Exploring Boyle Heights

As one of Los Angeles’ oldest neighborhoods, Boyle Heights has a lot of history. From its early days as a streetcar suburb overlooking Downtown, the neighborhood was one of the few in the city that didn’t have racially restrictive housing covenants, allowing a diverse community to flourish. For the first half of the 20th century, Boyle Heights was one of the most important centers of Jewish, Mexican, and Japanese culture in Los Angeles.

The postwar years brought the considerable pressures of redlining and overzealous freeway construction, which broke up and destroyed much of Boyle Heights. It also saw the neighborhood’s transition into the predominantly Latino community it is today. Along with East L.A., Boyle Heights has not just endured, but thrived as one of the most important centers of Latino culture not just in L.A., but arguably anywhere in the country.

The Gold Line (now part of the E line) opened through Boyle Heights in 2009, bringing a major transit link along 1st Street right through the heart of the neighborhood. This segment stands as one of Metro’s most thoughtfully executed rail projects, with some of the best public art in the whole system and well-located stations that make it easy to explore the best the neighborhood has to offer.

Pico/Aliso

The first stop after crossing over the L.A. River, Pico/Aliso sits in the flats along the river at the foot of Boyle Heights proper. The station has a rather striking but surprisingly hidden piece of public art, tucked in the underside of the canopy over the platform. Look up, and you’ll see About Place About Face, a series of cast-iron molds of people’s faces, based on images of real people from the neighborhood. A prominent high school sits across the street from the station, while on the other side sits one of Boyle Height’s most important cultural institutions.

Dating back to the 1970s, Self Help Graphics (1300 E 1st St) started as a collective of local artists and printmakers, with deep roots in the Chicano movements of the time. In the decades since, it has become an important art center and a locus of local advocacy, uplifting the community and giving local artists a place to gain recognition and sell their work. Self Help is perhaps most noted for their annual Día de los Muertos celebration, where community members gather to construct ofrendas for many public displays in the weeks leading up to the holiday, culminating in a major celebration on the day itself. Unfortunately, their building is currently closed for a major renovation, so all exhibitions and programs have been moved off-site; check Self Help’s website for their offerings and online print shop.

Right next door to Self Help Graphics is Purgatory Pizza (1326 E 1st St), a trendy pizza joint noted for its thin-crust pizza with a pretty wide selection of ingredients and vegan options. The food is a bit pricey, but the service is good and the punk aesthetic is fun.

Mariachi Plaza

As 1st Street begins to climb uphill, the Metro line continues through a tunnel below Boyle Heights, making its first underground stop at Mariachi Plaza. The station is spacious and airy, and almost never crowded. On your way up, stop and admire the lovely mural Hecho a Mano in the concourse, which depicts objects of personal significance—a guitar, family photographs, marigolds, a protest sign—being held aloft amidst a backdrop of monarch butterflies. As you make it to the surface, the station entrance is adorned with a colorful shell-shaped awning.

For many decades, a donut stand parking lot on the corner of 1st & Boyle served as an informal gathering spot for mariachis looking for work. In the 1990s, the site was officially recognized by the city as Mariachi Plaza, and the process began to transform the parking lot into a public square, culminating with the completion of the Metro station. The results have been a mixed bag; while the plaza serves as a symbol of the community, it tends to be rather empty (with a conspicuous lack of shade) unless a farmers market or a community festival is happening. A handful of mariachis and old-timers hang out around the picnic tables along Boyle Avenue, but without regular crowds, most of the mariachis have moved on to more lucrative locations, somewhat defeating the original intent for the plaza.

Nevertheless, the plaza has become a neighborhood landmark, full of mariachi-themed art and murals and surrounded by many beloved long-standing businesses. In spite of its shortcomings, it does serve as a symbolic gateway to Boyle Heights, and does get quite lively when an event is happening. Many tributes to Mexican music can be found around the plaza, from the statue of ranchera singer Lucha Reyes to the nearby street named after Vicente Fernandez. The plaza’s defining landmark is its stone gazebo, a gift from the state of Jalisco, Mexico—the birthplace of mariachi music—which, remarkably enough, was entirely hand-carved by a single man: Juan Pablo Salas Renovato, a renowned Mexican sculptor. If you’re caught out in the heat, on the north side of the plaza is a nice ice cream shop that serves good juices, smoothies, and aguas frescas.

Across Boyle Avenue from Mariachi Plaza is the former Boyle Hotel, a stately red-brick building dating back to the 1880s. It has become a neighborhood landmark, with its corner turret framing what has become an iconic view down 1st Street of the downtown skyline. Today the building holds affordable housing, with two notable businesses facing Mariachi Plaza: a very pleasant location of La Monarca Bakery (101 N Boyle Ave) that makes for great people watching, and Libros Schmibros (103 N Boyle Ave; Wed-Sun 12-6pm), a non-profit lending library that provides free books and serves as a lovely community event space, with author readings, movie screenings, and a children’s storytelling hour.

