Long billed as a second-rate alternative to neighboring Silver Lake and Los Feliz, Atwater Village finally has come into its own. With a large influx of young families, a budding business district and an abundant supply of charming and historic homes, this L.A. neighborhood is no longer on the verge of success -- it's already thriving.
Beginnings
Atwater was little more than a poppy-covered flood plain when construction began here in 1912.
Over the next two decades, the area's working-class settlers built hundreds of homes, most of them small, two-bedroom bungalows on deep rectangular lots.
The neighborhood's founders were a diverse lot, including early Hollywood screenwriters and animators as well as workers in the nearby Franciscan Pottery & Tile factory.
Atwater retains much of its early character. Many residents have lived here for decades, and most of the neighborhood's original homes still stand. Recent gentrification has attracted new, younger families, and today Atwater is as eclectic as it's ever been.
What it's about
"Fifteen years ago, Atwater had some issues," said Prudential California Realtor Dave Robles. Gang crime -- a problem here since the 1950s -- had driven some longtime residents from the neighborhood, and historic homes were in disrepair.
As properties in nearby areas soared in value, the neighborhood benefited from a spillover effect. "People wanting to live in Los Feliz and Silver Lake . . . got priced out and just moved a little bit farther east to Atwater Village," Robles said.
With them came a surge in home restoration, a drop in crime and an influx of upscale businesses. On Glendale Boulevard, walking distance from most of the neighborhood, hip restaurants, art galleries and even a self-described "dog boutique" have joined older taco stands and discount dental clinics.
The neighborhood's shift in character brings to mind other L.A. success stories. Robles tells buyers that Atwater is "a lot like Larchmont Village, but [costs] 25% less." And the community has a character of its own.
Architecturally, Atwater is defined by its bungalows. Some were built en masse from standardized plans, but others remain classics of 1920s L.A. design. Eighteen "fantasy bungalows" on Brunswick Avenue feature brightly colored turrets, cupolas and arched entryways inspired by Hollywood film sets and contemporary Egyptomania.
