "Forgotten Edge", because, as she said, the

Police Department The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and ...

couldn't figure out where Victor Heights was exactly. In a

feature story A feature story is a piece of non-fiction writing about news. A feature story is a type of soft news. The main sub-types are the ''news feature'' and the '' human-interest story''. A feature story is distinguished from other types of non-news ...

about Oyama's successful fight to form a

Neighborhood Watch A neighborhood watch or neighbourhood watch (see spelling differences), also called a crime watch or neighbourhood crime watch, is an organized group of civilians devoted to crime and vandalism prevention within a neighborhood. The aim of neig ...

, a ''Los Angeles Times'' reporter said of Victor Heights that it was "a mix of new and old housing styles and fresidents who span the socioeconomic and ethnic spectrums. New condominium complexes stand next to 1920s-era

bungalow A bungalow is a small house or cottage that is either single-story or has a second story built into a sloping roof (usually with dormer windows), and may be surrounded by wide verandas. The first house in England that was classified as a b ...

houses and old apartment buildings." In 2009 Victor Heights and its hilly streets were described as "a collection of stuccoed apartments and faded bungalows, a place with a lot of old-timers." With its dramatic views of the

Los Angeles Civic Center The Civic Center neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, is the administrative core of the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles, and a complex of city, county, state, and federal government offices, buildings, and courthouses. It is loca ...

, Victor Heights had a population of "older Italians and Croatians who once dominated the area," along with "newer Asian and Latino immigrants nda smattering of hipsters betting that Victor Heights will be the next big thing." The area became known for the flock of

peacocks Peafowl is a common name for three bird species in the genera '' Pavo'' and ''Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae, the pheasants and their allies. Male peafowl are referred to as peacocks, and female peafowl are ref ...

and peahens, with their chicks, who had taken over parts of the district, often on Everett Street, where they gathered in the morning. Victor Heights is an old area. In 1887 "Choice lots, commanding a splendid view," were being advertised for $1,200. Lesser lots went for $700 to $1,300. All had "Water piped through the street." In 1908 its residents took a fight against disruptive

dynamite Dynamite is an explosive made of nitroglycerin, sorbents (such as powdered shells or clay), and Stabilizer (chemistry), stabilizers. It was invented by the Swedish people, Swedish chemist and engineer Alfred Nobel in Geesthacht, Northern Germa ...

blasting by the Los Angeles Brick Company in

Chavez Ravine Chavez Ravine is a shallow L-shaped canyon in Los Angeles, California. It sits in a large promontory of hills north of downtown Los Angeles, next to Major League Baseball's Dodger Stadium. Chavez Ravine was named for Julian A. Chavez, Julian Cha ...

to the Los Angeles City Police Commission. They complained that the explosions were "cracking the plaster on their walls and causing their homes to settle to such an extent that they could not open their doors.

Population

The 2000 U.S. census counted 40,455 residents in the neighborhood—an average of 16,868 people per square mile, one of the highest densities in Los Angeles and among the highest densities for the county. In 2008 the city estimated that the population had increased to 43,832. The median age for residents was 30, about the same as the city norm. Echo Park was considered moderately diverse ethnically. The breakdown was

Latinos Hispanic and Latino Americans ( es, Estadounidenses hispanos y latinos; pt, Estadunidenses hispânicos e latinos) are Americans of Spaniards, Spanish and/or Latin Americans, Latin American ancestry. More broadly, these demographics include a ...

, 64%; Asians, 18.8%;

whites White is a racialized classification of people and a skin color specifier, generally used for people of European origin, although the definition can vary depending on context, nationality, and point of view. Description of populations as " ...

, 12.9%;

blacks Black is a racialized classification of people, usually a political and skin color-based category for specific populations with a mid to dark brown complexion. Not all people considered "black" have dark skin; in certain countries, often in ...

, 2%, and others, 2.3%. Mexico (41.3%) and El Salvador (15.2%) were the most common places of birth for the 53% of the residents who were born abroad, a figure that was considered high compared to the city as a whole. The median household income in 2008 dollars was $37,708, a low figure for Los Angeles, and a high percentage of households earned $20,000 or less. The average household size of three people was about the same as the rest of the city. Renters occupied 76% of the housing units, and house- or apartment owners the rest. The percentages of never-married men and women, 46.8% and 38.3%, respectively, were among the county's highest. The 2000 census found 5,325 families headed by single parents, a high rate for both the city and the county. There were 1,034 military veterans in 2000, or 3.5%, a low figure for Los Angeles. Census data below for Echo Park is generally cited from only US Census District 1974.20 and does not include a large portion of what is geographically and culturally considered Echo Park. District boundaries shifted from 2000 to 2010 in most of the other contributing districts, so trends are not necessarily reliably reported by the data. It is also alleged that Echo Park and Hollywood are among the lowest responding areas to census polls. The 2010 US Census estimates that the neighborhood demographics for tract 1974.20 are as follows: Latinos still form the majority of the community, though the percentage fell from 69.8% in 2000 to 59.5% in 2010; Whites grew from 13.2% in 2000 to 23.2% in 2010; Asian population remained almost unchanged at 13.3% in 2010 compared to 13.2% in 2000; Other grew from 3.4% in 2000 to 4% in 2010. The number of people in the district shrank by almost 15% to around 3500 people. This represents less than 10% of the number of residents considered to live in Echo Park. The demographic shift from Latino to White is generally acknowledged as the overall trend in the area. Data collected by Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count in 2019 show that Echo Park's homeless population is 367 (0.9%).

