Mount Washington

The neighborhood is a hidden gem and I almost don't want to write the review so people learn about it. Situated in northeast Los Angeles, the "hill" is a residential hillside neighborhood. The views of DTLA, the San Gabriels, and for a few along Seaview Dr., a sliver of ocean, are great. There are no stores, businesses, restaurants in Mt. Washington because it is purely residential. Highland Park, the somewhat flatter neighborhood near Mt. Washington is gentrifying, and residents just drive down the hill to York Blvd. or Figueroa to "hipster" bars like Footsies and the York or to eat at Good Girl Dinette, Maximilliano, Cafe De Leche. The schools are very good, at least elementary. Mt. Washington Elementary is one of the best in the district, county and state, consistenly scoring very high on the APIs - and the kids have great views from their playground at the top of the hill. While singles live here, it is also welcoming of families with young children and many live here because of the school - and the spectacular Hollywood Hills like views. Residents on the hill are activists, and are involved in local, city, state, and national politics - many elected officials live here as do lesser known actors, actresses, and some well-known musicians. Ease of access to downtown LA, Highland Park, central L.A., Pasadena, Silver Lake, Glendale/Burbank, Hollywood are nice pluses for commuting.

The downsides are that hillside living is not for everyone. Maintenance of those houses on very steep edges of the hill can be more frequent than the homes in flatter areas. While the nicest side of Mt. Washington is the top and the east sides, there is less in terms of nightlife and businesses on the south part of Figueroa (which is not in Mt. Washington but is close). The area has seen a remarkable transformation in the last few decades with many professionals and upper-income residents moving in, while the older residents tend to be more middle class.

If you want to have a hilly rural feel right by the action of Downtown LA, then the closest you can come is Mount Washington, a hillside neighborhood just to south of Glassell Park and west of Highland Park. The homes in this middle class neighborhood are mostly of the Ranch home variety dating to the Fifties and this gives the neighborhood a sort of a western feel—a lot like Chatsworth for those that know the San Fernando Valley like I do.

On the Highland Park side of the Mount Washington, the narrow lanes that force SUV’s to squeeze by their neighbors take on much more of a Hollywood Hills kind of feel, with homes perched hillside and garages left curbside in the usual walk up (or down) arrangement that you get on such uneven terrain.

Despite bordering the high crime area of Cypress Park, Mount Washington doesn’t get a lot of spillover. It is actually statistically safer than average for Los Angeles neighborhoods—quite an accomplishment its location. In fact, since 2007 there have only been two murders in Mount Washington—both right on the border with Cypress Park.

Unfortunately, there are no high schools in Mount Washington, so residents have to send their kids to Franklin High in Highland Park. Franklin, despite having a strong staff of veteran teachers with years of experience, really doesn’t hold up in terms of academics, falling a good 100 points below average in terms of API scores. In terms of the STAR test, only 1 of 10 Franklin students pass the math portion and only a third pass the English and the college bound students score 200 points beneath the California average on the SAT. There is a Magnet program at the school where 1 in 5 pass the math portion and 2/3 pass the English, but this is still fairly weak overall.

So, this is probably the kind of neighborhood that is best for singles or older couples. The lack of sidewalks also makes having kids who love the outdoors a problem as well.

Although, there are certainly no lack of parks within Mt. Washington. You have Elyria Canyon Park on the west, Carlin Recreation on the south, Moon Canyon on the north and Sycamore Grove on the east. Not to mention that Mount Washington feels like a park all over and that you are just to the east of Elysian Park and to the south of Griffith Park. In other words, if you like urban parks, you will certainly have a number of options.

In terms of entertainment and fun, you are also not far from Silver Lake, Echo Park and all the excitement of the LA area. You will have to leave Mount Washington of course, but it is probably better to keep that kind of excitement at a little distance from where you live in my opinion.

Mt. Washington is a unique, quaint area that is northeast and minutes from downtown LA. So close to the city, yet it sits on it's own area hidden in the hills that make up the LA basin. It is the current LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's home, and is known for it's warm neighborhood, brilliant architecture and hospitable atmosphere.

While it is so close to downtown, it also has a natural feel to it. Surrounded by a couple lakes in the area it provides a nice location for singles, couples, and families of all ages. A perfect balance of urban lifestyle, natural class, and a communal atmosphere.

The area culture used to be mainly Latino but today it is called home by a very diverse population, Latino still being the majority.
Working professionals and working class call this area home, including many families with kids. Mt. Washington schools are in the LA School district but it is known for some of the best schools in the area.