The bulk of the area closer to Pueblo de Los Angeles-Downtown Los Angeles was part of the original Spanish and Mexican land grants of Rancho San Rafael and Rancho San Pascual when the city incorporated in 1850. One of the first annexations of the city was Highland Park in 1895. Other nearby communities attached to Los Angeles were Garvanza, Arroyo Seco and Eagle Rock. Development in the Northeast was fostered by service of the Los Angeles Railway "Yellow Cars." Traditionally a heavily Latino and working-class part of the city, Northeast Los Angeles has undergone gentrification starting in the 2000s. With the influx of young professionals, Northeast Los Angeles has gained attention for its hipster culture and a new wave of commercial development; however, increasing housing prices have caused tensions with long-time residents.
Geography
According to the Mapping L.A. survey of the Los Angeles Times, Northeast Los Angeles consists of a region bounded on the south and west by the Interstate 5, the north by the cities of Glendale and Pasadena, and bounded on the east by the Arroyo Seco Parkway. Much of Northeast Los Angeles is located on or around the San Rafael Hills. . The same survey identifies the following seven neighborhoods as comprising Northeast Los Angeles:
In the 2000 census, Northeast Los Angeles had 167,674 residents in its 17.18 square miles, which amounted to 9,757 people per square mile. The densest neighborhood was Highland Park, and the least dense was Mount Washington. About 54% of the area's population lived in rental units, while 46% lived in owner-occupied housing. Highland Park was the neighborhood with the highest rental occupancy, and Eagle Rock had the lowest. The latter district also had the oldest population, and Cypress Park had the youngest. Eagle Rock also was the wealthiest neighborhood and Cypress Park the poorest. Eagle Rock was the neighborhood with the largest percentage of residents holding a four-year academic degree and Cypress Park had the lowest percentage. The ethnic breakdown in 2000 was Latino, 62.5%; White, 16.6%, Asian, 16.0%; Black, 2.0%, and Other, 2.9%. Eagle Rock was the most ethnically diverse neighborhood and Cypress Park the least.
Transportation
The area is well-served by freeways and public transportation. California's first freeway, the 1940 Arroyo Seco Parkway, connects the area with Downtown and Pasadena. Interstate 5 and Interstate 10 lie directly to the south of the district. The Metro Gold Line light rail's four stations connect Northeast Los Angeles with Downtown and Pasadena.
