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Echo Park Lake bird species decline in recent count

On Sunday, December 30, 2012, bird-lovers took a walk around Echo Park Lake with notepads in hand for the annual Christmas Bird Count. According to organizer Judy Raskin, Echo Park Lake saw three new species – acorn woodpecker, common raven and bufflehead – despite the total number of species declining (the lake is still under construction).

Over 70 bird species have been counted at Echo Park Lake over the years – the 2012 Christmas Bird Count saw 41 species with winter usually being a popular month for the migrating birds at the lake. This year, Echo Park Lake bird watchers counted a total of 29 total species, which are broken down below:

2 Canada geese
6 Mallard
4 Bufflehead
3 Ruddy duck
1 Double-crested cormorant
1 Cooper’s hawk
3 Red-tailed hawk
15 American coot
21 Killdeer
8 Western gull
69 Rock pigeon
2 Yellow-chevroned parakeet
9 Vaux’s swift
6 Allen’s hummingbird
4 Acorn woodpecker
4 Black phoebe
1 Cassin’s kingbird
2 Western scrub jay
12 American crow
2 Common raven
38 bushtit
1 Ruby-crowned kinglet
2 Northern mockingbird
11 European starling
9 Yellow-Rumped Warbler
2 California towhee
12 Brewer’s blackbird
7 House finch
18 House sparrow

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2012 Echo Park Community Parade in photos

We’ve finally finished processing all the photos from the Echo Park Community Parade, which took place on Saturday, December 8, 2012. It was a lot of fun photographing the event, and everyone did a great job. Click here to view the full photo gallery on our Facebook page!

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Echo Park Craft Fair this weekend in downtown

If you’re shopping locally like we are for the holidays, the Echo Park Craft Fair this weekend is a required shopping destination. Although featuring many Echo Park artists, the fair has grown out of its backyard diggs of the past and to a new location in downtown.

Started three years ago by Beatrice Valenzuela and Rachel Craven, it has now grown to over 40 vendors. We know Echo Park’s Tavin will be there, along with lots of local vendors and exhibitors selling home goods, fashion, jewelry, pottery, an candles, and more. Check it out!

The Echo Park Craft Fair
Saturday, December 15, from noon to 7:00 pm
Sunday, December 16, from noon to 5:00 pm
The Storefront Bazaar is located at 821 E. 3rd Street

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Echo Park’s Taco Zone truck gets its own tables

No longer do you have to use your car (if you brought one) as a dining table while you munch on your late-night grub at Echo Park’s popular taco truck, Taco Zone. It just got a little easier to drunkenly juggle those tacos and burritos at the Vons-adjacent taco truck with the addition of “modular” tables, likely removable, as posted in a video by Ways and Means.


Tables for Taco Zone from Ways & Means on Vimeo.


Hipster high-fives, guys!

h/t LAist

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A new shade of blue for Echo Park’s Little Joy

Little Joy on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Portia has undergone many exterior paint jobs over the years. From green to black, and covered in colorful murals, the dive bar now dons a purple-ish blue shade.

The exterior facelift is just one of the new changes that new owners Joaquin Reyna-Donaldson and Donald Andes have been working on since closing the doors in November. We’ve reached out for some more info, but for now it’s not clear whether or not the dive-bar vibe will be a thing of the past.

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Allston Yacht Club reopening as “Allumette”

Although owners Charles Kelly and Bill Didonna closed four-year-old Allston Yacht Club in September, the duo have been remodeling the space to reopen a new restaurant under a new name.

“Allumette” (French for matchstick) will reopen some time in early 2013 under chef Miles Thompson, who oversaw the pop-up Vagrancy Project at AYC. Zagat has the scoop:

The menu will keep his focus on “seasonal, soulful” dishes, things like red kuri with broccoli, vadouvan and carrot, monkfish with sour cherry and chorizo, and rabbit with hazelnut tortellini. This time the bar will be overseen by Serena Harrick, another Harvard & Stone alum.

Perhaps the facelift the restaurant is getting will wash it clean of any past karma – prior to AYC, it was Restaurant 15, which lasted just a year. But now that Echo Park isn’t a stranger to upscale dining, hopefully Allumette will stick!

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Echo Park street in the holiday spirit

Photos by Christine Peters

Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park today just got a little more festive – some new holiday decor was installed along the corridor earlier today.

The Echo Park Chamber of Commerce sponsored an “Adopt-a-Pole” drive, which a number of businesses participated in along with Council District 1 and 13, as well as Senator DeLeon’s office. It will sure look nice for the Echo Park Community Parade on Saturday!

Photos by Christine Peters

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Echo Park Community Parade on Saturday

Celebrate the holiday season with Echo Park and neighboring communities – the annual Echo Park Community Parade takes place this Saturday on December 8, 2012 from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm. Santa will be there!

Parade Grand Marshals include: Los Angeles Police Department Captains William A. Murphy, Captain III (Northeast Community Police Station) & Steve Ruiz, Captain III (Rampart Community Police Station).

Parade Ambassadors are: Central City Action Committee & El Centro Del Pueblo, Select Patrol, Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Station 20, Los Angeles Police Department Senior Lead Officers Lewis Ford of the Rampart Community Police Station, and Bobby Hill of the Northeast Community Police Station.

Click here to check out our photos from last year’s parade.

And don’t forget to shop local! The annual Echo Park Shop Hop offers a slew of discounts for supporting our local businesses.

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Shop local and save: Echo Park Shop Hop on Saturday!

The annual Echo Park Shop Hop takes place before, during and after the Echo Park Community Parade. Businesses and restaurants all over Echo Park are offering special discounts for shopping local, check out all the details for each after the jump!

Read more

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Get your holiday on: Echo Park Chamber and Improvement Association mixers

Holiday parties are certainly aplenty this time of year! And if you can’t make it to the Echo Park Chamber of Commerce mixer tonight at Fix Coffee at 7:00 pm, be sure you drop by the Echo Park Improvement Association’s annual Holiday Potluck on Thursday.

Hosting a holiday mixer or event for your business or organization? Share the info in the comments below!

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