Tonight is the Echo Park Improvement Association Neighborhood Issues meeting. There’s a lot of buzz revolving around this meeting as there will be a discussion about the new restaurant being installed in the old Ramona Theater, which we just learned today will likely be called Mohawk Brasserie.
The meeting takes place at 7:00 pm in Williams Hall at Barlow Hospital.
Come a little early to get your seat!
Click here for tonight’s agenda, posted on the EPIA website.
I got a chance to speak with Tony Yanow, owner of Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank as well as the new restaurant being installed in the old Ramona Theater in Echo Park. The reason for our conversation revolved around concerns brought up by residents involved in the www.echoparklife.org website, which we wrote about last week. Mr. Yanow wanted to address a few of those concerns, including parking, bar hours, and the wood-fired pizza oven.
Mr. Yanow says he has secured well over the 54 spots required for a restaurant that size. While details are still being worked out, he has approximately 80 spots so far. As far as how many people he expects to be in the restaurant at any given time, he would “absolutely love” for all 200 seats in the house to be full at all times, but isn’t convinced the presence of the new restaurant will increase the parking problem (or rather, not much) for the neighborhood than there already is. He has suggested to neighbors they research getting a placard system for their neighborhood (residents surrounding Dodger Stadium are well-versed in that effort).
In addition, he will be installing bike racks outside of the restaurant like he has at his other restaurant, Tony’s Darts Away located in Burbank.
“I have long hours,” Mr. Yanow told me, “but the reason for the long hours isn’t because I want to flood the neighborhood with noise and debree.”
Tony’s Darts, he says, has been open for four months without a single complaint from a single neighbor. Tony and his family live in Los Feliz, and says he loves Echo Park and understands the community. He says the new restaurant in Echo Park is not going to be an upscale place, but a nice, friendly family place that he can bring his own family to. He will be posting a sign (you’ll see one similar to what he’s posting in front of the Short Stop in Echo Park) that will say something along the lines of “be nice to our neighbors” and keep the noise down. It’s important to him that he has a restaurant that is “in keeping with what the neighborhood vibe is.”
Mr. Yanow says his pizza oven is the same oven they use at the California Pizza Kitchen establishments. Everything is up to code, ducted properly, and no different than any other gas appliance, so he doesn’t feel it will be a problem with the neighbors.
Apparently the old theater was, on occasion, used as a space for some louder bands to play in the past, and neighbors complained because of the noise. There’s just a big, giant hole in the roof, which Mr. Yanow is sealing and actually replacing the entire roof so that noise won’t be directed at the neighbors behind 
the building, but instead being directed toward the street in the front. The back of the building is 16 feet underground, and a new air conditioning system is being put in, so the building will be better insulated. He says that he does have permits for live music, but no permits to sell tickets pre-sale or charge a cover, and no permit for dancing. In his words, “it’s not a nightclub, it’s a restaurant.”
It seems like the bottom line for Mr. Yanow is that he really does want the new restaurant to help the property values along that block (there are quite a few empty store fronts). “That block is under-served, and could be such a magical block, but it seems so desolate. I think the community will really respond to the food and the alcohol. I can’t stress enough about how excited I am about the menu.”
The menu is going to be very “fresh” and will depend on local farmer’s market finds, so it will be changing based on what’s available. He and and his family are vegan (his seven-year-old daughter is, for the most part), so they plan on having a vegan menu in addition to the non-vegan menu. A lot of the hype revolving Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank is a large drink menu with vegan beers, and he plans on extending a similar bar menu into the Echo Park establishment (he comes from a craft beer background and focuses the menu on local and/or California beer).
I asked him about the restaurant next door, Elf Cafe, and whether or not he thinks they’ll be competing. As a vegan himself, he LOVES Elf Cafe. “Our food is very very different from what they do at Elf, so I hope we’ll be a nice compliment to each other.”
Tony's Darts Away wine keg, Flickr photo via greenlagirl
Besides the beer, I have to admit I’m a little excited to have more restaurants in Echo Park focused on the basics of being environmentally friendly (hat tip to Masa, which offers compostable to-go packaging). Apart from the napkins and straws that you have to have in a restaurant, he plans on having zero waste from bar. They’ll reuse everything when they can (menus are printed because they will change often, but they will reuse those), and everything is post-consumer waste. They are operating as a bottle-free bar, where beer is kegged and even wine is custom kegged for them.
