I haven’t even finished my first cup of coffee yet, and there’s already some drama going on with the Dodger Stadium home opener today (which doesn’t start until 1:10 pm). I’ll be posting some updates throughout the day as needed, but here’s the low-down so far:

  • Matthew on Scott Avenue wrote on the Echo Elsyian Neighborhood Council Forum: “I was walking my dog in Elysian Park at 6am and the music coming from Dodger fans already parked in Chavez Ravine was deafing. I asked a policeman about it and he just ignored me. I saw police cars driving down Stadium way making announcements but the music kept up its deafening volume. So much for the start of the Dodger season and working with the neighborhood.” Other residents seem to have heard loud music as early as 5:00 am coming from Elysian Park. Click here to join the conversation on the forum.
  • LA Now reported last night the LAPD will be cracking down on tailgate partyers in the Stadium parking lot. Last year we saw plenty of people getting tickets as their drinks were being poured on the asphalt, so be aware.
  • There’s already a lot of traffic on the surrounding freeways right now (the 5 and 110 Pasadena freeways in particular), try to avoid leaving your house or work today. Just don’t go anywhere and you’ll be fine.
  • Or ride the Dodger shuttle from Union Station and give residents and commuters a break.
  • Residents have yet to receive the placards that allow local access to surrounding streets. No word from Neighborhood Relations Manager Noel Pallais why those haven’t come in yet (not that the placards really improve anything, but it’s the least they can do).
  • Click here to read a little about how Dodger Stadium had “planned ahead” for this crazy, crazy day.

Send us your photos or comments about how Dodger Stadium is handling Opening Day 2010.

April 12th – April 18th, 2010

Monday
Walking Sleep, The Union Line, Goldenboy, Big Whup at The Echo
Crystal Castles, DJ Paul V. at Echoplex
Nuexpe, The Monolators, The Seizure, NaNa & the Happy Cats at Pehrspace
One F (7pm) at Origami Vinyl

Tuesday
Psychedelic Horseshit, Wounded Lion, Residual Echoes, Suededriver at Echo Curio

Wednesday
The Ruby Suns, Toro Y Moi, Pepper Rabbit at The Echo
Nick Jaina, Eliza Rickman, Liz Pappademas at Echo Curio
Craig Wedren, John Carpenter at Bootleg Theater

Thursday
We Are The World, Sir Heffington’s Fingered at The Echo
Black Church, I.E., Ghost to Falco, Ezra Buchla at Echo Curio
Buffy Sainte-Marie, Jonathan Wilson at Bootleg Theater

Friday
Autolux, Franz Nicolay at Bootleg Theater
Mau Maus plus guests at Echoplex
Whisper Kid, Odnila G, Blue Tape Red Tape, White at Echo Curio

Saturday
jj, Delorean, Bachelorette at Echoplex
Dum Dum Girls, Male Bonding, The One AM Radio, Adam Harding, Lou Barlow + the Missing Men (Record Store Day 2pm-7pm) at Origami Vinyl
Timonium, Radar Brothers, Young Hunting at Echo Curio
SISU, Katie the Pest, Maraca Mouths at Pehrspace
Nevenka at Bootleg Theater

Sunday
Part Time Punks feat. Love Is All, Weave!, Love Grenades at The Echo
Dum Dum Girls, Ramona Gonzalez, Tan Dollar at Echo Curio

(Club nights not included with one exception this week for Part Time Punks)

Thanks to LAist

Photo by Richard Dickey

This is your reminder to, well, not complain about the recent rain fall in Los Angeles – April showers sure do bring some beautiful scenery to the nearby desert. Michael O’Brien, a regular contributor to the Echo Elysian Neighborhood Council Forum, shared some photos of Antelope Valley taken by photographer Richard Dickey over the weekend. According to the post, the beautiful poppies should last another two weeks, which makes me want to head over to the desert soon! Click here to check out some more photos on the forum.

Map screenshots via Mailbox Map

I know most mail carriers will pick up your mail if you leave it in your box or outside your house. If you are like me and have had run-ins with Netflix bandits, you might feel more comfortable finding your closest mailbox. This might come in handy if you don’t want your outgoing mail sitting outside all weekend, since Saturday mail delivery may end soon. Ending Saturday mail delivery would save billions but would also cut jobs, so it’s certainly controversial. Read more about it here. Find more mailboxes here.

El Compadre
1449 Sunset Boulevard
(213) 250-4505
Hours: 11:00 am-1:00 am

Menus are subject to change.

Read more

Laveta Stairway

With over 20 stairways around Echo Park, who needs a stairmaster? Now that the weather has warmed up, it’s time to get in shape!

