In this entry of the neighborhood blog, we will cover Elysian Valley. To vote for a neighborhood, go here. To vote for a non-L.A., Los Angeles County Community go here.

Elysian Valley is a small working class neighborhood on the east side, bordered by the 5 freeway on one side, and the LA river on the other. It's surrounded by Elysian Park, Silver Lake, Atwater Village and Cypress Park.

Elysium, in the Greek religion, was the part of the Underworld reserved for heroes. It includes the Elysian Plains and the Elysian Fields. Elysian Valley, however, is mostly populated by Latinos and Asians, both heroic and not.

The neighborhood is fairly green and lush. Although many homes sit on dirt yards, the streets are lined with trees and the LA River that borders it is almost like a jungle. At any time of the day, there are people fishing its waters, although orange foam makes me wonder if that's such a good idea. There are abundant carp, ducks, cormorants and the occasional crawdaddy.

The neighborhood is a mix of residential and industrial. There are no commercial spaces aside from one market, the Lovely Service Market. When the 5 was constructed in the 1950s, many residents of Elysian Valley were displaced and the commercial corridor that helped the neighborhood thrive in the 1930s withered and died.