Zip code 90018, Mar 2026 to May 2026, from the Redfin Data Center. West Adams spans several zips; figures are 90018, covering much of the historic core. Zip codes don't line up neatly with neighborhood borders, and medians hide a wide range of homes, so treat these as a rough feel for the area.
As streetcars pushed west around 1900, West Adams became one of the city's grandest residential districts, and Chester Place, a private street just off Adams Boulevard, was its showpiece. Its largest house, designed by Theodore Eisen and Sumner Hunt and finished around 1900, mixes Gothic, Chateauesque and Mission details. Now part of Mount St. Mary's University, Chester Place anchors one of the largest collections of Victorian and early 1900s houses in Los Angeles.
The homes
West Adams was one of the first neighborhoods built west of Downtown, mostly between the 1880s and the 1920s, and it has one of the deepest stocks of historic houses in the city. You'll find Queen Anne and other Victorians, Shingle-style homes, Craftsman bungalows and big Craftsman two-stories, Colonial Revival, Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial Revival homes, often on the same block. Along Adams Boulevard itself, some of the grand early mansions survive, many now used as offices, clubs or institutions.
Much of the area is protected by Historic Preservation Overlay Zones, including Harvard Heights, Jefferson Park, Western Heights, West Adams Terrace, North University Park and Lafayette Square, along with smaller historic districts. Lafayette Square and Victoria Park, on the west side, have larger lots and early 20th century revival-style homes on curving streets. Duplexes, fourplexes and 1920s courtyard apartments are mixed in throughout.
The feel
- Adams Boulevard is the main spine, with palm-lined stretches, historic mansions and a growing row of restaurants, cafes and wine bars on its western blocks.
- Jefferson Boulevard, around the Maydan Market food hall, has become a second dining strip, with Washington Boulevard to the north adding shops and services.
- Exposition Park and USC are a short drive east, with the Natural History Museum, the California Science Center, the LA Memorial Coliseum and the new Lucas Museum of Narrative Art.
- Kenneth Hahn State Recreation Area, a few miles west, has hillside trails and a lookout with views from Downtown to the ocean, and Leimert Park's arts and music scene is just south.
Eat, drink, shop
- Alta Adams (W Adams Blvd). Soul food classics reworked, with a warm patio and seasonal cocktails. The Infatuation
- Maydan Market (W Jefferson Blvd). A big food hall with a range of vendors, a bar and a rotating pop-up counter. The Infatuation
- Cento Pasta Bar (W Adams Blvd). A pasta spot with a string-lit patio and a bar facing the pasta station. The Infatuation
- Johnny's West Adams (W Adams Blvd). A counter-service deli built around thick-cut, house-smoked pastrami, with a large patio and a bar next door. The Infatuation
- Highly Likely (W Jefferson Blvd). An all-day cafe with a strong fried chicken sandwich that turns into a natural wine bar at night. The Infatuation
- Open Face Food Shop (W Adams Blvd). A Danish-style cafe for open-faced sandwiches, salads and smoked fish, with a shaded patio. The Infatuation
Getting around
West Adams sits right along the 10, so Downtown is often 10 to 15 minutes off-peak, Culver City about 10 to 15, and Santa Monica 20 to 30. The 110 is just east. The Metro E Line runs along the south edge with stations including Expo/Western, Expo/Crenshaw, Farmdale and Expo/La Brea, reaching Downtown one way and Santa Monica the other, and the K Line connects at Expo/Crenshaw.
What's new
- Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. The museum opened to the public on September 22, 2026, in Exposition Park, a 300,000 square foot building with more than 30 galleries set in a new 13-acre park and garden campus. (Lucas Museum)
- LA28 in Exposition Park. For the 2028 Olympics, the LA Memorial Coliseum is set to host athletics and the closing ceremony, and BMO Stadium is set for flag football and lacrosse. (Wikipedia)
- Samuel Oschin Air and Space Center. The California Science Center's new wing, being built to display the Space Shuttle Endeavour, is under construction in Exposition Park. (Wikipedia)
Good to know
- HPOZ rules. In an HPOZ, exterior changes such as windows, porches, additions, roofing and paint on some elements generally need review by City Planning and the local HPOZ board. Check whether a home is in an HPOZ and whether it's rated contributing or non-contributing with LA City Planning.
- Older homes need deeper inspections. For houses from the 1880s to the 1920s, look at foundations and bolting, knob-and-tube wiring, sewer lines, roofs and any past conversions into units.
- City of LA rules apply, including rent stabilization on many pre-1978 multi-unit buildings, which matters if you're buying a duplex or a house with a rented unit.
- Mills Act. Some historic homes have Mills Act contracts that can generally lower property taxes in exchange for preservation work. Ask whether a home has one, and verify the terms with the City.