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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.

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Echo Park’s Week in Music

For the week of Monday, May 16 through Sunday, May 22

Monday
Monday Night Residency: The Bixby Knolls, Tes Elations, LA Font, Queen Kwong, Harlan @ Echo
Brand X Presents LA Unheard, featuring: Airlines, Yoya @ Echoplex
Roses Jade Camellia (Goth Trannies), Penelope Edmund, David Liebe Hart Band, Dream Being @ Pehrspace
Stephen Kellogg, Tift Merritt @ Bootleg Theater

Tuesday
This Will Destroy You, Pure X, Sleepover @ Echo
Check Yo Ponytail 2 with Drop The Lime, Classixx, Mndr, Bosco Delrey, Samo Soundboy @ Echoplex
Cab 20, Moondog Orchestra, Them Howling Bones @ Lot 1 Cafe
The Death Set, Win Win, Hello Girls @ Bootleg Theater

Wednesday
Johnny Flynn & Sussex Wit, Caitlin Rose, James Mathe @ Echo
Dub Club @ Echoplex
Patrick Park, Sara Lov, Vinnie Fera, Swimming in Trees, Nostalghia @ Bootleg Theater

Thursday
Tommy Santee Klaws, Rachel Goodrich, Daniel Ahearn @ Echo
Cody The Band, Count Fleet, Future Dancing @ Lot 1 Cafe
Julie Cain @ Taix Lounge

Friday
Love Inks, Black Elephant, Sister Crayon @ Echo
Bearracuda – One Year Anniversary @ Echoplex
The Lonely Wild, Liz Pappademas, Doña Nicha, Coyote @ Lot 1 Cafe
Art Opening @ Pehrspace
Vicky Hill, Pete Fahey @ Taix Lounge

Saturday
Houses, The One Am Radio @ Ech0
Bootie LA Prom with DJ Paul V. and DJ Shyboy @ Echoplex
Funky Sole @ Echo
Rival Schools, Suedehead, Nations Afire @ Bootleg Theater
The Zermatts, Amanda Jo Williams, The Damn Sons @ Taix Lounge

Sunday
Grand Ole Echo @ Echo
Rhythm & Soul For Relief: Concert For Japan, Haiti & The World featuring: Dilated Peoples, Breakestra, Very Be Careful, Boogaloo Assasins, The Good Times Featuring Black Shakespeare, and more @ Echoplex
Part Time Punks – Krautrock Nite With Neu!, Can, La Dusseldorf cover bands @ Echo
Steve Earle (Reading) @ Bootleg Theater
Dunes (Mexican Summer), Turkks, Cold Showers (Mexican Summer), Night Control @ Bootleg Theater
Big Dick’s Final Show @ Dinner House M

Visit the venue website for more information on the cost and times of shows. This list may not represent all the musical events happening in Echo Park this week – feel free to add more events in the comment section. All events listed are subject to change at any time. New events announced for the week after this posting may not be included.

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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

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In love with art at the Echo Park Community Art Project

Sandwiched between a bargain store and, well, I believe, another bargain store (formerly a you-know-what kind of coop) on Sunset Boulevard is an Echo Park art gallery space. Formerly Bandit Gallery, it now holds the name Sancho Gallery, and – for a week – it’s the place of the Echo Park Community Art Project (EPCAP).

EPCAP is a nonprofit event aimed at provided youth in Echo Park and the area with basic art supplies like pens, pencils, and paper. They are curating art that has been donated by young, local artists from high school students, non-professional artists, and even some bigger local names. 100% of the money raised with the sale of these art pieces fund these “Art Survival Kits” – hand-printed tote bags filled with bi-lingual educational materials that “equip individuals with tools for making and exploring art.”

This weekend, they’ll have an opening celebration and a weekend full of free workshops, from photography to creative writing to animation, and are open to all ages.

EPCAP is curated by nonprofit team the Negative Space Curation, led by art-lovers Meredith “Mere” Rosenbluthand Angela Gonzalez Hall. Mere is a Los Angeles native as well as a curator, educator, writer, photographer and printmaker. Angela is also a curator, educator, writer, and gallery enthusiast, and she’s completely in love with LACMA.

In a press release, the curators told us about why they created this event:

“The idea for this project came from a shared love of art, a deep belief in the importance of art education, anda frustration with some of the systems that the art worldis hinged upon—namely, that of commerce, of the gallery, of an elite space that only few can truly access and that reaches out to a very select public.”

Yesterday, we checked out EPCAP and are excited about their project, even bought some Peter Shire ceramics (score!). It’s for a good cause, and all the neighbor kids should go check it out (we hear all they have to do is talk about their favorite piece of art to snag a bag).

