Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California
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Los Feliz is a neighborhood in the north-central region of the city of Los Angeles, California. It lies just south of the Santa Monica Mountains between the neighborhoods of Hollywood, Silver Lake and Echo Park. It is home to Griffith Park and Griffith Observatory. The area is generally considered to be bordered by Hollywood Blvd. on the south, Griffith Park on the north, the Los Angeles River on the east, and Western Ave. on the west.
Los Feliz means the happy [people] in Spanish. The name actually refers to a family with the surname of Feliz that owned property in the area in the 19th century. It is usually pronounced "Los Feelis" by most non-Spanish-speaking locals.
The neighborhood has historically been home to movie stars, musicians, and other assorted members of the glitterati, although not on the level of Beverly Hills, its Westside counterpart, in the last several decades. (Prior to the 1930s, it was Los Angeles' most exclusive and expensive area.) It is also home to some of the more interesting residential architecture in the city, including two homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Hollyhock House and the Ennis-Brown House. After a period of relative obscurity, the district was rediscovered by pioneering gays in the 1980s, and a decade-long period of gentrification resulted in Los Feliz' regaining its position as one of the most desirable areas of Los Angeles. The district's popularity was also boosted considerably by its prominence in the 1996 hit film, Swingers.
Notable residents
- Madonna
- Howard Hughes
- Anthony Kiedis
- Leonardo DiCaprio
- Bela Lugosi
- Johnnie Cochran (where he passed away in April 2005)
- Gavin Rossdale
- Gwen Stefani
- Tony Kanal (also where his Kingsbury Studios is located)
- Kim Shattuck
- William J. Bratton
- Cecil B. DeMille
- Al Jolson
- Mandy Moore
External links
- Los Feliz web site http://www.netpursuits.com/losfeliz/
- Los Angeles Zoo http://www.lazoo.org/
- Griffith Park Observatory http://www.griffithobs.org/
- Los Angeles River http://www.lalc.k12.ca.us/target/units/river/tour/lf.html
- The Greek Theathre http://www.greektheatrela.com/
- Gene Autry museum http://www.autry-museum.org/