, ,

Submit your theme ideas for the Echo Park Community Parade

Local school performs at the 2010 holiday parade

As were are upon the end of May, I’m reminded that the deadline is approaching for everyone to submit their theme ideas for this year’s Echo Park Community Parade (aka Holiday Parade).

The parade will take place on Saturday, December 10th, 2011 from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm along Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park.

Last year’s theme was “Echo Park: We Are the World.” The deadline for your recommendations and creative ideas is Friday, June 17, 2011. Tell your ideas to: Cindy Ortiz at (323) 664-2412, Maryanne Hayashi at (213) 241-0908, Robert Aguayo at (213) 483-6335, ext. 101.

/634 Comments/by
, ,

Long-time Echo Park/HiFi bar closing its doors

Flickr photo via mikeywally

A long-time Echo Park/Historic Filipino Town establishment has just recently announced it will be closing it’s doors in June after 24 years of service to our neighborhood. If you’re a late-night kind of person, you’d be here (and I mean LATE) amongst a mixed crowd of hipsters and long-time neighbors for jazz and well-known DJs. Know the bartender and you might be able to stay after they “turn off the lights.”

Founded in April of 1987 by jazz singer Miki Saito and her sister Maya, it’s not necessarily an attractive frontage (shady renters peering at you through curtains of the Knights Inn, and some unwelcoming patio furniture probably as old as the establishment out front), but inside is some surprisingly attractive 80’s decor you’ll enjoy as you sip an $8 cocktail from a plastic cup. It’s those little details you’ll probably miss a little, so make sure to get in some good times before the doors close.

Closing party is on June 8, check out the Dinner House M website for more details.

h/t LA Times Daily Dish

/50 Comments/by
, ,

Echo Park Film Center rummage sale & how you can help

Today we received an email from a beloved friends of Echo Park – the Echo Park Film Center. As of June 15, the EPFC is losing a rented space they call the ANNEX located in Glendale Blvd. In the email, they say, “This presents a bit of a crisis for our organization.” And they need your help:

We have spent the past 14 months building out the space to create a “living and breathing” film workshop, lab and studio. We have accumulated a 2,000 title Super 8 and 16mm print library. We have animation stands, 16mm editing flatbeds, 35mm projectors, cinema chairs, props, sets, lights, and other assorted film paraphernalia. It has become our second home.

In the next few weeks we will ask for volunteers to help us catalog and move the bulk of the important and critical items to another location. However, this is where we need your help. We have nowhere to move the stuff to and would hate to simply rent a storage unit where the community would have no access to the gear and equipment.

Thus, we are looking for an alternative space.

If you know of a 1000-2000 square feet of space available to help store their archives, please let them know.

In addition, the EPFC, is also holding a rummage sale this weekend on Sunday, May 29 and Monday, May 30, each at different locations. Here’s the info:

Sunday, May 29 at the ANNEX
From noon – 4:00 pm in Atwater Village
at 1821 Tyburn Street in Glendale

Monday, May 30 at the Echo Park Film Center
From 9:00 am – 4:00 pm in Echo Park
at 1200 N Alvarado Street

They are partnering with Machine Project for the block-wide sale. Some of the items for sale include cameras, projectors, older computers, films, DVDs, VHS tapes, etc. The Sunday Sale will feature items they longer need or don’t have room for: furniture, costumes, props, sets and some film/video-related items. Anything not sold Sunday will be available at EPFC for Monday’s sale.

PS click here for the Film Center screening schedule, which is awesome and amazing and totally worth it!

/680 Comments/by
, ,

Climbing some big stairways at the third annual Big Parade

We didn’t get a chance to tell you about this ahead of time, but the Big Parade III is going on right now and through the rest of this weekend.

The 35-mile, two day excursion covers 100 stairways of beautiful Echo Park, Downtown, Silver Lake and Los Feliz, and is led by Bob Inman, nicknamed the “stairway god.”

While the tour has started as of the publication of this post, the tour is organized by “loops” and you can join in at any time. The best part? You can find out where they are, real time, by checking out their Twitter page (right now they are on the Downtown LA segment).

Some of the highlights for today’s tour include an Echo Park loop, meeting at Fix Coffee at 3:00 pm for a 5.5 mile historic stairways loop. At 6:00 pm is the final loop of the day in Angelino Heights, meeting at Lot 1 Cafe for a two mile tour of the Victorian architecture of the neighborhood and Echo Park Lake. Check out the map below and visit the website for more details on timelines:


Sunday’s tour covers Silver Lake and Los Feliz, all the way up to the Griffith Observatory and the Hollywood sign.

