Elysian Heights is a suburban area located within the Echo Park district of LA and offers an easy base of operations to explore the surrounding cultural, entertainment, shopping, and dining attractions. From this area, you have easy access to such iconic attractions as Dodger Stadium, Griffith Observatory, and the Walt Disney Concert Hall, amongst others.
It doesn't matter whether you're on a family holiday, you're a couple on a romantic getaway, or you're a single looking to party the night away, you can relax in upscale surroundings between adventures. Elysian Heights is home to counterculture and to the bohemian set of Los Angeles. If you're looking for more quirky attractions, you can also take the time to explore many important historic houses and buildings or learn about a cat that was the most famous feline in America from the late '40s through the '60s.
Elysian Heights In Los Angeles - one of the highlights of 10 Most Popular Neighbourhoods in Los Angeles (Read all about Los Angeles here)
Features and highlights of Elysian Heights
One of the core features and highlights of Elysian Heights is the wide range of notable homes in the area. Some are famed for their architecture and others for their historic significance and former owners. These include the Southhall House, Phillip Dike House, Paul Landacre House, Harwell Hamilton House, Carey McWilliams House, Estelle Lawton Lindsey House, and Ross House, amongst others. The latter of these was home to the famous film art director Al Nozaki in the 1950s and '60s.
Another unique quirk to this area is that it was once home to Room 8, the most famous cat in the nation in the '40s through the '60s. He lived in the Elysian Heights Elementary School but would disappear during the summer and return when the students were back for classes. You can view a mural outside the primary school featuring him today.
A gateway to Echo Park
Elysian Heights is even more attractive as a gateway to everything that Echo Park has to offer. Just 10 minutes away, you can catch a ball game at the famed and iconic Dodger Stadium. You can head for Griffith Observatory less than 5 miles away and view the stars and planets, or you can head for the San Antonio Winery and sample outstanding local vintages. If music is your thing, you can travel less than 2 miles away and hit Walt Disney Concert Hall for an unparalleled acoustic experience.
Less than 8 miles away are Universal Studios Hollywood and Disneyland, where families make memories that last a lifetime. Cultural fanatics can visit The Broad, a contemporary art museum with free admission that showcases some of the most important artists of the day. Echo Park offers a world of excitement, entertainment, and culture, and it's all just minutes from Elysian Heights.
What to know before visiting Elysian Heights
While Elysian Heights offers a wealth of historic homes and important architecture, as well as a fun local storey in the form of Room 8 the Cat, it's largely an upper-middle-class suburban area and is likely to form a base of operations for your exploration of the surrounding Echo Park community and the attractions it has to offer.
Still, if you're looking for a great place to rest and relax between adventures and sightseeing, Elysian Heights can be a fantastic option. It's a family-friendly community that's largely very safe to walk around. The community is dog friendly, so long as you keep your dogs on leash. It's also got some of the best views of the city around in Elysian Park, and plenty of well-used trails to hike or bike around and get some exercise in the warm LA weather. The park is also wheelchair friendly.