Highland Park: Trendy for Real Estate and Dining

Los Angeles’ most exciting enclave is the chic, trend setting, artistic living Highland Park. And it isn’t just the rising prices and sheer number of homes for sale in Highland Park at any one time. The original culture is being revived. Highland Park was home to Los Angeles’ first bohemian community. Progressive artists, scholars and architects came together to build an edgy, unique community that produced buildings like the Lummis House and Judson Studios. Their influence is still recognized today in designated “historic districts” like the Highland Park – Garvanza Historic Preservation Overlay Zone, which is home to over 50 odd historic cultural moments like refurbished classic Victorian homes, and Galco’s Soda Pop Stop.

The popular listings site “Redfin” named Highland Park as the most “up-and-coming” American neighborhood of 2013 and Highland Park realtors have been busy ever since, as the market has remained hot. This was determined by the strong increase of traffic and popularity in Highland Park’s on-market listings, sales volume, median price per square foot and sale-to-list ratio. The sales and increased prices of homes in Highland Park were far greater in comparison to any other metro neighborhood.

Even though Highland Park has becomethe new popular housing grounds, the prices seem to remain fairly reasonable. The median household income of Highland Park residents is $45,478. The average age is 28 and the percentage of residents who are 25 and older with a four-year degree is 14.3%. Many artists and musicians are moving from the expensive next-door-neighbors of Echo Park and Silver Lake to fix up a Highland Park digs. This hilly neighborhood just northeast of downtown is appealing to those who are struggling in richer areas of Los Angeles, but still have money to invest in a home. This initiated a house flipping epidemic and suddenly homes and apartment buildings were being renovated to accommodate higher paying tenants. Over thirty apartment buildings have been redone since 2014. These transformations from outdated buildings to trendy living pads have attracted new families, Generation Y professionals and creative townies that have helped transform the culture of the community.

The streets of Highland Park have received a luscious makeover with the help of its new citizens. The ever-popular York Boulevard consistently sprouts up new cafes, bars and shops to acclimate the fresh culture of people. Remnants of classic Highland Park culture remains with the predominance of classic Mexican food venues. Mexican food trucks and various restaurants are sprinkled throughout the nearby neighborhood like the famousEstrella Food Truck and chic El Huarache Azteca. The new culture blends easily with the old as coffee shops like the Café de Leche serve thirsty patrons who just attended the Second Saturday monthly gallery art night. Parking is never a huge obstacle to overcome on the weekend. Highland Park has the sense of a strong community that is working cohesively to develop its own unique culture.

Garvanza: A Small LA Neighborhood with Big History

Garvanza, a pocket community in the northeast corner of Los Angeles, has a rich history that supports the diverse culture that is Garvanza. Today, Garvanza is a thriving community with a booming real estate market. Garvanza is considered to be a sub-community of Highland Park. With Pasadena and South Pasadena to the north and east and Highland Park to the west and South, Garvanza sits on the border of Los Angeles. And like Highland Park real estate, homes for sale in Garvanza have become a hot, hot item.

With more than half of the current population represented by Latinos, the earliest inhabitants were ascendants of Chumash Indians that occupied the land over 13,000 years ago. Approximately 3,000 years ago a large collection of Sonoran Desert immigrants arrived from the east and joined with the Chumash people. This new collection of people called themselves “Tongva”.

The Tongva had a successful reign until 1769, when the Spanish Conquest began and an expedition led by Gaspar De Portolà, which colonized the Tongva people. Three years later in 1771, the Mission San Gabriel Arcángel was constructed and was eventually cemented in San Gabriel, just 9 kilometers southeast of Garvanza. In 1781 the second major mission El Pueblo de NuestraSeñora la Reina de los Angeles del Río de Porciúncula was built 10 kilometers southwest of Garvanza, and the Tongva people were overcome.

The area that we call Garvanza today was absorbed into a 36,000 acre territory obtained in 1784 by the Spanish soldier named José María Verdugo, who labeled the land as “Rancho San Rafael”. When Verdugo passed away in 1831, his son and daughter inherited Rancho San Rafael. The Verdugo’s planted acres of chickpea plants that flourished in the bountiful fields.