Check it out:

Echo Park Community Arts Project
Sancho, 1549 Sunset Blvd.
May 9-15, 2011 from 12-7:00 pm
Opening celebration: Friday, May 13, 2011 from 7-10:00 pm
Workshops: Saturday and Sunday, May 14 and 15

Please visit the EPCAP website for details about the free workshops going on this weekend!

Here are some photos from our recent visit:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

PS the are also participating in this weekend’s Echo Park PDA/Art Walk (which we’ll dedicate another article to).

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Echo Park restaurants geared up for Taste of the Eastside

For the first ever “Taste of the Eastside,” we’ve got quite a few awesome treats from local restaurants this weekend. Lots of places coming from all over this side of town, including Silver Lake, Atwater Village, Eagle Rock, Los Feliz, Downtown, and Highland Park, and more importantly, Echo Park!

However, before we get started, I know what you’re thinking. Let’s not get into the whole “eastside” debate this time around. There’s the actual “East LA” which is east of the LA river, and then there’s this sort of north of downtown area that we’re in. Some people call it the “eastside” to make it easier on everyone.

Now then, on to businesses.

Some my favorite Echo Park restaurants have taken up booths at the Taste of the Eastside event, and just to make your taste buds tingle, we’ve got the info on what you can expect to snack on while you’re there.

Delilah Bakery: Whiskey Bread Pudding (and probably the best you’ll ever have)

Cookbook: Farro salad with grilled asparagus, pistachios, mint and sheep’s milk feta

Xoia: Pho Beef Tacos

The Park: Serving up an appetizer from the current spring menu – a savory rhubarb galette (a rustic French pastry) topped with a little salad of watercress, strawberries, burrata cheese and balsamic vinegar.

Also from our neck of the woods, Elf Cafe (vegetarian cuisine) and The Brite Spot (your late-night hangout no doubt) will also be there!

There will also be DJs, cocktails, family activities, book signings, and, as we mentioned, lots of food.

Taste of the Eastside
Barnsdall Art Park, located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd
Sunday, May 15 from 1-5:00 pm.
Click here for the website

Tickets start at $25 for adults, click here to purchase!

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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!

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Mother’s Day plans around Echo Park

Feeding Birds

Get 10% off all vintage home goods & art. Also, buy a bag (purse, tote, clutch, wrislet or zip bag) and get a Feeding Birds Original tee for 50% off.

The Echo Park Community Art Project

Take Mom to the opening of a great event – EPCAP – from 12:00 noon to 7:00 pm for a whirlwind of local art to view and to buy. Get in her good graces too – it’s for a good cause! All proceeds go to putting together these art kit bags for local kids. EPCAP is located at 1549 Sunset Boulevard.

The Park Restaurant

The regular menu will go on for brunch and dinner on Mother’s day. They will also have the regular Sunday night special, which is Fish ‘N’ Chips!

Mishka

Lunch truck day returns! The fourth Mishka Lunch Truck day commences on Sunday at 12:00 noon until 4pm. Munch on Echo Park faves Grill ‘Em All, Mandoline Grill, Lomo Arigato and Cool Haus. Bring cash!

Masa of Echo Park

Moms get a complimentary glass of champagne! Be sure to make a reservation if you’re bringing in a large group.

Taix

The long-standing Echo Park French restaurant has a special Mother’s Day menu. Click here to view the menu.

CitySip

While we don’t have any specifics… CitySip usually has a special for Moms on their special day!

Tavin

The vintage store on Echo Park Avenue (near Chango) is offering up 10% off in May in honor of mothers and spring!

Police Academy Restaurant

They usually serve up Mothers Day Brunch, last year it was $25 per person for an incredible amount of food. Call (323) 221.5222 x227 for reservations and questions.

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments field below!

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Saturday: David Edward Byrd art show at Bedrock Studios

I might be too young to remember when these came out (okay, perhaps I wasn’t born yet), but I’m not unfamiliar with the poster artwork David Edward Byrd – the artist who brought you the original Woodstock poster, the “Tommy” poster for The Who, The Rolling Stones, and many, many more.

Bedrock Studios here in Echo Park is hosting a 70th Birthday Art Show and reception for David Edward Byrd on Saturday, May 7, from 7:00 pm until 10:00 pm.

Original works and artist-signed prints will be available at the event, from affordable to collectible ($10 prints, on up to priceless originals). They’ll also be including the artwork on the new Bedrock online store, launching after the event at www.bedrockla.com

Pins & Needles (the vintage pinball arcade next door) are also setting up a “playroom” of vintage rock-themed pinball arcade games. There will also be food and drink, live music, and online specials for the new store.

