As I close out another school year in my beloved but flat Sacramento, I find myself yearning for a big city vibe and perhaps even more to walk up and down hills. One of the many pleasures on my March trip to Los Angeles was the opportunity to walk the hidden staircases of several fascinating neighborhoods in the hilly northeast part of LA, places like Silver Lake, Echo Park, Elysian Park Heights, and Los Feliz. Here is a quick photo essay on my hikes up and down several of these stairs. It was a nerdy project admittedly! If you want to tackle just one of these staircases, and you are in LA, go for the easily accessible and gorgeous Mattachine Steps (top left). This staircase is also historically important, as the steps were the founding place for the Mattachine Society, one of the earliest LGBTQ organizations in Los Angeles.
All Photos by Matthew Mitchell, March 2022