Echo Park Lake, lotus
Photograph: Rozette Rago for Time OutEcho Park Lake
Photograph: Rozette Rago for Time Out

Where to eat, drink and explore in Echo Park

Get to know Echo Park with a visit to the Eastside neighborhood’s best restaurants, bars, shops, attractions and more

Michael Juliano
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Though it often gets lumped together with its upscale neighbor Silver Lake, Echo Park has enough character of its own to set itself apart. Decades’ worth of trendsetters and trendseekers have transformed the neighborhood—love it or hate it—into a haven for dive bars and casual dining as well as eclectic live music and art galleries.

You’ll hear plenty of people refer to Echo Park as being on the Eastside—and just as many Angelenos who insist it most definitely isn’t. But no matter which side of that you fall on, we can all generally agree that Echo Park includes both the hilly residential areas and bustling flats outside of Dodger Stadium, bounded by the 5, 110 and 101 freeways, as well as Glendale Boulevard to the west, with some extra blocks extending to the other side of Alvarado Street.  Echo Park neighbors Silver Lake to the northwest, while to the northeast its Elysian Park extension butts up against Frogtown. The neighborhood more or less stops at the freeways, where, to the south, it neighbors Historic Filipinotown, Downtown L.A. and Chinatown. Most of the neighborhood’s activity is centered around Sunset Boulevard—where you’ll also find its most frequently-running bus lines.

We think you’ll find plenty to love in Echo Park, whether you’re spending an afternoon at Echo Park Lake or a summer evening at Dodger Stadium.

The 12 best things to do in Echo Park

  • Things to do
  • Echo Park

The neighborhood’s namesake and centerpiece, this former reservoir lives on as a family-friendly destination worthy of its bold backdrop: the Downtown skyline amid the lotus flower blooms, fountains and the Lady of the Lake statue. You can push your way through the lake in a pedal or swan boat ($13 per hour) or stroll around the path that hugs its borders. Swing by Piknik, the revived boathouse restaurant, for some Scandinavian-inspired fare.

  • Sports and fitness
  • Stadiums
  • Echo Park

Dodger Stadium (alternatively known as Chavez Ravine) has been home to the Dodgers since 1962, which in this age of spiffy new stadiums actually makes it the third-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball. Its charms—enhanced with recent renovations—are best seen from the inside, with a Dodger Dog in hand; the zigzag outfield shades and hexagon scoreboards are the perfect foreground for a sunset against the San Gabriel Mountains. And don’t worry if you’re visiting during the off season: The stadium still offers daily tours for just over $30.

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  • Music
  • Music venues
  • Echo Park
  • price 1 of 4

Music-lovers flock to this often-jammed duo of clubs for all flavors of indie, dub reggae and electronica. The temperature can rise to uncomfortable levels when it’s crowded, although the back patio offers sweet relief. The big, low-slung Echoplex sits underneath the Echo, where you’ll find recurring dance parties as well as touring artists who draw bigger crowds.

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  • Things to do
  • Echo Park

The dozen or so towering Victorian homes that line Carroll Avenue collectively form one of the most picturesque spots in the city. The wooden turrets and shaded portraits feel frozen in time, calling back to a post-Spanish, pre-Hollywood way of life that feels like a secret part of L.A. history. That is, until you realize it’s the backdrop of some of the silver screen’s most iconic features, including Chinatown, as well as The Fast and the Furious films and Michael Jackson’s Thriller.

  • Attractions
  • Parks and gardens
  • Echo Park

L.A.’s oldest park, founded in 1886, is big and beautiful but tends to get a bad rap. Admittedly, some things here have fallen by the wayside, but among the palm tree groves and hilly hikes, you’ll find great views of the Valley, Downtown, the Hollywood Hills and Dodger Stadium. While you won’t find the park’s viral rope swing anymore, you can still find another photogenic spot along the northeast portion of Angels Point Road: a ridge of slender, super tall palm trees with the stadium and skyline in the background.

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  • Cafés
  • Echo Park
  • price 1 of 4

Stories Books and Cafe is a funky, cozy spot off Sunset Boulevard, with new and used titles packed floor to ceiling. There’s a little cafe in the back with good coffee and fresh food, and an outdoor patio popular with the freelance crowd. If you’re looking for an obscure title, chances are they’ll have it here. There’s also a good selection of gift-y things such as greeting cards, coloring books, magnets and mugs. Regular events include readings, signings and open mic comedy nights.

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  • Things to do
  • Cultural centers
  • Echo Park
  • price 2 of 4

At first glance, the inside of this storefront resembles any other market in the area—but look closer and you’ll find a collection of funny time travel curiosities that one needs in order to visit the past and future, from Barbarian Repellent to Primordial Soup In a Can and a whole bunch of books. What’s going on? The market is a ruse: Everything in it is indeed for sale, but the store is actually a front for 826LA, a nonprofit organization which tutors kids ages 6 to 18 (you’ll find some of the kids’ written pieces in the shop).

  • Contemporary Asian
  • Echo Park
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Whatever you want to call it—restaurant, bar, arcade—Button Mash has created a category all its own in L.A. Burgers, wings and noodles comprise the bulk of the menu at this neighborhood hang, while Estrano’s Diego Argoti assembles a more daring menu at Poltergeist. The drink menu includes a unique list of beer and wine, which you can peruse before you hit the many arcade machines from the ’70s to ’90s.

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  • Attractions
  • Historic buildings and sites
  • Echo Park

Like so many of us, Touko Laaksonen simply fell in love with L.A. when he first visited in the late ’70s. And as the Finnish homoerotic artist began to stick around more often, he increasingly called this Echo Park Craftsman home. It also became a gathering place for fellow influential figures in the gay visual arts, including Robert Mapplethorpe and John Waters. A few years before his death, “Tom of Finland” (as he would sign his striking black-and-white pieces) and house owner Durk Dehner hatched the Tom of Finland Foundation, with the house as the headquarters for his archives as well as a safe space for artists who’ve been discriminated against for pursuing erotica. Ever since, the historic monument has hosted tours, exhibitions, art classes and an annual cultural fest.

The best of Echo Park

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