Along the way, you’ll discuss historical points of interest, nature, and architecture – all things which make our neighborhoods awesome!

Big Parade III
May 21-22, 2011
Follow on Twitter
Visit the website for timetables and more info

/1 Comment/by
,

Marion Harlow Grove cleanup Sunday

Flicker photo by A.C.Thamer

Help maintain this beautiful memorial garden by pulling weeds, tagging native plants, and picking up trash in the area.

Meet at the Marion Harlow Grove on Sunday, May 22 (tomorrow!) at 8:30 am to noon.

RSVP by e-mail to Sallie Nuebauer at beachy2004@yahoo.com, or call 323.666.9651 the day of event.

The Grove is located at the top of the hill by the DWP Water tower and Horse Corral off Park Drive and Avon Terrace.

/190 Comments/by
, ,

Funding issues cancel 2011 Cuban Music Festival

Flickr photo by Max Santa Cruz, May 2010

As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I’ve been get a lot of questions and emails about the fate of this year’s Cuban Music Festival, held annually at Echo Park Lake.

We did track down the official organizers of the event for more info, but we have some bad news: The Echo Park Lake Cuban Music Festival is indeed canceled this year.

According to the event organizers (which Echo Park Now is not affiliated with), Duval Productions, lack of funding has caused enough issues to postpone the event until next year. They told us, in an email:

We had planned to have it on Sunday May 22, but encountered a number of obstacles with the production this year, from the unavailability of the park to the loss of valuable donations. We have exhausted our efforts to raise the necessary funds to support the event but have not been successful.

With the Echo Park Lake renovation starting in July this year, and lasting for two years, we’re not sure where next year’s Cuban Music Festival will happen, but hopefully nearby!

Visit the Duval Productions website for more information.

/33 Comments/by
, , ,

Big weekend on the calendar for Echo Park

There’s a lot going on this weekend, like A LOT. The Echo Park PDA (Public Displays of Art) Art Walk and the Echo Park Shop Hop on Saturday, lots of Big Sunday events on Sunday, and the first annual Taste of the Eastside also on Sunday.We’ll try to make sense of it all in your following to-do list (of which there are MANY):

Friday:

EPCAP party:

Tonight is the opening party for the Echo Park Community Art Project. Bring your checkbook if you’d like to purchase some awesome artwork made by local high school students and artists, but don’t forget your dancing shoes. In the totally incredible backyard Origami Vinyl is curating the sounds, with DJs Chris Ziegler (LA Record), Mahssa Taghinia (Finders Keepers), Sean Stentz (Origami Vinyl), and Matt Eagleson (Origami Vinyl). See you at Sancho Gallery (1549 Sunset Blvd.) from 7-10:00 pm.

Saturday:

Echo Park PDA Art Walk

When: Saturday, May 14 from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm

Where: Echo Park Ave. from Curran St to Sunset, and along Sunset to Alvarado. There’s a PDF map, click here to download.

What it is: A one day sidewalk celebration to connect, inspire, and create community through the arts. Local businesses, galleries, and neighbors of Echo Park are coming together to showcase art, music, performances, workshops, special promotions, and sidewalk chalk art. This is a FREE event, open to the public, for all ages.

Click here for a list of participating vendors, but there are some notable highlights:

Feeding Birds: 1825 Echo Park Ave.

The Eastsider LA is giving out screen-printed shopping bags, and Feeding Birds will be screen-printing your shirt (bring one in) with the “Echo Park” logo or “The Eastsider LA” logo for just $5.00 per shirt.

Music lineup includes: Mo Bel, Hayley Taylor, Soundmasons, Tinylittle, and LA Font

Giveaways, prizes, snacks, drinks, sales and much more going on at Feeding Birds! (PS: Creator of the Echo Park Art Walk, Heather, will be there and she was once a Feeding Birds intern!)

826LA and the Echo Park Time Travel Mart

They are unveiling a brand new interactive window display at 12:00 pm. David Barnes, the art director behind Of Montreal, will be reading from his new book, What’s Weird?, at 4:00 pm at 826LA.

REWIND The Recycled Electronics Store

Live music refreshments, door prizes & discounts all with a neighborhood vibe.

Tavin Boutique

On site machine knitting & spinning wheel, colorful organic knits by Kerry Regan, shear aplaca wool by Anna Schwartz, live piano music by Nathan Stein, and sales on merchandise. From 12:30-6:00 pm.

