Downey, Downey, CA

Downey wears its aerospace past openly. The rest of this southeast Los Angeles County city is wide streets, mature trees and backyard pools, with a strong streak of mid-century roadside architecture. Homes here are mostly single-story, and the sub-areas differ more than outsiders expect. Northeast Downey is known for big lots and mid-century ranch houses. Some streets also carry signed mid-century modern houses built around low horizontal lines and natural materials. For outdoor time, Wilderness Park off Little Lake Road has broad lawns and walking paths, and Rio San Gabriel Park has a dog run. Apollo Park on Rives Avenue has fishing, Furman Park has a short neighborhood loop, and the San Gabriel River Trail gives cyclists and runners a long, flat route. Food here leans on landmarks. The oldest surviving McDonald's, a 1953 Speedee stand on Lakewood Boulevard, still has its original sign and is on the National Register. Porto's Bakery and Cafe on Firestone draws lines for Cuban pastries and sandwiches, and 3rd Street Coffee has been the downtown coffee shop since 2000. Daily errands mean driving. Stater Bros. and Albertsons sit on Firestone, Sprouts is on Lakewood Boulevard near Downey Landing, and Stonewood Center, open since 1958, still anchors the department stores. The I-5 and I-105 both serve the city for commutes toward downtown Los Angeles or Long Beach. The tradeoff is that the city is built around wide boulevards. Firestone, Lakewood and Imperial carry heavy traffic, and walking to dinner is rare outside the few blocks around downtown. What sticks with most visitors is how much of the 1950s is still in daily use here, from the drive-ins to the ranch houses.