Whittier (California)

Whittier is a city of 86,000 (2018) in Los Angeles County in Southern California. Uptown Whittier is a charming historic shopping district, and features an eclectic array of boutiques restaurants, and a historic restored multi-screen movie theatre. Uptown also serves as a scenic backdrop for special events such as antique fairs, vintage car shows and the annual Christmas Parade. Parts of Whittier evoke the spirit of "Everytown America", and so were used as filming locations in the 1980s film Back to the Future, and the TV series The Wonder Years. == Understand == Whittier was founded by Quakers in 1887 and incorporated in 1898. Many early settlers espoused the Quaker faith. As the city grew, the citizens named it after John Greenleaf Whittier, a respected Quaker poet. Whittier wrote a dedication poem and is honored today with statues and a small exhibit at the Whittier Museum; a statue of him sits in Whittier's Central Park, and another representing his poem "The Barefoot Boy" sits in front of the main library. Many of the streets in Uptown Whittier bear the names of Quaker settlers of Whittier or other prominent Quakers, such as Greenleaf Avenue (for Whittier), Bailey Street, Pickering Avenue, Penn Street (for William Penn), Hadley Street and Washington Avenue (both for Washington Hadley), and Painter Avenue (for John Hunt Painter). == Get in == Although bordered on the west and north by freeways, Whittier is harder to get to by car than most of the Gateway Cities. This gives parts of the city a secluded feel, but what residents gain in peace and quiet they pay for in long commutes. === By plane === The nearest airports to Whittier are Long Beach Airport, Los Angeles International Airport and John Wayne Orange County Airport. === By car === From Downtown L.A. take the Pomona Freeway (60) east. Merge onto the San Gabriel River Freeway (605) south. The three exits on the 605 that serve Whittier are Beverly, Whittier and Washington Blvds; in each case, the city of Whittier is east of the 605. From the south, travel north on I-5, and take it to either Carmenita Road or the 605. Turn right (north) on Carmenita, and stay on it as it becomes Painter in Whittier, six miles north of the freeway. === By bus === Whittier can be reached by Montebello Bus Lines 10, 40 and 50 from the West, Norwalk Transit Line 7, Foothill Transit lines 274 and 285 from the North, and Metro Line 120 and Norwalk 7 from the South. === By rail === Whittier is fairly distant from light and heavy rail. The nearest Metro Rail stations are Norwalk (C Line) and Atlantic (E Line). The nearest Metrolink stations are in Norwalk (Orange County & 91 Lines) and Montebello (Riverside Line). The nearest Amtrak stations are Los Angeles Union Station, Fullerton (Southwest Chief, Pacific Surfliner) and Pomona (Sunset Limited). == Get around == === By car === To get to Uptown Whittier, the city's historic business district, turn left onto Hadley Street and then right onto Greenleaf Avenue. The majority of Uptown's small businesses are on Greenleaf between Hadley and Mar Vista Streets, but you'll find other shops and restaurants a few blocks east and west of Greenleaf. If locally owned small businesses aren't your thing, continue to head south on Greenleaf and turn left onto Whittier Boulevard. At the corner of Whittier Boulevard and Painter Avenue, you'll find The Quad, a formerly indoor mall. After years of being a ghost town, it was completely redone after the 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake. It's now like every other strip mall in suburbia, which means there's plenty of parking and chain restaurants. Still haven't had your fill of cookie-cutter corporate America? Continue southeast on Whittier Boulevard until you