Want to rent out Garcetti’s former diggs in Elysian Heights?

You may have read on The Eastsider LA last week that our beloved City Councilman Eric Garcetti (and possible mayoral candidate) has relocated his diggs from Echo Park to nearby Silver Lake. After a little bit of fun online banter, he told me on Twitter, “I only moved 10 blocks away. I’m still in the neighborhood and Echo Park will always be home.”

So why the move? While it was unclear at the time of the move announcement, Mitch O’Farrell told Echo Park residents at last week’s Echo Park Improvement Association town hall meeting that the new diggs offered more space.

But he’s left behind this gorgeous eco-friendly, 1950’s home that was featured in a Dwell magazine spread in 2008. The three bedroom, two bath, 2,000 square foot home, renovated by Garcetti and his wife, is complete with solar paneling, a tankless water heater, toxic-free/recycled materials, and incredible views of Elysian Heights.

And you can rent out this incredible home – but for a price tag. At $4,500 per month, this is rock star status for Echo Park.

Click here for more information and all the home’s features.

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Recycling your defunct electronics right here in Echo Park

Over the weekend my fiance and I were furiously spring cleaning when we found “the pile” – 8 years of cells phones, old laptop computers, and a slew of broken plugs and batteries (some of which had the marks of our chew-happy kitty).

Not wanting to contribute any more than I already am to the growing landfills, I’d been hanging on to them hoping for another Los Angeles area e-waste collection date to pop up. Yet they are few and far between, and I was about to re-package them up for another few month stint in the closet when I did one last Google search… and success!

Not only did I luck out on a collection center, it’s right here in Echo Park. The yellow and black painted Thriftee Storage on Glendale Boulevard is an All Green Electronics Recycling drop-off location. Nevermind its inconvenient driveway (crossing Glendale even on the weekends is a pain, and getting out – forgot it!), it’s worth the trouble.

They accept “anything with a cord,” and have been doing it for only three or four months now. You can drop off the usual – old cell phones, power cords, electronics batteries, VCRs, televisions, computer monitors, etc. I was comfortable getting rid of the old laptops even with the hard drives in tact – they do destroy the hard drives.

Anyways, make sure you don’t contribute to landfill waste and the pollution of our soils and waterways by throwing away all these electronics – check it out for yourself!

Thriftee Storage is located at 1717 Glendale Boulevard. Just drop your things off at the office.

Go to the All Green Electronics Recycling website for more info on what you can recycle.

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Roundup: Restaurant and Business News in Echo Park

New stuff:

Yogala Echo Park is located next to Peter Shire's studio

Yogala Echo Park is scheduled to open this month (March) at 1840 Echo Park Avenue, right by Peter Shire’s studio. They’ve got a full schedule throughout the week with a lot of different types of Yoga classes, including Baby Yoga, Prenatal Yoga, morning Yoga, and even some Pilates classes. Prices start at $12 per class, with discounts if you purchase a series or class cards. Click here for their website.

Echo Park resident Jennifer Dunlay recently started a pet-care business for when you go out of town and want to keep your best buddies at home. Artemis Pet Service will visit, play with your kitties, walk your dog in Elysian Park, and even offers overnight stays. She is fully insured, will provide references, and is Red Cross Certified. Bonus: it looks like she’s affordable! While she is based in Echo Park, she also serves surrounding neighborhoods. Click here to learn more from her website.

Juan Frias, also an Echo Park resident, opened up SuperPop Graphics earlier this year under the Sunset Blvd. bridge at 1176 Glendale Blvd. As a fellow graphic designer, he designs business cards, banners, brochures, logos, vehicle and wall graphics; and any other graphic services. The store itself contains a small retail section that has clothing with designs by Juan Frias for sale, including vinyl stickers and t-shirts. He is also able to do custom made t-shirts for men, women, children, and even babies. The store is currently operated by appointments and walk-ins are welcome as well.

Ongoing/Weekly Specials

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Weekend Guide: Bootleg Dance Fest kicks off Friday

Local performance space Bootleg Theater will be kicking off its first-ever Bootleg Dance Festival starting tomorrow, Friday March 4.

The weekend-long event features the work of seven choreographers from all over Los Angeles, covering a wide range of “styles, cultures, and approaches that represent contemporary dance in the world today.”

Artistic Director Alicia Adams told the LA Times in an article that they had wanted “people who are really trying to rediscover dance in new ways.” And, considering the lineup, it looks like they have that accomplished.

