Boyle Heights Los Angeles, CA

Boyle Heights was originally called Paredon Blanco, or White Bluff. As the city's central core continued to develop, the neighborhood became home for suburban families. Art galleries in Boyle Heights include Self Help Graphics, Corazon del Pueblo, the Vanity East, and Wild Honey Studios, which exhibits local work, hosts classes and gatherings, and provides a place of community in the arts. Self Help Graphics hosts an annual print fair, where you can score a piece of local art inexpensively.

Restaurants in Boyle Heights offer a variety of Mexican cuisine as well as Japanese, Thai, American, deli, and seafood. There's no one central restaurant location, so get ready to explore. One of the premiere Mexican places in the area, Guisados features simple food in a warm and inviting atmosphere. This eatery serves a wide variety of tacos for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as its aguas frescas. Guisados' homemade tortillas come to you warm and filled with pleasure. At Thai Deli, locals say the teriyaki chicken with macaroni salad ranks as a must-try along with the Korean BBQ ribs. Fast, friendly service in a casual environment makes this a great place to stop for a quick lunch or takeout before heading downtown for some shopping or a museum visit. Gogo's Bistro serves American food in an intimate bistro setting. Breakfasts, appetizers, pastas, burgers, and salads form the core of its menu, but locals say to leave room for the incredibly creamy cheesecake. Nightlife in Boyle Heights caters to nearly every taste and focuses largely around the bar scene. Eastside Luv Wine Bar Y Queso has a mariachi show, burlesque, and a DJ most nights. Locals turn out in droves for MorrisseyOke, a karaoke tribute to the Smiths' Morrissey. Other bars include dive bar M-Bar, which makes its own sangria, and the BLVD, where you can watch local sports in a kicked-back setting. Live music can be heard at a variety of locations, from jazz and standards at Bluewhale Bar to Villains Tavern, which has reasonably-priced drinks and shuffleboard to accompany the band onstage. Another entertainment option includes Casa 0101, a local theatre company putting on comedies, tragedies, and everything in between.

Since Boyle Heights is located just east of downtown LA, visitors have many options when it comes to public transportation in the area. Many locals get around using the Metro Gold Line as well as Metro and DASH buses, which run Monday through Saturday. Parking remains generally easy and cheap in metered spaces along the street or small local lots. Accessible to the 5, 10, 101, 60, and 710 Freeways, Boyle Heights acts as a central transportation hub. It's not easy to hail a cab on the street here, so you may need to call one in advance. However, arranging an Uber pickup is always very easy. Some parts of the neighborhood are very walkable. There are few bike lanes in Boyle Heights, though some areas do provide them.

Boyle Heights has several green spaces. Hollenbeck Park has tons of trees and a playground for the kids. Hazard Park hosts baseball teams and other programs, and Pecan Park also gets into the spirit with local little-league playoffs. Prospect Park and Lincoln Park have basketball, baseball, and natural beauty to combine fitness activities with a little well-earned rest and relaxation. All parks remain free and are dog-friendly, encouraging residents to get out and exercise.

Boyle Heights' cost of living hovers around 13 percent lower than Los Angeles's city average, with a typical one-bedroom apartment in Boyle Heights renting for an average of $1,070. Getting downtown remains easy and cheap, with fares just 50 cents one-way into downtown. A beer at a local pub runs you around $5, while gas prices hit around 12 percent higher than the national average.

Boyle Heights provides a terrific selection of small, locally-owned boutiques. El Mercadito Los Angeles is an outlet store specializing in Mexican crafts and groceries, while Mainline Skate Shop gives residents the opportunity to get their boards into tip-top shape before heading to the skate park. Gypsy05 provides clothing for men, women, and children. Boyle Heights has a lot of grocery stores, from chains such as Food4Less and Smart & Final, to smaller mom-and-pop stores selling ethnic foods. Northgate Gonzalez Markets, Vallarta Supermarkets, and Galvez Market represent three sources locals turn to for their grocery needs. Boyle Heights hosts two farmers markets, one at Mariachi Plaza on Friday nights. The other, El Mercado del Pueblo, combines fresh produce with great local food.