Other than that, count on the new restaurant to be a place where you can watch a Dodgers or Lakers game, but sports won’t be on all the time.
Initially, the restaurant was to be called El Camino, but they are still playing around with the name. If you’d like to give in your two cents for what it should be called (perhaps think about something represents Echo Park) visit the Facebook page for Tony’s Darts Away and share your ideas for the restaurant name.
The website Echo Park Life has gotten a lot of criticism lately regarding their efforts, but they did respond yesterday and will hopefully clarify some things with readers (including why your comments may not be showing up on the site), so take a look and maybe you’ll get a chance to see them at the upcoming meeting on Wednesday to discuss issues revolving the new restaurant at the old Ramona Theater. They are nice people, we just all need to be on the same page and understand where everyone is coming from.
The Echo Park Improvement Association Neighborhood Issues committee will be meeting on Wednesday, August 18 at 7:00 pm at Williams Hall, Barlow Hospital, to talk to Mr. Yanow and other residents about what to expect. I’ll be posting the agenda as soon as it’s published. See you there!
UPDATE:
Looks like Mr. Yanow and his crew have decided on a name for the new spot, and are calling it Mohawk Brasserie. Click here for the Facebook page.
Related Articles:
On Saturday, August 14, shots were fired near Echo Park Lake, injuring one man. That same night at 12:30 am, residents heard gunshots on Echo Park Avenue near Baxter. Then yesterday (Sunday, August 15), another round of shots were fired in the 7-Eleven parking lot on Sunset Blvd. and Rosemont, injuring one man. We are all starting to wonder, what the heck is going on?
The past couple of months, there have been a noticeable surge in gunshot reports. An ambitious reader of the neighborhood blogs has put together a list of those reports we’ve read about on our neighborhood forums and websites, a list that reveals just how often these things may be occurring in the neighborhood:
h/t to The Eastsider LA for keeping all of us in the know about the shootings in our neighborhood, which we love so much. Has Echo Park changed in the past 10 years? If it hasn’t will it ever?
Things look pretty peaceful right now at Echo Park Lake, but The Eastsider LA is reporting that shots were fired earlier this afternoon near Laguna and Echo Park Avenue, leaving one man injured:
An afternoon shooting near Echo Park Lake left one man injured in what one resident described a “Wild West” scene, police said. The victim told police he was fired upon by suspects in a car on Echo Park Avenue, said Sgt. Michael Mabie with the Rampart Division. Details are still sketchy but the man – who was shot in the leg and was grazed in the back by another bullet – was able to drive himself or have a relative drive him to a nearby hospital, Mabie said. No suspects were in custody and police were still interviewing residents.
A resident commented on the article, saying, “First thing I screamed as I went outside is anybody hurt? It has been over 15 years since I have heard so many shots. Thanks to all the neighbors on Laguna for the descriptions given to the police.”
There’s a LOT of tagging on along Laguna Avenue near Laveta Terrace, but the Eastsider article says it’s unclear the tagging is related.
Click here to read the full article.
UPDATE:
The Eastsider LA reported an update last night, saying the shooting does appear to be gang related and that the victim is believed to be a gang member.
If you have any information about the incident on Sunday, call the Rampart Division at (213) 484-3400.
I recently met a couple of the Echo Park residents behind the new blog/community organizers called Echo Park Life at the Echo Park Improvement Association pot luck last week. What started as a few neighbors concerned with the direction of development on the western side of Echo Park, it turned into a website revolved around getting residents organized and educated.
Residents in what is called the “Washington Heights Tract” around Sunset, Alvarado, Elsinore, Mohawk, and Waterloo are currently concentrating their concerns on two major developments taking place in their part of Echo Park: the El Camino restaurant taking over the old Ramona Theater, and the Sunset Flats residential complex at Sunset and Reservoir.
Sunset Flats is a 64-unit residential complex that, in its original proposed state, will be a five-story complex with no parking provided to its residents. Echo Park Life organizers are concerned with the parking problem, the potential eyesore, and the demolition of six turn-of-the-century homes, among other potential problems.
