…or very few of them, we mean. Instead, there are a few more long-haired, black band-tshirt-clad people (of the metal kind, as opposed to the hipster kind) in Echo Park than usual today – the Echo kicked off its metal fest, “The Power of the Riff,” today at both the Echo and the Echoplex. There was a long wait earlier, but things seem to be pretty much kept inside for the time being.
TwitPic photo via TheEchoLA
The Bark Avenue Foundation is hosting a “Pit Bull Awareness, Adoption and Fundraiser” event at Fix Coffee this Sunday, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm. Bark Avenue will be bringing some of their pit bulls that are up for adoption, and others are invited to bring their own dog-friendly pits. They have planned a raffle in addition to providing information on pit bull awareness.
Fix Coffee is located at 2100 Echo Park Ave.
Francisco Carino – Intro from Public Matters on Vimeo.
Various arguments have been made (and are still being made) as to whether Historic Filipinotown is its own neighborhood or whether it belongs to either Echo Park or the Temple/Beverly neighborhood. It is part of the Thirteenth District and was officially designated Historic Filipinotown in 2002. I recently found some cool videos all about HiFi, and thought I’d look into its history. Perhaps you would like to hear a bit about what I found out?
The first big wave of Filipino immigration into the United States occurred in the 1920s when the Philippines was a U.S. territory. The first substantial Filipino community in Los Angeles formed around this time in what is now Little Tokyo. Later, in the 1930s and 40s, the location of this community shifted to what is today Historic Filipinotown.
Neighborhoods like these formed as a result of housing and job discrimination that prevented Filipinos from living and working just anywhere. It wasn’t until the 1940s that laws against racially mixed marriages were overturned and housing discrimination was declared illegal by the U.S. Supreme Court. The irony of this discrimination is that, the Philippines being a U.S. territory, many immigrants had already been taught English and American History in their homeland before they even got here.
In 1965, the Immigration Act nullified immigration quotas, and a larger number of non-western immigrants came to the United States. At the same time, another area of Los Angeles with a large Filipino population, Bunker Hill, began the shift from a residential to a commercial area, and many residents were forced out. All of this resulted in a population boom for Historic Filipintown. The result was the creation of a neighborhood that today is the keeper of an important part of Filipino and Los Angeles immigrant history.
On my list of to-dos this weekend is to watch Mi Vida Loca, a film I haven’t seen in a long, long time. With Echo Park in the background, and a good movie overall, I’m looking forward to re-watching it now that I live in Echo Park. Here’s a little trailer/overview from the 1993 movie:
25 seconds into the video, you can see how big El Batey used to be at Chicken Corner on Echo Park Avenue (now Chango at the corner and a smaller El Batey shop next door).
UPDATE:
How silly for me to forget, the Echo Park Filmmobile is screening Mi Vida Loca tonight (Friday, August 6) at 8:00 pm, 1559 Echo Park Ave at Delta. Perhaps I will see you there!
We wrote recently about Ballard’s Artwork Framing re-opening at its new home on Sunset, and we now know it is sharing the retail space with a fair trade gifts and accessories organization called Raven + Lily.
The grand opening event is coming up on Saturday, August 7 and includes drinks and cupcakes from 11:00 am – 7:00 pm followed by wine and cheese until 10:00 pm.
Ballard’s is located at 1568 Sunset Blvd.
The Filmmobile is back from its summer hiatus to bring you films on wheels screened in unusual outdoor locations. Here’s what’s coming up:
MI VIDA LOCA – Friday, August 6 at 8:00 pm
Mi Vida Loca tells the story of young Mexican-American women in Los Angeles and the struggles they have in a life of gangs, drugs, and personal betrayal. Mousie (Seidy López) and Sad Girl (Angel Aviles) are best friends from childhood, growing up in gang-infested Echo Park and remaining loyal to each other. But when Sad Girl sleeps with Mousie’s boyfriend (a drug dealer who is killed) and becomes pregnant, their friendship is ruptured. As the violence of their neighborhood erupts around them, they must try to stay together as friends despite their betrayals. This is an unforgiving look at a world where women seem to have no choice but to raise their children, deal drugs, and survive by whatever means available.
