Cudahy, CA

Cudahy packs more homes onto its ground than almost any other city in Los Angeles County, and Atlantic Avenue carries nearly all of its public life. The town fills a narrow band along the east bank of the river, with Bell and Maywood upstream, South Gate downstream and Bell Gardens a short hop east. Long, thin parcels run back from the streets, and many now hold a courtyard of stucco apartments where a single house once stood. Mixed in are postwar houses in Spanish and ranch styles, plus a few townhouse rows. Blocks near the river feel the most residential, while the streets closer to Atlantic lean toward apartments. Cudahy Park sits right against the bike path, so a lap on the courts can turn into a ride along the channel, and a small planted river park beside it soaks up storm runoff. For a lake loop or a round of nine holes, John Anson Ford Park is just over the line in Bell Gardens. Atlantic Avenue handles dinner too. Leña Ardiendo bakes its pies over mesquite and almond wood and turns out sweet chili wings on the side, Chris's Hamburgers has been flipping burgers for the neighborhood for years, and pupuserias, taco counters and donut shops fill the gaps. The Starbucks on Atlantic is where morning coffee usually happens. Most errands in Cudahy stay within a mile. A supermarket, a Sprouts and the county library are all close to the park or on the avenue, and the free CART shuttle loops through town. The Azalea shopping center in South Gate picks up the bigger box-store runs. Living in Cudahy means sharing a lot of space with a lot of neighbors, and the green strip along the river is the one place where that pressure lets up and the view opens to the sky.