Adventure No. 2: Silver Lake Meadow

Let’s face it, Silver Lake … you’re really nice. You’re the type of place that’s featured in Dwell or Sunset magazine. You’re the kind of neighborhood one can walk safely in, whether it’s to the store to pick up some kind of bougie organic treat—or down to the bar to watch the next band to be featured on a late night talk show. You’ve got your quaint little boutique shops and your slightly harder-edged Sunset Junction. You probably feel so cool, don’t you? Well, you just might just be entitled.

Sliver Lake is surrounded by Echo Park, East Hollywood, Los Feliz, Atwater Village, and Elysian Valley, aka Frogtown. Centrally located? Or the eye of the storm. No matter how you look at it, Silver Lake is in the thick of it.

According to the Silver Lake Wikipedia page, Silver Lake contains some of the most famous modernist architecture in North America. Take a Sunday drive through those hills and dream of fancy futures, I tell ya. Also, Beck lives there.

This adventure isn’t really about the Silver Lake District and its celebs as much as it’s about the Silver Lake Reservoir, and, specifically, the adjacent (and aptly titled) Silver Lake Meadow.

How it went:

It was definitely the golden hour in L.A., plus no traffic. Hejira was on. Smooth tune-age for smooth sailing. We took streets to the reservoir and parked on Silver Lake Boulevard across from the meadow.

No trouble finding parking, surprisingly—especially since it was the time of day when most folks are getting home from their nine to five.

I got Riv saddled up in the Baby Bjorn and we walked over to the meadow. Lots of people were there: beautiful soon-to-be stars running the 2.2 mile trail that circles the reservoir, and, out in the meadow, couples smooching, along with a few folks laying low reading or just kicking back and watching the sun sink behind the hill.

It had been a scorcher of a week, so it was nice to get that breeze off the water. River really loves the wind. Especially when we’re walking into it and it’s blowing against her face. We found a sweet annex in the corner of the meadow and made camp.

I took a look around. The reservoir is fenced off. This makes sense, because it provides water to 600,000 homes in downtown Los Angeles. You don’t want people acting a fool up in that. There are no bathrooms or benches. Just grass, and a path that cuts through for the walking.

I scoped further with my new journalistic eye. A lot of mommies with Starbucks and iPhones. I’m not trying to typecast anyone, and I’m totally unaware if this is a cliché, but there were many of them scattered about the meadow. If there was a Starbucks and iPhone giveaway around the corner, then I’m bummed I didn’t find it. My phone is from 2005 and it would be nice to take a picture, while sending an email, while watching a Rolling Stones video, while hanging out with my daughter, while sipping on Starbucks.

There were no dads to be found. At least not when we were there. I put a blanket on the grass and lay River down on it. She was very contented listening to kids laughing and playing, the patter of foot traffic on the trail, and the rush hour on Silver Lake Boulevard.

I gave River her dinner of mother’s milk and we watched a little boy fly a kite that was in the shape of an eagle. It was a beautiful sunset. Palm trees silhouetted on the hillside, a ghetto bird flying over East Hollywood. River finished her bottle as the sun finished its day. We packed up and went back to the car. It was getting dark, and time for bed.

Pros and Cons:

The Silver Lake Meadow is definitely a destination for parents who are looking to be out with the people. It’s a well-maintained green and grassy park: an open space for you and the kiddos. Bring a Frisbee, bring a picnic; blankets are a must, and if you can score the shady lane underneath the ONE tree, then you’re really in for a good/comfortable time.

Truth be told, though, if I were to have a scoring system of 1-10, I’d give the meadow a seven. It was fair. Silver Lake is a really neat hood with beautiful architecture and historical significance ... and that’s not quite captured here. This park was built in 2011, and has a 2011 vibe. Let me put it this way: imagine that San Francisco’s Dolores Park had a wonderful night with a park in Irvine and then … bam! This park is born.

Keep in mind: there are two other parks at the reservoir, making it a total of three. You might go hang at the meadow for a bit, get a little bored, and then head on down to the rec center or take your pooch to the dog park. Or, you might just enjoy the trail. River and I have, on a few occasions.

One of my favorite things about Los Angeles is there are little safe havens where one can discover the unpredictable … maybe it was the time of day, but I found it a challenge to tune out the predictable. We’ll definitely go back, but it’s not next on the list.

Peace and Good Luck.