Los Angeles County Map Tapestries

Los Angeles - college, university, football, baseball, and basketball text style; clothing and decorations.

I moved to Los Angeles in 1999. I couldn't find a map of all of the communities and neighborhoods of the county. I set about making my own -- exploring the vast county on foot and mass transit. Along the way, I drew maps with ink and painted them in watercolors and oil paint -- or some combination (including correction fluid). As a lefty converted to a righty, my handwriting is terrible and my maps are sometimes hard to read when reproduced or reprinted -- and so I've made these clean, digital versions for people who prefer that sort of thing.

los angeles lineart map

Whether you are from Long Beach, Glendale, Santa Clarita, Lancaster, Palmdale, Pomona, Torrance, Pasadena, El Monte, Downey or one of LA's great locations, this design is for you! Featuring bright colors to give you that seventies eighties vibe.

Southeast Los Angeles County -- or just "Southeast Los Angeles" -- refers to a cluster of gateway cities and unincorporated suburbs located between South Los Angeles's Eastside, the San Gabriel Valley, and North Orange County. I wrote a primer of the region, for my series "California Fool's Gold," in 2009 and drew an earlier version of the map at that time. This one was completed a short time after. https://ericbrightwell.com/2009/04/28/california-fools-gold-a-southeast-los-angeles-primer/

Downtown Los Angeles is a region of Central Los Angeles which is home to many small neighborhoods and districts. I explored and mapped it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2011. https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/03/15/california-fools-gold-a-downtown-los-angeles-primer-2/

Los Angeles County is by fart the most-populous of the US's 3,007 counties and county-equivalents (i.e. 64 parishes, 19 organized boroughs, 10 census areas, 41 independent cities, and the District of Columbia). It's home to the country's most densely-populated urban area, Metro Los Angeles, as well.

Zuma Beach Los Angeles County California vintage travel poster.

The beautiful silhouette skyline and the exact coordinates of Los Angeles, California make up this amazing art piece. A great gift for anybody that has love for this city.

Malibu Los Angeles travel poster in a retro style.

The Eastside is a region of Los Angeles County. It includes the communities of Boyle Heights, East Los Angeles, El Sereno, Lincoln Heights -- as well as numerous smaller communities like Belvedere, Brooklyn Heights, City Terrace, Eastmont, Happy Valley, Hillside Village, Maravilla, Rose Hill, and University Hills. I wrote a primer, for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2011. https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/03/30/california-fools-gold-an-eastside-primer/

University of California Los Angeles campus map... let me know if you would like to see your campus next!

This map design of Los Angeles, California is the perfect gift to show hometown pride or is a great souvenir for travelers and lovers of cities.

A classic city street map of Los Angeles, California in black and white, with the exact coordinates of the city, make up this amazing art piece. A great gift for anybody that has love for this city. You can never go wrong with class. I love my city.

In 2010, I explored Claremont, the Pomona Valley's "city of trees and PhDs." I painted this map as part some time later -- after I got into oil paints. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/04/20/california-fools-gold-exploring-claremont-the-city-of-trees-and-phds/

West Adams, historically, refers to a sub-region of Los Angeles centered along West Adams Boulevard. Today, it also refers to a newer neighborhood of South Los Angeles, also bisected by West Adams. Thus, this map is distinguished as "Historic West Adams."

los angeles map

An ink and correctional fluid map of Los Angeles's Westside region. It's home to enclaves like Little Brazil, Little Britain, Little Odessa, Little Osaka, and Tehrangeles; UCLA; world-famous Venice Beach, and a handful of places with "Beverly" in their name. I wrote a primer about the communities of the Westside for "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/08/18/california-fools-gold-a-westside-primer/

Eagle Rock is a former municipality that was incorporated in 1911. In 1923, it was annexed by Los Angeles. It's named after a large rock, which at certain times of the day, reveals a shadow that looks like an eagle in flight. I explored it, for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2010. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/04/09/1166/

Torrance south bay - Los Angeles County, California vintage travel poster.

