Two longtime neighborhoods in the hilly central region of Los Angeles, Silver Lake and nearby Echo Park are both built around city reservoirs that gave them their names. The communities are socioeconomically and ethnically diverse, and have long been home to many notable people in entertainment and the arts. Both have a number of active local improvement and conservancy organizations. A movie town since the ‘30s, Silver Lake was home to the early studios of Walt Disney and cowboy star Tom Mix. It is crisscrossed by numerous municipal staircases that provide pedestrian access up and down the hills, including the famous one up which Laurel and Hardy failed to wrestle a grand piano. Since 2000, gentrification has transformed Silver Lake. Now known as one of the city’s hippest neighborhoods, it’s home to many bars, nightclubs and restaurants, and the center of LA’s alternative and indie rock scene.

The recent resurgence of appreciation for mid-century architecture and design has given new vitality to the market for Sherman Oaks homes, built in the 1950s and ‘60s. Among the modest and affordable neighborhoods, one can find original Mellenthin “birdhouse” homes in mint condition, and suspended in the hills, Richard Neutra gems built in the ‘50s. The Chandler Estates (named for famed LA Times owner Otis Chandler) and Hidden Woods neighborhoods are more affluent and offer a selection of opulent properties. As the community has evolved in its sophistication, so have its shopping and dining choices. Sherman Oaks Fashion Square, Sherman Oaks Galleria, and the Village at Sherman Oaks offer excellent shops and restaurants, attracting people from all areas of Los Angeles.