The Best Bars in Highland Park, Los Angeles
Highland Park is a Los Angeles neighborhood defined by its diverse community, and now increasingly influenced by a new-found popularity amongst the youth of LA – due in large part to its abundance of nightlife options.
Historically, Highland Park is home to a mix of working-class families, artists, and some of L.A.’s most successful local businesses. Despite criticism regarding rapid gentrification of the area over the past decade, the neighborhood remains a vibrant hub where people from all walks of life can get together for a drink. From speakeasy-style cocktail clubs to the diviest of hole-in-the-wall bars, Highland Park has a watering hole for every Angeleno and out-of-town visitor.
1. Electronic Nights at Lodge Room
Bar, American
Once home to Highland Park’s Masonic Lodge, Lodge Room is now a bustling music venue that hosts bright young talent in different genres, including electronica. Located on the second floor of 104 N. Ave 56 – in the heart of the neighborhood – this all-ages hangout also offers movie screenings. There is a full bar and an in-house restaurant, Checker Hall, that serves New American cuisine.
2. Jukebox Tunes at Footsie's
Bar, American
3. Back to Prohibition at Highland Park Bowl
Bar, Pizzeria, Contemporary
Highland Park Bowl, which hails from the Prohibition era, once housed an upstairs doctor’s office that allowed “patients” to get prescriptions for whiskey. Downstairs, visitors could bowl while legally quaffing their “medicine.” Almost a century after the joint opened, new owners discovered the mostly untouched bowling alley. The space lives on as a premiere cocktail bar complete with a high-end pizza menu, karaoke nights, and (on weekends) bowling until 2am.
4. Latinx liveliness at La Cuevita
Bar, American, Pub Grub
5. Concoction cocktails at Good Housekeeping
Bar, North American
A great local bar should have a few key elements: an excellent happy hour menu and cozy seats are two of those things. Good Housekeeping, on Figueroa, offers both, among other amenities, including a busy events calendar. The cocktails are ultra-fun and top-notch. Popular events have included I Wanna Get Tiki With You and National Sidecar Day. Weekly vinyl DJ nights bring out a diverse crowd of music-lovers, locals, and visitors alike. Open for more than a decade, Good Housekeeping has established itself as a place where good times are bound to happen.
6. Brew down at the Hermosillo
Bar, Charcuterie, American, Pub Grub
7. Relive 'Friends' at The York
Bar, Pub, Gastropub, Pub Grub
8. Vintage vibes at Gold Line
Bar, American
DJ Peanut Butter Wolf’s recently opened Figueroa Street night-time spot is an elegantly designed vinyl ‘n’ cocktails bar with vintage vibes. The drinks menu includes various types of highball cocktails. The sounds are chosen from Wolf’s personal collection of thousands of albums, which are stacked above the bar. Only time will tell if Gold Line can make the transition from hot new spot to neighborhood staple, but the signs are good.
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