ECHO PARK & ANGELENO HEIGHTS
The second stop on our adventure was to a section of L.A. called Echo Park & Angeleno Heights.
Angeleno Heights is one of the oldest suburbs in Los Angeles,
dating back to 1886.
It is situated within neighboring districts of Chinatown and Echo Park.
This neighborhood is known for its concentration of eclectic architectural styles form thee eras:
The Victorian, Turn of the Century and Revival eras.
We really enjoyed looking at all the marvelous old homes,
and I found out that once a month you can take a walking tour of the area
which includes going into at least 2 of the homes.
Sorry these pix are a bit grainy.
Our next stop was to Echo Park.
Parking around it's lake was a bit challenging.
It was early afternoon when we arrived and the park was packed with sun bathers,
homeless encampments (my first get close experience with this).
food vendors,
visitors from out of town,
runners & walkers,
people doing yoga & lots of families riding on the lake in swan boats.
The swan boats were really cool,
and it was a warm day so a lot of them were being paddled under the water fountain.
In the distance you can see how close many of the downtown skyscrapers are to this part of L.A.
The best part for Zach, Nicole and I us was the wildlife at the lake.
It was filled with all sorts of fish, frogs, ducks, geese and a crazy big number of turtles.
And even though the water was a bit brackish,
you could still see thru it enough to see the fishes.
I loved all the lily pads and many were in bloom.
There were bridges to cross and a pathway leading all the way around the lake.
It was pretty darn big.
In the lower left corner here you can see a group of turtles who had come out of the water
to sun themselves.
It was especially fun to see all the newborn turtles with their mommys.
We saw hundreds.
We enjoyed seeing the sights here but I have to be honest,
the numbers of homeless people here were a bit overwhelming & disconcerting.
The homeless problems you've been hearing about on the news
for Orange & L.A. Counties is not an exaggeration.
And the needles, condoms and excrement the children have to walk thru
on a daily basis to get to school is horrendous.
I hope there is a solution soon.
It's turned into a real nightmare.
Sadly,
I probably won't be back unless I go for the walking tour of the historic homes.