Itinerary: Atwater Village

A small, relatively quiet neighborhood wedged between Glendale and Los Feliz, Atwater Village was called Halemenput by its settlers, the Tong-va Indians, who lived along the banks of the Los Angeles River and hunted mule deer and pronghorn antelope. After the Spanish arrived in Los Angeles in 1781, this rural area was among the most verdant sections of the sprawling Rancho San Rafael. Later, the area was called Riverdale and was briefly part of the city of Tropico from 1911 to 1920, before eventually being subdivided into a residential neighborhood in 1921.

Now, Atwater Village is a working-class community mostly of extended Latino and Filipino families, with a sprinkling of hipsters and an extraordinary number of dogs and skunks.

Today

One of the most popular restaurants in Atwater is Osteria Nonni (3219 Glendale Blvd., [323] 666-7133), a tiny place with an authentic and affordable Italian menu. Check out the long list of specials printed on the chalkboard outside, which might include the soup Pappa Pomodro with seasoned croutons, fresh tomatoes, onions and potatoes, or Ravioli Porcni with mushrooms and cream sauce.

Friday

Bill Clinton and O.J. Simpson may not golf at what has to be the cheapest course in town, the city-run Los Feliz Golf Course (3307 Los Feliz Blvd. [323] 663-7758), but Matt Damon, Charlize Theron and Martin Sheen have been known to. This well-shaded, egalitarian course is just $4 on weekdays and $5 on weekends and holidays. It’s popular with neophytes, cops, and both employed and out-of-work actors.

Tastefully strewn with hunting and camping kitsch, Bigfoot Lodge (3172 Los Feliz Blvd., [323] 662-9227) is likely to be Atwater’s most sumptuous-looking bar, with its all-wood interior and sportsman’s-lodge theme. Hanging out in one corner is a life-size Smokey Bear, along with another bear that regularly pops out of a log, while in the back of the room a cozy couch sits in front of an imitation fireplace. Bigfoot Lodge also features DJs spinning every type of music. Specialty drinks include the Toasted Marshmallow, which comes with a flaming marshmallow on top, and the Girl Scout Cookie, a chocolate-mint drink made with creme de cacao and peppermint schnapps.

Saturday

The place to be Saturday or Sunday morning in Atwater is Eatz Cafe (3207 Los Feliz Blvd., [323] 661-2355), the circular-shaped, greasy-spoon diner next door to the Los Feliz Golf Course. Open for breakfast and lunch (7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily), Eatz Cafe has about 15 crowded outdoor tables and serves up omelets, burgers, sandwiches and shakes. The tables in back, next to the golf course, have the choicest view.

When Bigfoot Lodge gets packed on Saturday nights and there’s a line outside, a lot of folks head down the street to the unpretentious neighborhood bar the Roost (3100 Los Feliz Blvd., [323] 664-7272). Formerly called the Wigwam (it had a wigwam on the roof), Donna’s Red Carpet and Robin’s Roost, this red-lighted bar caters to its regular senior-citizen clientele until about 9 p.m., when it’s taken over by a younger crowd. There’s a jukebox featuring a lot of country music and jazz crooners, a dartboard and free popcorn.

Sunday

Winding its way along a concrete corridor at the edge of Atwater is the Los Angeles River, which has an excellent bike path. (There are entrances at Los Feliz Boulevard, next to the 5 Freeway, and on Fletcher Drive at Ripple Street.) While the scenery is less than spectacular and there’s a fair amount of trash in the river, it’s a tranquil hangout for migratory birds and bikers not wishing to contend with traffic.