Parks and recreation

Parks

Elysian Park

is one of the largest in Los Angeles at 600 acres (240 ha). It is also the city's oldest park, founded in 1886 by the Elysian Park Enabling Ordinance. Most of Elysian Park falls in the Eastern neighborhood of the same name, but a small portion of the park does fall in Echo Park. * Angels Point, a small hill in Elysian Park overlooking

and the Downtown Los Angeles Skyline. Atop the hill is a large metal sculpture art installation by local artist

Peter Shire Peter Shire (born 1947) is a Los Angeles-based artist. Shire was born in the Echo Park district of Los Angeles, where he currently lives and works. His sculpture, furniture and ceramics have been exhibited in the United States, Italy, France, Ja ...

of the 1980s postmodern

Memphis Group The Memphis Group, also known as Memphis Milano, was an Italian design and architecture group founded by Ettore Sottsass. It was active from 1980 to 1987. The group designed postmodern furniture, lighting, fabrics, carpets, ceramics, glass and me ...

. *

Chavez Ravine Arboretum The Chavez Ravine Arboretum, in Elysian Park, just north of Dodger Stadium, at 1025 Elysian Park Dr, Los Angeles, California, contains more than 100 varieties of trees from around the world, including what are believed to be the oldest and largest ...

, opened in 1893 and contains more than 100 varieties of trees from around the world, including what are believed to be the oldest and largest Cape Chestnut, Kauri, and Tipu trees in the United States. * Grace E. Simons Lodge, an event space with waterfalls and reception rooms. * Marion Harlow Memorial Grove is a small tree and plant grove along the Elysian Park hiking trail.

Echo Park Lake

Originally built in the 1860s as a reservoir for drinking water, today Echo Park Lake is a Los Angeles icon that functions primarily as a detention basin in the city's storm drain system, while providing recreational benefits and wildlife habitat. Echo Park Lake also plays host to community events, such as the annual Lotus Festival every July. * Echo Park boathouse restaurant and more than a dozen swan shaped paddle boats * Picnic tables, BBQ pits, public restrooms, water fountains, and grassy picnic areas * 1 mile long looping promenade paved walking trail around the lake A major renovation was completed in 2013. Beginning in 2019, the shores of the lake spawned a homeless encampment that became a "flashpoint in L.A's homelessness crisis." As of March 25, 2021, the park was closed indefinitely for renovations. It reopened on May 26, 2021, after the tents were removed.

Vista Hermosa Natural Park

A urban natural park which features walking trails, streams, meadows, oak savannahs, picnic grounds, sweeping views of

skyline, and a nature-themed playground amidst native Mediterranean vegetation. It is built on former residential land in the Temple–Beaudry district, houses that were torn down as part of slum clearance efforts, and which originally was destined for use as the site of a high school.

Sports Facilities

* Chavez Ridge Disc Golf Course (in Elysian Park) * Echo Park Deep Pool (indoor pool) * Echo Park Recreation Complex **Facility Features: Baseball Diamond (Lighted), Basketball Courts (Lighted / Indoor), Basketball Courts (Lighted / Outdoor), Children's Play Area, Community Rooms, 6 Tennis Courts (Lighted), Stage, Picnic Tables, Indoor Gym (without Weights), Skate park (opening in 2020) * Echo Park Youth Center * Elysian Fields (2 baseball diamonds in Elysian Park) * Elysian Park Adaptive Recreation Center (in Elysian Park) **Facility Features: Basketball Courts (Unlighted / Outdoor), Children's Play Area, Indoor Gym (with Weights), Amphitheatre, Indoor Gym (without Weights), Classroom(s), Stage * Vista Hermosa Synthetic Soccer Field (lighted)

Government and infrastructure

Local government

Echo Park resides in both Los Angeles City Council District 13 under Councilmember

and Los Angeles City Council District 1 under Councilmember

Gil Cedillo Gilbert Anthony Cedillo (born March 25, 1954) is an American politician, who served as a member of the Los Angeles City Council for the 1st district from 2013 to 2022. A member of the Democratic Party, Cedillo was previously a member of both the ...

. The

Los Angeles Fire Department The Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD or LA City Fire) provides emergency medical services, fire cause determination, fire prevention, fire suppression, hazardous materials mitigation, and technical rescue services to the city of Los Angeles ...

Station 20 is in the area. The

Los Angeles Police Department The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...

(LAPD) operates the Rampart Community Police Station at 1401 West 6th St., 90017, located near Echo Park in the Westlake district of east-central Los Angeles. LAPD also operates an LAPD Police Academy training facility Including a weapons firing range in Elysian Park adjacent to Dodger Stadium.

is an American politician and member of the Los Angeles City Council representing the 13th district, including Echo Park. O'Farrell was elected on May 21, 2013, to succeed outgoing incumbent Eric Garcetti, the 42nd Mayor of Los Angeles. His office resides at 1722 Sunset Blvd. in Downtown Echo Park.

