Flickr photo via Carlos Ontivero
Hello Dodger Stadium, and WOW. This amazing shot came up on Flickr tonight from Elysian Park. Bravo Carlos, bravo.
“Dodger Stadium in Chavez Ravine at night, June 1, 1962.″ From the USC Digital Libraries.
It’s a bittersweet anniversary, but today marks the 50th year Dodger Stadium has been open. The above photo gives us a little glimpse into the past – and though the cars a little different, the full parking lot and packed freeways aren’t too different from today!
Via Heart Street He(art) Tumblr site
Earlier this week we asked the question: What’s up with the bears hanging from power lines around the area?
Well some of you guessed it: It’s some hipster art/event/act promotion. The people behind it are called Hearts Revolution / Hearts Challenger – an ice cream truck turned music group turned bedazzled ice cream truck playing music… we think. Some of the bears on their Tumblr site bear the words (get it?) “Fuck the Hype” and “Ride or Die,” which probably has something to do with a new album or… something. Not sure how the bear thing comes in, but hopefully they’ll message us back and clue us in!
Be sure to take advantage of all the great services offered by our local libraries – Echo Park is lucky enough to have two! Here are some great classes and activities that are ongoing as well as for the month of April:
Echo Park Branch Library
Where is it? How to use the library and website for school projects and reports. Call 213-250-7808 for an appointment.
Art Class for Kids: Kids will learn about art from an artist from LACMA and create something new each week. For hours please call 213-250-7808.
GAB: Books come alive for kids when they share the fun of reading with GAB library volunteers. Call 213-250-7808 for hours.
Computer Class: Introduction to Computers, Ten Week Series. 3:30 PM on Wednesdays and Fridays through April (started in March).
Edendale Branch Library
ELFS Used Book Sale: Wednesdays at 2:00 pm. Join the Edendale Library Friends Society for their weekly used book sale. All sales support the library.
Book Club: First Thursday of each month, 6:30 pm.
For Children
Infant & Toddler Storytime: Wednesdays at 10:15 am and 11:00 am. Children 1-3 and their special grown-ups join the children’s librarian for nursery rhymes, songs, finger plays, and books.
Legos Club: Saturday, April 21 at 10:15 am. Join other children for some creative construction. We’ll provide the Legos and Duplos, but donations are welcome to help build up our collection.
For Teens
Teen Council: Thursday, April 5 at 5:00 pm. Make your voice heard at the next Teen Council meeting. Help plan programs, design bulletin boards, and choose materials. Free snacks!
Teen Book Club: Thursday, April 19 at 5:00 pm. Visti edendaleteens.blogspot.com for more info.
Teen Cooking Club: Thursday, April 26 at 5:00 pm. Learn how to make delectible seasonal dishes, both savory & sweet.
Computer classes
Introduction to Computers: This class starts at the very beginning and provides a basic introduction to computers. Absolute beginners are welcome. April 7 at 2:00 pm.
Introduction to the Internet: This class offers an introduction to navigating the Internet and using a search engine. Students should already be able to use the mouse.April 14 at 2:00 pm
Introduction to E-mail: In this class students create a free e-mail account and learn the basics of sending and receiving e-mail messages. April 21 at 2:00 pm.
Introduction Word Processing: In this easy word processing class we cover the basics skills necessary for creating professional documents like letters and simple resumes. April 28 at 2:00 pm.
Sunset Beer has some new artwork on the walls – mainly a vintage-looking, awesome beer mirror behind the taps. The new installation serves as both a kickass piece of artwork on the walls as well as the bar’s new mascot – they’ve even named it “Platy:”
Bud has their Clydesdales on a hill. Miller, some snow covered wolves on a bluff. And so, may we introduce: Platy – the Sunset Beer Company beer mirror.
Designed by Rebecca Johnson and Jeff Klarin of Bughouse Design, Platy hangs amidst other pieces of art by the creative duo. It features Echo Park Lake (before the construction, obviously), a platypus (which are not native to the lake, but hey, they needed a mascot!), and the downtown skyline emerging from the distance.
Why all the fuss about a new piece of artwork in a beer bar?
Why, the party of course! They’ll be celebrating the debut of Platy on Saturday, April 7 from 6-8:00 pm, with half off draft beers and munchies.
Please RSVP on the Facebook page, to 213-481-BEER email info@sunsetbeerco.com if you want to join in on the festivities. See you there!
“Ghost” is a white male Siberian Husky with light blue eyes lost on April 1. He was last seen on Coronado and Sunset Boulevard in the Silver Lake / Echo Park area.
Please contact us if you have any tips on the whereabouts of Ghost – he is missed terribly by his owners!