The LA Times article continues: “For instance, hip-hop choreographer Amy Campion — whose Antics Performance troupe is one of seven local groups commissioned by the Bootleg to premiere new work for the festival — is trying out new interactive video technology that relies upon infrared light. Her breakdance-inspired piece “Illuminated Manuscript’ will incorporate video projections that follow the dancers’ movements in real time, so ‘a dancer moving [his or her] hand across a screen might create a pixilated video shadow of that arm that leaves tracers behind it,’ Campion says.”

Interested? Single-evening tickets are only $18, but $40 will get you the full festival pass (a discount for all three nights!) and will support Bootleg Theater.

Here’s the weekend lineup:

Friday: Arianne Hoffmann, Keith Glassman, Carmela Hermann

Saturday: The Post Natyam Collective, Antics Performance

Sunday: Jamie Benson, Wife

Bootleg Theater is located at 2220 Beverly Boulevard

Click here for more information on the Bootleg Theater website, and to purchase tickets.

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Update on Echo Park’s newest school, CRES #14

Super activist and local resident extraordinaire Windy O’Malley sent us an update today on the new school, CRES #14, being built in Echo Park near the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Alvarado. Monday evening, the Echo Park Moms for Education group held a pizza party at Pizza Buona to help educate the community about the school, as well as the efforts by group to have a say in the school’s future. Here’s what she has to say:

Micki Curtis and Gabriella Waterman deliver petition to Nancy Gonzalaz, assistant to Yoli Flores. Photo by Windy O'Malley

Hello, I am happy to report that the Pizza Party for the community was a great success bringing together the very people that CRES #,4’s construction has effected and the the children that will attend the school. As parents, we are working tirelessly to reach out to our neighbors and friends in hope that together the LAUSD school board will finally listen to us.

We are happy to say more that 50 community members and children attended the event.

Also yesterday [Tuesday, March 1], the Echo Park Moms for Education attempted to hand deliver the 655 signatures we have gathered online and on the streets of our community in support of the Community Partners plan. We were unable to meet with any LAUSD Board Member, but handed the petitions to their assistants, who repeated expressed that the board members would meet with “no one regarding the plans as they didn’t have time to meet with everyone, and did not want to be bias regarding the decision.” We, The Echo Park Moms for Education, are not a part of either proposal, we only are concerned citizens who see that one proposal would be the best school for our community. We are disturbed that there is not a place for the Board Members to speak to the actual people and community this school is affecting.

We only want to be heard and consulted. This will be our school and we deserve a voice.

The school board is expected to make a decision on who will run the new school (Camino Nuevo Charter School or the Echo Park Community Partners Plan Design Team) on March 15.

You can read my latest article about CRES #14 here. The Eastsider LA has also been following the matter very closely, click here for today’s article.

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What’s up with the Sunset Blvd. paving project?

On the weekend of February 12, crews tore up and repaved a huge section of Sunset Blvd. (The Eastsider LA had the story here) from the East side of Echo Park to about Figueroa Street. The construction closed the main street entirely in Echo Park, and caused a lot of confusion for residents trying to get around town with little warning. To top it off, parking and street closures were in effect for that weekend’s Chinatown Firecracker run in the area.

Now we are 2 1/2 weeks after the repaving project, and the newly paved section of Sunset Blvd. remains without, well, road lines. The kind of lines that, you know, tell you what side of the road to drive on, and separates out the two – three lanes in each direction. Driving on Sunset Blvd. at night is a free-for-all, a little scary, and very confusing (and certainly not as fun as that Seinfeld episode where Kramer painted over the lines to make a wider road).

I contacted Richard Reyes, the Field Deputy for Council District 1, to get an answer about when we can expect the project to finish up. He assured me they were on it: “I’ve expressed adamantly the urgency to get these lines done. They are doing everything they can to get a plan to their crew as soon as possible.”

I know the city’s broke, but maybe a little more careful planning on the part of whatever city agency is involved could have helped?



UPDATE:
Reyes confirmed the street painting will be completed within 7-10 days.

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Sage Vegan Bistro/KindKreme grand opening Saturday

Last Saturday I got a chance to drop into the newly opened Sage Vegan Organic Bistro / KindKreme restaurant on Sunset Blvd. and Logan Street. I have to admit, I did like the new decor (dark lacquered matching tables and chairs, simple decorations on the walls), and the staff is helpful and punctual.

