La Crescenta

Technically referred to as La Crescenta-Montrose, this area is an unincorporated area in Los Angeles County between Glendale and La Cañada Flintridge. The main street is Foothill Blvd, with shops and restaurants lining the street and homes both above and below Foothill Blvd.

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Last updated Aug 22, 2026

Aerial view up a tree-lined La Crescenta street toward the San Gabriel Mountains

My family first moved to La Crescenta in 1992. I grew up here, went to Monte Vista, Rosemont and Crescenta Valley High, and now I’m raising my own kids here. It has changed so much since then, in a wonderful way. There has been a resurgence of families moving here for the schools, but I still think it’s Northeast LA’s best-kept secret: tucked into the foothills of the San Gabriels, still has a small-town feel, and is about 20 minutes from downtown on a good traffic day.

There are so many great parks in the area, Two Strike being my favorite. La Crescenta could definitely use some more varied food options and more shops to serve the community. The good news is that you’re just a short drive away from lots of other options. The Rite-Aid on Foothill has been closed for a long time now, and my sources tell me that there’s going to be (yet another) gym in that spot.

I might be a bit biased because I grew up here, but there was no other place I could think of when it came time to think about having kids and where to raise them. There’s nothing quite like being tucked away in the hills, with mountain views both above and below, and the air after it rains is like nothing else. The community is tightly woven here, with parents very involved in the elementary schools and in the local sports leagues. CV Little League and CSA are the baseball leagues, and flag football, soccer, and basketball are also very popular with families. Remember the show “Friday Night Lights” set in a small town in Texas? That’s literally the name of the local flag football league!

What to compare on a tour

Pinecrest, at the top of La Crescenta Ave, is my favorite neighborhood: wide, windy streets lined with mid-century post-and-beam homes by self-taught local architect Webster Wiley. Wiley designed and built almost 1,000 homes here in the 1950’s to 1970’s, many with his signature center atrium design.

Briggs Terrace is a close second. Go up Briggs, turn on Shields and it’s like a mountain town in another part of the state: winding roads, canyon views, and wildlife neighbors.

The Crescenta Highlands is a part of Glendale, but deserves a mention here. This area between Pennsylvania and Lowell is considered a part of the La Crescenta community and shares the same 91214 zip code.

La Crescenta, Crescenta Highlands, and Montrose schools are within the Glendale Unified School District. A total of seven elementary schools that all feed into Rosemont Middle School, then Crescenta Valley High School and Clark Magnet High School. There are also several private schools and homeschool co-op’s as well.