ROLLER BOOGIE – Friday, August 13 at 8:00 pm
“Roller Boogie is one movie you won’t want to miss! In addition to the roller skating scenes, the fantastic music, slapstick humor–and tender love scenes, you’ll find some of the cutest guys you’d ever hope to meet. Jim Bray stars as Bobby James, the skating champion (and Olympic hopeful) who sweeps pretty co-star Linda Blair off her feet (literally). In real life, Jim’s a skater, but now that he’s had a taste of acting, he really thinks he might like to make a career of it. And when you see Jim in the movie, you’ll have to agree he’s the cutest thing on wheels.” – Tiger Beat Magazine
All screenings are free and open to the public. The locations are secret until a few hours before the screening. You can call (213-484-8846), email (info@echoparkfilmcenter.org) or follow them on Twitter (http://twitter.com/EPFCfilmmobile).
Flickr Photo via Steven D'Antoni
Another way to keep cool this summer and enjoy some family-friendly activities is actually not too far from Echo Park in nearby Chinatown. Summer Nights in Chinatown starts this weekend, August 7, and will continue every Saturday throughout the month. The event showcases food trucks, neighborhood shops, restaurants, bars and art galleries, along with cooking demonstrations and other cultural activities. You can get some great discounts at the restaurants and shops during Summer Nights, just be sure to click here and print out the coupons for your discounts.
It’s a pretty easy bicycle commute from where I live in Echo Park, and they even offer free bike valet courtesy of Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition. This weekend, there’s a cooking demonstration, family workshop with Chinese calligraphy, food trucks (non-Chinese, like Nom Nom Truck, India Jones Chow Truck, Spring Street Smoke House, The Patty Wagon, Papas Tapas and Fry Smith), dancing and DJs.
Click here for the Chinatown Summer Nights website to view the event map and full schedule.
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.
The Historic Filipinotown 5K Run/Walk is this weekend, kicking off the 8th celebration of the founding of the neighborhood. The run takes place at 7:30 am on Saturday, August 7, and starts at 1925 West Temple Street.
The run goes through the heart of Historic Filipinotown headed west on Temple Street to Hoover, up past the 101 and back again. The event coordinators recommend you check out some of the cafes in the area, including: “Gigi’s (Cuban Bakery), famous Brooklyn Bagels, Original Tommy’s Burger, Tribal Cafe or specialty Filipino restaurants namely Salakot, Kapistahan, Nanay Gloria’s, Bahay Kubo and more.”
Community Partners include: LAPD Rampart Div., SIPA, FASGI, TWNDC, MOTHER Movement, Burlington School, Rotary Club of Historic Filipinotown. Primary Sponsors are the Office of LA Council President Eric Garcetti, Silverlake Medical Center and Seafood City.
You can still register online at www.active.com until Friday, August 6 at 11:59 am.
After the run, there will be a free film screening of “Little Manila” and sneak preview of “Delano Manongs: Forgotten Heroes of the United Farm Workers” by Emmy award winner Marissa Aroy. Screenings will be at the SIPA Gateway Community Center at 3200 W. Temple Street at 12:00 noon on Saturday.
Check out the Historic Filipinotown website for more info, maps and photos from runs from previous years.
I’ve been meaning to write about 1642 bar for a while now since it’s such a cool space in an unusual part of town. Located at 1642 Temple (and technically part of Historic Filipinotown),the decor is simple and friendly with a few seats at the weathered bar, and tables and black booth seats around the interior. There’s an original brick wall along the rights side they had uncovered during the remodel, and gorgeous original antique lamps hanging from the ceiling.
1642 opened up early this Spring after doing quite a bit of remodeling to the 1940s building. The space used to house a restaurant/bar called “Lupita’s,” apparently remembered for paintings of nude women adorning the walls.
Well the nude paintings are gone (are you disappointed?), but you can find owner Liz Fischbach behind the bar, serving up salty peanuts alongside a selection of 4-6 craft beers on tap, plus bottles and cans of other delicious beers, and wines by the glass.
1642 does host some events at the bar, in the past such events included a “Slow Dance” and other such DJ’d events. The next one is coming up soon! The Old-Time Music open Jam night started in May, and will continue every month on the first Thursday. Check it out this Thursday, August 5, from 8:00 – 11:00 pm.
1642 is located at 1642 West Temple St.
You’re single in Echo Park and a Dodgers fan – god forbid you end up dating a Giants fan!
As part of the Stadium’s “Group Theme Nights,” Singles Night takes place on Friday, August 6 while the Washington Nationals play the Dodgers.
The pre-game party goes on from 5:15 pm – 7:10 pm at the Loge Terrace (check in oustide in Lot D). The $25 ticket gets you a free Miller Lite at the party.
