5 Über Hip SoCal Parklets to Chill In Right Now
Author:Lindsey ShookWhen is a parking space not a parking space? When it’s a park! The trendy mini-parks are popping up all over Los Angeles and Long Beach, so it’s time to relax in style. Check out these three parklets on Long Beach’s Retro Row in their East Village Arts District and look forward to two new openings on LA’s Eastside later this year.
Lola’s Mexican Cuisine
2030 East 4th Street, Long Beach
Lola’s restaurant is a favorite on 4th Street, nestled amongst a collection of vintage shops. In January, it took over 1.5 parking spaces to create a dining area designed by Studio One Eleven‘s Michael Bohn. Is this parklet really a park or rather a private patio in the street? Either way it’s still a fun, pretty place to grab a snack and hang out in.
Number Nine
2118 East 4th Street, Long Beach
This tiny parklet sits on a wooden platform complete with Asian-inspired landscaping such as a bamboo and horse tail to reflect the culture of Number Nine. The plants are strategically installed to block the glare of oncoming headlights.
Image Courtesy of Berlin Coffee House
Berlin Coffee House
420 East 4th Street, Long Beach
Berlin Coffee House’s parklet is chic and sleek with a seating area and lush greenery. The space features wood siding and glowing fixtures to mirror Berlin’s warm, modern decor.
York Boulevard in Highland Park
This progressive street reclamation project on the Eastside which should be completed by the end of this year, features a sitting area with pretty mosaic patterns and river rocks. Albeit it’s small size, this park offers a bit of cozy greenery to the busy city block.
El Sereno Street Plaza
In the same vein as the York Boulevard parklet, this space in the El Sereno Street Plaza is adjacent to a busy Food-4-Less store and across the street from the Barrio Action Youth & Family Center. This park will feature picnic tables and benches as well as plants to create a safety and sound buffer from the Huntington Drive.
