Earlier this week the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council spent some time voting on an issue many people are very passionate about. Homelessmess issue? Nope. Library funding? Nuh uh. The vote was to declare definitively that Silver Lake is NOT, definitely not, the "Eastside."
Calling neighborhoods like Silver Lake and Echo Park the Eastside stirs passionate online debate like you wouldn't believe. What is certain is that there is a Westside of Los Angeles, and there is an East L.A. that is an unincorporated area that includes neighborhoods like Boyle Heights. Downtown lies just west of East L.A. with the Los Angeles River dividing, but is not exactly south, nor is it central.
Geographically, none of it really makes sense; culturally, there are fervent arguments against calling Silver Lake the Eastside. But whatever your opinion on the matter, the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council has it on record - don't call it the Eastside.
So where is Silver Lake on the map? What would you call it, keeping it both geographically and culturally accurate? We've come up with a few ideas, how about: Northeast Los Angeles, North Central, or East Sunset? Join us on Facebook and let us know: Do you call the neighborhoods of Silver Lake, Echo Park and surrounding communities the Eastside?
@RadioChio@CurbedLA The Eastside begins at the LA River, as it always has. Real estate agents and hipsters can't change history/geography.
— patt morrison (@pattmlatimes) February 6, 2014
Neighborhood council approves motion that #SilverLake is not in the Eastside. "Who is going to enforce it?" asked one council member.
— The Eastsider (@TheEastsiderLA) February 6, 2014
There's a two-week grace period on calling Silver Lake the Eastside. After that offenders will be sent to the Intelligentsia roasting mines.
— CurbedLA (@CurbedLA) February 6, 2014
