Historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles is the Top 5 among 50 Coolest Neighbourhoods picked by London-based Time Out Media Group as places “you should be exploring right now.”
Historic Filipinotown, nicknamed HiFi by locals, is a district of the city of Los Angeles in California that makes up the southwest portion of Echo Park. It is the only proclaimed Filipinotown in the entire United States created by a resolution proposed by city council member Eric Garcetti on August 2, 2002.
Time Out editors and experts picked the Filipino district as its Top 5 from among the results of the Time Out Index 2019 which surveyed more than 27,000 city-dwellers around the world about the best, most overrated and most undervalued neighborhoods in their home town.
This travel experts’ research resulted in a countdown of “50 must-see but often lesser-known neighborhoods across the world to stay, eat, drink and go out in. It looks beyond tourist hotspots to the places that should be on every savvy traveler’s bucket list.”
Historic Filipinotown was recommended on the Time Out list released on September 17 as a place that “reflects L.A. at its best: a convergence of cultures that, unlike many developing areas in the city, is retaining its sense of character, culture, and community.”
Time Out quotes locals saying, “HiFi is a spirit as much as an area, a place that feels refreshing and honest in a Los Angeles landscape that is quickly becoming over-funded and monotonous.”
The recommendation also puts the spotlight on a Philippine jeepney tour with “a colorful, stretched-out jeep-bus that’s one of the most ubiquitous modes of transportation in the Philippines – for the Classic Hidden HiFi Jeepney Tour and immerse yourself in the history of HiFi.”
Time Out recommended the HiFi city’s many offerings:
FOOD AND DRINKS
- Temple Seafood Market
- Asian porridge at Porridge & Puff
- ’90s hip-hop vibes at HiFi Kitchens
- mother-and-son chewy noodle recipes at Woon
- The Parks Finest BBQ
- floral-filled celebration of a black art at Bloom & Plume Coffee
SIGHTS TO SEE
- traditional Filipino jeepney ride for the Classic Hidden HiFi Jeepney Tour
- Unidad Park
- the eastern stretch of Temple Street near Echo Park
- west on Beverly Boulevard toward Westlake
- Genever, an Art Deco den
- a mural project spearheaded by The Gabba Gallery
- cozy bungalows along the area’s side streets on Airbnb
James Manning, Global Projects Editor of Time Out, said, “Time Out has always been about helping people discover the best of the city, and with this epic list our local editors and contributors have identified the neighborhoods that are setting the pace for city life in 2019. These 50 neighborhoods are places where you’ll find delicious food, incredible bars, and cutting-edge art, culture, and nightlife at every turn, as well as proud, progressive city-dwellers promoting the values of diversity and coexistence.”
The Historic Filipinotown Festival happens on October 5, 2019, along West Temple Street to celebrate the proclamation of Historic Filipinotown and a display of the arts and culture of the Philippines.
Filipino culture and heritage have been celebrated as part of the Los Angeles scene from Pinoy food, to indie films, local music, and in sports.
SEND congratulations in the comments below to the Historic Filipinotown community for its Top 5 spot among the world’s 50 rising neighborhoods!
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