“So LA” seemed to be the quote of the day as we embarked on our journey through the Cypress Park area this past weekend. Hill-side streets, lined in palm trees and a sunny breeze, leftover from summer set the tone as we toured the streets of this classic LA neighborhood, in search for some much needed sustenance. Everywhere we turned we seemed to see things that reminded us of what we think of when we reminisce about what Los Angeles means to us. Things we remember like incredible views of the downtown skyline, bright street art, classic corner burger stands and the constant sound of LA city traffic.
After our busy morning meetings, lunch was the first thing on our mind. So taking the advice of our featured artist for this month (who is a Cypress Park native), when we arrived our first stop was Patra’s, a classic LA street corner burger joint with chocolate milkshakes that seemed to magically disappear from the cup. Located in the middle of a very busy and confusing ‘Y’ shaped intersection, it was first opened in LA over thirty years ago by original owner Jimmy Perris who named the restaurant after his hometown in Greece. Patra’s is known for their fresh food made to order policy and has both dine-in and quick drive-through services.
During our lunch, Curnie Compton ordered a Turkey burger and fries with a chocolate shake. The turkey burger was served on a wheat bun with all of its flavor filled glory and dipping her fries in the milkshake was a necessary and tasty occurrence. While Lana Los Angeles, missing the vegetarian option on the menu, ordered a grilled cheese, french fries and of course, a chocolate milkshake. The grilled cheese was classic, just like your mom would make and the french fries were great, not too thin and not overly seasoned. And even though we were all incredibly full after our mid-day meal, Lana was the only one to somehow managed to have her milkshake last her the remainder of the day, savoring the LA flavors through the rest of the exploration.
Located in the Northeast area of Los Angeles, Cypress Park is a busy and colorful neighborhood that rests along the hills of our beautiful city. The host site of the Rio de Los Angeles State Park, Cypress Park is home to a stunning wildlife reserve and scenic hiking trails along a lush and green area of the LA River that is open to the public for your enjoyment. What makes this place so unique is that it is sort of a recreational outdoor refuge among the day to day ruckus of a quickly changing urban city. We are definitely hoping to be able to check out the park in greater detail and let you all know more about it as our adventures continue.
But back to that rapidly altering city observation, Cypress Park is a neighborhood that is changing fast. Gentrification is playing a huge role and is bringing about the construction of many luxury apartments and condos, making it almost identical to many other neighborhoods in LA. However, with local and longstanding establishments like Patra’s and giant murals done by local artists that portray the cultural values of the community, we feel Cypress Park has been able to maintain quite a bit of its particular essence throughout this shift that is taking place in other northeast Los Angeles neighborhoods such as Highland Park and Glassell Park nearby.
During our expedition we were taken by the incredible city views and the bold, colorful street art that this bustling neighborhood had to offer. Bright hues of yellow, red, blue, green and purple splashed upon city walls created the perfect backdrop for this week's journey. Cypress Park is an active, working class neighborhood that stands out from the greater LA area because of its striking views and it’s ability to preserve its uniqueness despite the changes that are brought on by gentrification (at least for now.)
Join us as we get up above it all along this neighborhood’s hillsides that lead you along long, narrow twisted streets. Then venture back down along the mainland and become immersed in busy urban life along the intertwined city streets. Follow us as we get to know the neighborhood of Cypress Park and what more about it we deem “so LA.”