Bedrock Studios is located at 1623 N. Allesandro Street

For more information, please contact Michael Caldwell at 213-413-7625

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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!

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Echo Park parking lot begins renovations, maybe…

Parking on a week night seemed unusually difficult recently in the lot located behind Stories at Lemoyne, lot number 662 to be exact. Not a sinlge open stall – something you’d expect on a Friday or Saturday night around the Echo and the Echoplex. But parkers seemed to be taking advantage of a huge number of free parking spots, as the city appears to be renovating how you park in lot 662.

Last September, parking meters along Echo Park streets were replaced with the new, fancy schmancy ones that accept credits cards (no excuses – no more free parking for broken meters). A couple of years before, neighboring lot 643 near Echo Park got park and pay installed. While we haven’t nailed down exactly what’s going on back there, with the city’s constant battle against broken meters in lot 662 we think they might just be ready for an upgrade.

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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.

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Echo Park’s Week in Music

For the week of Monday, May 2 through Sunday, May 8

Monday
Battles, Holloys @ Echoplex
Chen Santa Maria, This Invitation, I Love You, and introducing NOW (new project from L.A./L.B. underground icon, Kevin Litrow Of 60 Watt Kid) @ Pehrspace
White Arrows, Lesands, Vanaprasta, Chain Gang of 1974 @ Bootleg Theater

Tuesday
Beach Fossils, Craft Spells, Sea Lions, DJ Michael Stock @ Echo

Wednesday
Charles Bradley and The Menahan Street Band, Funky Sole Djs @ Echo
Dub Club @ Echoplex
Echo Park Juke Joint with The Downtown Train @ Lot 1 Cafe
The Donkeys, Social Studies, The Damn Sons @ Bootleg Theater
The Coal Porters @ Taix Lounge

Thursday
Cinco de Mayo: Calexico with Mariachi Luz De Luna, Sergio Mendoza y La Orkesta @ Echoplex
The Rumble Presents: Apex Manor, The Fling, The New Division @ Echo
Ever Isles @ Origami Vinyl
Them Howling Bones, The Lexingtons, The Blank Tapes, DJ Sir Franko @ Lot 1 Cafe
Timur and The Dime Museum, Dorian Wood @ Bootleg Theater
Madame Pamita, Skip Heller @ Taix Lounge
Bloody Death Skull Cinco de Mayo: Music, Bloody Marys, Mayonnaise Wrestling, and Friends @ Echo Country Outpost

Friday
J Mascis (Solo), Black Heart Procession, Rachel Fannan (Sleepy Sun) @ Echo
Echo & Club Underground Present: Dirty Vegas, The Hundred In The Hands, White Apple Tree, Polaris At Noon @ Echoplex
Chuck Dukowski Sextet, The Kris Special, Sanglorians, Stellaluna @ Pehrspace
Mike Stinson, Tony Gilkyson @ Bootleg Theater
Cave Country, Fort Wilson’s Riot, Crooked Paw @ Taix Lounge

Saturday
Benefit For The Matt Cwiertny Foundation with The 88, Taylor Locke and The Roughs @ Echo
Saturdays Off the 405 With Avi Buffalo, DJ Kevin Bronson @ The Getty
Bootie La @ Echoplex
Funky Sole @ Echo
The Outdoors @ Origami Vinyl
Underground Railroad to Candyland, Old Lumps, Simon Lebron, Peter Pants, Colleagues @ Pehrspace
King Devil @ Bootleg Theater
Cat Hair Ensemble, Marissa Gomez and The Ghosts Of Echo Park, Kim D and The Killer Bees @ Taix Lounge

Sunday
Grand Ole Echo Presents Tony Gilkyson @ Echo
E Minor God Ent. Presents: Noche De Los Psychos Featuring: The Meteors, Hentchmen, Kat Killers, A.Y., Slash-O-Matic @ Echoplex
Part Time Punks: Christian Death Reissue Party With 45 Grave, Death Party, Special Surprise Guests! @ Echo
Ancestors, Tweak Bird, War Widow @ Bootleg Theater
Booker T. Jones guest DJ set and listening party @ The Short Stop

For more information on weekly musical events like club nights, see our community resource pages.Visit the venue website for more information on the cost and times of shows. This list may not represent all the musical events happening in Echo Park this week – feel free to add more events in the comment section. All events listed are subject to change at any time. New events announced for the week after this posting may not be included.

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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.

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Hanging in there, Echo Park?

Perhaps you’ve noticed things have been a little quiet here on Echo Park Now lately – well have no fear! I’ll be returning later this week, after we’re finished with our honeymoon in Maui! So if you’ve maybe submitted some info to us recently, or sent us an email, I haven’t been ignoring you.

TTYL!

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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!

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