With the help from the Echo Park Stairways PDF map from the Echo Park Historical Society, as well as from a website called Community Walk which has a map of Los Angeles Stairways (not all Echo Park stairways are listed on there, but there are a ton of spots around all of L.A.), we have put together this nice Echo Park Stairways map just for you:


View Echo Park Stairways in a larger map

This was, of course, before we discovered the Echo Park Historical Society’s interactive Google map of the Echo Park Stairways, which you can always check out here (we were having some technical difficulties sharing and embedding the map within our site).

Remember to wear comfortable shoes and sunscreen!

A press release yesterday unveiled Dodger Stadium’s new menu items you’ll be able to get all season, starting with the home opener on Tuesday, April 13. Some of the new items are enormous in size, and another even has a Facebook page calling for its return.

The new enormous pretzel, photo via LAist

Menu highlights include:

  • My Town Nights: features ethnic foods that represent the diversity of “Dodgertown,” such as Pabellon Criollo for a Venezuela night on May 23, and Spicy Korean-style BBQ chicken and kimchee for Korea night on August 18. There are more than 40 dates this season for My Town, so click here for a list of menu items.
  • The Victory Knot: This all-American gigantic snack first caught our eye on a related article published on LAist (see photo), and is supposed to be enough for FOUR people. Two pounds of dough, topped with sea salt, and three dipping sauces (chipotle honey mustard, sweet cinnamon crème, and beer cheese) accompany the monstrosity, which you can only buy at Campy’s Corner on the Field Level. No word on how much this puppy will set you back ($20 plus gym membership maybe?), be sure to let us know if you have some field tickets.
  • The Spicy Picante Dog: a somewhat popular Facebook fan page (with 58 members) may have something to do with the return of this Dodger favorite, which had disappeared from the menu last season.
  • The usual California Pizza Kitchen, Dippin’ Dots, and all the other tempting treats will be available on the Field and Reserve levels.
  • Kaiser Permanente Healthy Plate Carts will also be there to offer healthier alternatives like salads and fruit plates.
  • Bleacher Beach will now be open Friday through Sunday.
  • Mannywood will now have “five t-shirt options.”
  • All-You-Can-Eat Pavilion price will decrease $5 if you purchase tickets in advance.

Click here for the full press release.

Warwick, an Echo Park vintage store, has moved from its location at 1461 ½ W Sunset Blvd to a larger space at 1205 Sunset Blvd.

Tomorrow (Saturday, April 10) the store is holding a sort-of grand opening called “Flash Flea” in which local vendors will be featured. There will be a DJ, merchandise for sale, and good company, so check it out from 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm. View the Facebook invitation here.

Noel Pallais, the Dodgers Neighborhood Relations Manager, sent out an email earlier today (Friday) about what the neighborhood can expect for Opening Day on Tuesday, April 13.

The night before Opening Day, maintenance lights will be on for the duration of the night in preparation for Opening Day Events.  We will make every effort to minimize the impact on our neighbors.

The pregame ceremony, which is scheduled to start at approx 12:35pm, will include a small fireworks display on the field and a military flyover approximately 10 minutes before the start of the game.

In an effort to minimize the impact on our neighbors due to the starting time being earlier than our regularly scheduled games we are working very closely with the Los Angeles Police Department, as well as the City of Los Angeles Department of Transportation; additionally, as is our policy on special event games, all of our parking gates will open earlier than our normal 2 hour period prior to the start of the game.

Since safety is of paramount importance, security and lighting will be provided to the areas around the Stadium to safeguard all vehicles and all necessary traffic controls will be in place. Additionally, you may report any security concerns to our Neighborhood Focus line at 323.224.2636.

Finally, with regards to special events at the Stadium for the upcoming season, note that postgame firework shows are only scheduled for the following dates: Monday, July 5th (start of game will be 6:10 pm) and Friday, September 3rd (start of game is scheduled for 7:10 pm). Additionally, prior to the start of every Sunday game scheduled at the Stadium, there will be a small Viva Los Dodgers musical event in our outfield parking lot (Lot G) starting approximately 2 hours prior to the scheduled start of that game and ending right at game time.

As in previous years, please keep in mind that the City of Los Angeles will close the following streets on April 13th, from 2:00 am to 8:00 pm for staging purposes and game preparations.  These closures will also serve to accommodate employee parking, minimize the inconvenience to neighbors and facilitate traffic flow. Note that local and emergency access will be maintained at all times:

Scott Avenue between Stadium Way and North Boylston Street
North Boylston between Academy and Stadium Way
Lilac Terrace between Stadium Way and Lookout to Stadium

Hopefully this year’s Opening Day will run a little smoother – last year concerns were raised about tailgate parties outside of the stadium after the parking rates increased to $15.00. Parking rates stay the same, but hopefully the newly reinstated shuttle buses between the Stadium and Union Station will help alleviate some of the parking woes. The Eastsider also points out that “a spokeswoman for Councilman Eric Garcetti said there will be ‘additional deployment to address neighborhood concerns’ about tail gate parties and traffic but did could not provide details.”

