Lifestyle – Page 40 – Echo Park Now

Flashback Fridays – Chicken Corner

Today we’re going to delve into the shallower part of Echo Park’s past. “Chicken Corner” is the name used by many long-time and semi-long-time residents to describe the corner of Echo Park Ave. and Delta St. It’s where Chango has stood for the past six years. Why is it sometimes referred to as “Chicken Corner”? For the answer to that, I’m going to turn this post over to Jenny Burman and her excellent Echo Park blog, Chicken Corner.

Chicken Corner is the name of a place that does and does not exist. Technically, Chicken Corner sits at Echo Park Avenue and Delta Street, across from the Magic Gas gas station and Morton Avenue. For generations, this crossroads has been one of the nerve centers of the neighborhood. It has been a gang hangout, a drug market, an art gallery scene and now a fashion/indie rock scene, as well as a place where a lot of families have lived.

The place I call Chicken Corner is named after an Aaron Donovan mural that showed a bunch of unusual chickens. Hard-eyed chickens, one of them in leather, multicolored, painted in 1997 or 98 without a permit (I assume but don’t quote me on that) and occasionally tagged and otherwise assaulted. (At one point someone tossed about a quart of tan paint over it and at least one of the chickens disappeared forever.) The mural was titled, forgettably, “Moron.” When the Chango coffee house opened in 2004, its owners blasted out the mural in order to create a window on the side of the building.

In the late 1990s, Aaron Donovan, and his partner ran the Delirium Tremens art gallery, which was one of five storefront galleries at the base of the Del Mor apartment building facing Echo Park Avenue. The mural was painted on cinderblock on the Delta Street side of the building. It faced an open lot where chickens and goats lived. At one point, it was called a ranch. There was said to be a horse. This lot has been sold twice. Condominiums will be built there soon.

Recently, a friend of mine walked into Chango. He was wearing a Chicken Corner T-shirt. The clerk, standing behind the chicken mural mosaic, looked at the T-shirt and asked, “Where is Chicken Corner?”

Thanks to Jenny for letting me re-post her prose.

And now I think it’s time to throw this post into the Way Back Machine! The Eastsider LA posted this clip from a Three Stooges short that features “Chicken Corner” a long time ago. I thought I’d share it with you guys. During the last couple of minutes of the clip you’ll see a bunch of barrels rolling into a car-filled street. You see the sign that says “Ex-Lax”? That’s where Chango is today. That’s “Chicken Corner.” Enjoy!

*Just as a side note: does anyone know why Chango coffee is called chango? I thought that before they moved in there was a salon or something called Chango, but I’m not sure.

May 7, 2010/654 Comments/by Caitlin

Lifestyle

What is Time Banking?

This is a really great video about what time banking in Echo Park means to residents!

Click here to visit the Echo Park Time Bank website, view the video, and learn more about how to apply. The next free workshop on time banking (attendance is the first step to applying) is coming up on Saturday, May 8th from 5:00-5:30 pm at The Echo Park Film Center.

May 6, 2010/2 Comments/by Kelly

Lifestyle

The Clinic and Ballard’s Framing Close their Doors

This morning the Eastsider LA reported that The Clinic of Echo Park and its adjoining frame store (Ballard’s Artwork Framing) have been emptied and “For Lease” signs put up.

According to the Eastsider, “they left following a dispute with the landlord. Andrew Selna of the Clinic said he was going to be opening online stores at matsonialane.etsy.com to sell vintage apparel and items he made.” Matsonialane.com isn’t up yet, but the etsy store is functional and waiting for items to be added.

Andrew Ballard is currently looking for a larger space in Echo Park but, in the meantime, is taking customers.

May 4, 2010/63 Comments/by Caitlin

Lifestyle

Echo Park’s Missed Connections

Photo via Virgosity's photostream on Flickr

April 24, 2010: Lauren from Westwood at Shortstop! – m4w – 23
Lauren! I talked to you at shortstop last night! You told me you were from westwood and that it was your first time out in echo park. You promised me you’d check missed connections, and I super hope this works. Email me! It will be amazing if this works! Yeeeeeeeeaaaaah!

