Silver Lake, Los Angeles

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Silver Lake
—  Neighborhood of Los Angeles  —
A view of the hills of Silver Lake
Silver Lake, Los Angeles is located in Los Angeles
Silver Lake
Location within Central Los Angeles
Coordinates: 34°5′40″N 118°16′3″W / 34.09444°N 118.26750°W / 34.09444; -118.26750Coordinates: 34°5′40″N 118°16′3″W / 34.09444°N 118.26750°W / 34.09444; -118.26750
Country United States
State California
County County of Los Angeles
City City of Los Angeles
Government
 • City Council Eric Garcetti
Tom LaBonge
 • State Assembly Kevin de León (D)
Vacant
 • State Senate Carol Liu (D)
Curren Price (D)
Gil Cedillo (D)
 • U.S. House Adam Schiff (D)
Area[1]
 • Total 2.7 sq mi (7 km2)
Population (2000)[1]
 • Total 30,972
 • Density 11,266/sq mi (4,350/km2)
  Population changes significantly depending on areas included and recent growth.
ZIP Code 90026, 90029, 90039
Area code(s) 323, 213

Silver Lake is a hilly neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles, California, east of Hollywood and northwest of Downtown Los Angeles.

Silver Lake is inhabited by a wide variety of ethnic and socioeconomic groups, but it is best known as an eclectic gathering of hipsters and the creative class. Silver Lake also contains some of the most famous modernist architecture in North America. The neighborhood is named after Water Board Commissioner Herman Silver.

Contents

Location [edit]

Silver Lake is bordered by Atwater Village to the north, Echo Park to the east, Echo Park's Historic Filipinotown to the south, Virgil Village to the southwest, East Hollywood to the west and Los Feliz to the northwest. Silver Lake blends into Elysian Valley on its eastern edge.

The neighborhood was named for Water Board Commissioner Herman Silver, who was instrumental in the creation of the Silver Lake Reservoir, located within the neighborhood.[2]

Geography [edit]

Silver Lake has a wide variety of residential areas from expensive homes around the reservoir to more affordable housing closer to Sunset Boulevard; however, in recent years, significant gentrification has happened closer to the 101 freeway and Sunset Boulevard, pushing out some lower income residents to Echo Park and other nearby areas.

A view of the Hyperion Bridge in eastern Silver Lake near the I-5 freeway

The housing stock of Silver Lake contains some of the most famous modernist architecture in North America. Architect Richard Neutra, designer of many homes in the area, built his own home on Silver Lake Boulevard. The house still exists, and is visited by architecture fans and students. Neutra's offices were nearby on Glendale Boulevard. The building signage bears the name of his firm. A block east of Silver Lake Boulevard. and near Neutra's home is Neutra Place, home to several homes he designed.

Silver Lake has a fair share of businesses, but is better known for its residential areas. It has a wide variation in ethnicities and subcultures, including a large gay population. After the two zip codes in the West Hollywood area, 90046 and 90069, Silver Lake's 90026 zip code has the highest number of same-sex couples in the Los Angeles metro area.[3]

Silver Lake is divided between the ZIP codes of 90039 and 90026, with part of Sunset Junction in 90029. Hyperion and Fountain Avenues separate Silver Lake from Los Feliz and the 90027 ZIP code.

Although the Silver Lake borders are considered to be soft, the Silver Lake neighborhood council does a good job of mapping the boundaries.[4]

Demographics [edit]

As of the census of 2000, there are 30,972 people in the neighborhood. Silver Lake is one of the most socioeconomically and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in the City of Los Angeles. The racial makeup of the neighborhood is 41.8% Hispanic, 34.0% non-Hispanic white, 18.0% east Asian, 2.74% black, and 3.1% from other ethnicities.[1]

History [edit]

Reservoir [edit]

Main article: Silver Lake Reservoir

In the community of Silver Lake lies the namesake reservoir composed of two basins, with the lower named Silver Lake and the upper named Ivanhoe. The lower body of water was named in 1906 for Water Board Commissioner Herman Silver, and in turn lends its name to the neighborhood. The upper body received its name after the 1819 Sir Walter Scott novel Ivanhoe.[5]

The reservoirs are owned and maintained by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP), and currently they provide water to 600,000 homes in downtown and South Los Angeles.[6] At capacity, they hold 795 million gallons of water. The Silver Lake Reservoir's water resources will be replaced by an underground reservoir in Griffith Park, slated for completion in January 2015.[7]

The reservoir is surrounded by a recently completed jogging path that measures to 2.2 miles around the reservoir. The reservoir is also home to three parks, the Silver Lake Dog Park, the Silver Lake Recreation Center and the Silver Lake Meadow (opened April 2011). The Silver Lake Recreation Center contains numerous facilities including indoor and outdoor basketball courts, and offices for local amateur sports teams.

