Sorry Silver Lake, and there, there Arts District: A different Los Angeles neighborhood has landed on our list of the coolest neighborhoods in the world.
Each year in our annual Time Out Index, we poll readers around the globe about what they love most about their cities—and that includes which area they think is the coolest. This year, that crown goes to East Hollywood, which landed at #26 on the list of the world’s coolest neighborhoods.
First, a little bit of geographical housekeeping: We consider East Hollywood to include everything within the area of the East Hollywood Neighborhood Council, which is bordered by Hollywood Boulevard, Hoover Street, Western Avenue and the 101. But we also believe that most Angelenos would recognize Melrose Hill as part of East Hollywood, even as that southwestern district has kind of gentrified its way into trying to be a thing.
So with that in mind, why do we think it all belongs on the list? Free of Tinseltown’s tourist traps, neighbor East Hollywood and its subset districts have begun to stake their claim as L.A.’s buzziest culinary destinations. Much of that can be credited to Melrose Hill, a developer-driven block at Melrose and Western Avenues whose brick buildings house a tight cluster of casual restaurants as well as the Erewhon-esque L.A. Grocery & Café—and just to the south, a pair of big-name galleries including LAXART’s relocated home, the Brick. But the larger area’s must-tries extend farther east into the walkable Virgil Village, with mainstays Courage Bagels and wine bar Melody, and north into the freshly bikeable Thai Town, where new dedicated lanes along Hollywood Boulevard let you pedal over to bakery hangout Friends & Family.
As for how to explore the area, start by ordering some crispy-edged ricotta pancakes at Cafe Telegrama before seeing works from contemporary art superstars in gallerist David Zwirner’s three storefronts along Western. Feast on a family-style Filipino tray at Kuya Lord from James Beard-winning chef Lord Maynard Llera, then venture to the opposite end of the hood for a self-guided tour of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Mayan-inspired Hollyhock House. (Consider bringing along a wrap or bowl from Bridgetown Roti to eat on the hilltop lawn.) If you need a place to rest your head, Gold-Diggers—a one-time strip club turned recording studio, bar and boutique hotel—is the place to stay.
Oh, and be on the lookout for some more exciting developments in the neighborhood: Bottle shop Domaine L.A. will expand east with its coming-soon Bar Etoile while Holy Basil will bring a tasting menu twist on its seafood-heavy Thai menu later this year.