HIGHLAND PARK

Northeast LA is where it's at, yo. As Silverlake and Echo Park get more commercialized and rents have soared, those in the know have been moving farther east. This little slice of LA reminds us of the Pacific Northwest, with a focus on art, music, and great coffee. It's also an incredibly easy neighborhood to get around, and although we spent most of our day on Highland Park's high-street, we promised ourselves to wander father on our next trip...there's so much more to see, eat, shop, and explore in Highland Park.

Stop 1: Cafe De Leche

 

   
This quant cafe is the perfect neighborhood coffeeshop, with a Highland Park twist: comfy couches, a play area for kids, and some perfectly-pulled shots...and the interior is brightly painted in the happiest of colors and you can have horchata in your coffee. We ordered a skinny latte, a soy chai, an horchata con espresso (a definite favorite!), and one drip coffee. Compliments to the barista all around.

(5000 York Boulevard, Highland Park) 

Stop 2: Highland Cafe

 

It was a weekend morning at 11:30am, which means one thing: brunch time! At this sidewalk cafe, bring your dog and your Sunday-cheat-day appetite: the verde chilaquiles were a crowd-pleaser, although the quinoa veggie burger was surprisingly delicious, too. We also ordered a desayuno breakfast burrito, and the vegan sweet potato tostada - both of which were a fantastic alternative to your regular yawn-worth breakfast fare. Order at the front, and grab your number and a table. We can't wait to return!

(5010 York Boulevard, Highland Park) 

 

Stop 3: York Boulevard Shops

Arroyo General Store:

Honeywood:

Wombleton Records:

Social Study:

  

When we arrived in Highland Park, we vowed that we would venture off York Boulevard, the neighborhood's main street. But! There's just so much good stuff on York, and we found ourselves browsing for hours on just three mere blocks. 

Pop-up produce market? Yep, there's even one of those. Arroyo General Store has a selection of fresh produce, home goods, snacks, and fresh flowers. Beautiful hand-crafted bowls and hilarious handmade greeting cards were other bonuses. We then wandered into Honeywood, a small and darling vintage shop with the most incredible cowboy boots, embroidered tops, and old band t-shirts (which were SO soft!) 

And although records have re-emerged in recent years, it's still tough to find a great selection in one place. Luckily for us, York Boulevard has a handful of vinyl shops, and Wombleton Records is one of our favorites. The shop has only been around about 4 years, but they bring in collections from all over the world - both the rare and the popular. And they have some great apparel - absolutely loved their t-shirts and shopping bags. 
If you're looking for a charming and unique present, Social Study is a lovely gift shop - with plenty of adorable toys and games for kids.

Stop 4: Artisan Market at Align Gallery

 

This wasn't originally a planned stop on our day, but we snagged a flyer for a first-ever Saturday artisan market in the back of an art gallery, and after spotting it just across the street, we made our way over.
The gallery itself was impressive, an artist-driven space with bold prints in the most vibrantly beautiful colors (pieces started around $700). The gallery owner told us that her family has lived in Highland Park for decades, and are both excited and trepidatious of the changes underway. She emphasized the neighborhood's desire to embrace innovations while holding on to the history and charm of Highland Park. 
The market out back was relatively small, but featured succulents in vintage coffee mugs, jewelery, and some homemade baked goods.

(5045 York Boulevard, Highland Park)

 

Stop 5: Donut Friend

 

We have to preface this by saying that 50% of our MyBestLADay team doesn't even like donuts (we know, we know. SO WEIRD). 
But these ain't your granddad's donuts. We drooled over the menu, finally narrowing down our choices to the Lemon Weapon (lemon custard with blueberry jam, fresh mint), Javabreaker (coffee-infused cake donut with espresso bean glaze), S'Morrisey (chocolate cake donut with toasted marshmallow and graham cracker crust), and the X-Ray Speculoos (cookie butter inside traditional donut, chocolate drizzle and sea salt. All of them were mind-blowing, but the Lemon Weapon took the cake (ahem).

(5107 York Boulevard, Highland Park)

 

Stop 5: York Park

  The newest park in the neighborhood is going to make many Angelenos very happy: with little in the way of grass or greenery, it's very drought-friendly. This small park was built on the lot of a former gas station, and is full of fun and kid-friendly equipment.

 

The Details:

You can take the Gold Line into Highland Park, and then everything is easily accessible on foot.

A map of our day looks like this:

 

 

 

INGLEWOOD

 

Inglewood is well-known for many things: gangsta rap, its proximity to LAX, the Lakers' glory years inside The Forum. And Inglewood really does feel like Los Angeles: the history, the hum of airplanes overhead, a distant breeze from the ocean, diners and donut shops that people have been frequenting for years and years. But it's also the changing LA of the future, with its shift in demographics (happening all over the city), the new wave of artists making Inglewood home, the updating and re-designing of neighborhood landmarks. 

