One of the greatest debates about Los Feliz is how to pronounce it: Some Angelenos say “Los FEE-lus,” while others prefer the Spanish pronunciation of “Los Fey-LEASE.” It’s an ongoing quarrel that can distract from the area itself — a shame because what it offers is so rare.
Get to know Los Angeles through the places that bring it to life. From restaurants to shops to outdoor spaces, here’s what to discover now.
There aren’t many neighborhoods in Los Angeles where you can watch a film, listen to your favorite author talk about their latest book, go on a hike, catch a live concert, shop for vintage trends and fetch your weekly groceries, all without having to step foot out of your community. Let alone without having to hop into your car. This is perhaps the biggest flex about Los Feliz: There’s no need to leave unless you want to. And you’d risk losing your coveted parking spot anyway.
“So much of my joy of being in L.A. is being able to step out of my apartment and hike up to Griffith Park,” said David Montgomery, selling his artwork on a Saturday afternoon at the Los Feliz Flea. Shoppers were sifting through his hyperlocal prints — as the self-appointed “Mayor of Los Feliz,” Montgomery has painted everything from the historic Good Luck Bar to the view of the 5 Freeway from Los Feliz Boulevard to the late P-22 mountain lion, who lived in Griffith Park.
Montgomery stumbled upon his current Los Feliz home after fleeing from a nightmare roommate — and he never looked back. “I just got lucky,” he said. “A guy on Griffith Park and Los Feliz [boulevards] had a room for rent, and I was like ‘OK, let me test this out.’ And I was like, what is all this? Then I found [the Los Feliz 3] theater and I saw ‘La La Land’ on that tiny-a— screen and I was like, this place is f—ing magic.”
Sandwiched between the celebrity-filled Hollywood Hills and trendy Silver Lake, Los Feliz has an appreciation for both the old and the new: On the busy strip of Hillhurst Avenue, you can grab a matcha latte at the TikTok-approved Maru Coffee, which always has a line outside, or at the House of Pies on Vermont, which has been around since 1969 — both of which are equally cherished.
The neighborhood is rich with history: Young Walt Disney started his cartoon studio in his uncle’s Los Feliz garage and opened the original Walt Disney Studios there. (The site is now an Extra Copy photocopy store and Kingswell skate shop, which both display nods to their connections with the Mouse.) And if you look close enough, you can spot homes designed by famous architects like Frank Lloyd Wright (the Ennis and Hollyhock houses) and Raphael Soriano (Gogol House).
Head over to Franklin Hills, an even smaller neighborhood in Los Feliz, and you’ll see the gothic-style Shakespeare Bridge (which has virtually nothing to do with the famous writer) that was built in 1926 and is just a few blocks from John Marshall High School, which mimics the same gargoyle-like design and has been the backdrop for several movies and TV shows, including “Grease” and “The Wonder Years.”
On Vermont Avenue, you can see the Dresden Room, where famous jazz duo Marty and Elayne Roberts serenaded audiences six nights a week for almost 40 years until Marty died in January 2022. (The Dresden still hosts jazzy lounge acts a couple of nights a week.) A short walk from there is Palermo Italian Restaurant, helmed by a magnetic owner, Tony Fanara, who ran for governor in 2022 and received nearly 6,500 votes.
Caroline Trujillo’s appreciation for Los Feliz all comes down to her daily routines, which often involves walking around the entire district, hiking at Griffith Park if she’s feeling ambitious and grabbing an iced coffee at All Time, where she likes to people watch.
“I love the walkability to Barnsdall Park,” says the 32-year-old music marketer. She’s lived in the area for nearly three years. “Being able to incorporate that into an everyday part of my life — just sitting at a park and reading, or playing my Nintendo Switch and being able to watch the sunset — is super convenient.”
Those type of comforts make it tough to leave Los Feliz — and luckily, you don’t have to. Whether you’re embarking on a solo adventure, linking up with friends or hanging out with family, there’s a plethora of things to keep you entertained on this side of town. Perhaps you’ll even get as settled in as Montgomery, who writes that he “will not cross the 405 even if you paid me.”
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What’s included in this guide
Anyone who’s lived in a major metropolis can tell you that neighborhoods are a tricky thing. They’re eternally malleable and evoke sociological questions around how we place our homes, our neighbors and our communities within a wider tapestry. In the name of neighborly generosity, we included gems that may linger outside of technical parameters. Instead of leaning into stark definitions, we hope to celebrate all of the places that make us love where we live.
