Eagle Rock, Los Angeles, CA

Eagle Rock takes its name from the huge boulder at the north end of Figueroa Street, whose shadow looks like a bird with spread wings, and that rock still watches over this corner of Los Angeles between Glendale and Pasadena. Craftsman bungalows are the most common, joined by Mission Revival, Art Deco and a few Streamline Moderne houses, and nineteen local buildings carry city landmark status. The flatter blocks around Colorado and Eagle Rock Boulevard hold older bungalows and small apartment buildings, while other streets climb into the hills. Park time splits between Eagle Rock Recreation Center on Eagle Vista Drive and Yosemite Recreation Center on Yosemite Drive, and there's a dedicated dog park as well. The 1927 library on Colorado now houses the neighborhood's Center for the Arts. Casa Bianca Pizza Pie, a family-run spot a block away, is known for thin-crust pies. Colombo's pairs lasagna and chicken parm with live jazz, and Swork Coffee, farther east on Colorado, is the calm, minimalist place to work over a cup. Groceries are easy. Sprouts sits on Yosemite Drive, and Seafood City anchors the big center at 2700 Colorado, where Filipino bakeries like Valerio's and Leelin share the parking lot. The 2 and the 134 run along the neighborhood's edges, so Glendale, Pasadena and downtown are quick drives. Rail doesn't reach this far, and most commutes and errands still happen by car. What Eagle Rock keeps instead is a Colorado Boulevard lined with old signs, a library turned arts center, and delis that have fed several generations of the same blocks.