Glassell Park, Los Angeles, CA

Glassell Park climbs the Repetto Hills between Atwater Village and Eagle Rock in Northeast Los Angeles, and daily life here runs along two short commercial streets, Eagle Rock Boulevard and Verdugo Road. Street names like Toland Way, Drew Street and Andrita come from the Glassell family, who settled the land after the 1870s partition of the old rancho. Homes are mostly modest single-family houses and bungalows. Craftsman cottages fill the flatter blocks near the main streets, and hillside houses sit up on steep, winding lanes above them. Small apartment buildings line Eagle Rock Boulevard and Verdugo Road, and the Van de Kamp Bakery Building, a 1930 landmark, still stands in the neighborhood. Glassell Park Recreation Center on Verdugo Road has the neighborhood pool, which gets a lot of use in the hot months. Rio de Los Angeles State Park, built on old rail yard land along San Fernando Road, is just over the line in Atwater Village. On Eagle Rock Boulevard, Dunsmoor cooks almost everything over a wood fire, and next door Bub and Grandma's is known for its bread, sandwiches and pastries. Habitat Coffee, a few blocks up the same street, is where people bring a laptop. Over on Verdugo, Verdugo Bar has a big back patio and a deep beer list. Super A Foods on Division Street is the classic neighborhood grocery, and smaller markets dot Eagle Rock Boulevard. The 2 and the 5 are both close, which makes Glendale, Burbank and downtown easy drives, while bus service covers the main streets. On the other hand, the neighborhood's dinner spots are clustered on two short stretches, so a night out usually means a quick trip down the hill rather than a drive across town.