About Atwater Village, CA 90039
Atwater Village is a unique Los Angeles neighborhood nestled between the Los Angeles River to the west and the City of Glendale to the north and east. It shares borders with Silver Lake to the south, Elysian Valley to the southeast, Glassell Park to the northeast, and Los Feliz and Griffith Park across the river to the west. Much of Atwater sits on the river’s former floodplain, leaving behind deep, fertile soil that continues to delight local gardeners and urban farmers.
The community is served by principal thoroughfares including Fletcher Drive, Los Feliz Boulevard, and Glendale Boulevard. Its borders are further defined by two major freeways—the Golden State (I-5) and the Glendale (SR-2)—which provide convenient access to the rest of Los Angeles.
Atwater’s roots trace back to the days of Rancho San Rafael, a vast land grant covering much of modern-day Glendale and Northeast Los Angeles. In 1868, W.C.B. Richardson purchased part of the rancho and renamed it Rancho Santa Eulalia. By 1902, the land was subdivided and offered for sale to homebuilders. One subdivision stretched from the Southern Pacific tracks to the Los Angeles River and was named the Atwater Tract, a nod to its location “at-water.” The community later became known simply as “Atwater,” with “Village” officially added in 1986 to reflect its close-knit, small-town character within the big city.
In the early 20th century, the area grew quickly as new residents—many of them skilled workers employed at the nearby DWP substation—settled here. The neighborhood developed a distinct charm with Spanish-style homes and Craftsman bungalows built in the 1920s through the 1940s, many of which retain their original architectural details. Growth was further supported by the Pacific Electric Railway’s “Red Car” line, which ran along Glendale Boulevard until it was dismantled mid-century in favor of freeways and buses.
Today, Atwater Village is celebrated as one of Los Angeles’s most vibrant and diverse communities. It draws in new homeowners, renters, artists, and young professionals, while longtime families continue to call it home. Atwater is known for its strong sense of community, cultural diversity, and relatively high property values, with low residential and commercial vacancy rates and one of the lowest crime rates in the region.
The neighborhood is also remarkably self-sustained, offering residents a post office, branch library, excellent public and private schools, diverse religious institutions, and even an equestrian district—one of the few remaining in Los Angeles. Its thriving business corridor provides a wide variety of shops, restaurants, and services that reflect the eclectic character of its residents.