Before the Date…
Our parks in LA can be beautiful, trecherous, scary, and incredible all at the same time. One of those vast spaces of greenery is the lesser loved Elysian Park. A space straddling the 5 Freeway and Dodgers Stadium it would seem unlikely to spend a morning wandering around, but with special care and understanding it becomes a whole new kind of place full of wonder, street art, and an vast array of “the boys” you didn’t think were there.
So gather your morning breakfast crew and strap on your hiking shoes cause this is a morning to become The Breakfast Academy.
St0p #1: bright & early
DO IT FOR THE GRAM
What to Know
To get to the swing you must climb a steep hill. You can park either to the north or south of the swing. The more difficult trail is on the south side of the swing.
Going on the swing is a bit sketchy so please be careful.
Prepare yourself for a line of Instagram husbands and families taking pictures. The earlier you arrive the better.
Option: You can do this date by way of a hike. It is a 2.8 mile, 1.5 hour loop that isn’t exactly the most beautiful or concise route. A breakdown of the hike can be found here. Just make sure you add in Stop 3, enjoy!
St0p #2: before breakfast
A LITTLE HISTORY
What to Know
Angel’s Point statue was constructed to commemorate Frank Glass and Grace E. Simons. Both credited with saving the land from multiple types of developments including an airport and convention center.
This massive statue was constructed by local artist Peter Shire who grew up down the road in Echo Park.
Sadly enough the area was much more beautiful when it was built in 1993 but the construction of it was a huge undertaking.
St0p #3: after sightseeing
BRUNCH WITH BLUE
What to Know
You can park in the lot on the other side of the road with the “Police only” sign.
Walking up to the cafe is a little confusing. Head to the right of the security booth, up the red stairs, past the lap pool. The cafe is to the right.
If you get lost don’t worry, everyone is a cop and knows why you’re there.
They are open 6am to 2pm, you don’t necessarily need to go for brunch. Apparently their Thursday lunch mesquite chicken is delicious.
During the weekend: Hop in your car and coast down past the entrance to Dodgers Stadium to the Echo Park’s Ostrich Farm for breakfast.