Vineyard, Glendale, CA

Vineyard in Glendale sits just west of downtown, a walkable grid of early twentieth century houses and newer apartments between Central Avenue and the old industrial edge along San Fernando Road. Brand Boulevard and the Americana are an easy walk east. Many of the homes here date to the early 1900s, and Vineyard has one of the city's larger concentrations of Craftsman bungalows. Since the 1960s, apartment buildings have replaced a lot of the early houses, so bungalows now sit between larger buildings on many blocks. Vineyard feels denser than Grandview to the north. Green space comes in small doses. Harvard Mini Park, Milford Mini-Park and Doran Gardens Mini-Park give the neighborhood small playgrounds and lawns, and Pacific Park is a short walk south. The river path and Griffith Park are a few minutes west by car or bike. Max's Restaurant on West Broadway is known for its Filipino fried chicken, and Phoenicia on North Central Avenue is a Lebanese sit-down spot. Butcher and Booze, nearby on Central, is a butcher shop and deli known for its cheesesteak, and Moonlight Rollerway on San Fernando Road is the neighborhood's old roller rink, still running. Everyday errands mostly happen on foot, with Selin Food Bazaar and Sipan Market and Deli close, and the Galleria and Americana a few blocks east. Buses run on Central and Broadway, and the 134 and the 5 are close. The tradeoff is traffic and parking, which get harder near Central Avenue and during the busy shopping season. Moonlight Rollerway is the local surprise. It has been a roller rink since 1950, and it still draws skaters a short drive from the city's largest mall.