April 27, 2010: I miss you – m4w – 47
I miss you, Kamal. I wish you’d call I would love to hear your voice. Let me know how you are. You know who this is.

April 28, 2010: Guy on Bike Echo Park – m4m
You were the hot guy on your bike at the corner of echo park blvd/sunset today around 1:45 by the BofA. Thought we made some eye contact as I turned corner. Wow, hot.

May 1, 2010: Blue Civic, white sunglasses – m4w
Yesterday afternoon, on Alvarado, under the 101 freeway, we were stuck waiting for the light. Cute hair, cute smile.

May 3, 2010: BAGEL GIRL IN ECHO PARK!
You ordered a bagel today and it didn’t work out! But there is more to the story and it is a riot.

May 3, 2010/15 Comments/by Kelly

Pictures

Look Down

Echo Park sidewalk Photo via KelsoBong Tweetphoto

May 3, 2010/by Kelly

Pictures

Photo: May Day Marchers at Mishka

May Day marchers hit up Mishka Echo Park (1547 Echo Park Ave) before heading downtown.

: May Day marchers at Mishka in Echo Park, via mishkaECHOPARK on twitgoo

May 2, 2010/3 Comments/by Kelly

Lifestyle

Free Slices at Two Boots Right Now!

Credit: La Metblogs

Starting right now (Saturday, May 1st at approximately 3:00 pm) and going until 5:00 pm, Two Boots is giving away free slices of its Big Maybelle pizza (marinated chicken, pepperoni and garlic on a white pie). The story is that the company gives away free slices once a month at one of their locations, and this month it’s L.A. So stop reading this, lace up your Converse, and go get a slice. Two Boots is located at 1818 W. Sunset.

May 1, 2010/by Caitlin

Lifestyle

May Day in Echo Park, 1910

Provided by: University of California, Riverside; Riverside, CA.

Today is May Day, and 1910 in Echo Park saw 3,000 gatherers at the Echo Park Playground where they crowned Miss Ethel Pruett Queen of May.

“Three thousand men, women and children were present. As many came back for the evening’s part of the program. It was one of the most notable affairs that has ever been recorded in the history of Los Angeles, where children have taken apart.”

The Playground mentioned in this L.A. Herald article refers to a park that used to stretch from Bellevue Avenue south to Temple street, now bisected by the 101 Freeway.

From the Echo Park Historical Society website: “Huge May Day celebrations occupied the outdoor playground, and by 1912 the playground had thousands patrons in a single year, some of whom arrived from downtown on the Pacific Electric streetcar that moved up Glendale Boulevard (then known as Lake Shore).”

Thanks to LAHistory Twitter page for the link to this fun, historic newspaper article!

Huge May Day celebrations occupied the outdoor playground, and by 1912 the playground had thousands patrons in a single year, some of whom arrived from downtown on the Pacific Electric streetcar that moved up Glendale Boulevard (then known as Lake Shore).

May 1, 2010/by Kelly

Lifestyle

Lemonade Stand for a Cause

We picked this up from Chicken Corner today, so we thought it better to just share the info about the Big Sunday charity event on Sunday, May 2 at Echo Park Lake, directly from Jenny Burman:

…on May 2 one Big Sunday charity event will be taking place at the rec center, just across the street from the south side of Echo Park Lake, in which Yours Truly and family will be serving lemonade from 1 to 4 p.m. under the aegis of the tireless Ellen Lawler, who organized. Proceeds benefit the Harmony Project, (of which Echo Park violinist/photographer Julie Fowells, a friend, was one of the founders).

Thirsty, but don’t want to drive, bike, walk, crawl all the way to Echo Park? Click here, for a list of lemonade stands (on both weekend days) that will benefit Big Sunday charities.

Good luck!

April 30, 2010/210 Comments/by Kelly

Lifestyle

Help Playgroup Spring Clean this Weekend

Playgroup in Echo Park could use your handy hands on Saturday, May 1 as it revamps/spring cleans its facilities. Set your alarm – the cleanup starts bright and early at 7:30 am!

