A first-timer's walking tour of Glassell Park
Glassell Park doesn't have a marquee moment. It has a dozen small ones. Here's how to string them together into a Saturday that'll make you want to move here.
Park once, walk everything. Leave your car on Verdugo Rd near the 3400 block, street parking is easy on weekends and you'll use this stretch as your home base.
9:00am, Coffee at Lemon Poppy Kitchen (3324 Verdugo Rd). Start here. Order a latte and whatever seasonal pastry is on the board. The room is small and bright and it already feels like a neighborhood you belong in.
9:45am, Walk north on Verdugo. About a block up you'll hit Jairo's Bike Shop (4120 Verdugo Rd), yes, it's also a coffee shop. Grab a second cup if you're that person. The vibe is exactly what it sounds like: bikes hanging from the ceiling, good espresso, locals stopping in.
10:15am, Little Ripper Coffee (4155 Verdugo Rd) is right across the way. Sit on the patio if it's not already packed. They do cocktails later in the day too, so keep it in your back pocket.
10:45am, Heirloom LA (4126 Verdugo Rd). If you haven't eaten a real meal yet, fix that now. The menu is simple and seasonal. Order whatever sounds like it came from a farmers market, because it probably did.
11:30am, Head down to Eagle Rock Blvd. Walk or drive the short stretch south. Your first stop: Urban Pet (4032 Eagle Rock Blvd), a coffee shop that also happens to be a pet supply store. It shouldn't work. It completely works.
12:15pm, Tacos Manzanillo Truck (3810 Eagle Rock Blvd). This is non-negotiable. Get the al pastor. Get two. The truck is a 4.9-star situation for a reason and the line moves fast.
1:00pm, Walk it off on the LA River bike path. Access it near 3643 Verdugo Rd. Even a 15-minute stretch along the river resets everything. Bring the third taco.
2:00pm, Bub and Grandma's (3507 Eagle Rock Blvd). Yes, you just ate tacos. But the bread here is genuinely famous and the patio is one of the better spots in the neighborhood to sit and do nothing for a while. Get a pastry or a sandwich to share.
3:30pm, Wander up to Little Ongpin (3756 W Avenue 40, Suite 1B). Filipino food, tiny space, big flavors. If they have lumpia, order it. This spot is a local secret that won't stay secret much longer.
5:00pm, Aperitivo hour at Wife and the Somm (3416 Verdugo Rd). Grab the patio table if you can. The wine list is genuinely interesting and the staff will point you somewhere good without making it weird. This is the move before dinner.
7:00pm, Dinner at Dunsmoor (3108 Glendale Blvd). Everything comes off a wood-fired hearth. The menu reads American South by way of someone who actually cares. Make a reservation before you leave the house today.
9:00pm, Nightcap at Verdugo Bar (3408 Verdugo Rd) or the Glassell Park Improvement Club (3108 Glendale Blvd), they're basically neighbors and both are exactly the kind of bar where you end up staying two hours longer than planned. Verdugo has string lights on the back patio. The Improvement Club has cold draft beer and zero pretense. Pick your mood.
You've now seen Glassell Park. Come back Tuesday, it's even better on a weeknight.