County, state, and federal representation

Echo Park sits in the following governmental districts: * 1st County District of Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, under Supervisor

Hilda Solis Hilda Lucia Solis (; born October 20, 1957) is an American politician and a member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 1st district. Solis previously served as the 25th United States Secretary of Labor from 2009 to 2013, as par ...

* 24th State Senate District, under California State Senator

Maria Elena Durazo Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial * 170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 * Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, ...

* 51st State District of the California State Assembly, under California State Assemblymember

Wendy Carrillo Wendy Maria Carrillo Dono is an American politician serving in the California State Assembly. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, she represents the California's 51st State Assembly district, 51st State Assembly district, encompassing ...

* 28th Federal Congressional District, under Representative

Adam Schiff Adam Bennett Schiff (born June 22, 1960) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who has served as a U.S. representative since 2001. A member of the Democratic Party, he has represented since 2013. Schiff's district (numbered as the 2 ...

The

Los Angeles County Department of Health Services Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (abbreviated DHS and LADHS) operates the public hospitals and clinics in Los Angeles County, and is the United States' second largest municipal health system, after NYC Health + Hospitals. DHS ope ...

operates the Central Health Center in

, serving Echo Park. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U ...

Edendale Post Office is located at 1525 North Alvarado Street.

(born March 20, 1953) is an American politician serving in the California State Senate. A Democrat, she represents the 24th State Senate district, which encompasses Central Los Angeles and East Los Angeles, including Echo Park. Her District Office resides at 1808 Sunset Blvd. in Downtown Echo Park.

Education

Eighteen percent of residents 25 and older have a four-year degree, about average for the city and the county, but there is a high percentage of residents with less than a high school diploma. In 2007, LAUSD used eminent domain to remove 50 homes in order to build a new school. Within Echo Park are the following schools:

Elementary schools

* Baxter Montessori, 2101 North Echo Park Avenue (private) * Elysian Heights Elementary, 1562 Baxter Street (LAUSD). This school was home to "Room 8 the Cat" * Clifford Street Elementary, 2150 Duane Street (LAUSD) * Mayberry Street Elementary, 2414 Mayberry Street (LAUSD) * Golden West Christian, 1310 Liberty Street (private) * Gabriella Charter, 1435 Logan Street (LAUSD) * Logan Street Span School, 1711 West Montana Street (LAUSD)Serving K to 8th grade * Rosemont Elementary, 421 N. Rosemont (LAUSD) * Betty Plasencia Elementary School, 1321 Cortez Street (LAUSD)

Other schools

* DC Academy, 626 Coronado Terrace (private)

Public libraries

The

Los Angeles Public Library The Los Angeles Public Library system (LAPL) is a public library system in Los Angeles, California. The system holds more than six million volumes, and with around 19 million residents in the Los Angeles Metropolitan area, it serves the large ...

operates two branches in Echo Park: Echo Park Branch and Edendale Branch.

Entertainment and night life

The trendy Echo Park area, known as one of "the city's hippest neighborhoods", has many bars, night clubs, and restaurants.Andrew Khoury, "In Urban L.A., Developers Are Building Trendy Homes on Tiny Lots"
''

'', July 13, 2013 The sprawling historic

Taix French restaurant Taix (formerly Les Freres Taix) is a French restaurant in Los Angeles, California, founded in 1927. The restaurant complex features open and private dining rooms, banquet halls, and a cocktail lounge with live music called the 321 Lounge. The res ...

(originally known as Les Freres Taix) has been a landmark in the community since moving to 1911 Sunset Boulevard from downtown Los Angeles in 1964. The 321 Lounge cocktail bar inside the restaurant has hosted live music and comedy for many years and is a longtime destination for

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

fans to congregate before or after a baseball game.

Notable people

Veronica Porché Ali Veronica Porché Anderson (formerly Porché Ali, ) is an American woman, the widow of American singer Carl Anderson (singer), Carl Anderson and formerly the third wife of American boxer Muhammad Ali. She is the mother of Ali's two daughters Han ...

, psychologist and former wife of boxer

Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali (; born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr.; January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer and activist. Nicknamed "The Greatest", he is regarded as one of the most significant sports figures of the 20th century, a ...

. *

Carlos Almaraz Carlos D. Almaraz (October 5, 1941 – December 11, 1989) was a Mexican-American artist and a pioneer of the Chicano art movement. Early life and education Almaraz was born on October 5, 1941, in Mexico City, Mexico to parents Roe and Rudolph Alm ...

, artist * Austin Amelio, actor *

Conor Oberst Conor Mullen Oberst (born February 15, 1980) is an American singer-songwriter best known for his work in Bright Eyes. He has also played in several other bands, including Desaparecidos, the Faint (previously named Norman Bailer), Commander Venu ...

, musician *

Allison Anders Allison Anders (born November 16, 1954) is an American independent film director whose films include ''Gas Food Lodging'', ''Mi Vida Loca'' and ''Grace of My Heart''. Anders has collaborated with fellow UCLA School of Theater, Film and Televisio ...

, film and television director *

Jackson Browne Clyde Jackson Browne (born October 9, 1948) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and political activist who has sold over 18 million albums in the United States. Emerging as a precocious teenage songwriter in mid-1960s Los Angeles, he h ...