The block of 1st Street across from Mariachi Plaza is lined with local businesses, many of which are worth noting. Facing the plaza directly across the street is Yeya’s (1816 E 1st St; closed Wednesdays), a low-key Mexican diner with great chilaquiles, enchiladas, and combination plates. The prices are very reasonable and the portions are generous. Directly next door is Un Solo Sol (1818 E 1st St; closed Tuesdays), a celebrated vegan Mexican restaurant. A few doors down is La Casa del Mariachi (1836 E 1st St; closed Mondays), which is worth a look for all the mariachi outfits and paraphernalia inside.

Just east of Mariachi Plaza on the north side of 1st is Espacio 1839 (1839 E 1st St; Thu-Sat 12-7pm, Sun 12-6pm), a cool gift store and community radio studio that sells lots of fun books, t-shirts, and accessories made by local artists celebrating Boyle Heights and Latinx culture. Just a block further down the street is the long-standing burger joint Jim’s Burgers (1901 E 1st St), which is instantly recognizable from its iconic neon sign.

A couple blocks further east, the two-block stretch of 1st Street between Cummings Street and Chicago Street serves as Boyle Height’s civic center, with a post office, a police station, a branch of the Los Angeles Public Library, and Boyle Heights City Hall (2130 E 1st St). The city hall is a historic building, built in the 1920s as a Masonic temple and serving as a meeting hall over the decades, most notably housing the headquarters of the Community Service Organization, a Latino civil rights group that was briefly headed by Cesar Chavez before he and Dolores Huerta founded the National Farm Workers Association.

One of the main draws along this stretch of 1st is Al & Bea’s (2025 E 1st St; closed Mondays), a very old-school taco stand that’s popular with the city workers and many locals. The first thing that will strike you is the size; it’s tiny, built within the front yard of a house, with limited outdoor seating. But the menu is extensive, with everything being greasy and flavorful, and very affordable. The burritos are definitely the highlight, with the chile relleno and combination burritos being the most popular. This is old-school Mexican-American food, which does catch some people off-guard; for instance, the tacos are hard-shelled, rather than the soft tortillas you’ll get at a taco truck. If you’re a stickler for “authentic” Mexican food, you can skip this one and try one of the other places we mentioned. Otherwise, grab a burrito and enjoy.

Another local business that’s a must-try is Cake Girl (2100 E 1st St; closed Sundays), a bakery inside the St. Louis Drug Company, a corner pharmacy that’s been operating at 1st & St. Louis since 1920. The bakery is in the back, and everything they serve is vegan and gluten-free, with donuts that are incredibly moist and delicious, with plenty of seasonal flavors. The treats are a little on the pricey side, but they do often have day-olds if you want to opt for something cheaper but still tasty.

A few blocks to the south, along St Louis Street south of 4th Street, is Hollenbeck Park, Boyle Heights’ largest and most scenic green space. A lovely lake draws plenty of ducks and geese, with a little wooden pedestrian bridge spanning the center of the lake. Picnic tables dot the park, with good views of the downtown skyline from the top of the hill along St Louis Street.

Soto

Soto station, at the intersection of 1st and Soto, is the second underground station beneath Boyle Heights. Where Mariachi Plaza is warmly lit, Soto is illuminated in a cool blue. The art installation here, Landings, is a bird-themed work that depicts silhouettes of birds throughout the station, with quotes alluding to migration and travel. The most striking aspect of the art piece is a giant, wire sculpture bird’s nest suspended above the escalators, with a glowing blue egg held in the center. Above ground, the station structure is marked by a white tower, also illuminated in blue at nighttime.

Heading a few blocks north up Soto will bring you to the bustling intersection of Soto and Cesar Chavez Avenue. 1st Street may be the neighborhood’s civic and cultural corridor, but Cesar Chavez is definitely the main commercial district of Boyle Heights, with lots of activity throughout the day. The several blocks on either side of Soto are particularly active, with lots of local businesses packed together along crowded sidewalks lined with shady ficus trees.

This section of Cesar Chavez, once known as Brooklyn Avenue, is also notable for once being the heart of the city’s Jewish community, with numerous Jewish organizations and businesses (including the original location of Canter’s Deli) located here before migrating to the westside in the postwar years. Indeed, nearby is the Breed Street Shul (247 N Breed St), the last remaining synagogue in Boyle Heights, currently in the process of being restored as a cultural center.

One business on Cesar Chavez that’s particularly worth noting is Latinx with Plants (2208 E Cesar Chavez Ave, two blocks west of Soto), a relatively new plant nursery that has quickly gained a large following. In addition to all the lush plants and adorable succulents, the shop also sells pottery and wares from local artists, and the staff are very friendly and knowledgeable.

Right next door is the gallery of Las Fotos Project (2210 E Cesar Chavez Ave; closed Sat-Sun), a non-profit photography studio that mentors teenage girls throughout Los Angeles and highlights their work. The gallery is open to the public and features a rotating display of photographs, giving you a chance to see what the students have been working on.

