Sparr Heights

Sparr Heights is an upper-middle class neighborhood in the far northern area of Glendale. Not as affluent as its western neighbor Oakmont, Sparr Heights is flat, with much smaller homes, mostly in the Mission Revival style.

The neigbhorhood’s northern border is formed by Honolulu Avenue, which at this juncture is a great little stretch. Honolulu narrows, slowing traffic and that, with the lining of trees makes this a great place to walk around and shop and eat. It is the kind of street that attracts boutiques, clothing stores, gift shops, ice-cream parlors, doggy grooming places and intimate apparel—all of which have found homes here. A number of nice (though not great) restaurants dot the street, including Cuccina Rustica and Pepe’s Mexican Food. Put simply, its really a shopper’s delight. Maybe one of the best spots in Montrose and definitely better than anything north of here.

There are even a couple of good bars on Honolulu that attract nighttime visitors—Avignone’s is a dark bar with booths which is most famous for being the Wedding Singer bar—and Fat Dog, a great sports bar. It’s the sort of lane that doesn’t attract people from other cities but that is well appreciated by locals.

The same feel extends south along Ocean View Road and a bit on North Verdugo. That slice of the neighborhood is pretty much a commercial area mixed with offices, stores and restaurants. The Village Pub, another local watering hole, is there.

Down on the southern tip of the neighborhood is Fremont Elementary, a well loved grammar school.

In a nutshell, this neighborhood offers a great combination of upper-middle class family living on its western end and an equally enticing commercial shopping district on it north and east. Probably the most balanced neighborhood in this area.