, musician *

Anna Camp Anna Ragsdale Camp (born September 27, 1982) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as the villainous Sarah Newlin in the HBO vampire drama ''True Blood'' (2009, 2013–2014) and Aubrey Posen in the musical comedy '' ...

, actress *

, actor, comedian, composer, writer, film director. *

Frances Conroy Frances Hardman Conroy is an American actress. She is best known for playing Ruth Fisher on the television series '' Six Feet Under'' (2001–2005), for which she won a Golden Globe and three Screen Actors Guild Awards, and received four Pr ...

, actress *

Alice Cooper Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guillot ...

, musician * Jeffrey Davies, musician *

Lana Del Rey Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, glamour, and melancholia, with frequent ...

, musician, model, music video director. *

Mac DeMarco MacBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco (born Vernor Winfield MacBriare Smith IV; April 30, 1990) is a Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer. DeMarco has released six full-length studio albums, his debut ''Rock and Roll Night C ...

, musician * Leonardo DiCaprio, actor *

William Ferguson William Ferguson may refer to: Arts * William Ferguson (tenor), operatic tenor, see '' The Tempest'' * William Gouw Ferguson, Scottish painter of still life * Will Ferguson (born 1964), Canadian writer Sportspeople * Bill Ferguson (American foo ...

(1822–1910), member of the Los Angeles Common Council * Leanne Ford, interior designer, HGTV television show host *

Glenn Frey Glenn Lewis Frey (; November 6, 1948 – January 18, 2016) was an American singer, guitarist and a founding member of the rock band Eagles. Frey was the co-lead singer and frontman for the Eagles, roles he came to share with fellow member Don ...

, musician *

Eric Garcetti Eric Michael Garcetti (born February 4, 1971) is an American politician who served as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles from 2013 until 2022. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he was first elected in the 2013 Los An ...

, Los Angeles mayor *

Erica Garcia Erica or ERICA may refer to: * Erica (given name) * ''Erica'' (plant), a flowering plant genus * Erica (chatbot), a service of Bank of America * ''Erica'' (video game), a 2019 FMV video game * ''Erica'' (spider), a jumping spider genus * Eric ...

, Argentine rock singer-songwriter * Seth Green, actor *

Kim Gruenenfelder Kim Gruenenfelder is an American author and screenwriter. She became known for writing women's fiction, specifically romantic comedy fiction, novels. Her debut novel, '' A Total Waste of Makeup'', has been published in six languages and eight ...

, writer and congressional candidate * Roy Hampton, Los Angeles City Council member, 1939–41 * Hand Habits, musician * Maurice Harris, celebrity florist, cafe owner *

Marilyn Horne Marilyn Horne (born January 16, 1934) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages. She is a recipient of the Natio ...

, soprano, lived at 1565 Altivo Way *

John Huston John Marcellus Huston ( ; August 5, 1906 – August 28, 1987) was an American film director, screenwriter, actor and visual artist. He wrote the screenplays for most of the 37 feature films he directed, many of which are today considered ...

, film director *

Art Ingels Art Ingels (sometimes misspelled as Ingles; May 14, 1918 - December 16, 1981) is known as 'the father of karting'. In 1956, while he was a race car builder at Kurtis Kraft, a famous builder of Indy race cars during the 1950s, he assembled the fir ...

, inventor of the Go-Kart * Touko Laaksonen (AKA Tom of Finland), artist *

Paul Landacre Paul Hambleton Landacre (July 9, 1893, Columbus, Ohio - June 3, 1963, Los Angeles, California) was an active participant in the cultural flowering of interwar Los Angeles, described by Jake Zeitlin as a "small Renaissance, Southern California styl ...

, artist, lived at 2006 El Moran Street *

Sasha Lane Sasha Bianca Lane (born September 29, 1995) is an American actress. She made her film debut in ''American Honey'' (2016), directed by Andrea Arnold, before portraying Hunter C-20 in the first season of the Disney+ television series ''Loki'', set ...

, actress, model *

Shia LaBeouf Shia Saide LaBeouf (; born June 11, 1986) is an American actor, performance artist, and filmmaker. He played Louis Stevens in the Disney Channel series ''Even Stevens'', a role for which he received Young Artist Award nominations in 2001 and ...

, actor, writer, artist * Solomon Lazard (1827–1916), entrepreneur, banker and politician *

Henry Jay Lewis Henry Jay Lewis (October 16, 1932 – January 26, 1996) was an American double-bassist and orchestral conductor whose career extended over four decades. A child prodigy, he joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic at age 16, becoming the first Afri ...

, musical conductor * Estelle Lawton Lindsey, newspaper columnist and Los Angeles City Council member, lived at 2414 Echo Park Avenue *

Edward Middleton Manigault Edward Middleton Manigault (June 14, 1887 – August 31, 1922) was a Canadian-born American Modernist painter. Biography Manigault was born in London, Ontario, on June 14, 1887.. His parents were Americans originally from South Carolina who had ...

, painter. * Aimee Semple McPherson, evangelist (created first megachurch) *

Steve McQueen Terrence Stephen McQueen (March 24, 1930November 7, 1980) was an American actor. His antihero persona, emphasized during the height of the counterculture of the 1960s, made him a top box-office draw for his films of the late 1950s, 1960s, and 1 ...

