From Ivanhoe to Disney: a Brief Look at Silver Lake in Los Angeles

Puccini and Toscanini were not only musical geniusesrecreational. The area will be replete with a track and
but were also the unknowing creators of pop culture.a dog park.
Their opera, La Boheme, introduced Bohemian CultureÂ
into mainstream, if not stodgy, society. The BohemianWhen the mission system ended and the twentieth
designation has since become a category for thecentury bloomed, Silver Lake became a secondary
artistic minded and the edgy among us. The Silverhome to the entertainment industry of Hollywood.
Lake area of Los Angeles carries its BohemianSeveral studios and production companies laid down
moniker with pride. But Silver Lake's cool androots in the area, including Walt Disney who built his
differently unique vibe hides an even more unusualfirst large studio on Hyperion. Also of note, Laurel &
history.Hardy's famous movie The Music Box filmed a critical
Âscene in front of the staircase of a house located on
Silver Lake was founded by Hugo Reid, a ScottishDescanso Drive. The area is now home to
immigrant to the United States who in 1852 wrote asuch hip celebrities as Christina Ricci, Rachel
series of letters that were published in a localMcAdams, Kiefer Sutherland and Ryan Gosling, among
newspaper that described the culture and language ofmany others.
the local Gabrieliño Indians (NativeÂ
Americans). He also admonished local officials andAnais Nin, a remarkable French writer, mentioned Silver
clergy for their harsh treatment of theLake in her Journals Volume Six. She was once a
Gabrieliños under the Franciscan Missionresident of Silver Lake and penned these words in the
system. Hugo Reid originally named the Silver LakeFall of 1961, "the mountains on the east side of the lake
area, and more specifically the man-made reservoir atlooked like a Japanese screen. As the sun set, every
its center, Ivanhoe, after the page turning 1819 Sirevening presented a spectacle equal to a Russian
Walter Raleigh Scott novel of the same name.ballet, all gold and trailing saris, or the Chinese opera, all
Interestingly, some of the main streets in Silver Lake stillred and smoky incense, or the opal coral islands of the
carry the name of some of the characters in Ivanhoe,South Seas, the flaming spill of Mexican sunsets."
such as Rowena and Herkimer. Also, the chiefÂ
elementary school in the area is named Ivanhoe.Poetry aside, Silver Lake is home to a bustling
ÂGreenwich Village vibe. In this midst, Creative
The reservoir is divided into upper and lower sections.Environments of Hollywood, Inc. ( has built the
The upper part is still named Ivanhoe. However, theWestmoreland Lofts on the edge of the area. The
lower part is named Silver Lake. That name bringsWestmoreland Lofts is ideally positioned within reach
lovely clear water images to mind. But the lowerof Hollywood, Downtown LA and, of course, the
section of the reservoir was named after Hermanenergy of Silver Lake.
Silver, a member of the Los Angeles Department ofThe Westmoreland Lofts ( industrial character pays
Water and Power. He put the reservoir to use bytribute to its past as a fabric dyeing factory and
supplying water to South Los Angeles. As thewarehouse. A far cry from the machine laden factory
population north of Los Angeles increased in thefloor, the renewed interior is a perfect marriage of
twentieth century, the reservoir began supplying wateraesthetics and functionality. Spacious units feature
to the nearby area. In 2007, the Silver Lake reservoirpolished concrete floors and 24' exposed structural
was decommissioned due to high levels of bromate.wood beams. Original factory windows and skylights
Currently, plans are underway to use an undergrounddeliver sweeping city views and generous natural light.
reservoir in Griffith Park to supply water to the SilverThe effect is an inviting retreat fit for both work and
Lake area. The Silver Lake reservoir is also in theplay.
process of being converted from utilitarian to