Returning to 1st Street and continuing east, a block up 1st from Soto station is Otomisan (2506 1/2 E 1st St; Mon-Sat 11:30am-2pm & 4:30-8pm, closed Sundays), a wonderful little Japanese restaurant that’s one of the few living reminders of the Japanese community that once thrived in Boyle Heights. Family-run since the 1950s, the inside feels like a tiny diner, with bar stools and booths surrounded by walls cluttered by awards, official city proclamations, children’s drawings, and Japanese artwork. On the menu you’ll find sushi, noodle and rice dishes, and delicious gyoza. It’s incredibly cozy and friendly, with the extremely sweet owner taking orders and serving the food, and even the bowls and dishes your food is served in make you feel like you’re at a family dinner in someone’s living room.

Walking another half-mile up 1st Street and turning left onto Evergreen Avenue will bring you to the entrance of Evergreen Cemetery. Dating back to 1877, it’s the oldest private cemetery in the city, as well as the oldest nondenominational one. It’s also one of the largest, with over 300,000 internments in its nearly 150-year-long history. Evergreen is notable for having never banned people based on race or ethnicity, though it did maintain segregated sections for much of its history. Indeed, one of the first sections you will encounter upon entering the cemetery is a large Japanese section, a touching reminder of Boyle Heights’ once-prominent Japanese community.

Many notable figures from the city’s early history have been buried here, and you might encounter some familiar names. Even during a short visit, you’re sure to see many elaborate memorials while walking across the cemetery, from grandiose family tombs to more esoteric monuments, like the Pacific Coast Showmen’s Association memorial (topped with a circus lion), which contains the graves of numerous circus performers. A huge cross-section of Los Angeles history can be found here, and if you look hard enough you’re likely to stumble across something surprising.

If you’re willing to hoof it up Evergreen Avenue for another half-mile (and be warned, it is mostly uphill), you’ll eventually reach what might be Boyle Heights’ oldest restaurant: El Tepeyac (812 N Evergreen Ave), open since 1955 and famous for serving massive burritos, often smothered in chile sauce, that are easily big enough to feed two people. The seating area is nice and cozy, with some lovely murals on the wall way in the back.

Indiana

The Metro line resurfaces at 1st and Lorena, passing El Mercado before turning onto Indiana Street and making its last stop in Boyle Heights before continuing down 3rd Street into East Los Angeles. Indiana station has one artwork, Syncretic Manifestations, a set of steel-cut panels crafted in the style of papel picado. The artwork is actually best admired in the late afternoon, when the sun casts its light through the panels, projecting the shadows onto the backing wall and throwing their images into stark relief. The wall behind the station also supports a bunch of dense bougainvillea hedges, much to the delight of many nesting sparrows.

Backtracking along the Metro line back to 1st Street, you’ll find a charming little business district of tortillerias, tamale shops, taco stands, and tienditas lining 1st Street, perched on a hill overlooking the houses to the north. Directly up Indiana to the north, you can spot the iconic El Pino, a particularly tall pine tree that has become a neighborhood landmark, in the distance.

A block west down 1st is the popular El Mercado de Los Angeles (3425 E 1st St), endearingly known as El Mercadito. It closely resembles a traditional Latin American marketplace, selling goods and delicious treats as well as hosting entertainment and just generally being a cool hangout spot. The pedestrian entrance from 1st Street is a nondescript stairwell on the corner of the building; the stairs heading up used to lead to a popular mariachi restaurant on the top floor, but the restaurant has been closed since the pandemic. Take the stairs down to enter the Mercado.

Once you enter, you’ll be greeted by the scents of ingredients like chiles, mole, cheese, chorizo, fresh and dried fruits, spices and seeds, different assortments of candy, and pan dulce. This floor is home to most of the food stalls and restaurants, with several sit-down eateries where you can enjoy authentic Mexican food, or search the stores for ingredients that are hard to find outside of Mexico.

If you continue further down to the floor below, you’ll be hit by the strong smell of leather. The ground floor is home to most of the shops selling Mexican memorabilia and accessories, with rows upon rows of leather boots and belts, jewelry, charro outfits, baleros (a barrel shaped toy that resembles the kendama toy), muñecas, guitars and accordions, ceramics, religious figures, and white outfits for children completing their first communion.

The back of the ground floor opens up onto the parking lot in the back, with a pair of entrances that are graced by elote and agua fresca stands. This is a popular spot for people to catch their breath and relax in the shade for a bit. The lot also holds a large depiction of the Virgin of Guadalupe, which becomes the focal point of a lively celebration of the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe every December, also known as Las Posadas. Especially on the weekends, El Mercado is a thriving, active space, with vivid colors and music and bustling crowds, truly embodying the harmony of a Mexican marketplace.

Returning to Indiana station, Downtown is a short ride back on the E Line, or you can continue to the end of the line in East LA, which we wrote about in an earlier guide.