Silver Lake Officials: We Are Not An Eastside Neighborhood
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Officials in Silver Lake have a message for the rest of the Southland: stop calling our neighborhood "Eastside".
The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council voted 13-3 Wednesday night in favor of a statement (PDF) clarifying that "Silver Lake is not located in the 'East Side' of Los Angeles nor is it accurate to refer to Silver Lake as a 'East Side' neighborhood or community."
Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles and Lincoln Heights have historically been designated as communities located east of the Los Angeles River, while the same label has been incorrectly applied to Silver Lake, which is west of the River, according to officials.
Home to a ethnically-diverse mix of about 31,000 residents, Silver Lake has grown in popularity thanks to its rich, eclectic offering of restaurants and nightclubs and a vibrant independent music scene.
During the 1930s, Silver Lake was also home to the first movie studio built by Walt Disney at Griffith Park Boulevard and Hyperion Avenue.
Board member Anne-Marie Johnson, who proposed the clarification, said she blames uninformed visitors - "maybe from New York" - for perpetuating the notion of Silver Lake as an Eastside neighborhood.
The neighborhood has served as a sort of refuge for "individuals who weren't allowed in other areas, who weren't allowed to live in Beverly Hills, who are gay, Catholic" and "looked down upon," Johnson added.
Council members were expected to get a revised draft with new language to be used in the next two months.
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