, actor, lived on Vestal Avenue in 1955 * Carey McWilliams author, editor and lawyer * Phoebe Neidhardt, actress, comedian *

Alessandro Nivola Alessandro Antine Nivola (born June 28, 1972) is an American actor. He has been nominated for a Tony Award and an Independent Spirit Award and has won a Screen Actors Guild Award, a British Independent Film Award (BIFA), and the Best Actor Award ...

, actor, bought and lived in Angelino Heights Victorian home in 2002 *

Molly Parker Molly Parker (born 30 June 1972) is a Canadian actress, writer, and director. She has had roles in independent films as well as television. Her accolades include two Genie Awards, one Canadian Screen Award, one Independent Spirit Awards nomina ...

, actress *

Lil Peep Gustav Elijah Åhr (November 1, 1996 – November 15, 2017), known professionally as Lil Peep, was an American rapper, singer, and songwriter. He was a member of the emo rap collective GothBoiClique. Helping pioneer an emo revival-style of Rapp ...

, musician lived here from 2016 to his death in 2017 *

Art Pepper Arthur Edward Pepper Jr. (September 1, 1925 – June 15, 1982) was an American alto saxophonist and very occasional tenor saxophonist and clarinetist. Active in West Coast jazz, Pepper came to prominence in Stan Kenton's big band. He was known ...

, jazz musician *

Ariel Pink Ariel Marcus Rosenberg ( ; born June 24, 1978), professionally known as Ariel Pink, is an American musician, singer, and songwriter whose work draws heavily from the popular music of the 1960s–1980s. His lo-fi music, lo-fi aesthetic and home ...

, musician *

Leo Politi Atiglio Leoni Politi (November 21, 1908 – March 26, 1996) was an American artist and author who wrote and illustrated some 20 children's books, as well as ''Bunker Hill, Los Angeles'' (1964), intended for adults. His works often celebrated cu ...

, artist and illustrator * James Wesley Potts, merchant, landowner and member of the Los Angeles Common Council; noted locally as an amateur weatherman nicknamed "The Prophet." *

Margaret Qualley Sarah Margaret Qualley (born October 23, 1994) is an American actress and model. A daughter of actress Andie MacDowell, she trained as a ballerina in her youth. She made her acting debut with a minor role in the 2013 drama film ''Palo Alto'', a ...

, actress, dancer. *

Sara Ramirez Sara Elena Ramírez (; born August 31, 1975) is a Mexican-American actor and singer. Born in Mazatlán, Sinaloa, Ramírez moved to the United States at eight years old, eventually graduating with a fine arts degree from the Juilliard School. R ...

, actress *

Ann Robinson Ann Robinson (born May 25, 1929) is a former American actress and stunt horse rider, perhaps best known for her work in the science-fiction classic ''The War of the Worlds'' (1953) and in the 1954 film '' Dragnet'', in which she starred as a L ...

, actress and stunt horse rider *

Horatio Sanz Horacio Sanz (born June 4, 1969), better known by his stage name Horatio Sanz, is a Chilean-born American actor and comedian. He was a cast member on '' Saturday Night Live'' from 1998 to 2006. Early life Sanz was born on June 4, 1969 in Sant ...

, comedian, actor, ex-SNL cast member and podcaster. *

, writer, film producer, film director, studio executive *

, artist (80s

postmodern pioneer) *

Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...

, musician, writer *

Roger L. Simon Roger Lichtenberg Simon (born November 22, 1943) is an American novelist and screenwriter. He was formerly CEO of PJ Media (formerly known as Pajamas Media) and is now its CEO Emeritus. He is the author of eleven novels, including the Moses Win ...

, novelist and screenwriter. His fictional detective, Moses Wine, also lived in Echo Park. * Grace E. Simons, a defender of Elysian Park * Brando Skyhorse, author, lived on Portia Street *

Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...

(1969–2003), musician, singer, songwriter *

J. D. Souther John David "J. D." Souther (born November 2, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He has written and co-written songs recorded by Linda Ronstadt and the Eagles. Souther is probably best known for his songwriting abilities, especi ...

, musician *

Avey Tare David Michael Portner (born April 24, 1979), also known by his moniker Avey Tare, is a musician and songwriter who co-founded the American experimental pop band Animal Collective. He has released three solo albums, as well as three collaborative ...

, musician *

Darwin William Tate Darwin William Tate (ca. 1889–1962) was a member of the Los Angeles City Council between 1933 and 1939 and chief of the California Division of State Beaches and Parks from 1939 to 1942. Biography In the 1930s, Tate lived in the Echo Park area ...

, Los Angeles City Council member, 1933–39 *

Danny Trejo Danny Trejo ( ; born May 16, 1944) is an American actor. He has appeared in films including ''Desperado'', ''Heat'', and the ''From Dusk Till Dawn'' film series. With frequent collaborator and his second cousin Robert Rodriguez, he portrayed ...

, actor * Valentina, drag queen * Clare Vivier, fashion designer *

Eric Wareheim Eric Alexander Wareheim (; born April 7, 1976) is an American comedian, actor, writer, director, musician, and winemaker. He is best known as one half of the comedy duo Tim & Eric, alongside Tim Heidecker. He also had a recurring role on the Netf ...

, actor, comedian *

Clara Kimball Young Clara Kimball Young (born Edith Matilda Clara Kimball; September 6, 1890 – October 15, 1960) was an American film actress who was popular in the early silent film era. Early life Edith Matilda Clara Kimball was born in Chicago on Septembe ...

