THE HIGHLAND VILLAS

Of all the neighborhoods in Northeast LA (if not the entire city), none have changed as rapidly as Highland Park. The area started the 20th century as an artsy enclave filled with handsome Craftsman homes and ended it as a community beleaguered with gang activity. Today, lifelong citizens and recent gentrifiers have turned Highland Park into a pleasant place where old-school taquerias and hip new bistros coexist.

Highland Park is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, located in the San Rafael Hills and along the Arroyo Seco. It sits a few miles up the 110 from Downtown LA, just south of Eagle Rock and Pasadena. Its tree-lined residential streets mix with a walkable urban culture, particularly along the burgeoning York Boulevard, a street stocked with trendy gastropubs and art galleries. More recently, Figueroa Street has found itself as another source of increasing pedestrian activity.

Highland Park and neighboring Pasadena became havens for artists and intellectuals who led the Arts and Crafts movement. The city is building a reputation as a mecca for artists, with trendy shops, galleries, bars and restaurants opening throughout the neighborhood. The continuation of several long-time businesses lend credibility to the neighborhood’s hipster status and add to its charm.

Highland Park sits a few miles up the 110 from Downtown LA, just south of Eagle Rock and Pasadena. Its tree-lined residential streets mix with a walkable urban culture, particularly along the burgeoning York Boulevard, a street stocked with trendy gastropubs and art galleries. More recently, Figueroa Street has found itself as another source of increasing pedestrian activity, partially thanks to its Metro Gold Line stop.

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Highland Park has just as many contemporary landmarks as it does ones that pre-date the neighborhood’s distinction as one of LA’s hippest. From a steampunk-esque bowling alley and bar to off-the-beaten-path museums, here’s the very best of Highland Park.