South Park, Los Angeles, CA

South Park is built around its namesake, a 20-acre tract bought from a private estate in 1900, when it was planted with walnut, oak and orange trees. That park is still the center of this South Los Angeles neighborhood, which runs from Vernon Avenue down to Slauson between the Harbor Freeway and Central Avenue. The housing is some of the oldest south of downtown. Craftsman bungalows and Victorian cottages from the early 1900s line many blocks, and much of the rest is low-rise duplexes and triplexes rather than big apartment buildings. Houses are close together on narrow lots, and front porches still get used. South Park Recreation Center on East 51st Street has palm-lined walking paths, a lighted baseball diamond, tennis and basketball courts and a seasonal pool. A few blocks south, South Los Angeles Wetlands Park on Avalon Boulevard adds a paved loop around ponds and planted marsh, a good spot for a morning walk and some birdwatching. Broadway and Main Street carry most of the eating. Panaderias like Panaderia Coatzingo on Broadway and La Joya Poblana on Avalon keep bread cases full, and on busy days a long row of vendors sets up along the sidewalks selling produce and clothes. Daily errands are close. Food 4 Less on Main Street and Superior Grocers on Broadway cover big shops, the Junipero Serra Branch Library is on South Main, and small markets sit on nearly every commercial block. Street parking is the everyday frustration, since so many lots hold more than one household. Still, the park keeps its old role, and on summer evenings the paths at South Park fill with walkers and pickup games while the pool stays busy.