Copy of E) Franklin Hills

District E - Franklin Hills

Franklin Hills and a few other neighboring blocks comprise District E. It is bordered to the north by Franklin Avenue and Tracy Street; to the west by Commonwealth Avenue and Hoover Street; to the south by Fountain Avenue; and to the east by Hyperion Avenue, which delineates Los Feliz from Silver Lake.

Franklin Hills has varied architectural styles, including some of the finest examples of mid-century modern homes in Los Angeles. Famed architect John Lautner designed the school complex that now houses the Lycée International de Los Angeles (LILA) school, which is a designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument.

District E can boast some historical heft: the Gothic-style Shakespeare Bridge, also a designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument, was constructed here in 1926. A public staircase system that provides vertical walkways connecting Franklin Hills’ narrow, winding streets was built here in the 1920s to provide pedestrians an express route to the now-defunct street trolleys below. Prospect Studios on Talmadge Street has gone by many names since it opened in 1915, but is best-known as the ABC Television Center, where hits like ‘Barney Miller,’ ‘Grey’s Anatomy,’ ‘Let’s Make A Deal,’ and the long-running soap opera ‘General Hospital’ were produced.

Perhaps most remarkable from a historical and cultural perspective is District E’s claim to a Disney cornerstone — literally. Brothers Walt and Roy Disney lived at the corner of Lyric Avenue and St. George Street, “close to the office.” Mickey Mouse was “born” right here in Los Feliz in 1928.