For my first visit, we had just finished one of the Secret Stairways hikes I’d been dying to accomplish, so we just stopped by for some vegan ice cream. Wanting to try all the flavors, I stopped at the Coconut ice cream because it was just too good to match.

Price-wise, it’s not going to be an every-day coffee joint – a small scoop if ice cream is $3.99 and a cold-press coffee with almond milk at about $4.50. But the Sage Bistro dinner menu looks promising (which we’ll post soon), and with a little careful budgeting I’m sure you’ll also stop by for a little weekend splurge.

And this Saturday is a good time to go – they’ll be officially launching with a grand opening during business hours. Free Baby Cakes ice cream sandwiches will be handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis until they’re out, and The Makepeace Brothers will be playing that evening.

Feel free to read about the new Echo Park vegan establishment in my latest article.

Sage Vegan Organic Bistro and KindKreme will be open 11:00 am – 10:00 pm weekdays, open until 11:00 pm on Fridays, and will be offering brunch on the weekends from 9:00 am until 10 or 11:00 pm.

Sage Vegan Organic Bistro / KindKreme is located at 1700 West Sunset Blvd. here in Echo Park.

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Maria the Goose takes up new residence away from Echo Park Lake

You may have noticed the slew of media interest in Echo Park Lake’s own Maria the Goose lately (unless you missed it all). Last week, Steve Hartman of Katie Couric’s CBS show was sent to the lake to interview Maria’s favorite human, Dominic Ehrler. Click here to watch the full CBS story, which aired February 28.

Today we learned from Chicken Corner that Maria was relocated last Friday to the Los Angeles Zoo ahead of the Echo Park Lake Rehab Project starting next month. Dominic told Chicken Corner in an email about the status of her new crib:

Maria has a two-room suite in the quarantine section of the zoo hospital. She will be monitored for things like worms and any other potential problems. … A minor foot problem will be taken care of. After the quarantine period is complete in about 30 days Maria will be moved to the exhibit area where she can be seen by all. The zoo will hold/display her until her ultimate destination is determined. The zoo personnel are all in love with Maria. She is safe and secure.

Dominic will definitely be able to visit Maria regularly, and told Chicken Corner she is doing well!

We’ll miss Maria, but we’ll also miss the lake and can’t wait for the project to be completed. In the meantime, feel free to donate to the Echo Park Animal Alliance, which is overseeing the care and protection of all the other wildlife in the lake that will be displaced during the project.

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Things are looking up for new Echo Park school

On January 27, community members, teachers and parents came out to vote on the future of CRES #14, and the votes have been tallied. The League of Women Voters reports the majority of voters chose the Echo Park Community Design Team Partners over Camino Nuevo (see graph above). This information comes ahead of the school board’s decision regarding CRES14 on Monday, March 15, 2011 (note: the date was previously pushed back from February to after the March 8 elections).

Also, according to an email from local resident Windy O’Malley via the Echo Park Improvement Association, a representative from the LAUSD told them in a meeting a couple of weeks ago that 232 middle school seats would be set aside for the “zone of choice (including all of the Greater Echo Park Area). Any school that inhabits the site will have to comply,” she writes. That’s good news for those community members fighting for a place for Echo Park students in the future school, considering it was built in Echo Park where our neighbor’s homes once existed.

The Echo Park Community Partners Plan design team and The Echo Park Parents for Community and Education are hosting a free “pizza party” today at Pizza Buona in Echo Park. Everyone is invited to attend, have some pizza, and learn more! Click here for the organization’s website and on how to get involved.

Learn more at today’s meeting, Monday, February 28, from 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm at Pizza Buona, located at 2100 W. Sunset Blvd.

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Job Fair at Dodger Stadium on Saturday

Rain or shine, check out the 16th annual Community Job Fair Saturday, February 26. Over 100 companies from the public and private sector will be present to greet the over 10,000 expected job seekers.

Some of the companies looking to hire include Amtrak, El Super, Excel Paving, Kaiser Permanente, Los Angeles Fire and Police Departments, Levy Restaurants, Los Angeles Unified School District, Pacific Asian Consortium & Employment, Southern California Gas Company, University of Southern California, United States Secret Service, W Hollywood Hotel and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Participants are encouraged to dress in business attire and bring multiple copies of their current résumé.  On-site interviews will occur and many companies will be hiring on site. Additionally, the Southeast Community Development Corporation will have their Mobile Technology Unit on site to provide assistance to the job seekers including formatting and printing their résumés.

