Surrounded by shingled craftsmen homes that rise with the steep streets and looming hills to the north, and blessed with keyhole Downtown views to the south, this tranquil, enchanting park draws everyone from cool rockers and laid-back vatos (dudes), to families and bookworms. Originally a reservoir, its centrepiece lake is flanked by a cafe that rents out swan-shaped Echo Park Boathouse for those wanting a relaxing aquatic break.
When Jack Nicholson’s Gittes was on the tail of Mr Mulray and his young lover in Chinatown, he snapped incriminating photos from a canoe on this very lake. The paddleboat and canoe concession is back up and running, so you can make like Jack if you like. On sunny summer days, when the geyser of a fountain gushes to the sky, and the lotus flowers are in bloom, the lake glimmers with beauty undeniable.
