Silver Lake Reservoir with the hills behind it

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Silver Lake, stairs and snacks

Hills, hidden staircases, a reservoir loop and some of the best food on the Eastside. Here's how to spend a lazy day here.

Silver Lake is where you go when the beach feels like too much. It's hilly, leafy and a little smug about its coffee. People walk dogs around the reservoir, climb public staircases for fun and line up for dinner at 5pm.

It's also a great neighborhood to wander baked, as long as you do your actual smoking somewhere private. Here's the rundown.

The reservoir that named the neighborhood

The Los Angeles water department built the Silver Lake Reservoir in 1907, after William Mulholland picked the spot for emergency water storage. The lower basin was named in 1906 for water commissioner Herman Silver. The upper basin, Ivanhoe, is named after the Walter Scott novel. Both were declared a Historic-Cultural Monument in 1989.

After a water quality scare in 2008, the Silver Lake basin was taken offline for good. In 2011 the city opened the Silver Lake Meadow on its east side, a three-acre lawn modeled after Central Park's Sheep Meadow. The neighborhood has had a strong queer history too, more on that below.

Silver Lake things to do

Bring comfortable shoes. Half the fun here involves stairs.

  • Silver Lake

    Silver Lake Reservoir loop and the Meadow

    A 2.2-mile walking path wraps around the reservoir. Do the loop, then flop on the Meadow and people-watch. It's the neighborhood's living room.

    TipGo for golden hour. The hills light up.

  • Silver Lake

    Music Box Steps

    923-925 N Vendome St, Los Angeles, CA 90026

    The 133 steps where Laurel and Hardy hauled a piano uphill in the 1932 film The Music Box. There's a plaque set into one of the lower steps. Climb them and imagine doing it with a piano.

    TipFind the plaque at the bottom.

  • Silver Lake

    Micheltorena stairs

    The public staircase from Sunset Boulevard up to Micheltorena Street, painted with hearts and rainbow colors since 2015. Locals call it Stair Candy. After someone painted it white in 2022, the artists restored it.

  • Silver Lake

    Sunset Junction

    The stretch of Sunset Boulevard that's the commercial heart of Silver Lake. It used to host a big street fair every August from 1980 until 2010. Now it's coffee shops, bars and boutiques, good for a slow wander.

  • Silver Lake

    The Black Cat

    3909 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

    On New Year's Eve 1966 police raided this gay bar. The protest that followed in February 1967 is considered LA's first organized public LGBTQ protest, two years before Stonewall. It's now a California Historical Landmark and a restaurant and bar with photos from that night on the walls.

    TipGrab a drink and read the walls.

  • Los Feliz

    Vista Theatre

    4473 Sunset Dr, Los Angeles, CA

    Just over the line in Los Feliz, a single-screen theater that opened in 1923. Quentin Tarantino bought it and reopened it in 2023, showing movies on film only, including 70mm. Seeing something here is a whole event.

    TipPick a 70mm showing if you can.

  • Los Feliz

    Griffith Observatory

    A short ride up from Silver Lake into Griffith Park, open since 1935. Getting into the building and grounds is free, and on clear nights you can look through the telescopes for free too. The view of the city lights is unreal.

    TipGo at night for the telescopes and the city lights.

Where to eat in Silver Lake

Silver Lake eats well. These are all open as of 2026.

  • Silver Lake

    Azizam

    2943 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

    Persian spot that's one of the best restaurants in LA right now. Get the turmeric-braised chicken with an egg on the rice, the kofteh tabrizi and Maman's fried potatoes.

    TipAdd the fried egg to the chicken. Runny yolk, buttery rice, done.

  • Silver Lake

    Pijja Palace

    2711 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

    Indian-inspired pizza and pasta, built for the munchies. Yellow wings, green chutney pizza, malai rigatoni and dosa onion rings. Malted chai soft serve to finish.

    TipGet there at 5pm for walk-ins.

  • Silver Lake

    Ceviche Project

    2524 Hyperion Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027

    Mexican seafood with cumbia playing. The shrimp aguachile is a must, and the scallop dish with salsa macha and charred pineapple tastes like al pastor from the sea.

    TipReservations required. Watch out for the chiltepines, they're hot.

  • Silver Lake

    L&E Oyster Bar

    1637 Silver Lake Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026

    Neighborhood oyster house. Oysters, a big shrimp cocktail, a wedge salad and a grilled whole branzino. Classic and easy.

    TipGet the branzino.

  • Silver Lake

    Bé Ù

    557 N Hoover St, Los Angeles, CA 90004

    Walk-up window with killer bánh mì. Get the lemongrass chicken or roast pork, or the bánh mì dip with braised pork belly, a jammy egg and au jus for dunking.

    TipThe bánh mì dip. Trust us.

A perfect day in Silver Lake

Grab a bánh mì at Bé Ù, then walk up to the Music Box Steps and climb all 133. Wander over to Sunset Junction, then climb the painted Micheltorena stairs for a view of the neighborhood.

Spend the afternoon doing the reservoir loop and lying on the Meadow. Hit Pijja Palace at 5pm before the line builds, or book Azizam or Ceviche Project ahead.

After dinner, get a drink at the Black Cat, then catch a 70mm movie at the Vista or head up to Griffith Observatory for the telescopes. Smoke back at your place, and let somebody else handle the hill driving.

Nearby neighborhoods

Echo Park is just south, with its own lake and a scene to match. Downtown LA is a quick ride away. For legal lounges, head west to West Hollywood. More food ideas on eat, and movie spots on watch.

Questions about Silver Lake

Can you smoke weed in Silver Lake?

At home or on private property where the owner says yes, sure. The reservoir, the Meadow, the stairs and the sidewalks are public, so smoking there is a ticket. LA city has no consumption lounges.

Are there weed lounges in Silver Lake?

No. Silver Lake is in the City of Los Angeles, which doesn't license consumption lounges. The closest legal lounges are in West Hollywood.

Where are the Music Box Steps?

At 923-925 N Vendome St in Silver Lake. There are 133 steps, and a plaque on one of the lower steps marks the 1932 Laurel and Hardy film The Music Box.

How long is the Silver Lake Reservoir walk?

The walking path around the reservoir is about 2.2 miles. The Silver Lake Meadow, a three-acre lawn, sits on the east side.

Is Griffith Observatory free?

Yes, getting into the building and grounds is free, and so is public telescope viewing on clear nights. Planetarium shows cost a small fee.

What is the Black Cat in Silver Lake?

A historic gay bar at 3909 W Sunset Blvd where a 1967 protest, sparked by a police raid, is considered LA's first organized public LGBTQ protest. Today it's a restaurant and bar and a California Historical Landmark.

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