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Holiday parking tips for Echo Park and Los Angeles

Holiday parking regulations get a little relaxed on days like Thanksgiving Day! While you may have noticed no tickets are being doled out for those street cleaning sides, and the 1-2 hour parking rules relaxed, Friday is back to business so park appropriately!

Here’s the low-down from the LA City Department of Transportation, click the image below for the full PDF:

Bottom line: Park longer than that 1-2 hour time limit and don’t feed the meter (at most meters – look out for the “holidays excluded” signage).

Happy holidays!

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After 7 years at Masa, Manny is leaving (boo!)

We’re hoping to catch a moment with one of our favorite Masa servers tonight as we take the family out for a pre-Thanksgiving meal. We’re  saying goodbye to awesome Masa server Manny Ramirez because he’s leaving the Echo Park restaurant after seven years – for good! But also for good reasons.

Manny has been working at Masa since the beginning, so he became a friendly face and great conversation while we did the laundromat-Masa night every couple of weeks. In the latest Masa newsletter, he explains his reasons for leaving: “I’m ready to do some of that traveling so many of you have told to do while I’m still young.” After Thanksgiving, he’ll be hitting up the Southern States, including Alabama, and crossing the border to Mexico for a holiday with the family. Then he’ll be shipped off – literally – since he joined the U.S. Navy.

It’s kind of sad saying goodbye to Manny, an end of an era. But we know owners Rhonda and Rob will especially miss him. As they wrote in the newsletter: “In 2004 when we opened the doors to Masa, our ‘second’ home in Echo Park, Manny came with us and charmed you with his vast trivia knowledge, endearing smile and incomprehensible politeness! We realize there comes a time in every family when the kids will leave the nest. As ‘parents’ we couldn’t be prouder of our Manny now, and all that he has yet to accomplish in the future.”

Good luck, Manny! You will be missed. Thanks for making this little pocket of Los Angeles feel like an intimate and great neighborhood!

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Tonight: Stories Books & Cafe anniversary party

If you’re out an about tonight in Echo Park, stop by Stories Books & Cafe for its third year anniversary party! (Happppy Anniversary!)

The pre-Thanksgiving celebration includes complimentary turkey chili and “other surprises.” Tonight only (Wednesday, November 23) starting at 7:30 pm.

If you miss it tonight, swing by stories on Saturday, November 26 at 7:00 pm for live music by Graham Lindsay and Daniel Ahearn.

Also on Tuesday, November 29 at 7:30 pm, on hand will be Joseph Mattson, James Greer and Jerry Stahl (The Speed Chronicles) and Gary Phillips, Jervey Tervalon and Susan Straight (The Cocaine Chronicles). Susan Straight is one of our favorite LA writers, so we’re looking forward to the event! Click here for the info.

Stories is located at 1716 West Sunset Boulevard.

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Pet adoption spotlight: Cutie

This adorable pup came up on the Echo Elysian Neighborhood Council forum today – he’s so cute his temporary name is Cutie, and we just had to share his story with the hopes he’ll find a permanent home. Here’s the story of how Cutie was found:

I rescued this sweet young boy last Monday night in Echo Park. He was emaciated, starving and scared. He’s been at the shelter and no one has come to claim him. I’ve been visiting him everyday so now he recognizes my voice. He’s young (1-2 years old), healthy, super affectionate and sweet, and a quick learner! The staff are taking good care of him, giving him extra food and being very gentle with him.

This poor boy needs a home! His only draw back is that he is not leashed trained. But, I’ve been working with him, and he’s getting the hang of it. He wants to please, he wants affection – he loves to snuggle, get hugs, and he gives the sweetest kisses.

I’m going out of the country this Friday and I’m terrified that this cutie will be killed while I’m away.

Cutie is currently at the North Central Animal Shelter located at 3201 Lacy Street.

For more information about Cutie, all you need to do is visit www.laanimalservices.com and click on “ADOPT.” Enter his animal ID number, A1264972.

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Echo Park’s Week in Music

For the week of Monday, November 21 through Sunday, November 27, 2011

Monday
The Chain Gang of 1974, Lesands, Tic Tic Boom, Kflay @ Echo
M31, The Tleilaxu Music Machine, So Wrong, Creepy Marbles @ Pehrspace
Rock & Roll Dance Party @ Lot 1 Cafe
Little Hurricane, The Peach Kings, Rachael Cantu, The Janks @ Bootleg Bar

Tuesday
A House for Lions, Torches, Dandelo @ Echo
Raw Geronimo @ Origami Vinyl
Francisco the Man, We Are the Pilots & Heflin Fox @ Lot 1 Cafe
The Cooling Time, The Chromium Heart, Square On Square @ Bootleg Bar

Wednesday
Dub Club Meets Angel City Soul Club @ Echo & Echoplex
Pyramid Vritra @ Origami Vinyl
Blac Jesus & The Exps Residency with Audia & Karma The Mirror @ Lot 1 Cafe
Red Circle Underground, Franco Near Death, Programmed For Pleasure @ Bootleg Bar
Live Jazz Every Wednesday Night at 7:00 pm @ Downbeat Café
Morse Code, Killer Cam, Dirty Dave, Mark Mareclo, Partytime@ The Short Stop

Thursday
Closed for Gobble Gobble Give 2011 – Help feed the Homeless on Thanksgiving Day @ Echo
Yo Mammas House Thanksgiving Spectacular with DJs Velocity B & Nate Day @ The Short Stop

Friday
Aquarium Drunkard Presents: Crooked Fingers, Strand Of Oaks, Graham Lindsey @ Echo
Leftovers @ Lot 1 Cafe

Saturday
Funky Sole @ Echo
Ghiant and Friends @ Taix Lounge
Hello Echo, The Californian, The Dead Ships, Heroes And Heroines @ Bootleg Bar

Sunday
Melt Banana, 400 Blows, Retox @ Echoplex
Part Time Punks Minimal Synth, Coldwave Nite with The Present Moment, Continues @ Echo
Wreck of The Zephyr, Greenhorse, Nathan Flom @ Bootleg Bar
Super Soul Sunday @ The Short Stop

Visit the venue websites for more information on the cost and times of shows. Feel free to add more events in the comment section. All events listed are subject to change at any time, and new events announced for the week after this posting may not be included.

