Elysian Valley, Los Angeles

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Elysian Valley was home to a number of farms. These farmers carted their produce down the road to sell in the markets of downtown Los Angeles and emerging suburbs like Angelino Heights. In 1910, the city annexed the farmland. In 1911, Southern Pacific Railroad's Taylor Yard was built just across the river. In 1913, the land started being subdivided for residential development.^[3]

Sometime between the 1930s and 1960s, the neighborhood became known as Frogtown when swarms of Western toads invaded its streets.^[3] In 1962, the Golden State Freeway removed a section of the western flank of Frogtown, further isolating it from nearby neighborhoods.^[3]

Michael Todd, one of the unofficial founding fathers of the Frogtown art scene, has had a studio in the neighborhood since the mid-1980s.^[4] By 2014, artists Shepard Fairey, Mark Grotjahn, and Thomas Houseago had opened studios in the community.^[1]

In July 2019, it was reported that Frogtown was undergoing "inexorable change" due to gentrification.^[5] With the announcement of a $1 billion restoration project for the Los Angeles River, also known as Alternative 20, many residents felt the pressure of new investment and development in the community, causing them to organize for lower density.^[6] This push for low density from within the neighborhood is not new and was documented in an article as far back as 1987.^[7]

According to the Mapping L.A. project of the Los Angeles Times, Elysian Valley is bounded by the Los Angeles River on the north and east, Riverside Drive on the west and Fletcher Drive on the northwest.^[8]

The neighborhood is flanked on the north by Atwater Village, on the northeast and east by Glassell Park, on the southeast by Cypress Park, on the south and southwest by Elysian Park, and on the west and northwest by Echo Park and Silver Lake.^[9][10]

The 2000 U.S. census counted 7,387 residents in the 0.79-square-mile neighborhood—an average of 9,354 people per square mile, about the same population density as the rest of the city. In 2008, the city estimated that the population had increased to 7,781. The median age for residents was 31, about average for Los Angeles, but the percentage of residents aged 11 to 18 was among the county's highest.^[8]

The neighborhood is moderately diverse ethnically, and the percentage of Asians and Latinos is comparatively high. The breakdown in 2000 was Latinos, 61.0%; Asians, 35.9%; whites, 9.7%; blacks, 1.1%; and others, 2.6%. Mexico was the most common places of birth for the 47.5% of the residents who were born abroad, a high figure compared to rest of the city.^[8]

The median yearly household income in 2008 dollars was $49,013, about the same as the rest of Los Angeles. The average household size of 3.4 people was high for the city of Los Angeles. Renters occupied 52.2% of the housing stock, and house- or apartment-owners 47.8%.^[8]

Seventeen percent of the neighborhood residents aged 25 and older had earned a four-year degree by 2000, an average figure for the city.^[8]

Los Angeles Unified School District has two schools in Elysian Valley:

Dorris Place Elementary School is an elementary school for grades UTK-5. Dorris Place has been an integral part of the Elysian Valley community for over 90 years. Founded in 1925, Dorris Place is a School for Advanced Studies, where all students are challenged with a differentiated and rigorous curriculum.^[11]

Allesandro Elementary School is an elementary school built in 1911 by H.M. Kimball and R.H. Holbrook. Allesandro Elementary dates back as far as the Elysian Valley community, which was established around the turn of the 20th century for local railroad workers.^[12]

The LA River Path Project is a bicycle and pedestrian path along an approximately eight-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River from Elysian Valley through Downtown Los Angeles to the City of Maywood.^[13] Further information: Glendale Narrows Elysian Valley Bike Path.

The Glendale Narrows Elysian Valley Bike Path is a 7.4-mile route along the Los Angeles River, which includes a section with a natural "soft-bottom" riverbed. Portions of the path run adjacent to a concrete bank and pass alongside I-5 traffic. The path offers views of greener areas and concludes near the site where the city of Los Angeles was founded.

The upper part of the route, passing through the Glendale Narrows, provides views of the San Gabriel Mountains. For much of the path, the bike route is set below grade, which helps reduce the noise from nearby traffic.

