Exploring Echo Park & Angeleno Heights.

Feel like walking?  Cool, us too – so we did &  wandered “new-to-us” parts of Echo Park & Angeleno Heights.

Every good urban hike starts with a delicious cup of coffee, so we kicked off our morning at Los Angeles spot Tierra Mia Coffee on Alvarado.

Set with our java to go, we popped into Lemon Frog Vintage Shop to look for vintage clogs & anything else we (definitely-or-possibly) needed. Her shop is filled to the brim with everything we love – vintage Mexican belts, casual, carry-all purses & to make it even more fun, it’s all priced from lowest to highest as you walk in. I quickly found perfectly worn, tanned leather clogs & even got to pick a little surprise gift with my purchase.  Pretty rad & yep, they fit perfect!

New clogs tucked in my bag; we headed down to Echo Park Lake.  For all the years we have been in Los Angeles & have driven by a million times, there is something truly local about walking around it.

People love to say, “no one walks in Los Angeles”, but you wouldn’t believe that by the joggers, families playing in the grass & the people doing exactly as we were doing, enjoying a really pretty park set in the heart of our city.

We kept looking all around us, taking it in because we were definitely tempted to plant ourselves on the grass & relax.

… Next time.

Just a few blocks from the lake is the historic neighborhood of Angeleno Heights.  For those of you who also love a hill or two in your walks, you’ll love the walk up.  With an easy view of the 101 freeway, Angeleno Heights is a hidden pocket reminiscent of historic Los Angeles & old neighborhoods close to downtown. Filled with massive Victorian houses in various states of repair & livability, you may find yourself saying, “oh man, look at that house, it’s so beautiful”… until you see the neighboring one & then you may say it again about that one.

I, Echo Park paired vintage fashion with the iconic Carroll Avenue Victorian homes in Angeleno Heights – take a peak here.

Angeleno Heights

Three tips For Echo Park and Angeleno Heights:

– Take pictures.  Echo Park and Angeleno Heights are changing every minute.

– Venture out on a Friday afternoon/early evening, so you can check out the Echo Park Farmers Market, too.  Dinner can be tacos at Guisados.

– Feel like doing more walking or shopping?  Keep walking on Sunset… lots of independent shops to peruse & explore.

3 products to bring with you:

– Sisters of Los Angeles water bottle

– Down to Earth sunscreen or Beachy Kleen sunscreen stick

– Shove a re-usable tote in your bag or backpack.  You’ll probably need it.