EPCAP Workshops

Free animation workshops led by Echo Park Film Center on Saturday from 2-5:00 pm

Interactive Exhibit Tours led by Negative Space Curation on Saturday from 1-4:00 pm

Echo Park Shop Hop

Participating businesses will be offering discounts throughout Saturday, including Masa, Two Boots, Origami Vinyl, Stories, and more!

Click here for the flyer!

Sunday:

Big Sunday with GEPENC:

The Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council is partnering with Big Sunday, parents and students of Logan Street Elementary School, along with neighbors and friends, for a day of service at Logan Street Elementary and neighborhood clean up in Echo Park.

The event is scheduled for Sunday, May 15th from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

There will be a number of projects at Logan, including the painting of a mural, the building of vegetable gardens, the planting of flowers and landscaping.

Cleanup and garden boxes with Garcetti and friends:

Eric Garcetti’s office has partnered up with Assemblymember Gil Cedillo’s Office, Senator Kevin de Leon’s Office and Kaiser Permanente for some events on both Saturday and Sunday. Volunteers will building small boxed community gardens on Saturday, and delivering them on Sunday to some our neediest families, schools and organizations. They will also be leading a community clean up on Sunday, May 15th around Echo Park Lake.

The box construction project will be taking place Saturday, May 14th and the delivery of the boxes will be taking place Sunday, May 15th.

Meet at El Centro del Pueblo located at 1157 Lemoyne St. Both days will start promptly at 9:00 am and will wrap up at 12 noon. Lunch will be provided.

Taste of the Eastside

Lots of Echo Park restaurants participating in this event on Sunday from 1-5:00 pm at Barnsdall Art Park, located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd. Click here for the full story we published the other day!

EPCAP Workshops

Creative Writing with Contemporay Art with Lauren Strasnick (YA Fiction author) from 1-2:00 pm

Exploring Light and Photography with David Starkopf (official photographer for Mayor Villaraigosa) from 2-3:00 pm

/18 Comments/by
,

Echo Park German Shephard Adoption Event

Blue Collar Supplies is hosting a German Shepard adoption event in Echo Park this weekend. Adopting your new furry friend from this event also means that the animal is already spayed/neutered, up-to-date shots and microchipped, so you really can’t lose!

Saturday, May 14, 2011 from 12:00 noon – 3:00 pm

BlueCollar Supplies is located at 1533 Echo Park Avenue

Here are just a few of the dogs available for adoption. If you’re interested, come to the event to meet the one you’re interested in! Visit sheprescue.org to view more photos and fill out an application.

Click here for the full flyer.

/by
,

Missing dog in Echo Park: Help find Selba

We’re trying to help find this adorable pup in the Echo Park area. Owner Meghan emailed us with the following information:

On Tuesday May 3, 2011 my poor little schnauzer/poodle mix named Selby got out from a yard on Laguna Ave and Echo Park Ave. Her name is Selby and she was wearing a pink collar with tags. She is grey/tan/white, weighs about 20 lbs and and has a microchip. I am offering a $500 reward to anyone who finds her. I am utterly heartbroken over my lost little dog.

Email us at info@echoparknow.com if you have any information!

/1 Comment/by
, , ,

What’s up with the Cuban Music Festival at Echo Park Lake?

Flickr photo by Max Santa Cruz, May 2010

My answer is simple: We have no idea!

But we’ve been getting a LOT of emails about this – like, a LOT. So we’ll try and clear things up for everyone excited for a day of congas and Cuba!

First off, the Cuban Music Festival is an annual event at Echo Park Lake – this year marks the 17th. It celebrates Cuba’s Independence from Spain on May 20, and Cuban poet José Martí (you may have notice his statue at the corner of the park).

The festival is usually held on the closest Sunday to that May 20th date – making this year’s Cuban Festival maybe on May 22, 2011. I have not gotten this confirmed by any event organizers, but would love to hear back from them soon and will let everyone know as soon as I know!

/136 Comments/by
,

Elysian Heights fundraiser promises EP stories and treats

Join the Friends of Elysian Heights and the Echo Park Improvement Association for an Elysian Heights fundraiser on Saturday, May 7, 2011.

“Echo Park Stories and Enchiladas” is a free event with an enchilada plate costing a mere $5, stories are free! There will also be live music, a silent auction, and is open to everyone.