We will be painting, fixing, mending and cleaning, all while finding our grooves to some fun and funky music. We will provide snacks and some beverages.

It would mean the world to us if you could come out and lend a helping hand.

Playgroup is a “quality, affordable” daycare and preschool center that provides full-time and part-time care to children ages 2 to 5. Their bilingual staff (English and Spanish) focus on helping kids transition from home to a school environment.

For more information call (323) 660-9665 or visit www.OurPlaygroup.org

April 30, 2010/by Kelly

Nightlife

Friday Night Music In Echo Park

Nite Jewel, Sugar & Gold, Luxxury at The Echo. 8pm. $10. 18+. The Echo is located at 1822 Sunset Blvd.
Heartless Bastards, Hacienda, Amy Cook at Echoplex. 8:30pm. $16. 18+. The Echoplex is located at 1154 Glendale Blvd.
Gift Horse Project feat. Rain Phoenix, Antony Langdon, Ane Diaz and Royston Langdon, Norm Block, Kirk Hellie, Dave Palmer, Dermot Mulroney, A.J. Mason, Chris Tucci and very special guests at Bootleg Theater. 10pm. $20. 21+. The Bootleg Theater is located at 2220 Beverly Blvd.
Tarlton, The Paddleboat, Foot Foot, Wires in the Wall at Echo Curio.$5. All ages. Echo Curio is located at 1519 Sunset Blvd. 9pm.
I Heart Lung, Cue The Moon, Rare Grooves, his Orchestra at Pehrspace. 9pm. $5. All ages. Pehrspace is located at 325 Glendale Blvd.

Thanks to LAist.

April 30, 2010/2 Comments/by Faith

Pictures

Is General Lee in Echo Park?

Twitpic photo via ritzy_p

Could it be the real General Lee at the Vons parking lot in Echo Park? Discuss.

April 30, 2010/1 Comment/by Kelly

Lifestyle

New to the ‘Hood: Echo Park Chess Club

Looking for something new to do on Sunday night in Echo Park? Check out the newly formed Echo Park Chess Club, meeting for the first time this Sunday, May 2, 2010 at 5:00 pm, on the back patio of Stories Books and Cafe. Bring your own chess board if you have one!

Stories is located 1716 Sunset Blvd

April 28, 2010/189 Comments/by Kelly

Lifestyle

Echo Park is… Where is that again?

This tickles me, because so many people chastise The Eastsider LA for covering areas like Echo Park under the “eastside” guise. Well, Curbed LA editors have apparently had enough themselves, citing a recent post where commenters argued whether or not the areas included in the video post, titled The East Side of Los Angeles on a Sunny Day, are indeed the “eastside.”

So Curbed L.A. has decided to rename everything east of Western and west of the Los Angeles River, leaving the name suggestions to a public vote:

…because it’s just too cumbersome to get all those neighborhood names out every time you want to say something condescending about hipsters, we’re giving the area a new collective handle too, with the help of the Curbed army. Leave your suggestions in the comments or send them into the tipline, and the best will be put to a vote. The winning name will designate the area from then on out and no one will ever refer to East Hollywood, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, or Echo Park as the eastside ever again for the rest of time.

So far, suggestions include North Central L.A., East Westside, Uptown, and more. View the Curbed LA article and maybe even post your suggestions here.

Granted, LA neighborhood boundaries are consistently… inconsistent. The neighborhood of Echo Park itself more often than not includes Angeleno Heights, Elysian Heights, and even sometimes Historic Filipinotown. But the eastside debate is another entity entirely, with those like the LA Eastside blog passionately arguing for the true eastside being “east of LA River,” others, like in this LA Times article, argue it’s not just a geographical issue but also a cultural identity tied to the Chicano movement, adding, “The newly gentrified area started to collectively call itself the Eastside – as in east of the riches of the Westside.” Other arguments outline a few different historical viewpoints, an arena we will be covering in a later post.

For us at Echo Park Now, there’s hopefully no question about the areas of Echo Park we cover. But one thing’s for sure – even if Curbed LA renames this area, the eastside debate will never end.