, silent film actress *

Frank Zappa Frank Vincent Zappa (December 21, 1940 – December 4, 1993) was an American musician, composer, and bandleader. His work is characterized by wikt:nonconformity, nonconformity, Free improvisation, free-form improvisation, sound experimen ...

, musician and songwriter, lived at 1819 Bellevue Ave *

Jake Zeitlin Jacob Israel Zeitlin (November 4, 1902 – August 30, 1987) was an American bookseller, publisher, collector, poet and intellectual in Los Angeles in the mid-twentieth century. He was born in Racine, Wisconsin, but moved with his family to F ...

opened an antique book shop at 1623 Landa Street

In popular culture

Film

* '' Twenty Minutes of Love'' is a 1914 short

silent film A silent film is a film with no synchronized recorded sound (or more generally, no audible dialogue). Though silent films convey narrative and emotion visually, various plot elements (such as a setting or era) or key lines of dialogue may, when ...

starring

, which takes place at Echo Park Lake. * ''

Recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...

'' is a 1914 short

starring

, which takes place at Echo Park Lake. * The Academy Award-winning 1974 film ''

'' by Director

Roman Polanski Raymond Roman Thierry Polański , group=lower-alpha, name=note_a (né Liebling; 18 August 1933) is a French-Polish film director, producer, screenwriter, and actor. He is the recipient of numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, two ...

has a scene taking place in Echo Park. In the movie's third-most-famous scene, Jake (

Jack Nicholson John Joseph Nicholson (born April 22, 1937) is an American retired actor and filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest actors of all time. In many of his films, he played rebels against the social structure. He received numerous ...

) pretends to photograph his associate, as cover for snapping Hollis and Katherine, while boating on Echo Park Lake. *''

Echo Park Echo Park is a neighborhood in the east-central region of Los Angeles, California. Located to the northwest of Downtown, it is bordered by Silver Lake to the west and Chinatown to the east. The culturally diverse neighborhood has become known f ...

'' is a 1986 American comedy drama film set in Echo Park. The plot follows several aspiring actors, musicians and models. * ''

Mi Vida Loca ''Mi Vida Loca'' (also known as ''My Crazy Life'') is a 1993 American drama film directed and written by Allison Anders. It centers on the plight of cholas (the female counterparts to cholos) growing up in the Echo Park section of Los Angeles, w ...

'', is a 1993 American

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

directed and written by

centered on young Mexicanas and Chicanas (and their male counterparts) growing up in Echo Park. *''

The Fast And The Furious ''Fast & Furious'' (also known as ''The Fast and the Furious'') is a media franchise centered on a series of action films that are largely concerned with street racing, heists, spies, and family. The franchise also includes short films, ...

'' is a 2001 American

crime In ordinary language, a crime is an unlawful act punishable by a State (polity), state or other authority. The term ''crime'' does not, in modern criminal law, have any simple and universally accepted definition,Farmer, Lindsay: "Crime, definit ...

action-adventure film Action film is a film genre in which the protagonist is thrust into a series of events that typically involve violence and physical feats. The genre tends to feature a mostly resourceful hero struggling against incredible odds, which include life ...

directed by

Rob Cohen Rob Cohen (born March 12, 1949) is an American director and producer of film and television. Beginning his career as an executive producer at 20th Century Fox, Cohen produced and developed numerous high-profile film and television programs, inc ...

starring

Paul Walker Paul William Walker IV (September 12, 1973 – November 30, 2013) was an American actor. He was known for his role as Brian O'Conner in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Walker began his career as a child actor in the 1980s, gaining recogniti ...

Vin Diesel Mark Sinclair (born July 18, 1967), known professionally as Vin Diesel, is an American actor. One of the world's highest-grossing actors, he is best known for playing Dominic Toretto in the ''Fast & Furious'' franchise. Diesel began audition ...

, &

Michelle Rodriguez Mayte Michelle Rodriguez (born July 12, 1978) is an American actress. Rodriguez began her career in 2000, playing a troubled boxer in the independent sports drama film ''Girlfight'' (2000), where she won the Independent Spirit Award and Gotha ...

. Vin Diesel plays Dominic Toretto, a street racer who lives in Echo Park. Many scenes take place there including at Bob's Market in Angelino Heights and a meet up in the parking lot of

. *''

Training Day ''Training Day'' is a 2001 American crime thriller film directed by Antoine Fuqua and written by David Ayer. It stars Denzel Washington as Alonzo Harris and Ethan Hawke as Jake Hoyt, two LAPD narcotics officers over a 24-hour period in the gan ...

'' is a 2001 American

thriller film Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre ...

directed by

Antoine Fuqua Antoine Fuqua (born May 30, 1965) is an American filmmaker, known for his work in the action and thriller genres. He was originally known as a director of music videos, and made his film debut in 1998 with ''The Replacement Killers''. His critica ...

starring

Denzel Washington Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. (born December 28, 1954) is an American actor and filmmaker. He has been described as an actor who reconfigured "the concept of classic movie stardom". Throughout his career spanning over four decades, Washington ha ...

and

Ethan Hawke Ethan Green Hawke (born November 6, 1970) is an American actor and film director. He has been nominated for four Academy Awards, two Golden Globe Awards and a Tony Award. Hawke has directed three feature films, three off-Broadway plays, and a doc ...

as two

LAPD The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...

narcotics officers who patrol over a 12-hour period in the gang-ridden neighborhoods of Westlake, Echo Park and

South Central Los Angeles South Los Angeles, also known as South Central Los Angeles or simply South Central, is a region in southwestern Los Angeles County, lying mostly within the city limits of Los Angeles, south of downtown. It is "defined on Los Angeles city maps as a ...