Many residents have yet to receive the usual Resident placards from Dodger Stadium to help them get through the “local access only” street barricades. Noel Pallais said we should be expecting them on or before Opening Day.

From the E-Policing newsletter, sent today at around 1:00 pm:

On April 6th, 2010 at 3:15 PM an elderly distraction burglary occurred at the 2200 block of Glendale Blvd. The victim was approached by a male white who stated he needed to examine a cable wiring to the rear of her residence. She accompanied the male to the rear of the property and while there, a second suspect entered her residence and removed U.S. currency from her purse. Both suspects then fled the location. No vehicle was seen. The vict describe the suspect as Male White, Brown hair, Brown eyes, 5’10, 170 lbs, 25-30 years old. He was wearing a yellow shirt with “Tom Cat” written on the breast pocket and dark pants.

Please advise your neighbors of this in case they are not signed up for E-policing.

There are several things that you can do to prevent being a victim:

  • Do not answer your door to anyone that you do not know, even if they say it’s an emergency and need help
  • If they say they are from a utility service or other entity, ask for ID and/or phone the company and verify if they are representatives
  • Do not leave a worker inside your home while another one leads you around your home or yard
  • Report suspicious activity or people loitering in the area.

For emergencies, call 911
For Non-Emergencies call 1-877-ASK-LAPD

Be careful out there!

These videos were recently posted on YouTube by the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles, but we found them via LA Eastside. There are five videos and they each discuss the history and the individuals behind Los Angeles’ street names. Most of the videos discuss the streets that made up the the city of Los Angeles in her earliest incarnation. These include the streets surrounding El Pueblo de Los Angeles, Chinatown and Downtown. Videos number four and six talk a bit about the history of some Echo Park street names. Check ’em out!

Go here if you want to view NHMLA’s other videos.

Here is something for all the female Dodgers fans out there. Victoria’s Secret has launched a baseball-inspired line of casual ware. Yes, other teams are included. Prices range from $22.50 – $54.50. Shop online here.

Friday, April 9 @ 8:00 pm – INSIDE TWIN PEAKS WITH ROBERT ENGELS
TWIN PEAKS NIGHT! Writer-Producer Robert Engels will show his favorite episode of the TV series plus numerous extras and surprises, and will be there in person for an insider’s take on what when on during the making of this cult and critical favorite. $10 admission. All proceeds benefit EPFC’s free youth workshops.

Saturday, April 10 @ 8:00 pm – FOLK NIGHT: LES BLANK MEETS 1921A
Join us for a very special evening as we rummage through the archive to bring you a double header of experimental folk music and films. Come for short films by Les Blank (Gap Toothed Women, Garlic Is As Good As Ten Mothers) and stay for the music, with a live set from The 1921A, featuring a screaming banjo and songs inspired by the old that sound nothing but the new.

Thursday, April 15 @ 8:00 pm – SOUTHERN EXPOSURE #2
A recent survey of short films from the American South curated by local filmmaker and EPFC teacher Will O’Loughlen. Topics include a filmmaker’s relationship with his mother through a recorded conversation between 8th grade students and astronauts aboard the international space station, a group of students who return to New Orleans after Katrina to graduate from high school with their friends, a student’s Oscars nominated story of a young couple who confront a burglar in their neighborhood in the midst of a hurricane, and much more!

Have you eaten at Nuvia’s Pupuseria lately? Have you EVER eaten there? You should. They offer some very tasty homemade Mexican and Salvadorean food on the cheap. I went there the other day and got two delicious bean and cheese pupusas and some fried plantains. We were served by Maria who was a gas: “If you need anything, you just yell at me. Say, ‘Mariaaaa!'” They must have JUST re-decorated the interior because you could still smell the drying paint. There wasn’t anything wrong with their decor before, but the new color scheme makes the restaurant feel… cooler. Literally, cooler. It will be a welcome, dark, air-conditioned oasis in the coming summer months. I’ve also heard that they offer really stellar breakfast at a good price, so I’ll have to check that out.

Nuvia’s Restaurant and Pupuseria is located at 1525 W. Sunset Blvd. They’re open seven days a week from 7:30 am to 12:00 am!

Glendale Blvd

Douglas St