Silver Lake is an Eastside neighborhood in the city of Los Angeles. Silver Lake is known for its lively nightlife, its eclectic mix of antique shops, boutiques and upscale spas, bars and restaurants, its hillsides and tranquil waterways. The neighborhood has been a haven for young artists and musicians who move into the affordable bungalows that dot the area’s landscape.

Silver Lake and its immediate environs (Bluff Lake and Echo Park) were annexed to the city of Los Angeles in 1887. The Silver Lake neighborhood was named for a fresh-water lake there, which was drained in 1921 after it had become contaminated by waste from a meat market and tannery on its shores. The first known residents were the Dominguez family in the 1830s when Immanuel Dominguez received the land in an 1834 grant.

The main portion of the old lake was divided in two by what is now Glendale Blvd., with Echo Park to the west and Silver Lake to the east. There are several interesting facts about Silver Lake. The first is that it’s one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. Today, however, many residents consider it the center of L.A.’s trendy nightlife and restaurant scene.

It also has a long-standing tradition as an arts district. The vast majority of the neighborhood is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Even on a quiet night, the streets of Silver Lake are filled with residents walking their dogs and making use of all those public stairways for evening strolls. Famed author Raymond Chandler once lived in Silver Lake. You can visit his cozy house at 712 N. Marrfield Ave., which is now on the National Register of Historic Places.
In the 1950s, two particularly handsome houses on Silver Lake Blvd., built-in 1927 and 1929 respectively, belonged to Tom Mix and Charles Ray. In fact, Ray used some of his Hollywood earnings to build a lavish retreat at the lake called “Eldorado,” complete with 18 bedrooms, 4 dining rooms, and 5 living rooms. (Now an apartment building.

The Silver Lake neighborhood is a popular filming location for television shows and movies. For instance, Gus’ house from the T.V. show “Breaking Bad” can be found on DeGraw St., and scenes from “The Dark Knight” and “Inception” were shot in the neighborhood as well. As a result, it has been included in tours of famous L.A. locations, such as the Twilight: Los Angeles Tour. If you want to check out another famous neighborhood in Los Angeles, check out Hollywood.