A Restored Historic Lake In The Middle Of Urban LA Is A Serene Tropical Oasis That Only Locals Know About

LA, the City of Angels, the birthplace of blockbuster cinema, where acting hopefuls, screenwriters, and aspiring directors flock to in floods, is an unwieldy beast of a city sprawling along southern California's Pacific coast. Visiting for the first time without any local tips can cause havoc on your Uber bill and be wildly disappointing, with its most popular neighborhood, Hollywood, amounting to nothing more than a tourist trap. Unfortunately, movies like "La La Land" also misportray the city and get so much wrong about the reality of visiting Los Angeles. A little research into local neighborhoods reveals that there's actually a very livable side to the city that only locals know about. 

In the middle of urban LA, just a four-minute drive west of Dodger Stadium, is Echo Park Lake, a serene green oasis whose waters sprawl long down the center of the park. Reopened in 2023 after two years of careful restoration, the lake brings the park to life — its shore-lining path lapped by runners doing the circumference, dodging families walking their dogs and pushing strollers, while ducks and geese mooch around the grassy banks in search of snacks. It's a vibrant community vibe that feels a million miles away from the Hollywood sign, which you can just about glance in the distance, in all its overrated glory.

The lake actually has a lot of history to it. A former reservoir for collecting drinking water, it was converted to a park for public use in the 1890s and lined with its iconic slanting palm trees. But what can you expect there today?

Echo Park Lake is definitely not a hotspot to visit in search of celebrities, but a place to enjoy community spirit and have a break from the fast-paced, glitzy world outside. Definitely save it as a place to recharge when you take your next trip to LA. The most popular thing locals do in Echo Park these days is spend an afternoon kicking back by the lake and enjoying a picnic. Go ahead and follow that trend, perhaps grabbing snacks from the vendors who sell all sorts from their food wagons on the weekends, or pizza and dessert grabbed from Masa of Echo Park en route. After grazing on your baked goods, have a stroll up to the iconic sculpture The Lady of the Lake, who gazes over the water knowingly.

As you're a visitor, though, treat yourself to a ride on one of the chunky, funky swan pedal boats, floating up and down the lake as fast or slow as your inner BMX-loving child dictates. If you're big on boats and the swans just didn't scratch your itch, time your visit to coincide with the annual Dragon Boat Race, which takes place in mid-July as part of the Lotus Festival held by the Korean Cultural Center. It's a vibrant weekend that showcases the rich heritage of the Korean community, as Los Angeles is home to the largest Korean community outside of Korea.