Silver Lake Walks -- Dayton Heights & South of Sunset

This walk is the second in a series of six explorations of Silver Lake, organized in partnership with the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council (SLNC) at the encouragment of Friends of the Silver Lake Library.
One of the main goals of these walks is to assess their feasibility and identify points of interest for a guidebook the SLNC’s Outreach Committee plans to publish for public use. For this reason, your honest feedback is encouraged and greatly appreciated. Think of these walks as dress rehearsals.

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Dayton Heights was one of several tracts that opened in what’s now Silver Lake in 1887. Dayton Heights developed into one of Los Angeles’s numerous Japanese enclaves in the 1910s, back when Los Angeles was home to the largest Japanese community in the world (outside of Japan).

It is difficult to approximate how long the walk will take. The last walk — Primrose Hill & Silver Lake Heights — took about three and a half hours. This one is slightly shorter and includes fewer treks up and down stair streets. There are, arguably, fewer architectural stand-outs on this walk, too — but don’t let that dissuade you. There is lots of history. One house was the home of the lead counsel in the US Supreme Court case that ended racially restrictive housing covenants. There’s a Russian church designed by a Hollywood art director. There’s a visit to Silver Lake’s largest park. Oh, and a couple of those stair streets were the centerpieces of Hollywood films. There's plenty to look at.

By request, there will be a short break for food and rest midway through the walk. When I get an idea of how many are coming, I will let Maury's Bagels know.

Note: there is only one public restroom near the start and end of the route (at the Bellevue Recreation Center). However, there are cafes, restaurants, and places to buy snacks and drinks along the way. If you need to leave the walk to eat or for any other reason, that’s fine. The furthest we will be from the starting point/ending point is 1.2 miles, and we’ll make sure that you know how to get back to where you need to be if necessary.

The walk, additionally, begins and ends neart a Metro stop (Hoover/Clinton) and Metro Bike Share (Lucile & Hoover), if you wish to use either.

Please wear appropriate clothing and comfortable shoes. Bring sunscreen, water, snacks, and any other necessities. Be sure to check the weather in advance. Bring binoculars if you have them — you never know what you might see. Bring a pocket knife, a journal, and a re-usable shopping bag. Bring a sense of adventure and your questions, too!

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Finally, while I would never want to discourage anyone from coming, for any monetary reason — if you wish to tip me, it’s always appreciated.

Venmo: Eric-Brightwell

Zelle: [email protected]

Host or Publisher California Fool's Gold (Eric Brightwell)