The El Camino restaurant in the old Ramona Theater (which we’ve written about before) will also be off-street parking for its 200-person seated establishment (with the exception of a rumored limited car valet option). Echo Park Life worry about the parking, the bar open until 2:00 am, and the wood-fired pizza oven burning below their bedroom windows.
Tomorrow night (Wednesday, August 7), the GEPENC Planning and Land Use Committee will meet to discuss, among other things, the Sunset Flats project (if any new information is available, it might be the developer submitting some new design plans that will reflect past concerns). Echo Park Life is calling for residents to join them at the meeting to “get involved and come to a meeting to learn about the community issues going on in Echo Park.”
Go to www.echoparklife.org if you are interested in joining the discussion, and follow them on Twitter.
We get quite a few lost animal notices from Echo Park residents, and we hope you find your pets! You can also post your lost pet info on our local community forums such as the Echo Elysian Neighborhood Council forum and the Echo Park Animal Alliance group forum.
Lost:
Princess of Wales Parakeet: Lost on Lilac Place near Sunset, Dodger Stadium and Elysian Park on Saturday evening July 31, 2010.
Click here for the Craigslist post and contact info
Found:
Found near Clinton and Bonnie Brae wandering in the street at 11:00 pm Monday night, August 9
Click here for the Craigslist post and contact info
Need Homes:
On Saturday, August 7, Echo Park TAP ( Trash Abatement Project) and the Los Angeles Conservation Corp/Clean and Green cleaned up the “triangle” island on the corner of Montana and Glendale/Lake Shore. The 28 volunteers cleared up 65 trash bags, approximately 1,760 pounds of trash, keeping trash from entering storm drains that discharge into Echo Park Lake. The difference is incredible!
Some time in the future, this small area might just be developed. Word is developers are going to be building a restaurant structure, but no proposals for design have been submitted. We are hoping for a building that fits in well with the traditional Echo Park landscape!
Twitpic photo via josesigala
Walking around Echo Park Lake yesterday was an experience residents haven’t seen in quite a while on a Sunday: green grass occupied by picnickers, families, and a few necking lovebirds. The northern end of Echo Park Lake was really, really quiet with the exception of the occasional jingle from an ice cream cart bell. It seems that word got around after last week’s “crack-down” at Echo Park Lake, during which officers cited vendors for soliciting on public property. Even though just a few citations were issued, it certainly had an effect.
Residents and The Eastsider LA reported yesterday that a few Rampart Division patrol cars and officers had posted up throughout the day on various corners of the Lake. They were ready to enforce not a soliciting on public property violation like last week (which it seems may not be entirely and legally applicable), but for those who didn’t have resale licenses. Deputy City Attorney Andre Quintero seemed a bit surprised at Thursday night’s Echo Park Improvement Association meeting when told about the previous Sunday’s activity. Having worked on this issues for about a year now (in relation to the city law that was overturned when Venice Beach activists sued for free speech violations), he wasn’t sure whether or not a soliciting on public property violation applied to the Echo Park Lake vendors.
Those who have been actively working on clearing the vendors from Echo Park Lake on Sunday are relieved to “have the park back.” Other residents might have mixed feelings about losing the vendors from the Lake because, really, who cares if someone’s trying to make a buck in this economy? But arguments seem to always come down to one thing: It’s a lake, it’s a park, and that’s what it should be used for.
I recommend taking a gander through the article published yesterday by The Eastsider LA, and decide for yourself whether or not it’s a good thing to cite vendors at the lake.
Related articles:
Flickr photo via Walking Flower
News sources (including Echo Park’s own Eastsider LA) are reporting one arrest has been made and another suspect being sought for the robbery and shooting that took place on June 24 at the Higher Path marijuana dispensary in Echo Park. The LAPD held a news conference today to announce new developments in the case, specifically the arrest of 31-year-old Daniel “Scooter” Hinton. They are still looking for another suspect, 27-year-old Raymond Lemone Easter. Hinton is currently being held without bail.
The robbery resulted in the slaying of dispensary employee Matthew Butcher and the injury of the store’s security guard.
h/t The Eastsider LA for the scoop!
