Academic Articles

WEDGED between the communities of Glendale, Los Feliz and Silver Lake in East Los Angeles, lesser-known Atwater Village was nothing more than a poppy field until the early 20th century. As the decades passed, a neighborhood was established; streetcars arrived and Spanish-style houses were built. The Tam O’Shanter inn, dating from 1922, was frequented by Walt Disney himself. Today, this tiny area continues to attract aspiring homeowners looking for historic fixer-uppers and a sense of community. On weekends, the neighborhood’s hub of activity, Glendale Boulevard, comes alive: locals line up for tacos, to catch a yoga class or to gather for brunch at the longtime fixture Canele. In the last few years, that strip, and the area around it, has continued to see the addition of businesses, shops and restaurants, cementing Atwater’s status as a bona fide pocket of Angeleno-style bohemia. TANVI CHHEDA