Elysian Heights Elementary is located at 1562 Baxter Street
4-8:00 pm on Saturday, May 7, 2011

Click here to donate to Elysian Heights via Paypal.

More information, provided by the event organizers:

The Friends of Elysian Heights (FoEH) and the Echo Park Improvement Association (EPIA) are excited to present “Echo Park Stories & Enchiladas,” a fundraiser to be held on May 7th, 2011 to benefit Elysian Heights Elementary School. FoEH is a group of school and community members that provide financial, material and volunteer support to Elysian Heights Elementary, an award-winning, Title I public K – 6th grade school in Echo Park. FoEH is committed to providing students with programs and opportunities that promote their academic and individual development and thanks the EPIA for sharing in this mission.

The funds realized from this event will directly support the Elysian Heights School & Community Garden. The school garden enhances the academic achievement of our students by having an outdoor classroom. School gardens improve performance in math, science, writing and social studies. They promote healthy lifestyles as well as an environmental stewardship ethic. The garden encourages community and social development and instills in students a real sense of place in our neighborhood. The school also has recently installed a new California Native Garden on campus which will also benefit from this fundraiser.

Community volunteers are welcome.  Please contact friendsofelysian@yahoo.com if you are interested in helping the day of the event or have something to donate to the silent auction, have an interesting Echo Park story you’d like to share, or if you have any questions about the event.  Join us on Facebook.

FoEH and EPIA welcome you and we look forward to sharing a wonderful evening with you on our the charming campus.

/1 Comment/by
, ,

Historic sign getting repaired after years of being dark

Walking out of Masa tonight after dinner, I look up and was thrilled to see some light shine on the top of the historic Jensen’s Recreation Center in Echo Park. The 1924 Jensen building is a great piece of Echo Park history and architecture, and the 28 feet wide x 17 feet tall sign has 1300 red, green and white incandescent light bulbs (which not many existing signs in the area have any more since neon became popular in the 1920s).

In 1997, after 50 years of neglect and the sign unlit, it was restored and re-lit through a cultural affairs grant. We’re not exactly sure how long the sign was lighting up the Rec Center roof, but we do know it was fixed and re-lit again in 2005. However, that lasted only one month, and the sign has been dark ever since.

The relighting you see now is a part of some testing being done to check what needs to be repaired, according to an article Monday on The Eastsider LA. The relighting has been made possible by a $5,000 LA County Historic Preservation Society grant through the Echo Park Historical Society. Echo Park residents, fans of history, and Echo Park Improvement Association members have also privately donated to fix and maintain the sign as well. And in October 2010, Greater Elysian Echo Park Neighborhood Council approved the allocation of $2,500 to the Historical Society for the restoration.

With this new development comes the question: When will the Jensen’s Recreation Sign lighting officially happen?

Hopefully we’ll find out soon, and the fundraising continues! Visit the Echo Park Historical Society website for more information and to donate.

Also, a comment on The Eastsider LA article intrigued us: “What a waste of tax payer dollars we can’t afford to throw away!!!!! Way are we the public paying to improve a privately held commerical building.???? how is the public or community being helped out. ????”

I suppose technically the money allocated by the GEPENC is technically tax-payer, but, like most funds allocated by the neighborhood council, it was put to a vote. In addition, we do appreciate historical parts of our community here in Echo Park, and this building is officially Los Angeles Historic Cultural Monument No. 652. There’s even remnants of an Egyptian themed mural in what once was the bowling alley of Jensen’s Rec Center that still exists (the Historical Society gave a tour in March).

But it can’t be done without grants and donations from community members and organizations, and for those we say hooray.

/1 Comment/by
, , ,

Meeting Wednesday to discuss Fix’s beer/wine application

Flickr photo via Stuart Fingerhut

The Eastsider LA reported today that there will be a forum at Fix Coffee on Wednesday, April 27 at 7:00 pm to discuss the coffee shop’s impending application for a beer and wine license.

While they claim to hold over 2,000 signatures in support of the business’ license, there are a handful of opponents – some of whom are not only long-time community members but also direct neighbors.

Some of the issues are obvious: It’s a quiet neighborhood, directly across from an elementary school, and they are also asking for extended hours until 11:00 pm. Add existing parking pressures, it’s understandable why neighbors would feel concerned.

