Eagle Rocks

Looking out at the intersection of Colorado and Eagle Rock, Swork coffee and scone in hand. (Pic by Ilpo via Flickr.)

Yes, even the Los Angeles Times admits that hyping Eagle Rock as "the next Silver Lake" isn't new. People have been saying it for almost a decade. But as writer Susan Carpenter claims this time around, it's finally true.

It would be hard to find an L.A. neighborhood that's gentrified as quickly or dramatically as Eagle Rock has in the last couple of years. As escalating house prices forced aging hipsters out of Silver Lake and Westsiders sought more space for less money, this once-forgotten neighborhood in northeast L.A. has become a favorite nesting ground with its tree-lined streets, small-town vibe, affordable homes and top-ranked public schools. What was once a middle-class, largely Filipino enclave is becoming more hip, family-oriented and upscale, and it shows in the L-shaped corridor of boutiques, galleries and restaurants along Colorado and Eagle Rock boulevards.

As regular Franklin Avenue readers have probably noticed, we've been spending a lot of time in the neighborhood (which is adjacent to our Glendale 'hood) as of late. We raved in September that the corner of Colorado and Eagle Rock boulevards could easily be classified the most toddler-friendly block in all of Los Angeles.

The Times shares that notion:

The eclectic shops and restaurants that now line Eagle Rock's two main drags are largely a reflection of who's been moving into the area. If the Silver Lake aesthetic is hip, twentysomething and single, Eagle Rock's reflects the next stage in life. It's just as hip, but thirtysomething and married with kids.

Parents looking to deck out their infants and toddlers with unique boutique fare can check out Twerps, the Rockin' Baby Shop and Swanky Blanky. For tweens, teens and twentysomethings, there's the action-sports boutique Transport, the clothing shop Eagle Rock Underground and the comics-art toy emporium Mini Melt Too.

The Eagle Rock that puts "Eagle Rock" in Eagle Rock. (Pic via Aerophilic on Flickr.)