Ready to uncover the hidden gems in Echo Park? From secret stores to hidden bars, Echo Park offers a treasure trove of experiences waiting to be discovered. Nestled between Chinatown and Silver Lake, Echo Park is a serene Los Angeles neighborhood filled with unique places and activities perfect for both locals and tourists.
Short-Cut Menu 🖱️
Best-Kept Secrets in Echo Park
📍 Location: 1381 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: Tues-Sun 1PM-7PM
💰 Price: $
Sick City Records is a best-kept secret in Echo Park to check off of your list, especially if you're in need of a haircut. This record shop may feature some epic vinyl records to add to your collection, but they also have a barber shop inside as well as vintage rock tees for purchase. You're bound to walk out of this vintage store feeling (& looking) brand new.
🪄 Insider Tip: Sick City Records hosts live performances by famous singers, comedians, and other types of artists.
2. Spirit House
📍 Location: 1801 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: Tues-Thurs & Sun 6PM-12AM, Fri-Sat 6PM-2AM
💰 Price: $$
Spirit House is a some-what new (2019) cocktail bar that you wouldn't even know about unless you found them on social media, as the bar is discreetly hidden behind a red curtain in the back of the restaurant Sticky Rice LA. This Thai-themed cocktail bar has some of the most interesting drinks out there, as well as live music from local musicians and DJs.
🪄 Insider Tip: Try Spirit House's own take on a classic gimlet - made with a Thai-tea infused gin, lime juice, house orgeat, and a lime leaf.
📍 Location: 1419 Colton St., Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: Mon 2:30PM-7PM, Tues-Fri 3:30PM-9PM, Sat-Sun 1PM-5PM
💰 Price: 17 & under $1; 18-49 $4; 50+ $1
If you find yourself in need of switching up your exercise from a daily jog then be sure to check out the Echo Park Pool. This inexpensive yet very well-maintained indoor pool has options for all different ages to enjoy, whether it be a recreational pool day or adults looking for a lap swim session.
🪄 Insider Tip: Check out their private lessons if you have young children who would like to learn how to swim.
4. Toretto House
📍 Location: 722 E. Kensington Rd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: All Day
💰 Price: Free to visit exterior. Entry not permitted
For those who are mega-fans of the Fast and Furious movie series, Dominic Toretto's home "1327" should definitely ring some bells. The iconic home to Vin Diesel's character and his family still exists today in Echo Park, and fans of the film are more than welcome to pass by for a some great photo-ops. However, entry is not permitted as the house is now made up of four different apartments.
🪄 Insider Tip: The original script of Furious 7 was supposed to feature Dominic explaining that he didn't want to rebuild the house after it was burnt down but the scene was cut as the house was rebuilt in the film.
📍 Location: 505 S. Vermont Ave, Los Angeles CA 90020
⌚ Hours: Tues-Thurs & Sun 5PM-2AM, Fri-Sat 5PM-3AM
💰 Price: $
El Flamin Taco is not just your average food truck - their menu is complemented by the trucks unique design, which includes LED signage, a cool paint job, chrome wheels, and plasma TV's so guests can enjoy watching a sports game as they enjoy their food, similar to the feel of a real sports bar. Their menu has multiple different meat options to put onto a variety of delicious products such as tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and more.
🪄 Insider Tip: El Flamin Taco is known in California for their logos that support a lot of the different causes.
6. Whammy!
📍 Location: 2514 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: Mon-Tues 3PM-7PM, Wed-Sun 12PM-7PM
💰 Price: $
Whammy! Analog Media is a Los Angeles VHS store that has a hidden entrance in the back of a building, making it a bit mysterious and totally worthwhile. Not only does Whammy! have hundreds of awesome VHS tapes to pick up, but they also hosts events for just about anything, from film screenings to historical informational events to fundraisers.
🪄 Insider Tip: Check out their upcoming events featuring very rare media.
7. Bar Henry
📍 Location: 1228 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: Sun-Wed 5PM-1AM Thurs-Sat 5PM-2AM
💰 Price: $$
If you're looking for a chill night out full of cocktails and good music, then Bar Henry in Echo Park LA should be added to the top of your list. This cocktail bar not only has a welcoming and cozy atmosphere, but what really sets Bar Henry apart from your classic neighborhood bar is their soundtrack of great music and vintage vinyl collections.
🪄 Insider Tip: Bar Henry has vinyl set events .