The Eastsider LA article quotes neighbor Susan Borden, a long-time resident and activist, as saying:

This is the first step in turning our neighborhood from a residential one into a commercial one.  When he moved in three years ago Marc Galucci (FIX owner) could see that this is a residential not a commercial neighborhood.  He wants to change it.  All along Echo Park Avenue businesses will try to get alcohol licenses and bring the club-goers up from Sunset.  Some people will enjoy that—they are [usually] the ones who are not adjacent to the businesses and don’t have to deal with the noise and trash. Most of us like the non-commercial nature of our canyon.

And this is a major concern for neighbors – that even if Fix respects the neighborhood, keeps things quiet, the beer/wine license might open the door for even later hours and entertainments licenses (either by current owners or future owners) at that location and in the area that is unwelcome by some neighbors. Rumor mill has it that more restaurants and businesses serving alcohol will start popping up along Echo Park Avenue, so this just might be the start of it.

Owner Marc Galucci is hoping to listen and respond to such concerns at the meeting on Wednesday, and, as he said in a response to Susan on The Eastsider LA article, “I am sincerely trying to be empathetic to our neighbors but unfortunately, as you know, you can’t make everyone happy but I will always continue to try.”

While we do look forward to grabbing a beer and perhaps dinner on the lovely patio at Fix, we aren’t the neighbors who will be directly affected by this change.

Do you think Fix will be granted its beer and wine license by the city? Would you support the business if they serve beer, wine and dinner?

And, more importantly, do you see Echo Park Avenue as benefiting from bars and restaurants, or should it remain a quieter hub for schools and residences?

Click here to read the full Eastsider LA article and the letters from Susan and Marc.

/6 Comments/by
, ,

The demise of Save-A-Lot stirs up speculation

The closure of the Save-A-Lot at the end of March prompted a decent-sized online debate about what entity should take over the former historic Pioneer Market location. It’s not clear whether or not the Save-A-Lot will actually return, but a letter posted on the front door doesn’t paint a pretty picture for the chain:

“It has come to the Landlord’s attention that Subtenant has ceased operating from the Premises. In order to protect the integrity of the Premisess and Landlord’s interest therein, Landlord has changed the locks and entered the Premises to inspect name.”

So what’s next?

Well, pretty much every time this location is open for a new tenant, someone mentions wanting a Trader Joe’s. Or perhaps a Fresh and Easy? The Sunset Blvd. storefront is a great location for any retailer or grocer, but so far no announcements have been made.

There’s even a Facebook page called “Bring Trader Joe’s to Echo Park” (with 200+ fans) for neighbors pushing for a Trader Joe’s to take over the location, even amongst speculation that the chain would never open in such a “low income” neighborhood.

It’s a nice thought – the nearest locations are Eagle Rock and Silver Lake, and it would be great to avoid the drive (ever try to park in the Silver Lake one at 5:00 on a Friday? Or any day of the week for that matter). But the downside to bringing a Trader Joe’s to Echo Park in that location is exactly the same issue – parking, traffic due to backed up parking, lack of employee parking, and all-around traffic/parking problems. Frankly, it would be a kind of a nightmare. But would you give up parking convenience that for Trader Joe’s convenience?

A comment on an Eastsider LA article (which, by the way, has nearly 60 comments!) mentioned they’d like to see a second Figueroa Produce location – truly my number one choice and probably a better fit for this neighborhood than another grocery chain. I mean, the fresh salsa and guacamole are really the best!

No offense to the Trader Joe’s fans, but here’s my official call to action: Bring on Figueroa Produce!

/617 Comments/by
,

Dodgers fundraiser for Brian Stow – happening now!

The Dodgers are in San Francisco tonight for another round against the rival team, while the stadium hosts a fundraiser today for Giants fan Brian Stow, who was critically injured in the Dodgers parking lot on opening less than two weeks ago. In addition to the tragic incident (Stow remains in critical condition in the hospital), this has been a bit of a PR issue for the Dodgers franchise and Los Angeles, as owner Frank McCourt and our own mayor have been criticized for not handling the issue very well.

Today, until 3:00 pm, the Dodgers are hosting a “drive-through” relief event for Bryan Stow. All collections going directly towards the trust fund established by the Stow family to benefit Bryan and his children. Assisting the Dodgers in the relief effort will be American Medical Response, the club’s media partners (KCAL 9, Prime Ticket, KABC 790 and Univision Radio), and the Los Angeles Times.

Please drive to the Stadium and donate, in Parking Lot 1. At noon, several community supporters are scheduled to be on hand.

Monetary donations of cash and checks will be accepted, with checks being made out to the “Bryan Stow Fund.” Contributions will also be accepted via PayPal and online at sfpcu.org.

/3 Comments/by