Angelino Heights, Los Angeles, CA

Angelino Heights is the small hilltop neighborhood of Los Angeles that holds the city's richest collection of Victorian houses, many of them lined up along Carroll Avenue. It was laid out in the 1886 land boom, and when the boom collapsed two years later building stopped, which helped the Victorian streetscape survive. Craftsman bungalows went up along Kensington Road in the early 1900s, and later decades added Mission Revival houses, a few Streamline Moderne buildings and small apartment buildings. Many of the old houses were split into units after World War II and have since been restored. The raised setting gives several streets views toward downtown, and Echo Park Lake is just down the hill to the west, where the loop around the water is the daily walk for many residents. Elysian Park's trails are also close by for longer hikes. Most dining happens at the edge of Angelino Heights, along Sunset Boulevard. Tsubaki on Allison Avenue is an izakaya known for its sake list and yakitori, and Ototo next door is a sake bar. Eightfold Coffee on Sunset is the local coffee spot, and Bar Henry is right nearby. Bob's Market on Bellevue Avenue is the neighborhood corner grocery, and bigger shopping trips run to the supermarkets around Echo Park and Glendale Boulevard. Downtown is just a few minutes away by car, and bus lines on Sunset make short trips easy. The trade for such a small, historic area is limited retail and the freeway to the south. The 101 runs along the southern edge, and its sound carries on the lower blocks. Up on Carroll Avenue, though, the old porches and turrets make even an ordinary walk feel like a step back a century.