Also within the grounds of the reservoir is the Neighborhood Nursery School, which since 1976 has been at the corner of Tesla Avenue and East Silver Lake Boulevard. It is a parent participation cooperative preschool, affiliated with the California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools.[8][9]

Neighborhood [edit]

View of the world famous Sunset Junction

During the 1930s, Walt Disney built his first large studio in Silver Lake at the corner of Griffith Park Boulevard and Hyperion Avenue, now the site of Gelson's Market. As consequence, the name "Hyperion" is of great significance to the Walt Disney Company, with many company entities carrying the name, such as Hyperion Books and the Hyperion Theater in Disneyland. A few blocks away on Glendale Boulevard was the studio of Tom Mix. The location is now occupied by the Mixville shopping center. It is rumored that Mix buried his steed "Tony, the Wonder Horse" on the property. The neighborhood is crisscrossed by numerous municipal staircases that provide pedestrian access up and down the neighborhood's signature hills. Among these are the Descanso Stairs, Redcliffe Stairs and the Music Box Stairs. The famous flight of stairs in Laurel and Hardy's film The Music Box are located between lower Descanso Drive and Vendome Street, as it winds up and around the hill.

Beginning in the 1970s, the Silver Lake neighborhood became the nexus of Los Angeles' gay leather subculture, the equivalent of the SoMA neighborhood in San Francisco.[10] Since 2000, Gentrification has intensified in the neighborhood, including the opening of many stylish independent boutiques, coffee shops, fitness studios, and restaurants.

Filming location & plaque at site of Laurel and Hardy's The Music Box (1932), as seen in 2010

As of 2010, Silver Lake is represented by Los Angeles City Council Members Eric Garcetti and Tom LaBonge and the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council. The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council[11] was formed in the early 2000s and certified a part of the City of Los Angeles Neighborhood Council system in February, 2003. Its 21-member Governing Board is elected for two-year terms in March. Recent projects have included 'Street Medallions', created by artist Cheri Gaulke, and 'ArtCans' created by several different artists and groups.

The Silver Lake Residents Association,[12] Silver Lake Improvement Association,[13] Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy,[14] the Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce,[15] and Neighbors for Peace and Justice[16] are all active in the area.

Music [edit]

Silversun Pickups, musicians from Silver Lake at Coachella in 2009

Since the 1990s, Silver Lake has become the center of the alternative and indie rock scene in Los Angeles. The neighborhood was home to two major street festivals each year: the Silver Lake Jubilee,[17] held in May and the Sunset Junction Street Fair, held in August. The last was held in 2010. It was abruptly cancelled in 2011 just days before it was supposed to take place after years of neighborhood controversy. The Silver Lake Jubilee, a more recent addition, featured live music by local musicians, local artists and community businesses. It moved out of the neighborhood to private grounds near the Los Angeles River as of 2013. The Sunset Junction Festival featured larger, national musicians and has been the home of musicians such as Andrew McMahon, Autolux, Beck, Beth Hart, Bon Harris, Bret McKenzie, Chuck Ragan, Cold Cave, Darker My Love, Dum Dum Girls, Earlimart, Eels, Elliott Smith, The Elected, Eulogies, Giant Drag, Irving, Jane's Addiction, Joey Waronker, Karen O, Local Natives, Lou Barlow, Mia Doi Todd, Pavement, Piebald, Porno for Pyros, Possum Dixon, Moving Units, The Shore, Henry Rollins, Rilo Kiley, 8 Bit Weapon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Roddy Bottum, Scarling., Sea Wolf, The One AM Radio, Tom Waits and Imaad Wasif. The band Silversun Pickups took its name from the strip mall at the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Silver Lake Boulevard. Since the indie rock music scene is particularly prominent in this neighborhood, comparisons are often drawn between Silver Lake and New York City's Williamsburg district. As a result, it is sometimes referred to as the "Williamsburg of the West". Silver Lake is the setting of the song "From Silver Lake" by Jackson Browne, as well as the song "Sleepless in Silver Lake" by the band Les Savy Fav. Dangerhouse Records was named after a house located on Carondelet Street. Dangerbird Records was founded in and is currently located in Silver Lake. Silver Lake has also been the home of independent record label Epitaph Records for many years now. Since 2004, Avatar Records has been headquartered in Silver Lake on Hyperion Avenue and UK indie Beggars Group moved next door to Avatar in 2011.

