Outside in Boyle Heights

Twenty-one acres around a lake, laid out in 1892, with a bridge over the water and the Golden State Freeway cut along one edge. There are pedal boats on weekends, a bandshell, and a steady crowd of people fishing and walking laps. It is the oldest park on this side of the river and it still works as the neighborhood's back yard.

Daily, 6am to 10:30pm

A triangle of pavement at First and Boyle where mariachis have waited for hire since the 1930s, still in uniform, still negotiating by the hour. A kiosk donated by the state of Jalisco stands in the middle and the Metro entrance is built into the corner. On a weekend afternoon there are usually several groups standing around, and sometimes one of them plays.

Open all hours. Mariachis gather mostly in daylight and on weekend afternoons