Here are the details:

Saturday, February 26, 2011 (rain or shine)
Kick-off event at 9:30 am
Event from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
At Dodger Stadium at the Field Level Concourse
Parking in Lot 6: Parking at Dodger Stadium and admission to the job fair are free. Free shuttle service will also be provided into the stadium from the corner of Elysian Park Avenue / Sunset Blvd. and Elysian Park Avenue/Stadium Way.

The 16th Annual Community Job Fair at Dodger Stadium is hosted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in cooperation with The Employment Development Department, City of Los Angeles, Youth Opportunity Movement, Worksource California, City of Los Angeles Workforce Investment Board, Central City Action Committee, Levy Restaurants, Congressman Xavier Becerra, Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard, Senator Kevin De León, Senator Carol Liu, Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, Assemblymember Gil Cedillo, Assemblymember Anthony J.  Portantino, Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar, Los Angeles City Councilmember Ed P. Reyes and Los Angeles Unified School District President Mónica García.

Click here if you’d like to download the flyer.

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Parking lot kiosk goes bye-bye

Driving on Glendale Blvd. and Berkeley Avenue today, I noticed a crew taking down the flower shop/cigarette shack/bike repair/party rental kiosk thing in the parking lot. It’s a bit of a strange little building and has undergone quite a few… evolutions over the years. Word has it, there’s a 7-11 moving in the shopping center (which will be discussed at the next Echo Park Improvement Association meeting on March 3). Perhaps they are making room to accommodate more parking needs for the chain.

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Photo: Banksy graffiti spotted in Echo Park

Echo Park Now reader Javier sent us this photo recently, writing: “Its hardly breaking news that Banksy has been running around the LA the last few days throwing up new pieces. But, is this stencil on the north side of Sunset Bridge on Glendale Blvd part of his Spring 2011 beautification campaign!?!”

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Saturday: “Sideways” author visiting Stories Books

Rex Picket, author of Sideways, will be at Stories Books and Cafe this weekend reading and signing from his new novel, Vertical.

Check it out on Saturday, February 26 at 7:30 pm.

Complimentary words and wine (for those that are old enough) courtesy of Silver Lake Cheese.

Stories Books & Cafe is located at 1716 Sunset Blvd.

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Opening Day Dodger Tickets On Sale This Saturday

Eager to see the Boys in Blue back in action? Dodger fans will get first opportunity to purchase a limited number of Opening Day tickets this Saturday morning at the stadium.

Opening Day will come earlier than usual this year – at 5:00 pm on March 31 as opposed to the usual April 1 – and fans will be in for a good game as Dodgers square off against long-time rivals and (dare I mention) recent World Series champs, the San Francisco Giants. Left-handed ace Clayton Kershaw will oppose Tim Lincecum. As Kershaw put it, “It should be fun.”

The On Sale festivities start bright and early at 8:00 am on Saturday, with numbered wristbands given out to all who arrive. At 9:00 am, there will be a lottery and the chosen fan will get the opportunity to purchase tickets first. After that, tickets will be sold in numerical sequence. As further incentive to get out of bed early, there will be $2 Dodger Dogs, music and trivia contests. Fleese blankets will be given away to fans purchasing at least one ticket.

Tickets will also be available for sale online starting at 10:00 am tomorrow at dodgers.com/tickets or by calling 866-DODGERS.

For those of you unable to cut work early and attend the Opening Day festivities, there’s still some good news. The mighty Vin Scully will call the game for 790 KABC. He’ll be handling six innings (the first and last three), with Rick Monday and Charley Steiner taking over for the rest. The game itself will be shown live on ESPN, but who wants to listen to those guys when Vin Scully is in the house?

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Dear Echo Park Now: Meeting space in Echo Park?

Taisha wrote us recently asking about open meeting places for meetings and teach-ins:

My name is Taisha and I work for Advancement Project Los Angeles. Our organization will be moving to Echo Park this summer and I have been asked to do conduct some community research. A few of our program area (our Urban Peace Academy in particular) will be in need of some community spaces to conduct meetings, teach-ins, etc.

I was wondering if there was a resource list, or an individual that I might be able to contact regarding available meeting spaces in the Echo Park area?

Thank you!

If you have any ideas, feel free to share them in the comments field below, or contact us directly and we’ll make sure it gets to right place.

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