📍 Location: 2300 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: 5PM-9PM
💰 Price: $
One Hot Minute in Echo Park Los Angeles is only a pop-up restaurant, but the good thing about it is that when it's there, it's always at the same time and in the same place. It's a Peruvian and Chinese fusion pop-up that is completely meat-free, with it's signature sandwich being made of canary beans and cauliflower rice. It's small but mighty menu has two entree style options as well as a few sides to choose from.
🪄 Insider Tip: Be sure to try their unique dessert, Picarones Funnel Cakes.
9. Lady of the Lake
📍 Location: Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: 24/7
💰 Price: FREE
The Lady of the Lake statue is one of Echo Park's most well-known monuments, and it stands by the eastern edge of Echo Park Lake. The statue was sculpted by artist Ada Mae Sharpless, and the 14-foot-high cast iron woman was given as a gift to the city of Los Angeles in 1935. The statue still proudly sits in the same spot today for tourists and locals alike to check it out and read about its history.
🪄 Insider Tip: The statue was removed from public display in 1986 because of suffering from neglect, but it was reopened to the public in 1999.
📍 Location: 1800 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: Wed-Sun 11AM-10PM
💰 Price: $
Considered the best Chicago Deep Dish Pizza in Los Angeles by many, Masa of Echo Park's Bakery & Café is full of family-style dishes that are completely made from scratch. Their lengthy menu has a variety of different options from appetizers to sandwiches to pizzas to burgers to pastas.
🪄 Insider Tip: Masa of Echo Park has a special menu that is full of different options for vegans.
📍 Location: 1944 Riverside Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90039
⌚ Hours: Varies
💰 Price: $
The Elysian Theater is a nonprofit theater that supports original - and unconventional - works of live art, theater, and comedy, and it probably is one of the most interesting places to check out while you're in in Echo Park. They not only offer a variety of different shows, but also classes and workshops that cover topics such as acting and comedy. Their calendar is full of events for the upcoming months, so be sure to book some tickets before they sell out.
🪄 Insider Tip: The Elysian Theater will be hosting the Netflix Is A Joke Festival in May with some well-known comedians such as Michael Yo.
12. Cookbook Market
📍 Location: 1549 Echo Park Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: Daily 8AM-8PM
💰 Price: $$
The Cookbook Market in Echo Park is one of their three locations, all of which offer seasonal produce, curated goods, fresh deli-style food, and now wine in the Echo Park store. The Cookbook has gained such popularity in Echo Park throughout the years because of it's top-notch quality goods, such as their gorgeous flower selection, daily baked bread, and fresh made-to-order food from their market.
🪄 Insider Tip: All 3 Cookbook Market locations have pop-up events from famous author appearances to cooking classes, wine tastings, and more.
📍 Location: 1345 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: Mon-Sat 7:30AM-8PM, Sun 9AM-8PM
💰 Price: Coffee: $, Tattoo: $$
Supersweet Tattoos & Coffee is yet another hidden gem in Echo Park not only for it's uniqueness of being a coffee shop and a tattoo parlor all-in-one (the first in Los Angeles), but also because their coffee is known to great. Lots of people frequent Supersweet solely for the coffee and beautiful interior not knowing that you can really get a tattoo here. Prices for tattoo's vary on size, but they have a starting price of $150+.
🪄 Insider Tip: The coffee shop serves the special Sightglass Coffee, which has taken San Francisco by storm.
14. Michael Jackson's Thriller House
📍 Location: 1345 Carroll Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: 24/7
💰 Price: Free outside. Entry not permitted.
No matter your degree of fandom of Michael Jackson, mostly everyone in the world can say they've heard the song Thriller at least once in their life. Echo Park happens to be the home of the iconic Thriller house where the famous music video was filmed in 1983. The house is still available to pass by for tourism and still looks more or less the same to this day. However, entry is not allowed as it is has been owned by private owners who don't allow visitors.
🪄 Insider Tip: The Thriller music video had a budget of $900,000, making it one of the most expensive music videos of its time.
15. Time Travel Mart
📍 Location: 1714 W. Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026
⌚ Hours: Mon-Sun 12PM-6PM
💰 Price: $
If you're searching for interesting things to do in Echo Park, then the Time Travel Mart can be your 1-stop shop for all things past, present, and future. This one-of-a-kind store is full of random knick-knacks such as accessories, apparel, books, writing supplies, household items, games, and more. The store has five different "time travel" categories where visitors can find lots of cool "artifacts" from different time periods to bring home from their travels in Echo Park.
🪄 Insider Tip: The Time Travel Mart is seeking new talent by accepting product, art and writing submissions for their ever-growing collection of items.
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