Getting off the 5 at Stadium Way, it used to be a quick ride to Echo Park Avenue. At one time, you could take the skinny road that hugs the hillside, but today you simply can't get there from here. Two gates have been installed at the base of the road. That has made Landa Street a bucolic hiking path with great views of Frogtown, Glassell Park and Glendale with the San Gabriel Mountains in the distance.
Walking uphill past the two gates, you'll find yourself at a cul-de-sac that has a genuine local feel. Friendly neighbors will tell you stories and point out details about this little stretch of road. Some of the darker tales include two "body drops" by the infamous Hillside Strangler on the 1500 block near Stadium Way.
More recently, a lot was purchased by a man who had his son live on the property. He moved into a bus covered with religious quotes. There was some sort of falling out with a girlfriend, at which point she set the bus on fire. But that's only one side of the lore of Landa Street.
Go for a walk and see if the neighbors don't come up with more stories to round out the history of our community.
An earlier version of this story incorrectly referred to Echo Park Avenue as Echo Park Boulevard. Patch regrets the error.