. * ''

Quinceañera A (also , , , and ) is a celebration of a girl's 15th birthday. It has pre-Columbian roots in Mexico (Aztecs) and is widely celebrated by girls throughout Latin America. The girl celebrating her 15th birthday is a (; gender (linguistics), ...

'' is a 2006 film about gentrification in Los Angeles, centered on Echo Park. * ''

Columbus Day (film) ''Columbus Day'' is a 2008 crime drama starring Val Kilmer, Marg Helgenberger and Wilmer Valderrama. Plot A thief has just one morning to fix the damage done during the biggest heist of his career, all while attempting to repair his relationshi ...

'' of 2009 has a recurring scene at the Echo Park Lake. * The

Nicolas Winding Refn Nicolas Winding Refn (; born 29 September 1970), also known as Jang, is a Danish film director, screenwriter, and producer. He is known for his collaborations with Mads Mikkelsen, Tom Hardy and Ryan Gosling. He gained great success early in ...

2011 film ''Drive'' is set primarily in Echo Park. The main character, "The Driver" lives in Echo Park and meets many characters in and around the area. * ''

'' is a 2014 drama romance film directed by

Amanda Marsalis Amanda Marsalis is an American film director and photographer. Career Photographic career Marsalis attended California College of Arts and Crafts where she studied with Larry Sultan and Jim Goldberg. Directing career Marsalis made her dire ...

set in Echo Park. *'' A Star Is Born'' is a 2018 American

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

directed by

Bradley Cooper Bradley Charles Cooper (born January 5, 1975) is an American actor and filmmaker. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a British Academy Film Award and two Grammy Awards, in addition to nominations for nine Academy Awards, si ...

starring Bradley Cooper and

Lady Gaga Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta ( ; born March 28, 1986), known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She is known for her image reinventions and musical versatility. Gaga began performing as a teenag ...

. Lady Gaga's character, Ally, lives with her father in the

Angelino Heights Angelino Heights, alternately spelled Angeleno Heights, is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Situated between neighboring Chinatown and Echo Park, the neighborhood is known for its concentration of eclectic architectural styles from ...

district of Echo Park.

Television

* ''The Bench'' Episode 004 with

Huell Howser Huell Burnley Howser (October 18, 1945 – January 7, 2013) was an American television personality, actor, producer, writer, singer, and voice artist, best known for hosting, producing, and writing ''California's Gold'' and his human interest sh ...

, filmed in 1996 * The main character Jimmy played by Stephen Falk in the 2014 FX show ''

You're The Worst ''You're the Worst'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Stephen Falk. Originally broadcast by FX, the series moved to its sister channel FXX beginning with the second season. The series follows Jimmy ( Chris Geere), a sel ...

'' lives in Silver Lake, and much of Echo Park is featured in the show as the main characters visit nearby businesses. * The 2016 Netflix series ''

Love Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest Interpersonal relationship, interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of ...

'' is primarily set in Echo Park. * The 2017 reboot of the sitcom '' One Day at a Time'' is set in Echo Park. * The television series Chuck is mainly set in Echo Park.

Literature

* ''

'' is a 2006

crime fiction Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professional detective, of a crime, ...

novel set mostly in Echo Park. It's the 17th novel by American crime-writer

Michael Connelly Michael Joseph Connelly (born July 21, 1956) is an American author of detective novels and other crime fiction, notably those featuring LAPD Detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch and criminal defense attorney Mickey Haller. Connelly is the bes ...

and the twelfth featuring the Los Angeles detective Hieronymus "Harry" Bosch. * The award-winning book "The Madonnas of Echo Park: A Novel" by Brando Skyhorse follows a

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

family rattled by a tragic event in their home of Echo Park. The story focuses on the marginalized men and women who cook the meals, clean the homes, and struggle to lose their ethnic identity in the pursuit of the American dream. In 2012, HBO was in talks to produce a

drama series In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-ge ...

based on the book. * The ''Echo Park Coven Novels'' book series written by ''

Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...

'' actress

Amber Benson Amber Nicole Benson (born January 8, 1977) is an American actress, singer, writer, director, and producer. She is best known for her role as Tara Maclay on the TV series ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' (1999–2002), and has also directed, produced ...

which includes #1 ''The Witches of Echo Park'' (2015), #2 ''The Last Dream Keeper'' (2016), and #3 ''The End of Magic'' (2017) is a trilogy of

fantasy novel Fantasy literature is literature set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds. Fa ...

s about a coven of young witches that live in Echo Park.

Music

* Keith Barbour released an album, ''Echo Park'', in 1969, which hit No. 163 on the ''Billboard'' 200, and the title track, written by

Buzz Clifford Reese Francis Clifford III (October 8, 1941 – January 26, 2018), known professionally as Buzz Clifford, was an American pop singer and songwriter. His biggest success came with his recording of "Baby Sittin' Boogie" (1961), which peaked at No. ...

