How Do You Describe Highland Park to Someone Who Doesn't Know the Neighborhood?

When people ask you about Highland Park, what do you say?

Though larger publications like the Los Angeles Times and the LA Weekly have zeroed in on Highland Park for both its attractiveness to young professionals and its emerging business district along York Boulevard, there are still plenty of Angelenos who never even heard of this 'hood, let alone visited it.

When friends ask me about where I live, I like to mention that there's a diversity that extends from the people to the arts scene to the bars to the businesses. I also like to mention that just one block beyond York and Figueroa's bustling business districts, there are beautiful craftsman homes where families of all different backgrounds reside side by side.

I'm interested to know how other HLP residents describe our neighborhood to people who don't live here.

How do you describe HLP to folks who've never been here?