Shakespeare Bridge

 Los Feliz is a neighborhood located in North Los Angeles, bordering East Hollywood, Atwater Village, Silverlake, and the Hollywood Hills. This city is home to some great L.A. spots including The Los Feliz Theatre, Little Doms, The Alcove, Griffith Park/Griffith Observatory, The Greek Theatre, and more. As much as I love these hot spots, I'm ​more-so a fan of finding and exploring LA’s hidden gems, so when I heard there was a beautiful, not-so-well-known bridge in a quaint neighborhood in Los Feliz, I added it to my ever-growing Los Angeles bucket list.

Designed by Architect J.C. Wright and built in 1926, the Shakespeare Bridge is named after – you guessed it ;) – William Shakespeare for its vintage charm and gothic style architecture. It’s made entirely of concrete, coming in at 30 feet wide and 260 feet long. The bridge is complete with gothic style towers, arches, columns and charming light fixtures. As you can see from the pictures above, this is a beautiful place to take photos (there was even a couple having their engagement pictures taken when I visited) and walk leisurely along either side of the bridge. You’ll see sprawling views of Los Feliz's neighborhoods on each side and you won’t hear much of anything, unless a car happens to drive over the bridge while you’re visiting. I loved how peaceful and quiet it was. It was also pretty​ chilly on a cool Los Angeles morning, but luckily I was prepared and bundled up in the appropriate So Cal winter attire.

I would like to mention, though, that as much as I enjoyed visiting this off-the-beaten-path gem, I noticed that there was no place to sit and relax around or on the bridge. The most you can plan to do here is drive or walk over the bridge and enjoy its beauty relatively quickly. It would be nice if there were picnic tables or a designated area for visitors to sit back and relax, but I guess that’s what help keeps this a local “hidden gem.”

Ultimately, this quaint and adorable bridge reminded me of how darn charming Los Angeles can be. In the midst of a busy city with sky scrapers, modern architecture, and all these new "trendy" spots, it’s always nice to get a glimpse of LA’s fascinating (and beautiful) history every now and then. And as much as I have become drawn to photographing the modern architecture of our city (including my favorite Urban Lights at LACMA, the new Broad Museum, the recently renewed red & steel Petersen Automotive Museum, etc.), I still adore exploring unique spots that are rich in history and vintage charm. The 1920’s is a decade I have always been most interested in learning about (and that I would love to temporarily teleport myself to!) so I especially love hidden gems and adventures that make me feel like I’m in an entirely​ different era.  
 
The Shakespeare Bridge was named a city landmark in 1974 and definitely is worth checking out if you’re in the area! This special sight is located in a residential neighborhood of Los Feliz at Franklin Ave & St George St, Los Angeles, CA 90027.