Pico-Union, Los Angeles, CA

Pico-Union, just west of downtown Los Angeles, has long been a center of Central American life in the city. The stretch of Pico Boulevard near Vermont Avenue is officially designated as the El Salvador Community Corridor, and murals of Óscar Romero and of Central and South American flags mark the streets nearby. Homes in Pico-Union are an unusual mix. The Alvarado Terrace Historic District, near Pico and Alvarado, protects a short block of grand early houses, and older Victorian and Craftsman homes turn up on the side streets. Most blocks, though, are filled with apartment buildings and small multi-unit properties, many from the early and middle twentieth century. Parks are small but well used. Toberman Recreation Center on Union Avenue is the main rec center, a pocket park on Hoover Street fills a gap, and Alvarado Terrace Park is a quiet patch of green. For larger outdoor space, MacArthur Park and Exposition Park are both a short trip away. The food tells the neighborhood's story. Pupuserias and Guatemalan bakeries line both Pico and Vermont. Panaderia El Salvador on Pico Boulevard bakes Salvadoran sweet breads, and Casa Gish Bac on Vermont serves Oaxacan cooking. El Colmao on Pico serves Cuban food, and there is a King Taco a few blocks away. Errands are easy to handle close to home. Northgate González Market on Olympic, Superior Grocers on Alvarado and Food 4 Less on Hoover cover the big grocery runs, and the Pico Union Branch Library sits on Alvarado Street. Buses run along Pico, Vermont and Olympic, and downtown and the 10 freeway are both close. The tradeoff is density. Street parking is scarce, traffic along Pico and Vermont is heavy, and green space is limited. In return, Salvadoran sweet bread, a Greek Orthodox cathedral on Normandie and a pupusa lunch can all fit into one afternoon walk.