Silver Lake

Nicole M.

I live in Silver Lake at Sunset Junction so I’m right in the middle of everything. I moved here from the East Coast sight unseen. At first I really liked the artiness of the area and still do but the hipsters get a little tiring. There ARE a lot of bars and restaurants and cute shops in Silver Lake and it’s nice that they have cool events like street fairs and farmer’s markets but everything is kind of priced at “We know this is charming”. It’s the kind of neighborhood where thrift stores are “vintage” and an apple is “organic” and everything is priced accordingly. Considering that LA’s job market is tight right now, I moved here naively thinking I could afford to live in this neighborhood once I got a job but it took a year and a half before anyone would cross my palm with a dollar bill for work so sadly I haven’t really been able to partake in the action going on around me. My neighborhood is a mix of Hispanic families and White Hipster kids. We all live in relative harmony and yes, there are sometimes drunken parties at all hours where people are screaming at each other about literature, politics and marijuana. I guess this is fun if you’re at the party but less fun if you’re not haha. Silver Lake IS pretty safe but there are a lot of homeless (but that’s all of LA and the homeless poplulation is pretty harmless). So to sum it up:

Pros – There ARE a lot of things to do but you have to be able to afford them, rent isn’t necessarily astronomical if you look hard enough, it’s pretty safe and there is a lot of nightlife if you want it.

Cons – Sometimes the preciousness of everything gets on my nerves, parking is horrendous at night because of the bars, you have to be a little loose and easygoing regarding noise pollution because there WILL be a rager somewhere in your vicinity at any given night of the week.

All in all, I like it here but kind of feel like I’d prefer to live outside of Silver Lake and visit here when I want to instead.

Coleen B.

Silver Lake has a million and one cafes, shops, bars, and restaurants, and most of them are really good. If you’re looking to keep yourself occupied, it’s hard to beat. There’s good stuff in every direction, with Echo Park, Los Feliz, Downtown, and Hollywood all in striking distance. Except… the people here really suck sometimes. The merciless deconstructors of others. The hopelessly self absorbed. The vapid. The hateful. The drugged-out driving. You’ll definitely see some of the worst of West L.A. in this eastern bastion. My advice: Silver Lake is better in small doses. It’s better for the soul and costs less to live outside it and come to visit. But if you disagree, you probably belong there.

Douglas G.

Each day more and more cyclists take to the Silver Lake streets. That’s a good thing. It creates a sense of community and safety, except for those many “too-cool-for-helmets” riders. Tsk. Tsk. Once you get over the fact that there are just some people that don’t want to mess up their hair when riding, you’ll notice all the great restaurants and shops to walk into. Try and walk everywhere in Silver Lake. It really is a walkable neighborhood. A walkable neighborhood with a celebrity sighting around every corner and an attractive young couple walking their toddler to Intelligentsia.

There really isn’t anything to dislike about the neighborhood. Public transportation is an easy task here. Jump on the 704 and get to Santa Monica in a jif, or take it the opposite way and get yourself to downtown for the food truck eating.

After all the eating you’ll be doing in Silver Lake, a good run might be in order. No probs! You’ve got the Silver Lake Reservoir right there with the added bonus of the newly opened, Silver Lake Meadow, for picnics and much soakage of the LA sun.

There’s a Farmer’s Market every Saturday. It’s quaint and on the small side, but the place to go for your week’s groceries and flowers. Parking is surprisingly easy if you’re living in Silver Lake, so no worries there. I’d recommend getting yourself a bike though (with a helmet!). You’ll get to see all the nooks and crannies you miss while driving in a car. It’s fun! Really.

A handful of goodies produced by Silver Lake – great coffee, tasty gelato, comics, records, delicious food, shops, nature. It’s got it all, plus it’s right in between Los Feliz and Echo Park!

Junia M

Art and culture thrive here in one of Los Angeles’ hippest neighborhoods. Home to more than 30, 000 Los Angelenos , Silverlake is as diverse as the art and music produced within its borders.

When Silverlake is not playing host to its infamous music festival Sunset Junction, the neighborhood is a bustling Mecca for up and coming musicians and artists whose work is often showcased in the neighborhood’s thriving galleries, bars and music venues. Some of indie music’s most seasoned performers have come out of the neighborhood, including, Tom Waits, Rilo Kiley, The Silversun Pickups and Local Natives.

The average age of local resident’s spans across generations as the neighborhood has both a large number of single-family homes as well as apartment buildings. The diverse make-up of the neighborhood allows for residents and visitors to experience the variety of socioeconomic hot-spots ranging from 5-star restaurants to taco trucks and hotdog carts.

The neighborhood is self-contained within the 90026 zipcode and is one of the friendliest pedestrian portions of the city. Additionally, Silverlake is one of the only parts of Los Angeles with bike lanes to accommodate the avid biking culture found within the neighborhood.

Bethany P.