LA Neighborhoods: Silver Lake
The first thing to know about Silver Lake is that it’s not a lake. It’s a reservoir. Located between Los Feliz and Echo Park, Silver Lake has a hipster reputation with overpriced coffee houses, indie music venues, wine bars and rival cheese shops. The flatlands of Silver Lake house millennials and working class folks while the hills are a desired celebrity location. Residents of note include Moby, Rowan Farrow, Fred Armisen, Rachel McAdams, Kiefer Sutherland, Kristen Wiig, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Beck. Locals prefer the west side of the reservoir with quiet streets and gorgeous views. The east side is more chaotic with higher levels of crime and homelessness.
Silver Lake has an impressive rock and roll pedigree. Bands like Local Natives and Silversun Pickups are from the area. Elliott Smith lived his final years in a Silver Lake bungalow. (The Elliott Smith tribute wall remains intact outside a tanning salon on Sunset Boulevard.) Exene Cervenka of the band X owned a Silver Lake thrift store called “You’ve Got Bad Taste.” Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers founded the Silverlake Conservatory of Music on Hollywood Boulevard offering music classes for local youth.
