Just a 10-minute drive northeast of Downtown LA, there’s a wholesome neck of the woods where hip converges with history. Hugging the 110 as it snakes its way to Pasadena, and with three sunny stops on the Gold Line (handy, since the LA Metro is the cheapest way to get around LA on vacation), Highland Park is just out of the way enough to fly beneath most people’s radar.
Streets here are lined with tropical florals, leafy trees, and colorful Craftsman homes dating back to the early 20th century, when creatives were drawn to the area by the establishment of California’s oldest liberal arts college. Casitas joined the mix in the 1950s and ’60s with the rise of the Chicano art movement, fed by a vibrant Latino community. Today, creativity still runs through the veins of North Figueroa Street and York Boulevard — the neighborhood’s main thoroughfares — in the form of photogenic Art Deco architecture, a well-regarded music scene, and professional murals lining back alleys on par with the best in LA’s Downtown Arts District.
While “best coffee in the neighborhood” is always up for debate among locals (as well as “best matcha,” a tea latte that both Kumquat and Modu Cafe do particularly well), their neighborhood pride is not. And with its nostalgia-meets-modern character paired with fantastic eateries and watering holes, it’s no wonder Highland Park so easily steals the hearts of both residents and visitors.
What to see and do in Highland Park
Unlike most neighborhoods, Highland Park has two main drags, each with its own slightly different character. Figueroa Street, or “Fig,” gives access to the freeways, train lines, and buses to Downtown LA, and it bears the markers of a deeper history, with gems like the retro Highland Park Bowl and now-dark Highland Theatre. This street’s a haven for music-lovers as well. The local Masonic lodge has live shows in its upstairs Lodge Room nightly, and at ETA, an intimate cocktail bar, modern jazz groups perform most evenings. For those who like to get out their dancing shoes, Footsies does weekly discotheque nights that fill up its kitschy interior.
Highland Park’s also a haven for vinyl collectors, with Gimme Gimme, On Maritime, De La Playa Records, and estuario all on Figueroa, and Cali Vibes, Rappcats, and Arroyo located on York. Speaking of York Boulevard, this is the street to come to for quirkier finds, like crystals and tarot cards at the House of Intuition and unusual sodas and retro candies at California’s “Willy Wonka of soda” shop. Both streets offer a wealth of vintage shopping, with curated collections of mid-century furniture at Sunbeam Vintage. All means of attire from the last century at The Bearded Beagle, Leader of the Pack, and Wasteland. And for a taste of fashion from Mexico and the American Southwest, check out Honeywood and Mi Vida.
If you need some caffeine to fuel your adventures, try the killer cold brew at Kindness and Mischief or Civil Coffee. There’s also top-notch espresso at Lumen and Collage, or horchata lattes and Mexican pastries at Tierra Mia and Cafe de Leche.
Where to eat and drink in Highland Park