Garvanza developed in the Early American Era during the year of 1869, just 19 years after California was annexed into the United States. After the Verdugo’s lost San Rafael because of a defaulted loan, Albert B. Chapman and Andrew Glassell Jr. purchased a segment of the land in a sheriff’s auction. The two men leased their land to sheepherders who took advantage of the chickpea crop to feed their livestock. The abundance of chickpeas eventually led to the discovery of the name “Garvanza”.

Sixteen years later the area of Garvanza benefitted from an economic boost in 1885 as the Arroyo Seco-spanning bridge was finished and ticket prices from Kansas City, Missouri became dirt cheap: just one dollar. The increase in population was a catalyst for an increase in housing and demand for land. Just one year later, Highland Park and the Town of Garvanzo were established.

Garvanzo, the soon-to-be Garvanza, had a developing surge as houses, schoolhouses and hotels began to sprout up over the land. Throughout the remainder of the 19th century, Garvanza continued to thrive while forming the Garvanza Improvement Association, which funded the pavement of streets, the planting of trees and the building of homes. In 1922, Garvanza was annexed by joining with four surrounding small communities such as Hermon and Annandale in alliance with the larger Highland Park. This agreement was key to surviving the Great Depression. Throughout the Depression two major public projects were completed as a combined effort: The paving and channeling of the Arroyo Seco and the building of the Arroyo Seco Parkway.

Many Garvanza residents relocated after the rough times of the Great Depression and World War II. The name “Garvanza” was almost lost if not for the historians and dedicated townsfolk who held on to names like “Garvanza Elementary” and “Garvanza Park”. In 1997, the Highland Park Heritage Trust officially recognized Garvanza as a neighborhood in the City of Los Angeles where it continues to thrive and develop today.

Garvanza will always be a small region. There is no new building of homes in Garvanza. There are many older, classic homes for sale at any one time including bungalows, Victorian, Spanish- and mid-century modern-style homes. Because of Garvanza’s close proximity to downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena, homes on the market don’t last long.

Eagle Rock: Trendy for Real Estate and Dining

Eagle Rock is a popular neighborhood based in the hilly region of Northeast Los Angeles. Notarized by a giant rock that has the shape of a flyingeagle on its face, this charming community has seen staggering increases in both real estate sales and unique dining offerings. And it isn’t just a lot of restaurants and homes for sale in Eagle Rock. The overall culture and community is continuing to enrich and develop further. Annually Eagle Rock hosts the “Eagle Rock Music Festival”, where residents gather by the thousands to listen to music, socialize and visit booths where local businesses offer free samples and brochures to their potential customers.

Eagle Rock realtors have been exceptionally busy! The real estate super site “Redfin” named Eagle Rock the second most up-and-coming neighborhood in America for the year of 2014. Redfin analyzes the number of searches people performed for properties in each neighborhood. The neighborhoods with the highest searches were considered for the title. Eagle Rock has been on the incline for a while, but from 2013 to 2014 alone there was a 128% increase in page views and a median sale price of $539,000. In fact, home prices increased 25-30% in just one year. The original listing prices are always just starting points as its assured that there will be a higher offer. However, the final price of homes remains to be reasonable. Many Silver Lake “hipsters” move to Eagle Rock to raise their families. Eagle Rock is in close proximity to major freeways and found between Pasadena and Glendale. There are many prospective buyers searching in Eagle Rock because of the upward trends. It skyrocketed in popularity over a short period of time.

The increase in young, hip families has initiated a wildfire of independent trendy shops and cafes that charmingly sit along the tree lined sidewalks. The Coffee Table Café on Colorado Blvd serves delicious traditional American food for breakfast, brunch and dinner along with special coffee and teas. One of the most popular chic restaurants in the area is Cacao Mexicatessen, which serves as a traditional deli and restaurant with exotic dishes. Cacao also has a bar, which serves a various selection of wine and beer. Yoga studios and Pilates studios have begun to pop up allowing the attendees to visit their favorite coffee shop after a rigorous workout. Eagle Rock has also become the home to unique experiences like a cheese shop and shaved ice shop.

Eagle Rock has an assortment of various styled homes. Perhaps two of the most sought out style is the wrap around porch Craftsman homes and Bungalow styled homes. Spanish Revivals and Classic Victorians are scattered throughout the neighborhood while maintaining their original designs. Eagle Rock is a hot city for families to grow and for culture to develop.