Echo Park: A top 10 neighborhood of 2008 (Los Angeles, Westwood: best neighborhood, low crime, home)

[King0fthehill]

• Baltimore, Maryland: Charles Village
• Salem, Massachusetts: Downtown Salem
• Sheridan, Wyoming: Downtown Sheridan
• Los Angeles, California: Echo Park
• Denver, Colorado: Greater Park Hill
• Syracuse, New York: Greater University Hill
• Boise, Idaho: North End
• Wichita, Kansas: Old Town
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Society Hill
• Mariemont, Ohio: Village of Mariemont

criteria/link here:
Characteristics and Guidelines of Great Neighborhoods

Can't really vouch for the other places, so here are a few photos from LA's Echo Park:









(all by me)

....Echo Park is a hardcore working-class Hispanic neighborhood with a good bit of gentrification in the form of Bohemian artists/musicians/hipsters/writers/etc. IIRC, gentrification there has been somewhat uneasy, due to a rampant gang presence, it's only form of mass transit being archaic local buses and vehement anti-gentrification sentiment from the locals (people jumped harangued, graffiti over newer trendy areas, etc).

What do you think the future holds for EP?

Will the gentrifiers duke it out in EP? Or will all redevelopment/gentrification there halt and the neighborhood will assume its old (well, still current..sorta) status quo?

[King0fthehill]

Uh...no.

The incidents were isolated, and for the most part, the majority of the people are hardworking, god fearing people.

[SurekRZA]

Originally Posted by alibaba1

It's gritty, and urban, but that's why people choose it over say, West LA.

I really love Echo Park. I have a few friends that live in the area. For exactly the above reasons.

[Radical Raul]

This is so sad it's laughable and a perfect example of everything that is wrong with Southern California, and a damn good reason to move to another state.

How Echo Park made it on anyone's best top ten list is beyond the comprehension of any person of reasonable judgment and intelligence.

[AzianCalFullertonStudent]

Home turf to the MS-13 gang.

[skywalker400]

^I thought their "home turf" was Pico-Union. May not be your style, but there is a certain dynamic to the area not seen elsewhere. For a lot of people 1970's Lower Manhattan was the ideal eclectic urban environment. Those people just aren't likely to post on city-data. :P

[SurekRZA]

Originally Posted by Radical Raul

This is so sad it's laughable and a perfect example of everything that is wrong with Southern California, and a damn good reason to move to another state.

How Echo Park made it on anyone's best top ten list is beyond the comprehension of any person of reasonable judgment and intelligence.

You make a lot of statements but you dont give reasons as to why you post them.

When I first moved to L.A., I met a friend of mine at Echo Park and at the time the place was trashy, ghetto, a lot of minorities, and appeared to be lifeless, especially at night. The last time I visited the park and the area was a few months ago and "Wow", the park was filled with people from all ethnicities, the park was cleaner, and at night you saw people enjoying the park and taking walks around the neighborhood. I saw a lot of young artists around the area and although the place is still not Westwood, I see a lot of positivity sprouting from Echo Park. Hopefully I can stop by and photograph the area to demonstrate what my words tell and my eyes have seen.

[Radical Raul]

Originally Posted by SurekRZA

You make a lot of statements but you dont give reasons as to why you post them.

When I first moved to L.A., I met a friend of mine at Echo Park and at the time the place was trashy, ghetto, a lot of minorities, and appeared to be lifeless, especially at night. The last time I visited the park and the area was a few months ago and "Wow", the park was filled with people from all ethnicities, the park was cleaner, and at night you saw people enjoying the park and taking walks around the neighborhood. I saw a lot of young artists around the area and although the place is still not Westwood, I see a lot of positivity sprouting from Echo Park. Hopefully I can stop by and photograph the area to demonstrate what my words tell and my eyes have seen.

If you want to raise your kids and live out your life in Echo Park be my guest. You couldn't pay me to live there.

Enjoy Echo Park and the Brite Spot.

[KnoxTown]

Originally Posted by Radical Raul

This is so sad it's laughable and a perfect example of everything that is wrong with Southern California, and a damn good reason to move to another state.

How Echo Park made it on anyone's best top ten list is beyond the comprehension of any person of reasonable judgment and intelligence.

Not everyone wants to live in the fake, sterile, and overrated westside of LA.

[BennyPhoenix]

Originally Posted by Radical Raul

This is so sad it's laughable and a perfect example of everything that is wrong with Southern California, and a damn good reason to move to another state.

How Echo Park made it on anyone's best top ten list is beyond the comprehension of any person of reasonable judgment and intelligence.

Agreed. Nobody can convince me that it is the best neighborhood in LA.
Comparing EP to Salem Mass is making my day. I'll be laughing till tomorrow. Salem is a beautiful town. Low crime, clean, no gangs, light traffic, artsy, museums, lively downtown, interesting.