The City of LA will soon break ground for a new park located alongside Riverside Drive near Stadium way. Five acres of the 18-acre Elysian Park expansion purchase will be the first to be developed, and costing about $1,425,000 should open as early as next Spring. Some of the new features, according to the press release, include:
…a new permeable parking lot with handicap parking stalls to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance; new services and connection for water and electricity utilities; two multipurpose game courts, an open lawn area, picnic areas, children’s play area, landscape, irrigation, benches, fencing, trails with nature interpretive area and outdoor classroom, access road connecting lower and mid levels of the park, and bio-swales to capture and infiltrate on-site storm water runoffs.
Groundbreaking takes place on Tuesday, August 17 from 4-5:00 pm at 1800 Riverside Drive.
There are a couple of things going on this week that I recommend you, as interested and super excited Echo Park residents, attend this week. See you there!
Echo Park Lake Rehab Project meeting:
Echo Park Improvement Association meeting:
GEPENC Budget and Finance Committee meeting:
Oh yes, and tonight is also National Night Out in Echo Park!
Picnickers and swap meet vendors
The Eastsider LA is reporting that Rampart Division police officers showed up at the Echo Park Lake swap meet today to “warn and educate the vendors about the law,” Sgt. Joel Miller told the Eastsider. Several vendors were also cited for “soliciting on city property.”
We have written extensively about this issue before, covering the legality vs. illegality issues and more. More recently, the main concern revolves around a small number of individuals who are reportedly selling spaces on the grass to potential vendors. One resident told everyone at the EPIA Town Hall meeting in July about a man offering those spaces for $20 and $40, and was apparently carrying a machete.
Another resident commented on the Eastsider LA article today about their experience, writing: “Well I tried to walk home several Saturdays late in the evening and when I saw the ropes, strings, plastic bags, hangars, yellow tape, and as recently as July 31 brown mailing tape marking the spots. When I approached the obvious markings I was approached by a tall man who asked me ‘Tienes en Lugar?'”
Perhaps these reports from residents, which surprised the Rampart Division officer who was present at the meeting, are the reason why police showed up earlier today to disperse the crowd.
New restaurants and businesses:
Other news:
Moving or closed:
Ongoing/Weekly Specials
The EPIA launched a new website recently, and GEPENC has also just made some necessary updates.
The URL remains the same (www.gepenc.org), and, according to the press release, some highlights include an entire archive of meeting minutes , agendas, and reports. There are also some useful informational pages that include Standing Rules, Bylaws, the Brown Act, etc.
Some downsides? It doesn’t look like any of the archives are currently working yet, so there are some bugs to work out. In addition (now, as a web designer myself, I’m just being nit picky), there are no search functions to find a specific meeting archive topic – you have to click through each archived meeting minute under “Resources” then “Archives.”
The email subscription option from the last website has been removed, so you will have to go to the website to find out when the next meeting agenda has been posted. CIO Lisa Baca, however, will email you agenda notifications if you email her at lisa.baca@gepenc.org. There is also a calendar link on the home page that will link you to the Google calendar to help you plan for the next meeting.
The 5th Annual Echo Park National Night Out block party is coming up on Tuesday, August 3, 2010 at 5:00 pm in the Walgreens Parking Lot.
The free event will host activities for kids, free eye screenings (the Lions Eye Mobile will be present), free hot dogs, and more family-friendly activities.
Click on the graphic to the right to download a flyer to distribute in your neighborhood.
Organizers are collecting funds to purchase backpacks and school supplies for give-aways to children and teens. If you would like to contribute, contact Rosie Betanzos directly at rcbetanzos@yahoo.com
Volunteers are also needed for helping: in the kids area, maintaining control on passing food, supervising the jumpers (I’m assuming for a bounce house), clean-up and set-up tear down, information booth, and ambassadors to direct crowds. If you are interested, please email Rosie at the email address listed above.
The event is hosted by the Positive Energy Group/Crime Prevention.
Representing Northeast Police Station
Sponsors are: City Council District 1 and 13, Echo Park Trading Post, Select Patrol, The Echo/Echoplex, El Prado, GEPENC, LA Host Lions, Dodgers and many more…