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Elysian Valley, Los Angeles

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Elysian Valley
Frogtown
Neighborhood of Los Angeles
Elysian Valley neighborhood sign, located on Riverside Drive at Egret Park
Elysian Valley neighborhood sign,
located on Riverside Drive at Egret Park
Elysian Valley is located in Los Angeles
Elysian Valley
Elysian Valley
Location within Northeast Los Angeles
Coordinates: 34°05′40″N 118°14′25″W / 34.09445°N 118.240366°W / 34.09445; -118.240366
Country United States of America
State California
County Los Angeles
Time zonePacific
Zip Code
90031, 90039
Area code323

Elysian Valley, commonly known as Frogtown,[1] is a neighborhood in Central Los Angeles, California, adjoining the Los Angeles River. It has a series of parks maintained by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA). The Frogtown Art Walk is a biennial event managed by the Elysian Valley Arts Collective to celebrate local area artists. The Elysian is a non-profit theater that hosts comedy shows.

History

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St. Ann's Catholic Church.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Elysian Valley was home to a number of farms. These farmers carted their produce down the road to sell in the markets of downtown Los Angeles and emerging suburbs like Angelino Heights. In 1910, the city annexed the farmland. In 1911, Southern Pacific Railroad's Taylor Yard was built just across the river. In 1913, the land started being subdivided for residential development.[2]

Sometime between the 1930s and 1960s, the neighborhood became known as Frogtown when swarms of Western toads invaded its streets.[2] In 1962, the Golden State Freeway removed a section of the western flank of Frogtown, further isolating it from nearby neighborhoods.[2]

Michael Todd, one of the unofficial founding fathers of the Frogtown art scene, has had a studio in the neighborhood since the mid-1980s.[3] By 2014, artists Shepard Fairey, Mark Grotjahn, and Thomas Houseago had opened studios in the community.[1]

In July 2019, it was reported that Frogtown was undergoing "inexorable change" due to gentrification.[4] With the announcement of a $1 billion restoration project for the Los Angeles River, also known as Alternative 20, many residents felt the pressure of new investment and development in the community, causing them to organize for lower density.[5] This push for low density from within the neighborhood is not new and was documented in an article as far back as 1987.[6]

Geography

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Elysian Valley as drawn by the Los Angeles Times

According to the Mapping L.A. project of the Los Angeles Times, Elysian Valley is bounded by the Los Angeles River on the north and east, Riverside Drive on the west and Fletcher Drive on the northwest.[7]

The neighborhood is flanked on the north by Atwater Village, on the northeast and east by Glassell Park, on the southeast by Cypress Park, on the south and southwest by Elysian Park, and on the west and northwest by Echo Park and Silver Lake.[8][9]

Demographics

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The 2000 U.S. census counted 7,387 residents in the 0.79-square-mile neighborhood—an average of 9,354 people per square mile, about the same population density as the rest of the city. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 7,781. The median age for residents was 31, about average for Los Angeles, but the percentage of residents aged 11 to 18 was among the county's highest.[7]

The neighborhood is moderately diverse ethnically, and the percentage of Asians and Latinos is comparatively high. The breakdown in 2000 was Latinos, 61.0%; Asians, 35.9%; whites, 9.7%; blacks, 1.1%; and others, 2.6%. Mexico was the most common places of birth for the 47.5% of the residents who were born abroad, a high figure compared to rest of the city.[7]

The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $49,013, about the same as the rest of Los Angeles. The average household size of 3.4 people was high for the city of Los Angeles. Renters occupied 52.2% of the housing stock, and house- or apartment-owners 47.8%.[7]

Seventeen percent of the neighborhood residents aged 25 and older had earned a four-year degree by 2000, an average figure for the city.[7]

Education

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Los Angeles Unified School District has two schools in Elysian Valley:

  • Dorris Place Elementary — 2225 Dorris Place [10]
  • Allesandro Elementary — 2210 Riverside Drive[11]

Government

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Parks and recreation

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Riverside Drive Entrance to Egret Park

The City of Los Angeles operates one park in the community:

  • The Elysian Valley Recreation Center - It offers a variety of programs and amenities, including sports and fitness programs, cultural programs, and a range of recreational facilities. These include a stage, an auditorium, a baseball diamond, a playground, and handball courts.[14]

Additionally, Elysian Valley has a series of parks maintained by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA):

  • Gateway Park - Built in 1995, it was the first park along the Los Angeles River designed and built by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The park provides access to the natural streambed portion of the river, as well as the Los Angeles River Bike Path. MRCA completed a renovation of Gateway Park in 2024.[15]
  • Egret Park — features a viewpoint, native plantings, and interpretive displays along with access to the Los Angeles River bicycle path.[16]
  • Steelhead Park — has a small outdoor amphitheater for education. Steelhead trout adorn the top of the park's wrought-iron fencing.[17]
  • Rattlesnake Park — The park has an entrance off Fletcher Drive, south of the LA River. The "Great Heron Gates" at the entrance are an artistic interpretation of the wildlife of the Los Angeles River. [18]
  • Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park - Formerly Marsh Park, is part of the Los Angeles River Greenway. The park includes play equipment, a loop trail with 13 outdoor fitness equipment stations, two outdoor classrooms, an open-air pavilion, and a skate park. [19]