Pasadena is today only the ninth-most populous cities in Los Angeles County. However, it is easily one of the most historically and culturally important. I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2012. https://ericbrightwell.com/2012/01/04/california-fools-gold-exploring-pasadena-the-crown-city-of-roses/

I moved to Los Angeles in 1999. I couldn't find a map of all of the neighborhoods of the city. I set about making my own -- exploring the vast county on foot and mass transit. Along the way, I drew maps with ink and painted them in watercolors and oil paint -- or some combination (including correction fluid). As a lefty converted to a righty, my handwriting is terrible and my maps are sometimes hard to read when reproduced or reprinted -- and so I've made these clean, digital versions for people who prefer that sort of thing.

Santa Ana is the county seat of Orange County. It's known as "Orange County's Downtown" and is one of the few cities in that county that can truly be characterized, in part, as urban. I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2010. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/08/11/california-fools-gold-exploring-santa-ana-downtown-orange-county/

Boyle Heights is a neighborhood on Los Angeles's Eastside. Once it was thought of as the "Ellis Island of the West," on account of its diverse population of Jews, Japanese, Russians, Mexicans, and others. I explored for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2010. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/01/28/california-fools-gold-exploring-boyle-heights/

A map that I did of the neighborhoods and communities of South Los Angeles's Eastside for "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/08/05/california-fools-gold-a-south-los-angeles-eastside-primer/

Arcadia is a suburb of the San Gabriel Valley which now has a population that is roughly two-thirds Asian-American (mostly Chinese and Taiwanese). It is thus often jokingly referred to as "Arcasia." I explored it in my series, "California Fool's Gold' in 2011. https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/01/04/california-fools-gold-exploring-arcadia-the-san-gabriel-valleys-community-of-homes/

The Santa Monica Mountains are, naturally, a mountain range. The name also refers to a region of Los Angeles County, located west of the Westside. I wrote a primer and painted this map for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2011. https://ericbrightwell.com/2011/06/01/california-fools-gold-a-santa-monica-mountains-primer/

Los Feliz is a neighborhood in Mideast Los Angeles (MELA). It's named after the Feliz (also spelled Felix and Felis) family who ranched there decades ago. I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2010. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/11/16/california-fools-gold-exploring-los-feliz-the-mideast-sides-pill-hill/

City Terrace is a small neighborhood on Los Angeles's Eastside. In 2013, I explored it, with a dog named Dooley, for a piece that appeared in my series, "California Fool's Gold." https://ericbrightwell.com/2013/12/24/been-up-to-city-terrace-to-see-whats-a-happening-exploring-city-terrace/

A topo map of Griffith Park, Los Angeles

South Gate is a suburb in Southeast Los Angeles. The city was named in 1918 after Cudahy Ranch's South Gate Gardens. I've actually yet to explore it and when I do, changes and additions will no doubt be made to this map, which I must've drawn around 2010.

Silver Lake is a restaurant in the Mideast Los Angeles (MELA) region. It is famously Los Angeles's "gayborhood," having been the birthplace of the Advocate magazine, Light House Book Store, the Black Cat protest (the nation's first planned gay rights action), the Mattachine Society, and countless gay bars. One of its affectionate neighborhood -- a reference to both its demographics and hilly topography, is "the Swish Alps." I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2010. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/06/08/california-fools-gold-exploring-silver-lake-los-angeless-gayborhood/

Leimert Park was created by Walter H. Leimert as a whites-only neighborhood in 1928. However, it has long been a significant cultural hub of Los Angeles's black community.

This is the second map I made of Atwater Village. The first sold before I explored the neighborhood for "California Fool's Gold" in 2014. https://ericbrightwell.com/2014/11/30/california-fools-gold-exploring-atwater-village/

Monterey Park is a suburban city in the San Gabriel Valley. It is notable for it's Chinese American majority, although it has undergone changes over the years, from a predominantly Taiwanese Chinese population to a mainland Chinese and Hong Konger population. I explored it for my series, "California Fool's Gold," in 2010. https://ericbrightwell.com/2010/09/23/california-fools-gold-exploring-monterey-park-%e8%92%99%e7%89%b9%e5%88%a9%e5%85%ac%e5%9b%ad/

Metro opened the first phase of the Expo Line (now the E Line) in 2012. Phase 2 opened in 2016. I explored its route in 2013 for my series, "Nobody Drives in LA." https://ericbrightwell.com/2013/01/30/nobody-drives-in-la-exploring-the-course-of-the-metro-expo-line-phase-2/