Neighborhood Series: Spending the day in Baldwin Hills & Leimert Park

Leimert Park and Baldwin Hills / Crenshaw have a famed history as centers of art and culture of LA’s African American communities. Leimert Park was one of the first (well) planned communities in LA, developed in 1928. Baldwin Hills, known as an affluent neighborhood home to notable residents such as Tina Turner, was also home to the first ever Olympic Village in 1932. Enough with the history lesson, though - time to check out these neighborhoods yourself!

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Getting There

• Metro: Take the Metro E (gold) line to La Cienega/Jefferson then transfer to The Link - Baldwin Hills Parkland (weekends, 25 cents). Exit at Kenneth Hahn Recreation Center.
• Driving+Metro: Park for $3 at the Metro station parking garage at 5664 W Jefferson Blvd. Take The Link - Baldwin Hills Parkland (weekends, 25 cents) to Kenneth Hahn Recreation Center.
• Driving (all day): Park at Kenneth Hahn Recreation Center (free on weekdays, $7 on weekends).

Morning

• 9:30am: Start your day in nature at Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area. Choose your own adventure - head down to Gwen Moore Lake for a leisurely waterside stroll (5m walking) or pop over to the disc golf course for a morning round (14m walking). Bonus points for bringing a breakfast picnic!
• 11:30am: Hop on The Link (weekends only, 25 cents) and take it about 10 minutes to Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook. Explore on your own - do a quick hike if it calls your name or take the stairs down and up to knock out leg day - and enjoy the view!

Afternoon

• 12:30pm: Return to your transportation (whether that’s the Metro E line or your car) and navigate to Earle’s on Crenshaw. Parking is free on neighborhood streets (some have no time restrictions) or at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza (also free). Enjoy a hot dog with chili (regular or vegan) at Earle’s, a neighborhood staple that started as a hot dog cart 30 years ago. 
• 1:30pm: Head 14 minutes South on foot to Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. On level 2, check out Malik Books, a curation of books focusing on African American literature. Then visit to the Museum of African American Art (free), which educates visitors about the arts through the lens of African American culture.
• 3:00pm: Walk South about 12 minutes along the neighborhood streets to Leimert Park Plaza. If it’s a Saturday, visit Art + Practice right across from the plaza to see what’s on exhibition in collaboration with the California African American Museum. If it’s Sunday, stay in the plaza for the famous drum circle and African marketplace where you can peruse goods and food vendors from across the diaspora.
• 4:00pm: Take your new book (we assume you bought one!) one block North to Ora, a neighborhood cafe and community space. Grab a drink and a seat in an arched study nook or along a comfy sofa to tackle your first chapter.
• 4:30pm: On Degnan Blvd on either side of Ora you’ll find a handful of boutique stores to peruse. A couple to highlight are Lore - a bookstore specializing in Black heritage and diaspora - and Sole Folks - an eclectic clothing (and more) store highlighting young local entrepreneurs. Check out Lore first, since it closes at 5pm.

Evening

• 6:00pm: Just around the corner, take a dessert break at All Chill, a hip hop themed ice cream shop, for a scoop or two. Enjoy delicious traditional or vegan ice cream and admire the curated hip hop memorabilia.
• 7:00pm: At the time of writing this, Ackee Bamboo is temporarily closed but is expected to reopen this summer. If it’s open when you visit, we recommend dinner at this colorful Jamaican staple! If not, head to Wah Gwaan, another great neighborhood option, for your Jamaican food fix.
• 8pm: Before heading home, check the calendar at The World Stage, an educational and performing arts center and The Barbara Morrison Performing Arts Center. Both offer evening performances throughout the year, and you may be lucky enough to be around at the right time for something fun!

Tips

• Total walk time: 1h 15m
• Total drive/metro time after arrival: 30-50m
• We highly recommend going on a Sunday so you can experience the weekly drum circle and marketplace at Leimert Park Village. If you can’t make it on a Sunday, all the other things on this itinerary can be done Thursday-Saturday. However, The Link only runs on weekends and alternative public transportation on weekdays is less convenient.
• Since there are no reservations in this itinerary, shuffle things up as much as you like! Remember to check the business hours of the spots you’re most interested in to make sure you don’t miss them.

Music lovers, save your visit for Leimert Park’s annual jazz festival, on August 30 this year at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza.