My last trip to Los Angeles was all about exploring more, and getting out of my usual haunts. I already wrote a few posts about my adventures in Pasadena, Downtown, Beverly Hills and Silver Lake. Today I am taking you from Highland Park to Chinatown.
Highland Park is located in the San Rafael Hills and along the Arroyo Seco. It is situated within what was once Rancho San Rafael of the Spanish/Mexican era, just northeast of Silver Lake (about 15mn drive on the 110). There is a growing community of artists there so you will find a few interesting galleries, well curated shops and a few little cafés as well as a couple antique shops, one of them – Shopclass – belongs to Ellen LeComte, founder of Amsterdam Modern who also used to be involved with Mohawk General Store on Sunset Junction. If you like curiosities and stunning mid-century furniture, it is worth going to Highland Park for that store alone.
IN HIGHLAND PARK
Shop:
Shopclass
5215 York Blvd in Highland Park
Los Angeles, CA 90042
Sunbeam
106 S Avenue 58, Highland Park, CA
Thank You Comics
5011 York Blvd N Avenue 50, Los Angeles, CA
Eat:
The York
5018 York Blvd near Ave 50, Los Angeles, CA
Schodorf’s Luncheonette
5051 York Blvd York/ ave 51, Los Angeles, CA
Elsa’s Bakery
5102 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA
See:
Matters of Space
5005 York Blvd Ave 50, Los Angeles, CA
Slow Culture
5906 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA
Drink:
Galco’s Soda Pop Stop
5702 York Blvd at N. Ave. 57, Los Angeles, CA
Iced coffee and tuna melts at Schodorf’s Lucheonette
Street art on York Blvd
Desert at Elsa’s Bakery
Once you are done in Highland Park, hop in your car again and take the 110 back towards Downtown. Time to explore Chinatown which is essentially a hollywoodized version of Shanghai built in the 1930s – fun fact: it was actually designed by Hollywood set designers. It’s nice to walk around there and if you carry on mooching out of Central Plaza and onto Chung King Road, you will stumble upon a few nice independent galleries.
As usual there is a FourSquare map at the bottom listing all my favourite places in Los Angeles. If you have any questions, feel free to email me!
IN CHINATOWN
See:
China Art Objects
933 Chung King Rd.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Happy Lion
963 Chung King Rd.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Peres Projects
969 Chung King Rd.
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Chinatown Central Plaza
943 N Broadway, Los Angeles, CA