Click here to buy tickets, and make sure to use the promo code SINGLES.
Call Dodgers Representative Charlie Brooks at 323-224-2630 for more information.
The Echo Park Film Center have opened their doors again after their July vacation. Here are their upcoming screenings:
THE COVE – Thursday, August 5 @ 8:00 pm
Academy Award® Winner for Best Documentary of 2009, The Cove follows an elite team of activists, filmmakers and freedivers as they embark on a covert mission to penetrate a remote and hidden cove in Taiji, Japan, shining a light on a dark and deadly secret. Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques, including hidden microphones and cameras in fake rocks, the team uncovers how this small seaside village serves as a horrifying microcosm of massive ecological crimes happening worldwide.
TOTAL BADASS: A DOCUMENTARY BY BOB RAY – Thursday, August 12 @ 8:00 pm
With his latest documentary, Total Badass, Bob Ray takes you on an outrageous and hilariously seedy adventure into the Austin underground music and arts scene via wild man-about-town, social deviant, musical/stunt performer, sex addict, Guinea pig enthusiast, writer-publisher, father, weed dealing felon and local maniac Chad Holt. Strap in for the riotous ride and follow this icon of the Austin counterculture as he blazes through his final year of felony probation, living his own brand of civil disobedience while manning the helm of a family crisis and going out smokin! More info: http://crashcamfilms.com/filmtour-pressinfo.htm FILMMAKER BOB RAY IN ATTENDANCE!
All screenings are $5 and are open to everyone.
This Echo Park property, listed on Trulia for $649,000, not only looks like a dream but also has an incredible backyard with a pool. Not that I could afford the two bedroom property anyways, the Baxter Street place does have an interesting history. The bottom photograph shows the 1917 Baxter Street house (built in 1910) being moved up the steep street in 1952. According to the listing information, it also was “featured on the Historical Society’s annual ‘Historic Home Tour’ and combines original architectural elements with a modern design sense.” With central heat and air, along with the gorgeous backyard, I’m ready to move in!
For the week of Monday, August 2 through Sunday, August 8
Monday, August 2
Monday Night Residency – Fol Chen, Obi Best, Holloween Swim Team @ Echo
Ferraby Lionheart (The Jack Of Hearts Record Release), Nicole Simone, The Romany Rye @ Bootleg
Ged Gengras, Sun Araw, Metal Rouge, Peaking Lights (Madison, WI), Robedoor @ Echo Curio
Dark Dark Dark, Autolux “Transit Transit” Listening Party @ Origami Vinyl
Tuesday, August 3
Ipo Presents New Maximum Donkey, Cola-Cola, Moostache, The Active Set, Loch And Key, Puppies And Kittens, Jeremiah Streeter @ Echo
Circa Survive, O Brother @ Bootleg
Wednesday, August 4
Dub Club @ Echoplex and Echo
Michael Runion, Franklin For Short, 3’s and 9’s @ Bootleg
Thursday, August 5
Ipo Presents The Janks, Black Jesus, Casey Curry and The Remainders, John Wicks and The Records, Steve Barton and The Oblivion Click, The Shebang, True Margit @ Echoplex
Proximal Records Release Party For “Proximity One: Narrative Of A City” With Benedek, Lawrence Grey, Sahy Uhns, Daedelus @ Echo
KCRW And The Fold Present… Everest (Vapor Records), Mini Mansions, Pacific Hurt @ Bootleg
Ashkahn Art Opening with Healamonster & Tarsier + D/Wolves @ Origami Vinyl
Friday, August 6
Club Underground Vs. Club Zizek (Buenos Aires) @ Echo
Bearracuda @ Echoplex
Battlehooch, Jinsai @ Origami Vinyl
Saturday, August 7
Bootie La – Lady Gaga Vs. Madonna Night @ Echoplex
Funky Sole @ Echo
Eclectic Electric Carnival with Cornelius F. Van Strafrin III, Catharsis for Cathedral Feat. Justine T., Dusty Organ, and more @ Tribal Café
Sunday, August 8
Converse Presents The Power Of The Riff Festival @ Echoplex And Echo
Part Time Punks With W.A.C.O., Thy Squid, No Hablo @ Echo
Eagle Winged Palace @ 6pm @ Origami Vinyl
Love Revisted (Feat. Johnny Echols), The Quarter After, Susan James @ Bootleg
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.