There is certainly a nostalgia to all this change, to the Sundays spent watching the horses at Hollywood Park and picking up homemade cheesecakes at Harriet's. But the fantastic thing about Inglewood is that you can still find the history, the remnants of an LA of yesteryear, while also looking ahead to a new and vibrant Los Angeles. So saddle up to the countertop for a plate of chicken & waffles, and then grab your tickets for a show at the dazzling new Forum. Inglewood is ready to show you her stuff.

Stop 1: Inglewood Park Cemetery

 

Want to pay your respects to some of the greatest legends in music? Head to the Inglewood Park Cemetery to see the final resting place of Ray Charles, Etta James and Ella Fitzgerald. You can also visit other notable LA figures like Tom Bradley, Sugar Ray Robinson and Paul Walker. Be warned: the cemetery is HUGE, so make sure to stop by the information office, where you can pick up a map and specific directions to the gravestones you wish to visit.

720 E Florence Avenue, Inglewood 

Stop 2: The Serving Spoon

Inglewood just wouldn't be the neighborhood it is without restaurants like The Serving Spoon. Their tagline is "There ain't no better breakfast" and that just might be true. We ordered "The Cookie" (drum sticks and waffles) and "The Monique" (eggs, grits, bacon and biscuits). There's no better place to be than the counter, where you can watch the solo regulars reading the paper and drowning their hotcakes in syrup, and families crammed into booths after a morning at church. They play a variety of soulful r&b jams, and even on a busy weekend, we only waited about 15 minutes. No better breakfast, indeed.

1403 Centinela Avenue, Inglewood 

Stop 3: Gwen's Specialty Cakes

Gwen's Specialty Cakes wasn't originally on our list of places to visit in Inglewood, but we could smell the cakes baking as we tried to find a way into the Beacon Arts Building along La Brea Avenue. We wandered up to the door and were greeted by a friendly girl named Serenity, who beckoned us in and encouraged us to try her favorites. We nibbled on Peach Cobbler, Sweet Potato, Lemon and Pecan tarts, all of which were sweetly delectable. Weight Watchers, no. But as Gwen says, "You'll love that homemade buttery taste."

 820 N La Brea Avenue, Inglewood 

   

Stop 4: Bayou Grille

If you only go to one place in Inglewood, GO TO BAYOU GRILLE. This restaurant is the real deal, as authentic as you'll get anywhere outside of good ol' N'awlins. The inside is decorated as though you're dining along Bourbon Street, and you can order crawfish, sweet tea, beignets, and catfish. Our favorite is always the shrimp po'boy sandwich, and we also had a small order of jambalaya, coleslaw and a side of hush puppies.

Insider's tip: they close early on Sundays, and you can "BYOB" from Nelson's Liquor across the street!

1400 N La Brea Avenue, Inglewood 

Stop 5: The Centinela Adobe

The Centinela Adobe, known as the birthplace of Inglewood, is a landmark Spanish Colonial adobe house built in 1834 (before California was even a state!) It is one of only 43 surviving adobes within Los Angeles County, and is just brimming with history. The volunteers who lead tours through the home (decorated in all its mid-1800s glory!) are mostly in their 80s and 90s, and many remember the neighborhood as far back as the 1930s. Just chatting with them is enough of a reason to tour "La Casa de la Centinela," but history buffs will get a kick out of the original oil lamps (now converted to electric), the pump organ, and the wall of original black and white wedding photographs of the home's earliest inhabitants.

7634 Midfield Avenue, Inglewood 

 

Stop 6: Randy's Donuts

That giant donut on the roof of Randy's is an iconic sight in Los Angeles, and this landmark bakery and donut shop has been serving up hot treats since the early 1950s. There were originally at least 10 big ol' donuts throughout Los Angeles, but today only 4 survive. Randy's Donuts has been featured in dozens of Hollywood films (Earth Girls Are Easy, Iron Man 2) and even a Red Hot Chili Peppers music video. You can still drive-thru 24 hours a day, and the Apple Fritter, Coconut Donut and Devil's Food Donut are as good as ever (at $1.20, $1 and $.90 respectively). Cartons of milk and eating on the hood of your car are a must.

805 W Manchester Boulevard, Inglewood

The Details:

We would love to add that there is a thriving arts scene in Inglewood, although we had trouble pinning down times/days that studios were open (advertised times were not always correct). If you are able, be sure to check out some of the studios in the neighborhood.

  

A map of our day looks like this: