This must be West Adams
With Victorian mansions and Craftsman bungalows tucked off its boulevard, driving down West Adams can feel like you’re traveling back in time. Many of the core structures were built between the 1880s and 1910s, making the South L.A. neighborhood one of the oldest in the city. But pops of vibrant street art bring you back to the present, like David Flores’ pensive portrait of Bob Marley set against crimson poppies or the mural of a little girl in a backward cap who holds her hand up in a “W†sign, a nod to the West Coast.
Get to know Los Angeles through the places that bring it to life. From restaurants to shops to outdoor spaces, here’s what to discover now.
“It’s both a historic neighborhood and one that is in transition,†said Ryan Wilson, co-founder of West Adams’ private co-working club the Gathering Spot. “There are a lot of things that are emerging.â€
Founded by wealthy Pasadena industrialists Henry E. Huntington and Hulett C. Merritt, West Adams’ first denizens were of similar economic stature. But as Beverly Hills and other Westside neighborhoods were developed, well-to-do white residents were persuaded to resettle in those areas.
Affluent Black Angelenos took their place, including architect Paul R. Williams, who designed the nearby headquarters of the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Co. — once the largest Black-owned insurance company in the West — as well as more than 2,000 private homes, with celebrity clients like Frank Sinatra and Lucille Ball. Oscar-winning actor Hattie McDaniels, blues musician Ray Charles and attorney Johnnie Cochran also had homes in the neighborhood that was then known as Sugar Hill.
In the 1950s, the expansion of the 10 freeway fractured a core section of West Adams, leading to the demolition of numerous homes through eminent domain. A second exodus left the area somewhat neglected.
More recently, the neighborhood’s relative affordability has made it a target for developers. In response, longtime residents are stepping up to protect the legacy of the majority Black and Latino neighborhood.
In 2020, siblings Jasmine and Giovanni Maldonado, who grew up in West Adams, began hosting the monthly pop-up Midcity Mercado as a way to remain in the neighborhood and combat ongoing gentrification and displacement. Taking place in the parking lot that Jasmine’s retail store Persona shares with her mother’s long-running restaurant Mariscos Marias, the family-friendly market features more than 30 rotating BIPOC vendors.
“Midcity Mercado is a celebration of survival,†Maldonado said. “It’s a really beautiful way to share our perspectives and our stories. It unites us in a way where we can appreciate the change and at the same time celebrate what once was.â€
And even though the neighborhood is changing, there’s still plenty of history to explore. You can visit one of 70 sites recognized as cultural landmarks, such as UCLA’s William Andrews Clark Memorial Library, or meditate in the verdant gardens of an Italian Renaissance mansion. The neighborhood also has long-standing favorites for Oaxacan food and Creole cuisine; a community-oriented bookstore; a cannabis-friendly ceramics studio; special-occasion-worthy Japanese dining and more.
If you think you know West Adams, it’s worth taking another look.
What's included in this guide
Anyone who’s lived in a major metropolis can tell you that neighborhoods are a tricky thing. They’re eternally malleable and evoke sociological questions around how we place our homes, our neighbors and our communities within a wider tapestry. In the name of neighborly generosity, we included gems that may linger outside of technical parameters. Instead of leaning into stark definitions, we hope to celebrate all of the places that make us love where we live.
Showing Places
(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times)
Catch a caffeine buzz and a vibe at Jurassic Magic
Mid-City Coffee Pastries
When the opportunity came for Carlos Nuñez to open his coffee shop, he passed up a street-facing location on busy Washington Boulevard for one that’s tucked on a quiet residential street. But with meager craft coffee options in the neighborhood, word of Jurassic Magic quickly spread. The cafe features floor-to-ceiling windows that let in streams of morning light, a mirrored hallway that leads to an artsy, plant-filled patio and sidewalk seating under striped umbrellas, inviting locals to make it their home base for remote work sessions or quick catch-ups with friends.
The coffee program stands out with concoctions such as Bright Eyes, a cold brew with mint, oat milk and agave, and Gentle Giant, a pistachio latte with pistachio milk, white chocolate and cardamom that can be ordered hot or cold. There’s also a selection of hot and cold tea drinks and pastries from Sugar Bloom. Baristas are always ready with a recommendation.
Next door, Nuñez and his partners just opened the superette Convi, where they’re using a small kitchen to test food items. There you can also stock up on tinned fish, cured meats, cheese and other pantry items.
The coffee program stands out with concoctions such as Bright Eyes, a cold brew with mint, oat milk and agave, and Gentle Giant, a pistachio latte with pistachio milk, white chocolate and cardamom that can be ordered hot or cold. There’s also a selection of hot and cold tea drinks and pastries from Sugar Bloom. Baristas are always ready with a recommendation.
Next door, Nuñez and his partners just opened the superette Convi, where they’re using a small kitchen to test food items. There you can also stock up on tinned fish, cured meats, cheese and other pantry items.
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(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times )
Find collaborators and community at the Gathering Spot
West Adams Co-working club
In 2022, this membership club from founders Ryan Wilson and TK Petersen landed in a sprawling three-story space that once served as a printing facility. The decision to root in historic West Adams, a neighborhood steeped in Black history, was an intentional one. True to its name, the Gathering Spot isn’t just a co-working hub, it’s a resource for cultivating community.
“It’s all focused on maintaining this idea that these set of blocks, they really matter,†said Wilson. “I want us to be a part of the neighborhood. I want us to look back and say we were able to accomplish something really special here. We built new things, but we maintained the essence of what West Adams has always been about, or at least been about for a while.â€
The Gathering Spot has embedded itself into West Adams with back-to-school drives, weekly run clubs and educational workshops. There’s also plenty of space to work, of course, with meeting and conference rooms available to rent. The on-site restaurant and bar Lena & Duke’s just launched a new menu, and a regular lineup of events spans mixers, panels, concerts, wellness workshops and food or bar crawls in the neighborhood. Members enjoy a host of benefits, including three guest passes per visit and discounted rental rates. Nonmembers can join select events by reaching out to the club directly.
“It’s all focused on maintaining this idea that these set of blocks, they really matter,†said Wilson. “I want us to be a part of the neighborhood. I want us to look back and say we were able to accomplish something really special here. We built new things, but we maintained the essence of what West Adams has always been about, or at least been about for a while.â€
The Gathering Spot has embedded itself into West Adams with back-to-school drives, weekly run clubs and educational workshops. There’s also plenty of space to work, of course, with meeting and conference rooms available to rent. The on-site restaurant and bar Lena & Duke’s just launched a new menu, and a regular lineup of events spans mixers, panels, concerts, wellness workshops and food or bar crawls in the neighborhood. Members enjoy a host of benefits, including three guest passes per visit and discounted rental rates. Nonmembers can join select events by reaching out to the club directly.
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(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times)
Stop by any time at Vicky's All Day
West Adams American
With a marble bar, checkered tile floors and wood accents, Vicky’s All Day is a cozy outpost for any time of day, with a selection of wines by the glass, beer and a handful of house cocktails. The neighborhood cafe is owned by Danny Elmaleh of nearby Mizlala, who helms a menu that focuses on California favorites such as avocado and lox toasts, sandwiches, wraps and pillowy sourdough pizzas with 48-hour fermented dough. During brunch, the fried chicken and waffle plate, which is big enough to share with a pile of crispy chicken tenders on a fluffy waffle with bacon and rosemary potatoes served on the side, seems to land on every table. Raised in Israel, Elmaleh weaves in influences from his home country and across the Mediterranean, in dishes such as shakshouka, hummus and laffa and a sabich pita sandwich, plus a spicy Moroccan-style fried branzino.
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(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times)
Settle into a vibrant third space at Reparations Club
West Adams Book Store
Founded by Jazzi McGilbert in 2019, this concept bookstore serves as a vital third space for the community, with inventory that is “curated by Blackness,†as its slogan proclaims. Vibrant Black art hangs on the wooden checkerboard walls, and the shelves are stocked with books of all genres from prolific and rising authors of color. Reparations Club has an ongoing series of events, including a monthly book club led by rapper and poet Noname, film screenings, reading groups and author talks.
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(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times)
Dig into Creole cuisine at Harold & Belle's
Jefferson Park Creole Cajun
Harold Legaux Sr. and Mary Belle opened Harold & Belle’s in 1969 as a haven for fellow Southern transplants seeking a taste of Cajun and Creole cuisines in L.A. The restaurant is still going strong, now helmed by third-generation owners and husband-and-wife Ryan and Jessica Legaux. The famous filé gumbo with a creamy dark roux and bobbing bits of shrimp, sausage, ham and blue crab remains a top ordered item, along with fried catfish, jambalaya and po’boy sandwiches, plus all of the requisite Southern sides such as fried crab cakes, mac and cheese and red beans and rice. Freshly fried and fluffy beignets are a must for completing your meal. While many of the classic Southern recipes remain unchanged, Harold & Belle’s has expanded its plant-based offerings in recent years, including an okra gumbo and an oyster mushroom po’boy with vegan mayo. A full bar slings New Orleans-famous cocktails such as sazeracs and hurricanes, with happy hour at the bar Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 9 to 10 p.m.
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(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times)
Sift through the crates at High Fidelity Records
West Adams Record store
Stop by this sleek record store on West Adams to pick up new or used vinyl, especially on Saturdays when it adds new inventory. With exposed ceilings and original brick walls, it’s easy to imagine Rob Gordon — the record store owner who’s played by John Cusack in the 2000 film “High Fidelity†— ruling over the space. There’s a selection of bargain buys, including records priced at just $1, and you can test anything at a listening station before you purchase. Staff is always readily available to answer any questions.
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(Silvia Rázgová / For The Times)
Order Oaxacan tlayudas and mole at Gish Bac
Arlington Heights Oaxacan
The name of Maria Ramos’ Oaxacan restaurant refers to a house specialty that involves salt-cured beef, marinated pork, chorizo, grilled cactus and stringy quesillo. You can order it as a plate for two with black beans and rice, or get it piled on a tlayuda, a large toasted tortilla that’s spread with black bean puree and topped with avocado, cabbage and half-moons of tomato for a cool contrast. Barbacoa is the other must-order dish at this casual sit-down restaurant where colorful papel picado banners hang from the ceiling. Ramos’ family has been perfecting the recipe for barbacoa roja (goat) and barbacoa blanca (lamb, only available on weekends) for three generations. The lamb is tender and fragrant with garlic and cumin, while the goat arrives in a copper-red stew that zings with sweet-spicy guajillo chiles. You can also get your preferred meat drenched in one of three types of moles — a side of the silken mole negro pairs wonderfully with the lamb. Gish Bac is open for breakfast with chilaquiles, mole-dipped enmoladas and a handful of egg scrambles. The house-made horchata that’s topped with prickly pear sorbet is rich enough to serve as dessert, while the champurrado beverage with ground hominy and hot Oaxacan chocolate has a savory edge.
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(Al Seib / Los Angeles Times)
Find your zen at Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens
Jefferson Park Garden
Hidden in a residential West Adams neighborhood, this meditative oasis is the perfect way to recharge and clear your mind when the hustle of the city starts to overwhelm. The historic Renaissance mansion that houses the lush, multilevel gardens was built in 1910 by Italian winemaker Secundo Guasti. You can learn more about the house and its history by booking a tour during your visit. The home and gardens serve as headquarters for the Movement of Spiritual Inner Awareness (MSIA) and Peace Theological Seminary & College of Philosophy (PTS), which host meditations, sound baths and tea ceremonies on the grounds.
The stone labyrinth that features the same design as the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth is the main attraction here, and one of the docents will instruct you on how to walk its path and share the purported benefits of doing so, including reduced stress. As you explore the property, you’ll see sculptures and a Japanese garden with a koi pond and streams, plus tucked-away benches for reading or meditating. Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens is open Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. One-hour reservations must be made in advance online.
The stone labyrinth that features the same design as the Chartres Cathedral labyrinth is the main attraction here, and one of the docents will instruct you on how to walk its path and share the purported benefits of doing so, including reduced stress. As you explore the property, you’ll see sculptures and a Japanese garden with a koi pond and streams, plus tucked-away benches for reading or meditating. Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens is open Wednesday, Friday and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. One-hour reservations must be made in advance online.
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(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times)
Grab a slice and chill at Delicious Pizza
West Adams Pizza
From brothers Mike and Rick Ross with father-and-son partners Fred and Travis Sutherland (Fred is a co-owner of classic diner Fred 62), this neighborhood pizza joint emerged as an offshoot of Mike’s L.A.-based hip-hop label Delicious Vinyl, which helped launch the careers of artists such as Tone Loc and the Pharcyde. The West Adams shop opened in 2015 with mounted gold records and framed photos of rap legends like Biz Markie on the wall and a steady hip-hop soundtrack playing overhead. The menu features char-spotted pies with names that refer to the record label’s history, such as the Wild Thing, with pepperoni, soppressata, mushrooms, mozzarella and tomato sauce. Wings, sandwiches, salads and pastas are available along with beer and wine, and there’s plenty of space to enjoy your selections on-site, either at the interior bar counter or on the spacious Boomyard patio where DJs spin and bands play on the weekends.
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(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times)
Update your wardrobe at Brother Brother
Mid-City Clothing Store
The minimalist retail shop from co-owners Gary Indjian and Greg Okawachi features classic men’s styles with a modern edge, including outerwear, button-ups, T-shirts, pants, shorts, hats and footwear ranging from sneakers to loafers. The store also carries home goods such as incense, coffee table books and ceramics. In the spring and summer, Brother Brother hosts weekend markets in the parking lot with food vendors, live music and art.
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(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times)
Get the pastrami at Johnny's West Adams
Jefferson Park American
This laid-back spot from Danny Elmaleh of nearby Mizlala and Vicky’s All Day took over the historic, previously Black-owned stand in June 2020 following several years of closure. Pastrami remains the focus, with sandwiches, burgers, tacos and even French fries loaded with the tender, marbled meat. A stellar matzo ball soup, a spicy hot dog with house merguez sausage on a toasted brioche roll and a surprisingly refreshing Green Goddess salad with asparagus and broccoli add some contrast to the menu. Don’t skip the house sodas that come in flavors such as tamarind mint or citrus and Thai basil and can be spiked with your choice of spirit. The umbrella-dotted parking lot patio is the perfect al fresco setting, or head over to the Bar at Johnny’s next door, which has garden seating as well as an indoor bar.
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(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times)
Cozy up with tacos on the patio at Bee Taqueria
West Adams Mexican
With picnic tables, string lights and vivid murals painted across its fenced walls, chef-owner Alex Carrasco’s Bee Taqueria feels like stepping into a lively backyard barbecue. The menu features tacos, ceviches, churros and Peruvian-style sandwiches called sanguches. The tacos are the star here, served on fresh blue or yellow corn tortillas with fillings such as tinga-style shredded beets, roasted mushrooms, juicy skirt steak, slow-braised pork and shrimp and scallops in the fried seafood taco that comes with a cup of shrimp consommé. Finish your meal with a sampling of churros that can be topped with coffee or chocolate, dipped in matcha, horchata or honey cream or filled with lemon mint and dulce de leche. Carrasco, who has previously cooked at Mozza, also hosts the city’s first taco-focused omakase next door.
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(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times)
Pick up a one-of-a-kind gift at HYA
West Adams Gift Store
This colorful gift and decor store comes from co-owners Lene and Mark Houck, who also own the sandwich shop next door. At HYA, an acronym for “here you are,†there’s plenty to tempt you across toys, books, kitchenware, cards and other adorable items, many of them handmade by local artists. After you’re done shopping, pop over to the shaded patio next door to dig into Danish-style open-face sandwiches and hot dogs.
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(Ron De Angelis / For The Times)
Sample California soul food favorites at Alta Adams
West Adams Californian Soul Food $$
The West Adams restaurant from executive chef Keith Corbin offers a perspective on California soul cuisine that draws directly from his Watts upbringing and utilizes plenty of seasonal produce. Vegans will be pleased to find several options worth exploring, including a gumbo stewed with market veggies and jerk-spiced plantain tacos, but those who prefer soul food standards such as fried chicken, shrimp and grits and oxtails over rice also will leave satisfied. While it can be hard to stray from a favorite dish to try new items (looking at you, black-eyed pea fritters), you won’t regret sampling recent additions such as sweet potato dumplings served with a peanut sauce or blackened salmon in a curry broth. With an adjoined bottle shop that specializes in women- and BIPOC-owned labels, the bar menu takes a similar approach, reinventing classic cocktails with titles that celebrate Black culture and music, such as Ol’ Dirty Bastard, an olive-infused dirty martini.
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(Brian Saucedo / Midcity Mercado)
Support indie businesses (while sipping a michelada) at Midcity Mercado
West Adams Festival
This monthly market from siblings Jasmine and Giovanni Maldonado takes place in the parking lot that Jasmine’s retail shop Persona shares with Mariscos Marias, her mother’s seafood restaurant that opened in 2002. The family- and pet-friendly mercado has been popping up since 2020, spotlighting vendors of color who sell everything from jewelry to plants, art and vintage clothing. With live music, hand-poke tattoo artists and micheladas, it’s one of the best ways to spend a Saturday in West Adams. Last year the Maldonado family hosted West Adams’ inaugural DÃa de los Muertos festival. It was such a success that they’re doing it again; this year’s block party is scheduled for Nov. 2.
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(Kemal Cilengir / For The Times)
Stock up on bottles at Adams Wine Shop
West Adams Wine Shop
Next door to lauded California-soul restaurant Alta Adams from chefs Keith Corbin and Daniel Patterson, this wine shop has its own programming that’s worth stopping by for, including a curated selection of wine and spirit labels that highlight BIPOC and women makers around the world. Most bottles are priced under $50, and the staff can recommend picks for specific price points. The shop also stocks Alta’s Fresno hot sauce and other bottled condiments, a selection of cookbooks and coffee beans from Black-owned coffee roaster Red Bay Coffee. Every Wednesday from 5 to 10 p.m., the wine bar hosts Sip N Jam, with three pours offered for $30, plus live music and games. Adams Wine Shop regularly hosts co-working events, writers workshops and even ventures into spirits tastings.
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(Danielle Dorsey / Los Angeles Times)
Raid the cookie case at Fleurs et Sel
West Adams Bakery
Earlier this year, after first launching her home bakery during the pandemic, Lara Adekoya opened a West Adams storefront dedicated to rotating treats that can be ordered via digital drops or by stopping by in person. The saucer-sized cookies come in traditional flavors such as sea salt chocolate chip and cinnamon snickerdoodle as well as nostalgic options that pull from the name of the shop (which translates to flowers and salt in French), such as lavender vanilla chai and Nutella framboise sprinkled with flower salt. I’ve deemed the napolitaine, swirled with chocolate, strawberry and vanilla dough, one of the best cookies in the city.
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(Pot Gardens)
Puff, puff, pass and mold some clay at Pot Gardens
Jefferson Park Ceramics studio
Owner Mandy Kolahi set out to create a ceramics studio that centered surrounding communities when she founded Pot Studios in Echo Park in 2017. The studio expanded with Pot Gardens in Jefferson Park in February 2020, with both locations hosting pottery classes for all levels, including wheel-throwing, hand-building, classes taught in Spanish and one-off workshops such as live figure sculpting and cannabis-friendly pipe-making parties. Whether or not you’ve got experience with clay, Pot Gardens is a welcoming, judgment-free space to hone this skill.
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(Joseph Duarte)
Get whisked away to a Italian-Mediterranean paradise at Cento
West Adams Italian
Hidden in a seemingly nondescript building off West Adams Boulevard, Cento is ready to whisk you to the Italian or Mediterranean coast with its partitioned patio that features a sandy floor, string lights and an olive tree anchoring the center. Or you could reserve a seat at the chef’s counter, where you’ll watch broccoli bucatini get topped with anchovies and creamy burrata or spicy pomodoro get a splash of verdant basil oil before they’re sent out to tables. Though the specialty here is Mediterranean-inflected handmade pastas, the entire menu is worth exploring, including a steak tartare with citrusy black lime vinaigrette; a radicchio salad with persimmons, dates and pecans; small plates such as charred octopus and meatballs with corn polenta; and large-format dishes including grilled orata and duck confit. Finish your meal with the signature banana pudding tiramisu and browse the beverage menu for cocktails spiked with seasonal fruit or wines by the glass.
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(Mariah Tauger / Los Angeles Times)
Celebrate a special occasion at n/soto
Mid-City Japanese
While your chances of scoring a reservation at n/naka are slim, you can still taste food from chefs and partners Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama at their izakaya-inspired restaurant in West Adams. While it’s more casual than the two-Michelin-starred restaurant that also appeared on the Netflix series “Chef’s Table,†n/soto is still a great option for a special-occasion dinner. On a busy section of Washington Boulevard, the restaurant is housed in a foliage-wrapped building that leads into a minimalist interior with warm wood paneling and cozy partitioned booths. The shareable menu evolves with the season and it’s always a good idea to take advantage of fleeting chef specials, in addition to sashimi, nigiri, hand rolls, skewers of pork belly or shiitake mushroom, deep-fried dishes such as chicken karaage and tempura and steaming donabe pots filled with salmon or summer corn. The beverage menu includes house cocktails that blend Japanese spirits and flavors where possible, like the YÅrÅ No Taki with Japanese whisky, red dates, goji berries and bitters. Sake is available by the glass or carafe and the wine list encompasses European and local California labels. A handful of thoughtful nonalcoholic options is available as well.
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