Landmarks and attractions

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  • The Elysian Valley Community Garden - 1816 Blake Avenue. The garden was founded in 2011 with help from the LA Community Garden Council.[20]
  • LA River Path Project - a bicycle and pedestrian path along an approximately eight-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River from Elysian Valley through Downtown Los Angeles to the City of Maywood.[21]
  • Glendale Narrows Elysian Valley Bike Path - a 7.4-mile route along the Los Angeles River, which includes a section with a natural "soft-bottom" riverbed. Portions of the path run adjacent to a concrete bank and pass alongside I-5 traffic. The path offers views of greener areas and concludes near the site where the city of Los Angeles was founded.[22]
  • Taylor Yard Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge - The bridge connects Elysian Valley to the Taylor Yards Park on the opposite side of the river. Designed for bike and pedestrian use, the bridge broke ground in April 2019 and opened to the public in March 2022.[23]
  • The Elysian - 1944 Riverside Drive. A nonprofit theater featuring a variety of comedy shows [24] in a space formerly occupied by the Colony Theater,[25] and later the Knightsbridge Theatre.[26]
Knightsbridge Theatre, 2007
  • Suay Sew Shop[27] - 2915 Knox Ave #105. A sustainable clothing and accessory company.

Events

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  • Frogtown Art Walk — a biennial event to celebrate local area artists;[28] draws thousands of visitors to the neighborhood.[1][29]

Religion

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Religious congregations include:

  • St. Ann Catholic Parish — 2302 Riverdale Avenue. Opened in 1937.[30]
  • St. Mary Coptic Catholic Church - 2701 Newell Avenue. [31]

In media

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According to the Los Angeles Times, Dorris Place Elementary is "probably the most filmed elementary school in the United States." With elegant brick work and dark wood trim, the school has an "East Coast" appearance. In the 1985-86 school year, the school was used for commercials for Ralston Purina, the California State Lottery, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Burger King, National Education Association, and Kleenex. Over that time, Dorris Place received $4,400 from filmmakers. The money was used to buy computers, software, and basketball uniforms.[32] The school's facade has appeared in Cold Case, Freaky Friday, Unlawful Entry,[33] and Lucifer.[34]


References

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  1. ^ a b c Isaac Simpson (August 20, 2014). "L.A.'s Hottest New Neighborhood, Frogtown, Doesn't Want the Title". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on August 28, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2016. Its official name, Elysian Valley, is rarely used.
  2. ^ a b c Garner, Scott (August 10, 2018). "Neighborhood Spotlight: Elysian Valley". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  3. ^ Rees, Brenda (May 23, 2019). "Five Questions for Elysian Valley Artist Michael Todd on the eve of the Frogtown Art Walk". Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  4. ^ https://capitalandmain.com/watching-another-los-angeles-neighborhood-gentrify-0717/,full.story Barron of Frogtown: Watching L.A. change with “the Willy Wonka of rusted metal"
  5. ^ Jao, Carren (October 9, 2014). "Elysian Valley Residents Push for Smart Growth". kcet.org.
  6. ^ McMillan, Penelope (March 8, 1987). "Elysian Valley : Frogtown Holds Bucolic 'Secret' Minutes From Downtown L.A." Los Angeles Times.
  7. ^ a b c d e [1] "Elysian Valley," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  8. ^ [2] "Central L.A.," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  9. ^ [3] "Northeast," Mapping L.A., Los Angeles Times
  10. ^ Official website of Dorris Place Elementary School
  11. ^ Official website of LAUSD
  12. ^ "District Information". LACIty.Gov.
  13. ^ Official website of Elysian Valley Riverside Neighborhood Council
  14. ^ Official website of Elysian Valley Recreation Center
  15. ^ Official website of Elysian Valley Gateway Park
  16. ^ "Egret Park". Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  17. ^ "Steelhead Park". Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  18. ^ Official website of Great Heron Gates at Rattlesnake Park
  19. ^ Official website of Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park
  20. ^ "Elysian Valley Community Garden". Los Angeles Community Garden Council. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  21. ^ Official website of The LA River Path Project
  22. ^ Official guide to Glendale Narrows Elysian Valley Bike Path
  23. ^ "Taylor Yard Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge Project". LACity.gov. Retrieved January 26, 2025.
  24. ^ Official website of The Elysian
  25. ^ "Knightsbridge Theatre History". knightsbridgetheatre.com. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  26. ^ "Knightsbridge Offers Four New Show at Its Two Locations". Playbill.com. December 10, 2000. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  27. ^ Stuart, Gwynedd (January 14, 2021). "During the Pandemic, Frogtown's Suay Sew Shop Took Its Activist Mission to the Next Level". Los Angeles Magazine. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
  28. ^ Boone, Lisa (September 6, 2018). "Explore pop-up galleries, artists' studios and more along the Los Angeles River at the Frogtown Artwalk". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  29. ^ Official website of Frogtown Artwalk
  30. ^ Official website of Saint Ann Catholic Church
  31. ^ Official website of St. Mary Coptic Catholic Church
  32. ^ Biederman, Patricia Ward (March 1, 1987). "Campuses Make Popular Film Locations". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  33. ^ "Filming Location Matching "Dorris Place Elementary School - 2225 Dorris Place, Los Angeles, California, USA" (Sorted by Popularity Ascending)". IMDb. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
  34. ^ "Movies Filmed at Dorris Place Elementary School". MovieMaps.org. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
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