The community components of the Silver Lake Master Plan deal mostly with the following issues:
The view and landscaping of the reservoir grounds; | ||
Potential recreational activities; |
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Traffic volume and safety for bicyclists and pedestrians on the surrounding streets; and historic and cultural connections to the surrounding community. |
The community was largely built in the 1920s by developers, including the Moreno family. The hills, climate, and blue water view, reminiscent of Southern Italy, inspired the Mediterranean architecture so prevalent in Silver Lake.
The reservoir itself was developed as part of a complex, City-wide drinking water storage and delivery system designed in the late 1800s and named after Herman Silver, an early Water Department Official.
Sketch of nursery school
Over time, a cooperative nursery school was installed on the grounds, and recently, formal approval was obtained for the very popular, but only one of the few, off-leash dog parks in the City of Los Angeles. |
The recreation center (actually on about 1/10 of an acre) is the responsibility of the Department of Recreation and Parks. The new centers preliminary design, Mediterranean in style, was prepared pro bono by Silver Lake resident, Christian Dufay, a local architect, with extensive input from the community and the Department of Recreation and Parks. The center opened in the Summer of 1999. |
Silver Lake has always enjoyed an eclectic and ethnic mix of residents such as early motion picture pioneers, professionals who worked downtown, architects who built experimental houses commissioned by the avant garde and political radicals. Today, the mix of residents is just a complex, a welcome diversity. There continues to be music, film and television industry people, many with home offices, as well as people in every imaginable profession, all who appreciate the central location of Silver Lake.