This!
Google maps screenshot
It might only be March 31, but tomorrow is April Fool’s Day and Google has transformed its interactive maps into an 8-bit video gamer’s dream. Along with the retro maps, there’s a video about how they’ll be releasing a NES on those old-school cartridges. If only! Apparently there’s even monsters and Easter eggs, but Echo Park (shown in 8-bit above) seems to be in the clear. However, landmarks like Dodger Stadium, The Echoplex, The Park, and others are still indicated on the map.
8-bit street view of Echo Park Lake (before construction, of course)
All you have to to is click “Quest” in the upper right hand corner (by the Earth and Satellite options) to view the 8-bit format. To explore more, check out the street view! The above screenshot of Echo Park Lake reminds me of the old Sierra computer games from the ol’ days.
h/t Mike Fisher
After
This morning’s drive to work wouldn’t be complete without driving by our local bakery, La Espiga, on Scott Avenue and Glendale Boulevard. The wall along the Scott side usually gets pretty tagged up (they are always quick to remove it), but we noticed today it’s gotten a little bit of a different look. We like it – it’s a nice, warm color, and the artwork is all hand painted, down to the Facebook logo!
Make sure you Like them on Facebook, because everyone needs to be liked!
Before (ignore the graffiti, this was from a while back)
How much do you love Echo Park? Bring a tee along and get it silk-screened on for everyone to see!
Echo Park resident Josh Post (also running for office in CD13, and is an EPIA committee member) is teaming up with The Warehouse LA and CD1 for a cleanup of Sunset Boulevard this Saturday, March 31, along the east end the community.
I’ll be there as well – helping make sure you supplies, breakfast, and a t-shirt before heading out to clean up the neighborhood! We’ll be covering Sunset Boulevard from Elysian Park Avenue to Beaudry Avenue – a much-neglected portion of Echo Park that could use a little trash cleanup, sidewalk improvement, and graffiti removal (provided by the CCAC). Meet up at The Warehouse for some morning goodies provided by local Echo Park businesses, bring your favorite light-colored tee to get our now infamous “I Heart Echo Park” logo printed on it.
Office of Ed Reyes, Council District 1, is provided trash bags and supplies, but we recommend dusting off those work gloves and bringing them along! Bring the kids, your neighbors, and friends.
Our last cleanup of Glendale Boulevard in November was a huge success, bringing out over 50 people from all over the community (including schools and churches). Come out and have some fun!
Sunset Boulevard cleanup
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Meet at The Warehouse LA at 9:00 am, located at 1197 W Sunset Boulevard
Bring a tshirt for silk-screening!
We’ve been hearing a lot lately about how awesome Blue Collar on Echo Park Avenue is. We don’t frequent the store because, well, we are cat people (sorry), but besides being a great, locally owned business, they are a fabulous component for a big dog community. So here are a couple of things that you may have not known about Blue Collar, and why you should check it out:
Reason #1: Custom ID tags
Deborah of La Guera Tamalera raves about all the shop in general, but really loves that they offer inexpensive custom dog ID tags. For only $3 they will hammer out the ID tag and attach it to your pet’s collar, securing your dog’s return to you if they ever get loose!
Reason #2: Chip scan!
If you find some lost little animal that has no collar and needs to return home, just take it to Blue Collar for a free chip scan. We’ve done this before with found pets, but have gone all the way to the animal shelter on Lacy Street. This is a great local way to check for that chip!
Reason #3: They want to help!
Blue Collar wants to help! They’ve had programs in the past where they collect donations of dog food and supplies for families facing hard times in this economy, and even providing homeless pet owners with help. In addition to their regular obedience classes at a reasonable (and competitive) rate, they are also willing to help if you or someone you know has a dog with serious behavior problems but can’t afford the courses. For either of these programs, just go in and ask!
This adorrrrrrable puppy was found this weekend without a collar on Avalon Street and Preston Avenue. She’s got a temporary home and is out of the rain, but please do contact us if you know where she belongs!
UPDATE: The owner was found!
The streets of Echo Park on Baxter are infamous for being some of the steepest outside of San Francisco, but nobody told this limo driver.
Today the limo awaits a tow truck after being stuck at the apex of Baxter Street, which isn’t uncommon for this corner – a school bus attempted the climb a couple of years ago, and we’re sure there are more undocumented attempts.
A Chango mural concept
One of the iconic symbols of Echo Park, and one that residents take a lot of pride in, are the colorful murals that decorate our streets. The Sunset Boulevard and Echo Park Avenue mural is one of the most iconic, but look around a little more and you’ll start to notice a myriad of new and old designs that give this neighborhood a colorful background.