, hit No. 40 on the Pop Singles chart. * The 1976 song Carmelita by

Warren Zevon Warren William Zevon (; January 24, 1947 – September 7, 2003) was an American rock singer, songwriter, and musician. Zevon's most famous compositions include "Werewolves of London", " Lawyers, Guns and Money", and " Roland the Headless Th ...

references Echo Park by name and he sings of meeting his heroin dealer who "hangs out down on Alvarado Street by the

Pioneer Chicken Pioneer Chicken (or Pioneer Take Out, as it is officially named) is an American fried chicken restaurant chain which was founded in Echo Park, Los Angeles in 1961 by H. R. Kaufman. When Kaufman sold the chain in 1987, there were 270 restaurants o ...

stand." * The 1980s song "Echo Park" by

Brian Setzer Brian Robert Setzer (born April 10, 1959) is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He found widespread success in the early 1980s with the 1950s-style rockabilly group Stray Cats, and returned to the music scene in the early 1990s with ...

is a studio outtake released in 1999 and references the local lake, "I used to swim in Echo Park lake all night." * The 2004 song "Echo Park" by

Ryan Cabrera Ryan Frank Cabrera ( ) (born July 18, 1982) is an American musician. He began his career as a lead singer for the Dallas band Rubix Groove before pursuing his solo career. Following the 2001 release of independent album '' Elm St.'', he released ...

is about Echo Park with lyrics such as, "Today it rained in L.A....I'm leaving my heart here in Echo Park." * The 2009 music video for the song "

End Love "End Love" is a song by alternative rock band OK Go from the album '' Of the Blue Colour of the Sky''. The song's lyrics deal with the sorrowful period of time after the end of a relationship. The video for the song features the band performing o ...

" by the rock band

OK Go OK Go is an American rock band originally from Chicago, Illinois, now based in Los Angeles, California. The band is composed of Damian Kulash (lead vocals, guitar), Tim Nordwind (bass guitar and vocals), Dan Konopka (drums and percussion), and ...

was filmed in Echo Park and made one of the local geese a celebrity. * The 2011 song "Echo Park" by

Ximena Sarinana Jimena or Ximena (given name), Ximena is the female version of the given name Jimeno, derived from the Basque ''Semen (name), Semen''. It has come to be viewed as a form of the name Simone (given name), Simone, though their origins are distinct. Th ...

is about a man she likes from Echo Park who is a hipster and 'superficially cool.' with lyrics, "I thought he was ready to mend my broken heart...till someone reminds me that he lived in Echo Park" and in an interview Sariñana says, the reason for including Echo Park in the name and lyrics is a way to display 'a superficial motive for falling in love with someone.' * The 2017 song "Scott Street" by

Phoebe Bridgers Phoebe Lucille Bridgers (born August 17, 1994) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She has released two solo albums, ''Stranger in the Alps'' (2017) and ''Punisher'' (2020), both of which received critical acclaim ...

is about Scott Avenue. It's a quaint residential stretch that the song's subject, Marshall, travelled to make a daily pilgrimage to buy cigarettes. * The 2017 song "Up In Hudson" by Dirty Projectors about long-distance lovers mentions Echo Park in the lyrics, "And you're out in Echo Park, blasting 2Pac, drinking a fifth..." * The 2018 song "King of Echo Park" by TV Girl is about Echo Park including the lyrics, "As the sun sets on Sunset" (Blvd), and "Now she's playing pool at the Little Joy." (a local bar) * The 2018 song "Jaws" by Bladee mentions the location twice in the lyrics, "Night call, Echo Park" * The 2019 song "Echo Park" by Bedouine is about Echo Park with lyrics including, "Where everybody's avant-garde," "Long as my rent don't climb, I'm living in Echo Park," (Echo Park's demographic began heavily shifting in 2000 and rents reached an all-time high by 2017) and "Oh, I long to be at the fountain and the lake." The 2022 song "Echo Park" by Tim Baker.

Notes and references

External links

Echo Park Historical Society

The Eastsider LA
A news source for Echo Park and surrounding neighborhoods
Echo Park Now
News and Information about Echo Park happenings and history
Echo Park Online
- A social networking site and blogging platform
Edendale Farm CSA and Learning Center

Echo Park crime map and statistics
{{Authority control Echo Park, Los Angeles, Hipster neighborhoods Neighborhoods in Los Angeles Landmarks in Los Angeles Parks in Los Angeles Central Los Angeles Northwest Los Angeles Populated places in the Santa Monica Mountains

History

Edendale

Echo Park Lake

Transportation

Glendale Freeway termination

Pacific Electric Railway

Gangs

Geography

Location

Climate

Districts

Angelino Heights

Elysian Heights

Temple–Beaudry or Central City West

Victor Heights

Population

Parks and recreation

Parks

Elysian Park

Echo Park Lake

Vista Hermosa Natural Park

Sports Facilities

Government and infrastructure

Local government

County, state, and federal representation

Education

Elementary schools

Other schools

Public libraries

Entertainment and night life

Notable people

In popular culture

Film

Television

Literature

Music

See also

Notes and references

External links