come to the Whittwood Town Center, formerly known as the Whittwood Mall, which has been redeveloped several times over the years and (as of 2026) has a JCPenney's, a Target, a Vons supermarket, and numerous other stores and restaurants. If you are travelling from Whittier to Hacienda Heights or other communities over there, the only roads connecting Whittier to there are Colima and Turnbull Canyon, the latter of which is ancient, narrow and windy. Two of the busiest intersections in town are where Whittier Boulevard meets Colima Road in East Whittier, and "Five Points" in southwest Whittier, where Whittier, Washington, Pickering, Santa Fe Springs Road and the Greenway Trail all meet. === By public transportation === Whittier is poorly served by Metro Bus, but Norwalk 7, Montebello 10 and Montebello 50 serve uptown Whittier. Norwalk 1 runs along Norwalk Blvd between Rio Hondo College and Bellflower; Norwalk 7 runs between the El Monte Bus station, Rio Hondo College, Uptown Whittier, PIH Hospital, and the Norwalk C line Metro Rail Station; Montebello 10 runs between CSULA, East LA College, Montebello, Uptown Whittier and Whitwood Mall. In Whittier, it runs along Whittier Blvd, Philadelphia St, Painter Avenue and Whittier Blvd; Montebello 40 runs along Beverly Blvd between Downtown LA and Northwest Whittier (Beverly and Norwalk); Montebello 50 runs along Washington Blvd between Downtown LA, PIH Hospital, Uptown Whittier and La Mirada. In Whittier, it runs along Pickering Avenue, Philadelphia Street, Painter Ave and Mulberry Drive. The Whittier Cruiser is a microbus/rideshare operating within a service area that includes the Uptown Business District, the College, the Groves, the Quad, PIH, the hiking trails, and all the residential neighborhoods in between. LA County's Sunshine Shuttles connect unincorporated South and West Whittier (and Los Nietos) with Whitwood, PIH and the Groves. === By bike === There are several designated bike lanes and bike routes in Whittier, most notably the Greenway Trail. === On foot === If you are walking to Uptown from adjacent neighborhoods, it can be difficult to cross Hadley, Painter, Mar Vista or Pickering, as these streets carry a lot of traffic. == See == 1 The Jonathan Bailey House, 13421 E. Camilla St (east of Painter Avenue, exit Beverly Blvd East, right on Painter Ave, left on Camilla), ☏ +1 562-945-3871. Su 1–3:30PM. Built in 1860, the Jonathan Bailey House was the first residence in Whittier and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 2 Pio Pico State Historic Park, 6003 Pioneer Blvd (at the Whittier Boulevard exit of the 605 Freeway), ☏ +1 562-945-3871. Su 1–3:30PM. An old adobe that was the former residence of Pio Pico, one of the last Mexican governors of California 3 Former Rocky Cola Cafe, 6757 Greenleaf Ave, ☏ +1 562-907-3377. The parade scene in the final episode of The Wonder Years was filmed at the corner of Greenleaf Avenue and Philadelphia Street. Kevin (Fred Savage) is standing under the awning of the former Rocky Cola Cafe. He crosses Philadelphia to meet Paul (Josh Saviano) as a parade goes by. Parades actually do go down Greenleaf, but they're usually Christmas parades. 4 National Bank of Whittier Building (Nixon Plaza, Whittier Brewing Company), 13002 Philadelphia St (at Greenleaf), ☏ +1 562-325-5636. M-Th 4-10PM, F Sa noon-midnight, Su noon-9PM. Beaux Arts Classical, designed by John and David Parkinson. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was home to Richard Nixon's first law office. Home to the Whittier Brewing Company food hall and several restaurant stalls. (updated Mar 2026) 5 Whittier Museum, 6755 Newlin Ave (exit Whittier Blvd, left on Whittier Blvd, left on Philadelphia Street, at corner of Newlin and Philadelphia), ☏ +1 562-945-3871. Operated by the Whittier Historical Society. It contains exhibits on the early history of Whittier, and contains archives on Whittier history. 