For New Yorkers, Silver Lake is often compared to the East Village, a tragically hip and low-key area that has just enough grit to make young creatives flock to it.
It’s one of the few walkable neighborhoods in LA with ample coffee shops, book stores, and yoga studios on every block. It has recently become an eating destination with quintessential LA food in a laid-back and unpretentious setting. The food choices, like the residents, are young and trendy, with every brunch place offering some form of avocado toast and bottomless mimosas. There are also a variety of international cuisine options including tacos, pho, and pad thai, as well as some good old-fashioned burgers. You can wash it down with an IPA or more adventurously crafted drinks like the Bad Hombre at Tinotera, made with bourbon, tamarind, vermouth, and lime. There are also dive bars galore with easily spottable first Tinder dates, and young regulars entrenched in their books while grabbing solo beers or chatting up the bartenders like they are their own Sam Malone.
You won’t find chain retail stores here, but instead a mix of high-end boutiques and vintage shops at Sunset Junction and the surrounding blocks, including Mohawk General Store and Mollusk Surf Shop. And of course, there is no shortage of instagram-worthy spots including the Elliot Smith wall, the old Bates Motel building, the vine-covered walls of Stella, and the neon sign reminding everyone that “Things Will Be Fine” in front of Dinosaur Coffee. One of the most notable attractions in the area are the historic “hidden staircases”, a cluster of staircases from a time before cars when they were the only way for residents to make it down from the hillside neighborhoods. It’s a great urban hike, and there are also the Silver Lake Reservoirs, two man made lakes nestled in the community that are surrounded by jogging paths, playgrounds, a dog park, and the verdant grass of Silver Lake Meadow. If you are looking for even more green, it’s a quick drive to Griffith Park for hiking and outdoor activities and outdoor concerts at The Greek.