Cock-fight mural. Flickr photo via Michael Taft
You may have noticed some changes happening at Chango, which is undergoing minor renovations under new ownership (Jenna Turner, who owns a Susina Bakery on Beverly Boulevard, and Fix Coffee owner Marc Gallucci). But the new owners weren’t prepared for the community’s reaction when they white-washed the property’s cock-fight themed mural. We’re glad they arrived at last night’s Echo Park Improvement Association’s Neighborhood Issues Committee meeting to address any concerns, and assure everyone that they didn’t mean to offend anyone by painting over the mural.
That corner has been through a couple of murals the past decade or so – first there was the more infamous painting of chickens by artist Aaron Donovan, a piece painted because of the corner’s “Chicken Corner” nickname. The original mural was removed when Chango put in windows at that wall. Then a few years ago, the cock-fighting themed mural took its place.
Jenna assured committee members last night that they did, indeed, get permission from the original muralist Richard Meinhardt via the new artist, by the name of Axis, to remove the piece. Pictured above is a new concept (not the final, final one yet) the new owners designed for the new mural, but at the EPIA meeting said that they were open to including a chicken in there somewhere.
One mural that was saved, probably due to public outcry from coverage on news websites like The Eastsider LA, was the Logan Street mural decorating the former Pescado Mejodo restaurant. Senior Fish has been renovating the corner restaurant for quite some time now, but surprised residents when workers started sandblasting the mural.
Jesse Pimentel represented Senior Fish at the EPIA meeting, saying “We certainly didn’t intend to offend anyone.” Today they will have a retoucher, who has worked on the mural, bring back the mural to its state before the sandblasting began.
The lesson here is that Echo Park loves its murals, and there are many community resources like the EPIA if there are questions about the neighborhood murals. We have to give kudos to the recently opened Red Hill, which kept a colorful mural on the Montana side of its building even after a complete renovation.
As for Senior Fish opening, they are expecting a (hopefully successful) visit from the health department next week, and may open as early as one month from now. Chango is re-opening on Saturday, and will keep the same staff along with the menu.
Photo credit: Laure Joliet/Sunia Homes (via deLaB)
Join deLaB (Design East of La Brea) on March 24, 2012 for its first-ever Echo Park home tour. Home tours are a popular event here in Echo Park – the Echo Park Historical Society hosts a popular one every year or so, and Dwell on Design usually includes at least one of our neighborhood’s architecturally significant homes on its annual city-wide tours. And it’s no surprise we’re so cool when it comes to homes – Echo Park is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and is well-known for its diverse, artsy, and rebellious residents who create unique homes and gardens.
The tour features four different Echo Park homes within walking distance of each other for the self-guided tour, including:
- John Oddo’s 495 square foot house designed by Good Idea Studio
- Simon Storey’s 960 square foot “Eel’s Nest”
- The Dick+Jane 1600 square foot townhouses on Echo Park Avenue
- The new and green, 2,000 square foot “Sunia Homes” designed by Jerome Pelayo (pictured above)
Click here to read more features about each house.
Be sure to purchase tickets now – early bird purchases are $30 instead of $35, but only through March 10.
The post-tour starts at 4:00 pm at Red Hill, 1325 Echo Park Avenue, for happy hour (even if you’re not a ticketholder, you’re welcome to join)
deLaB Echo Park House Tours
Saturday, March 24, 2012 from 12:00 non to 4:00 pm
Click here for tickets, must be purchased in advance
$30 per person early bird special (through March 10) / $35 per person after March 10
Echo Park resident, historian, and contributor to The Eastsider LA Rory Mitchell explores the history behind the sandstone cliffs that make up the west end of Echo Park as you drive into Silver Lake on Sunset.
Apparently this section has a pretty interesting history – in 1887 an ostrich farm decided to build a railway to its new Griffith Park location. Apparently the landowner of the section they blew threw, who knew about the project and initially supported it, was left “unsatisfied” with the work, sued the railroad company, and won. This landowner was lawyer George H. Smith, former Colonel in the Confederate Army and the grandfather of General George S. Patton.
Here’s a little video about the project, via the Echo Park Historic Society:
The Cut is now home to some unique vendors selling various items on the weekends, and is often plagued by landslides, especially after the “big” rains we had a couple of years ago.
Click here to read the entire write-up by Rory on the My Historic LA website.
Related articles to also read:
- A look into landslides reveals Sunset Boulevard’s rocky past. The Eastsider LA, February 26, 2011
- “The Cut” digs into the geology and history of Echo Park & Silver Lake. The Eastsider LA, February 24, 2012