Silver Lake
Hillside streets, public stairways, and a reservoir at its heart.
A neighborhood built around the water.
Silver Lake wraps around the Silver Lake Reservoir, between Los Feliz, Echo Park, and Atwater Village. Hillside streets climb up from Sunset Boulevard and Silver Lake Boulevard, many of them linked by public stairways, and the hills are known for their modernist architecture.
I'm Breanne Wahl, a real estate agent with ACME | SERHANT., and I help buyers and sellers here in Silver Lake.
Photos by Neue Focus.
a few Places Within
Around the Reservoir
A path of about 2.2 miles loops the Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs. On the east side, the Silver Lake Meadow is an open lawn for picnics and lounging, and the dog park and recreation center sit on the south end.
Sunset Junction
Where Sunset Boulevard meets Santa Monica Boulevard, under the famous sign. It's the neighborhood's busiest stretch, with independent shops, coffee, and restaurants.
Moreno Highlands
The hills above the west side of the reservoir, developed in the 1920s and 1930s by Daisy Canfield Moreno, wife of silent film star Antonio Moreno. Winding streets, big trees, and views of the water.
The Stairways
Public stairways connect many of the hillside streets. The most famous are the Music Box Steps, 133 steps between Vendome Street and Descanso Drive, where Laurel and Hardy hauled a piano uphill in 1932.
Thinking about buying or selling in Silver Lake?
From silent films to the Meadow.
The Ivanhoe tract went on sale, named for Sir Walter Scott's novel.
The Ivanhoe and Silver Lake reservoirs were built. Silver Lake was named for Herman Silver, a member of the city's Water Board, and the neighborhood took its name from it.
William Selig and then Mack Sennett opened silent film studios in the Edendale area, among the first movie studios in Los Angeles.
Walt Disney moved his studio to Hyperion Avenue, where it made Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs before moving to Burbank in 1940.
Laurel and Hardy filmed The Music Box on the steps off Vendome Street. It won the first Academy Award for a live action comedy short. The same year, Richard Neutra built his home and studio on Silver Lake Boulevard.
A police raid at the Black Cat Tavern on Sunset Boulevard led to one of the earliest LGBTQ rights demonstrations in the country.
The Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs were named a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.
The Silver Lake Meadow opened on the east side of the reservoir.
Buying and selling in Silver Lake: FAQ
What is Silver Lake known for?
The Silver Lake Reservoir and its walking path, the shops and restaurants around Sunset Junction, hillside streets connected by public stairways, and modernist homes by architects like Richard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler.
Where is Silver Lake?
Northwest of downtown Los Angeles, between Los Feliz, Echo Park, Atwater Village, Elysian Valley, and East Hollywood.
How long is the walk around the Silver Lake Reservoir?
About 2.2 miles around both the Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs.
Where are the Music Box Steps?
Between Vendome Street and Descanso Drive. The 133 steps are where Laurel and Hardy filmed The Music Box in 1932.
What should I know before buying a hillside home in Silver Lake?
Many homes sit on steep lots, so I always walk buyers through foundations and drainage, permits on any additions, fire zone rules for the exact address, and parking on narrow hillside streets.
How do you get around from Silver Lake?
Sunset Boulevard runs right through Silver Lake, and the Hollywood Freeway (101), Glendale Freeway (2), and Golden State Freeway (5) are all close by. Downtown, Hollywood, and Glendale are a short drive, and the Metro B Line's Vermont/Sunset station is just to the west.
Does Breanne Wahl help buyers and sellers in Silver Lake?
Yes. I specialize in Northeast Los Angeles, plus Silver Lake, Echo Park, and Los Feliz, and I'm right there with clients wherever else in Los Angeles their search takes them.
“We have worked with a few LA realtors by now and Breanne is a rare gem: impeccably knowledgable, calmly confident, no hard sell, clear integrity.”
Thinking about buying or selling in Silver Lake?
Let's talk. I'll walk the neighborhood with you or pull comps for your street.