Highland Park, Los Angeles

Highland Park is located in the Northeast Los Angeles area. It can be found along the San Rafael Hills and the Arroyo Seco

The neighborhood is full of character, history and interesting facts. The Highland Park Tract was founded in 1886 – the same year that the Pasadena Street Railroad established a horse-drawn trolley that traveled through the area of the Arroyo Seco. Since Highland Park began to grow, so did a prominent bike scene.

The Highland Park Bike Scene

The bike scene in Highland Park started early on in Highland’s history. In fact, you know the California Cycleway? A section of this bicycle tollway was opened in 1900 to connect Pasadena to Los Angeles. While the tollway had high expectations, it never extended past Avenue 57.

One of the area’s biggest bike fanatics is the Bike Oven, a volunteer-based bicycle repair that aims at getting folks out on their bicycles instead of their motor vehicles.

There is also the Eastside Bike Club, which is a group that meets up on designated days to go on bike rides.

Many people in the bike scene find themselves along the Arroyo Seco Bike Path.

The prominent bike scene is just one of the few things that really makes Highland Park unique.

Highland Park Architecture

El Alisal, Highland Park

Highland Park also features unique styles of architecture. The Ziegler estate is a great example of an estate built with both a Queen Anne and Craftsman style in 1904.

El Alisal can also be found in Highland Park. It was Charles Fletcher Lummis’s home that was built in 1898. Lummis is known for publishing A Tramp Across the Continent with tales of his journey from Chillicothe, Ohio to the west in 1892. He was also famous for his parties, founding the California Landmarks Club, and the Southwest Museum of the American Indian (which is located in Mt. Washington, Los Angeles).

Infamous Highland Park

Highland Park has found its way into quite a few films including The Lincoln Lawyer, Yes Man, and Gangster Squad – just to name a few.

The old Los Angeles Police Department building has also been the sight of quite a few television and feature films.

The art scene in Highland Park has also earned it some fame. In 1906, local artists created a Painters’ Club and in 1909 the Arroyo Guild of Craftsman was established.

The art scene continues to thrive with studios like Avenue 50 Studio, Future Studio, the Judson Studio and many more.

Highland Park Outlook

Highland Park’s neighbors include Pasadena to the northeast, Eagle Rock to the north, and Mt. Washington to the west.

Between Highland Park’s rich culture and residents, there is a lot of potential for Highland Park. It’s urban touches and unique local businesses bring lots of people into the neighborhood, and keeps them coming back.

It has a great nightlife and plenty of community events that go on every month.

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