The lower portion, near Atwater Village, features a series of islands in the river, with small rapids between them. The area is known for birdwatching, with a variety of species such as herons, egrets, ducks, geese, and kingfishers. Hawks and eagles are also commonly seen overhead. The path is frequented by pedestrians, cyclists, joggers, horseback riders, fishermen, and artists.^[14]

The Taylor Yard Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge broke ground in April 2019 and opened to the public in March 2022. The project's design and construction were overseen by the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering. This distinctive, orange steel bridge connects the Elysian Valley community to the planned Taylor Yard G2 River Park on the east side of the LA River. The bridge is designed for bike and pedestrian use.^[15]

The Elysian is a nonprofit theater on L.A.'s east side featuring a variety of comedy shows. With a mission to foster and promote bold new work from emerging and established artists, the Elysian also hosts classes and workshops, artist residencies, work-in-process initiatives, genre-clashing collaborations, The Spaghetti Festival of new ideas, and more.^[16]

The Elysian Valley Arts Collective (EVAC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation that operates in the Elysian Valley neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. The EVAC was created to cultivate a sense of place and support a local, creative community along the rapidly revitalizing Los Angeles River.^[17]

The Elysian Valley Community Garden is located in the heart of Frogtown, where families grow fresh, healthy food while connecting with nature and one another. The garden's mission is to provide a safe, cooperative, and educational environment for its gardeners and other community members.^[18]

Frogtown Artwalk – Run by the Elysian Valley Art Collective, the Frogtown Artwalk is a biennial free tour of the studios of the artists and artisans of Elysian Valley (Frogtown). Every two years, Frogtown welcomes art lovers of all ages to enjoy pop-up galleries, artists' studios, musical performances, and art installations along the Los Angeles River.^[19]

The Elysian Valley Recreation Center offers a variety of programs and amenities, including sports and fitness programs, cultural programs, and a range of recreational facilities. These include a stage, an auditorium, a baseball diamond, a playground, and handball courts.^[20]

Elysian Valley has parks maintained by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA):

• Lewis MacAdams Riverfront Park (formerly Marsh Park) is part of the Los Angeles River Greenway. The 3.9-acre park is located adjacent to the nine-mile section of the 51-mile Los Angeles River known as the Glendale Narrows, which has a natural "soft bottom," rather than a concrete floor. This natural feature allows native river plants and animals to thrive, simulating the river's natural state. The park provides access to the L.A. River Bike Path and the Los Angeles River Recreation Zone. The park includes play equipment, a loop trail with 13 outdoor fitness equipment stations, two outdoor classrooms, an open-air pavilion, and a skate park. ^[21]

• Gateway Park was built in 1995 and was the first park along the Los Angeles River designed and built by the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. The park provides access to the natural streambed portion of the river, as well as the Los Angeles River Bike Path. It offers a restful place to picnic and enjoy the river’s diverse bird life. MRCA completed a renovation of Gateway Park in 2024 with a gathering space, a rain garden, picnic tables, nature-based play structures, and native shade trees and plants.^[22]

• Great Heron Gates at Rattlesnake Park – The Great Heron Gates, designed by sculptor Brett Goldstone, are an artistic interpretation of the wildlife of the Los Angeles River. Located at Fletcher Drive and the Los Angeles River, the gates welcome visitors to the Los Angeles River Recreation Zone where in summer months they can access the Los Angeles River for kayaking. There is also access to the Los Angeles River Bike Path, which connects to other pocket parks along the river.^[23]

• Egret Park — features a viewpoint, native plantings, and interpretive displays along with access to the Los Angeles River bicycle path.^[24]
• Steelhead Park — has a small outdoor amphitheater for education. Steelhead trout adorn the top of the park's wrought-iron fencing.^[25]

The Elysian Valley Riverside Neighborhood Council is an official neighborhood council representing the community of Elysian Valley, Los Angeles. ^[26]

According to the Los Angeles Times, Dorris Place Elementary is "probably the most filmed elementary school in the United States." With elegant brick work and dark wood trim, the school has an "East Coast" appearance. In the 1985-86 school year, the school was used for commercials for Ralston Purina, the California State Lottery, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Burger King, National Education Association, and Kleenex. Over that time, Dorris Place received $4,400 from filmmakers. The money was used to buy computers, software, and basketball uniforms.^[27] The school's facade has appeared in Cold Case, Freaky Friday, Unlawful Entry,^[28] and Lucifer.^[29]

Religious congregations include:

Saint Ann Catholic Church has been open since 1937 as is located at 2302 Riverdale Avenue.^[30]

St. Mary Coptic Catholic Church is located at 2701 Newell Avenue. ^[31]

• Mapping Frogtown: Elysian Valley (Video)
• [4] Elysian Valley crime map and statistics