Laguna Ave, Angelino Heights

The street, in one of the oldest sections of Echo Park, is still very much in a transitional state. It is mostly occupied by rental properties and has a fairly transient feel. There is a combination of old tried-and-true tenants/owners who have lived in the area for decades and twenty-something singles and couples who are either new to LA or the area. The latter group comes and goes with a decent frequency. Overall, the neighborhood doesn't have the greatest sense of community, but has potential. You will generally get a hello from a passerby, so that's a good start.

The convenience of the area is a major plus. Echo Park is very central in LA and allows quick access to most major freeways as well as main roads like Sunset, Glendale and Riverside. In addition the area's close proximity to downtown is a bonus and allows one to walk or bike to work - a trend that would be nice to see growing in popularity. You can walk to quite a few local amenities from Laguna including the great Asian grocery store, Dodger's Stadium, various coffee shops, Vons (if you don't mind paying too much), The Echo, taco trucks galore, and many, many mom and pops shops (please don't go). Trader Joe's and the oh-so-hip Silver Lake are also close by as well as Union Station (take the fly-away and/or metro/metrolink when you travel). And of course there's Echo Park (the park itself) which is just a 3-5 minute walk from Laguna Ave. It's nice to have the park so close, although the quality of the water, frequent presence of trash, and pernicious odors leave a lot to be desired. The city has agreed to drain and clean up the lake, so we'll see how that pans out. Elysian Park (the city's 2nd largest) is a 15-20 minute walk and, with its paths, trees and grassy meadows, is a great retreat from the city.

As far as safety is concerned, this used to be one of LA's most rough-and-tumble neighborhoods as little as 6 years ago. Much has changed, although there's still a fairly substantial gang presence in the area. Generally, it seems that those with gang affiliations don't bother those who obviously don't "throw down". There are occasional flare ups between gang members in the area and one can hear a gun shot now and again. There are also a couple households on the street that make you wonder "what's going on there?". This is especially true when the LAPD cavalry shows up at their door.

One disadvantage of being so close to an inner city park is that there's a large vagrant population (LA in general has record numbers of homeless). This results in folks sleeping on the grass in the park, sleeping out in the open on the sidewalk, tucked away behind the wall at the Episcopalian church, or sleeping in their cars/vans. On Laguna Ave. much of this activity happens down by the park at the intersection of Laguna/Echo Park Ave. So if you like the smell of urine, this section of the street is your place. The homeless in the area don't seem to be aggressive, so people generally let them be (where else can they go, right?). Another downside is the large amount of trash and dog (occasionally humanoid) dang dang that you find on Laguna Ave. It's hard to say who's responsible, but please pick up after yourself and have a little respect.

Despite its less flavorful elements, this is a nice place to visit or lay one's head. If you're looking for a little more tranquility and less inner-city madness, move up into the Echo Park hills. As the area changes more (which is currently in hyperdrive) Laguna Ave. will likely continue its facelift and tummy-tuck, hopefully not at the complete expense of its charm and eccentricities. Bon appetit.