Education [edit]

Thomas Starr King Middle School

The area is served by the Los Angeles Unified School District.

Schools serving Silver Lake include:

The Silver Lake District is also served by a new library, the Silver Lake Branch of the Los Angeles Public Library. It is located in northeastern Silver Lake between the reservoir and the I-5 freeway.

Notable residents past and present [edit]

See also [edit]

Portal icon Los Angeles portal

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Silver Lake Profile". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 30, 2010. 
  2. ^ de Turenne, Veronique (March 13, 2008). "Silver Lake goes dry". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  3. ^ "2000 Census information–Gayest zip codes in California: By percentage.". GayDemographics.org. Retrieved May 24, 2008. [dead link]
  4. ^ Neighborhood Council Map and Boundaries
  5. ^ Rob (June 16, 2009). "13 Facts About The Silver Lake Reservoir". Take Sunset. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  6. ^ "LADWP Begins Refilling the Silver Lake Reservoir". (May 7, 2008). Los Angeles Department of Water and Power press release. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  7. ^ "Silver Lake Reservoir Complex Storage Replacement Project". Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Retrieved January 28, 2010.
  8. ^ "The Neighborhood Nursery School". Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  9. ^ "Parent Involvement in Child's Education". California Council of Parent Participation Nursery Schools. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  10. ^ Townsend, Larry. The Leatherman's Handbook. 1972.
  11. ^ "Silver Lake Neighborhood Council". Retrieved August 1, 2008. 
  12. ^ "Welcome to Silver Lake". Retrieved August 1, 2008.
  13. ^ "Silver Lake Improvement Association". Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  14. ^ "Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy". Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  15. ^ "Silver Lake Chamber of Commerce". Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  16. ^ "Neighbors for Peace and Justice". Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  17. ^ "Silver Lake Jubilee". Retrieved April 22, 2011.
  18. ^ Allesandro Elementary School
  19. ^ Bellevue Primary School
  20. ^ Clifford Street Elementary School
  21. ^ Ivanhoe Elementary School
  22. ^ Micheltorena Street Elementary School
  23. ^ Thomas Starr King Middle School
  24. ^ Cuttler, Andrea (March 1, 2013). "Skylar Astin on 21 and Over, Pitch Perfect, and Rites of Passage Like Girls and Turning 21". Vanity Fair. Retrieved March 24, 2013.
  25. ^ a b c d "Silver Lake Sets a New Standard for LA Cool". CityBuzz. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  26. ^ Staff (July 16, 2009). "CSI: NY Star Eddie Cahill Marries Nikki Uberti". Celebrity Bride Guide. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  27. ^ Woo, Elaine (April 15, 2013). "Sal Castro dies at 79; L.A. teacher played role in 1968 protests". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
  28. ^ "Mr Criminal's life in Silver Lake". YouTube. Retrieved April 12, 2013.
  29. ^ Dulin, Dann (May 2006). "House Call", A&U Magazine. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
  30. ^ Shatkin, Elina (October 1, 2012). "Joseph Gordon-Levitt". Los Angeles. Retrieved October 4, 2012.
  31. ^ a b c "History of Silver Lake". Westmoreland Lofts. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  32. ^ Montoya, Maria C. (May 28, 2009). "Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin's move colors new 'Paper Empire'". The Times-Picayune. Retrieved June 19, 2009.
  33. ^ "PASSINGS: Simon MacCorkindale, Janet MacLachlan". (October 17, 2010). Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  34. ^ Cromelin, Richard (February 24, 1994). "Q&A with Johnette Napolitano: 'We've Done What We Set Out to Do'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 20, 2010. 
  35. ^ Valerie (January 18, 2011). "Anaïs Nin's Silver Lake Home". Take Sunset. Retrieved September 25, 2011.
  36. ^ Goldsborough, Bob (February 26, 2009). "'Elvira' – actress Cassandra Peterson – lists a 2,821-square-foot house she owns in the Silver Lake/Echo Park area of Los Angeles for $1.499M – almost $200K less than she paid for it in 2007". Berg Properties. Retrieved September 26, 2011.
  37. ^ Ryon, Ruth (January 25, 2004). "A native returns to anchor". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 17, 2013.
  38. ^ "Biography for Rob Zabrecky". Internet Movie Database. Retrieved April 1, 2011.

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Silver Lake, Los Angeles


Compass rose pale.svg Los Feliz Atwater Village Glassell Park
 
Compass rose pale.svg
 
North
Virgil Village - East Hollywood and Hollywood West   Silver Lake, Los Angeles    East Mount Washington
South
Filipinotown Echo Park Edendale, Los Angeles
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