6 Whittier High School, 12417 E. Philadelphia St (Philadelphia Street and Whittier Ave, five blocks west of Greenleaf). Remember Back to the Future? Well, the high-school scenes of Hill Valley H.S. in 1955 and 1985, including the exteriors for the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance, were filmed at Whittier High School. Alma mater of Richard Nixon. WHS' Vic Lopez Auditorium hosts not only Whittier High's drama department, but also concerts of the Whittier Regional Symphony, Wurlitzer Organ concerts, and other community events. (updated Mar 2026) 7 Central Park & Central Park Historic District, 6532 Friends Ave (the block bordered by Friends, Park, Washington and Bailey). Sunrise-10PM. Whittier's oldest park. Contains a playground and a statue of J.G. Whittier. Founders Day community historical celebration held here the Saturday before Mother's Day. Summer concerts in park on Mondays. Bordering the neighborhood are some of the oldest extant houses in Whittier, built in Craftsman and Victorian styles. One of these houses (6536 Friends) appeared in the movie Hocus Pocus. (updated Mar 2026) == Do == 1 Turnbull Canyon Road, Beverly Blvd. & Beverly Hills Dr.. Turnbull Canyon Road is your typical mountain road. If you grew up in Whittier in the 1980s, your older brother took you on rides on this winding, (relatively) desolate boulevard on weekends. He further scared you by claiming that skinheads and Satanists met here on Fridays nights--just about the time you hit that first turn. Suburban legends aside, it can be scary to drive on, especially at night in the rain. To get here from Uptown, take Hadley Street east, turn left onto Painter Avenue, and turn right onto Beverly Boulevard. Beverly turns into Turnbull Canyon Road. The true test of local-area back roads is whether you're able, after driving the length of Turnbull Canyon, to return to Whittier without making a U-turn, taking the freeway, or using Hacienda Boulevard. === Hiking and biking === 2 Puente Hills (Hellman Park). Winter 9AM-5PM, summer 9AM-6PM. There are many miles of hiking trails in the Puente Hills, including the Skyline Trail, the Sycamore Canyon Trail, and the Worsham Canyon trail. These can be accessed from Turnball Canyon Road at Skyline or Beverly Hills Drive, Greenleaf Avenue at Rose, Workman Mill at Strong and Grande Vista Drive, though each of these access points has little or no parking. If hiking in the daytime during the summer or a heat wave, pack plenty of water 3 Puente Hills Sycamore Canyon Trailhead (Workman Mill north of Beverly Blvd). (updated Mar 2026) 4 Hellman Park Trailhead (Greenleaf Ave 1 1/2 blocks north of Beverly). (updated Mar 2026) 5 Turnbull Canyon Trailhead (1/2 mile east of Beverly and Painter). (updated Mar 2026) 6 Whittier Greenway Trail, 12500 Whittier Blvd. The Whittier Greenway Trail stretches along former Union Pacific railroad right-of-way. It begins at Pioneer Blvd between Orange and Floral Drives, passes through Palm Park, and crosses over Whittier Boulevard on a historic railroad bridge before ending up at Lambert Road and Mills Avenue. There are exhibits on Whittier history along several points of the route == Buy == Most of the commercial retail in Whittier is in Uptown or along Whittier Boulevard. There are four shopping malls along Whittier Boulevard, from west to east: The Marketplace, the Groves, the Quad and Whittwood Town Center. In between them are a myriad of strip malls. 