Spotlight on Los Feliz, Los Angeles, CA
The hamlet of Los Feliz is nestled in an area just south of Griffith Park and its adjacent neighbors are Hollywood to the west and Silver Lake and Atwater Village to its east. More specifically, its borders are Hollywood Boulevard to the south, Hyperion Avenue to the southeast, Griffith Park to the north, the L.A. River to the east, and Western Avenue to the west. Its terrain ranges from flat in the heart of the village to quite hilly on its east and north.
In a city that’s known as a “great big freeway”, some neighborhoods stand out as a testament to the notion that you get to know things better when they go by slow. The affluent village of Los Feliz is one such neighborhood, where its residents are likely to wear out their heels before their tires. Amenities? You name it and Los Feliz probably has it. Not only is it loaded with the practical, but it also possesses many places that its residents, and Angelenos in general, treasure.
People living in, or close to, the heart of the village tend to be a younger set with an urban sensibility. These residents enjoy a lifestyle that provides for every need within a few minutes’ walk. In terms of housing, this area has a balanced mix of single-family homes and apartment buildings of all sizes. Most of the homes and many of the multifamily properties are rich in character and architectural significance. Much of the region was built in the 1920s and 1930s with predominantly Spanish and Mediterranean styles and classic California bungalows with period revival influences.
The area’s culture, diversity, sense of style, and vast array of eateries and social experiences that include the Greek Theater, The Observatory, Griffith Park (including its multiple golf and tennis venues, The Autry Museum, miles of
horseback and hiking trails, and the L.A. Zoo), Barnsdall Park, and many more, make Los Feliz one of L.A.’s most desirable housing locales that enjoys very low vacancies combined with rents that reflect the continued high demand.
The U.S. census counted 36,933 residents in the 2.61-square-mile neighborhood—an average of 14,150 people per square mile, among the highest population densities in Los Angeles County. The median age for residents was 36, older than in the city as a whole; the percentage of residents aged 65 and older was among the county’s highest. The neighborhood was highly diverse ethnically. The breakdown was Caucasians, 57.6%; Latinos, 18.7%; Asians, 13.5%; African-Americans, 3.7%, and others, 6.6%. The average household size of two people was low for the city of Los Angeles. Renters occupied 75.5% of the housing stock, and house or apartment owners the rest.
The featured properties in this month’s rent survey represent six apartment communities in the 90027 zip code area built from 1920–1960. Average occupancy rates for the communities range from 86%–98% with average rental rates ranging from $1.45–$3.60 per square foot. Common area amenities include swimming pools, community patios, and on-site laundry facilities while unit amenities include hardwood flooring, upgraded appliances, private balconies. Residents pay application fees ranging from $30–$50 with security deposits equal to one month’s rent. Pets are allowed in some surveyed communities with residents paying non-refundable pet deposits of up to $300.