Sip Coffee and Shop for 501's in East Echo Park

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Like a lot of good things, it all started with tacos. Once popular eatery Guisados opened up a location on the eastern outskirts of Echo Park, it became a reason to stop on the otherwise desolate stretch of Sunset Boulevard between it's central hub and DTLA.

After a high-end vintage shop popped up nearby, a few more fashionable neighbors have taken up residence within the span of a block, which put it on our radar as a perfect weekend pit stop for sipping cappuccino and shopping oh-so-chic wares and wearables.

Make your first stop the neighborhood's latest addition to what seems to be a constantly-growing coffee scene, Eightfold Coffee (1294 Sunset Boulevard). In addition to pouring brews made with beans from Portland fave Heart, the minimally-designed space also serves up a killer almond milk matcha latte, a modest selection of scones and other baked goods, and even modern bento boxes by healthful delivery service/catering company Gorumando. Plus—we're just being real—the white, light-filled space is totally perfect for photo ops. And with fashion-loving girls flocking to this side of the neighborhood to get the coolest clothes, that comes in handy. Case in point: Little Black Boots blogger Jill Wallace posed for this stunning, coffee-clutching snap here.

Courtney Halverson/Instagram

Though next-door-neighbor Esqueleto (1298 Sunset Boulevard)—a shop that already has a successful location in Oakland's fashionable Temescal Alley—has a reputation as a destination for unique and artsy engagement rings, it also packs plenty of beautiful goods for those who aren't waiting for someone to pop the question. Ceramics by Len Carella, wall hangings by Heather Levine, petrified wood pieces and polished megaladon teeth are among the the non-jewelry scores from this sanctuary of a shop. But back to the jewelry; in addition to finding diamond-decked sparklers by designers like Lauren Wolf and Polley Wales, you can also find funky, semi-precious baubles from Melissa Joy Manning, edgy pendant necklaces from Anthony Lent, and to-die-for vintage pieces.

Ali Golden/Instagram

We fell for Ali Golden (1296 Sunset Boulevard) after we saw the California-based designer's cute, colorblock dresses at another Echo Park fave, Myrtle. Now the brand has its own stand-alone store, which also regularly offers pop-ups from cool-girl labels (so far bag brands Vere Verto and Sarah Tejada, and ethical, linen basics line Faircloth & Supply have shown up), so you can easily score a sweet head-to-toe look in this shop alone. But that doesn't mean you won't want to check out one more chic stop in this strip.

Collection LA/Instagram

Though most of the stock at Collection (1282 W Sunset Boulevard) is technically "vintage," the expertly-curated pieces inside this boutique always feel totally timeless and modern. Though we love browsing the racks here for the usual roster of high-end designers (we've spotted Donna Karan, Max Mara, and Prada on previous trips), right now it's all about DEM JEANS. Collection is a go-to spot for gals in search of the currently coveted Levi's 501's (aka "Mom Jeans") and even regularly offers down to a 24—that's about a 22 in modern sizes—for the itsy bitsy fashionistas.