Frogtown House, a vacation home rental in Los Angeles

LA River Beauty

At the end of a cul-de-sac, with only one house separating it from the Los Angeles River Greenbelt Bike Path in the newly bucolic Frogtown neighborhood, this classic SoCal stucco bungalow stands poetically cloaked in a loose, lush garden, its spare interiors more reminiscent of a country farmhouse than a heart-of-the-city-bungalow. The sweet backyard lap pool feels like a swimming hole in a wildflower meadow. And casement windows, a clawfoot tub and graceful, arching entryways extend the vintage appeal. Yet outside the garden gate, you’re only minutes from some of the city's hippest Frogtown hot spots.

Behind its new garden gateway, this 1920s Spanish-styled bungalow offers a true urban retreat. A haven of fertile, flowering vegetation, the humble home presents a poetic touch of nostalgia found in its straight-lined furniture, weathered collection of tables and garden chairs under the trees, its country farm kitchen set up, and sparsely decorated, romantic bedrooms and living areas. A back patio features an outdoor food prep station, shower stall and jacuzzi.

Around

Located at the end of a street with the LA River Bike Path just one house away, this quintessentially Californian bungalow offers a rare retreat in the heart of the city. Take the river trail a couple of miles down to the Santa-Maria-styled Mexican barbecue favorite, Salazar, or hop off your bike at the restaurant, microbrewery, bike repair and coffee shop combo, Spoke, with its rotation of live music acts. Vegan hotspot Just What I Kneaded, rich coffee roasters La Colombe, and the farm-to-table Wax Paper sandwich shop are all about a mile down the path, too.

Frogtown, as Los Angeles’ Elysian Valley area is affectionately known, has experienced a renaissance in recent years. Once a self-contained residential enclave named for the abundant frogs that leapt from its grassy riverbanks, the area fell on violent gangster times and turned mostly industrial, home to Hostess and Dolly Madison factory bakeries, before returning to a more pastoral outpost with the late 1980s organization of the Friends of Los Angeles River. That campaign ultimately returned the area to a thriving, under-the-radar creative community crossed through by the Los Angeles River Greenway Trail Bike Path. Kayak rentals popped up on the river’s banks and artists’ and makers’ studios followed, occupying the former plumbing warehouses, manufacturing plants, and auto repair shops.

Alfresco enterprises are the big draw in this leafy LA neighborhood, with picnic tables prevailing over white table cloths, and working design studios favored over sleek galleries. Bikes and feet are the preferred methods of neighborhood transportation, and the area's nightlife centers around acoustic bands and creative restaurants and cafes that draw a low-key, international crowd.