1 Uptown Whittier, ☏ +1 562-696-2662. Uptown Whittier is the traditional shopping district of Whittier. It contains many restaurants and specialty stores, such as the toy shop Wishing Well and the soap shop Pour Le Bain. Most of the businesses are on Greenleaf Avenue between Hadley and Mar Vista Streets, and on Philadelphia Street between Pickering and Painter Avenues. Street festivals held alternate Wednesdays. Street parking on Greenleaf and Philadelphia (tricky to get in and out of) and parking structures on Bright and Comstock between Bailey and Philadelphia. 2 Whittwood Town Center, 15526 Whittier Blvd, ☏ +1 562-237-1038. Whittier's regional shopping mall 3 Blue Hills Nursery, 16221 Whittier Blvd (M 9AM-5PM, closed Tu, W-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 10AM-4PM), ☏ +1 562-947-2013. Wide variety of plants and plant experts. (updated Mar 2026) 4 King Richard's Antique Mall, 12301 Whittier Blvd (at Penn, between Five Points and the Groves), ☏ +1 562-698-5974. M-F 11AM-5PM, Sa Su 10AM-5PM. King Richard's Antique Mall is an antique mall located at Whittier and Penn Streets in a former citrus packing house. It is one of the largest antique malls in California. Some vendors specialize in trading cards, others in furniture. (updated Mar 2026) 5 The Groves Whittier, 7012 Walnut Grove Dr (Whittier Blvd & Philadelphia Street). Residential development and shopping center built on the site of a reformatory. Includes the Rodeo 72 food hall, a supermarket, and several other restaurants and businesses. (updated Mar 2026) == Eat == === Uptown Whittier === 1 Mimo's Cafe, 6735 Greenleaf Ave, ☏ +1 562-698-7474. Daily 8AM-7PM. Sidewalk cafe that sells ice cream, sandwiches, pie and breakfast. $10-20 per person. (updated Mar 2026) 2 Rick's Drive In & Out, 7254 Greenleaf Ave (at Penn), ☏ +1 562-698-4464. M-Th 7AM-10PM, F Sa 7 AM-midnight, Su 7AM-11PM. Long-running burger joint. $8-15 per person. (updated Mar 2026) 3 Crepes and Grapes, 6560 Greenleaf Ave (at Bailey), ☏ +1 562-696-3255, CrepesGrapes@Me.Com. Su-Th 8:30AM-3PM, F Sa 8:30AM-4PM. French restaurant, specializing in crepes. Has wide range of European-inspired coffee and tea drinks. $10-30. (updated Mar 2026) === East Whittier === 4 Thai Table, 10509 Santa Gertrudes Ave (on the outskirts of the Whittwood Town Center), ☏ +1 562-947-9670, fax: +1 562-947-9760. A hidden gem. The menu is fairly large, the service is prompt, and there are many vegetarian and even vegan options. (updated Mar 2026) 5 Rosarito Taco Grill, 16220 Whittier Blvd, ☏ +1 562-943-4466. A great little Mexican restaurant hidden inside a small plaza. Great place for burritos or their potato tacos. === Elsewhere in Whittier === 6 Rodeo 72, 7012 Walnut Grove Dr (Whittier Blvd & Philadelphia Street, just off Route 72), ☏ +1 562-974-7533. Su-Th 11AM-9PM, F Sa 11AM-10PM. Food hall. Contains a full bar and 14 restaurants serving a variety of Asian, Mexican and European foods. Parking around here can be a problem. (updated Mar 2026) == Drink == 1 The 6740, 6740 Greenleaf Ave, ☏ +1 562-698-6740, dave@the6740.com. Beer bar with appetizers, salads and vegetarian options $8-20. 2 Flashbackz Lounge & Grill, 7013 Greenleaf Ave (a few doors south of Philadelphia). Th 7PM-1AM, F Sa 6PM-1AM, Su 1-10PM. 1980s-themed bar, has karaoke, paint-n-sips, and dancing (updated Mar 2026) == Sleep == 1 DoubleTree by Hilton, 7320 Greenleaf Ave. 2 Lambert Inn - Whittier, 13318 Lambert Rd, ☏ +1 562-693-1099, fax: +1 562-698-6752, reservations@lambertinnca.com. Offering an AAA 2-Diamond garden hotel. There are jacuzzi suites and free Wi-Fi. 3 Vagabond Inn Whittier, 14125 E. Whittier Blvd., ☏ +1 562-698-9701, fax: +1 562 698-8716. Check-in: 1PM, check-out: noon. 4 Best Whittier Inn, 14226 Whittier Blvd, ☏ +1 562-698-0323. Check-in: 1PM, check-out: 11AM. All rooms air-conditioned. Adjacent to this hotel is the Parlor sports, billiards and karaoke bar (updated Apr 2026) == Go next ==