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Last chance for Echo Park Farmers’ Market before Thanksgiving

John Sweredoski helps customers at the Farmers' Market

The Echo Park Farmers’ Market is an important errand for most Fridays, but today is especially important – next week is Thanksgiving, and we want to make sure everyone stocks up fresh, local ingredients for Turkey Day.

The most important item: Herbs! These are typically very expensive in the standard grocery store if you’re buying fresh, so forget Vons or even Whole Foods and stop by booths like Sweredoski Farms (pictured) for Rosemary, Lemon Basil (they grow the best!), Tarragon, Bay Leaves, and Chives.

Don’t forget the basics at any of the oter booths: Onions, lemons, shallots, apples, celery, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, garlic, yams and eggs (especially those eggs – incredibly fresh, organic and inexpensive!).

For the Acorn Squash and other heirloom squash, I always go to the booth on the same side as the soy candle guy. While I don’t recall the name, they have some of the best squash I’ve ever had! They all carry fresh salad mix, so keep your eyes peeled.

If Soledad Goats is there, be sure to pick up our favorite goat cheese appetizer to lay out while the meal is cooking: Either the hand-rolled soft cheese in the jar with olive oil & spices ($8-10) and/or the herbed hard cheese (about $1 per ounce).

Make sure to chat with the farmers – find out where they are located, and if what you’re buying is organic (doesn’t matter if it’s certified or not). If you miss out on today’s Farmers’ Market in Echo Park, you might also find many of the same vendors at the Silver Lake Farmers’ Market every Saturday from 8:00 am – 1:00 pm, and the Atwater Village Farmers’ Market every Sunday from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

The Echo Park Farmers’ Market takes place every Friday from 3-7:00 pm in parking lot #663 (half a block south of Sunset Blvd. off Logan Street).

Related Articles:

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Allston Yacht Club scores with the city, plus new fall menu

Figgy Pudding. Photo courtesy of AYC.

Allston Yacht Club recently won a bit of a battle with the City of Los Angeles – a permit hearing on Thursday, October 27, 2011 ended in the restaurant’s favor, granting it an exemption from the city’s strict parking requirements. This means you won’t find a valet posted out front, and while you might have to look for your own parking, there’s usually plenty of it around.

In addition to the change in parking conditions, they also received a conditional use permit to serve food on the patio, extend hours to 2:00 am on Friday and Saturday, legalize happy hour and the advertisement of alcoholic beverages, and limited entertainment inside the restaurant.

But not a whole lot will change around AYC just yet (they are still tying up some loose ends), except of course for its new fall menu. We missed the holiday cocktail tasting, but LAist got a stab at the libations, which included the Accursed Fruitcake (Applejack, ginger beer, apple cider and “inebriated fruits”), Hot Spiced Cider (two types of rum, Canton Liquer) and the Figgy Pudding (fig infused bourbon, egg white, egg nog, cinnamon simple syrup, nutmeg). If you don’t get a chance to try these before the holidays, you might impress some Turkey day guests by trying some recipes AYC provided last year.

We’ve also heard on the grapevine that they’ll be expanding their beer selections, which seems natural as there’s a lot of beer competition in Echo Park these days.

If you’re hungry, AYC’s fall menu includes some delectable updates, including: Warm mushroom salad, double fried Korean style wings (pictured), Dashi whitefish stew, mussels and house made sausage with white wine and garlic. While we normally enjoy the Wicked Wednesday deal (plates are just $5), write this might require a little date night tonight!

Double Fried Korean Style Wings. Photo courtesy of AYC.

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Countdown to Thanksgiving: Local volunteer opportunities

Gobble Gobble Give

This annual tradition brings lots and lots and lots of families in need out to The Echo for free turkey dinners, and they need lots of help. Bring a dish already heated (they’ll take any ‘giving sides but also need turkeys), five small toiletry kits, clothing and/or blankets on Thanksgiving Day starting at 8:00 am. Volunteers can show up starting at 7:30 am. Families in need start arriving at 10:00 am.

Go to gobblegobblegive.org for more information, or to donate just a few bucks to help buy turkey dinners for those in need.

A Place Called Home in South Central LA

Donate pies for the A Place Called Home Thanksgiving Dinner in South Central Los Angeles. Drop off pies on Tuesday, November 22 between 12:00 noon –  6:30 pm at 2830 South Central Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90011. Click here for info.

One Incredible Family in Playa Del Rey

Prepare and deliver meals for the homeless (along with other volunteer duties) at One Incredible Family in Playa Del Rey on Saturday, November 26. You can also volunteer to cook large turkeys the day before and deliver to the project site the day of. Click here for info.

Union Station Homeless Services

Thanksgiving Dinner-in-the-Park volunteers are needed both the day before and the date after Thanksgiving, at Union Station in Pasadena. Activities include event set-up, registration, food preparation, clean-up and more. For more information contact dinnerinthepark@unionstationhs.org. You can register online www.unionstationhs.org.

More opportunities

You can search for more volunteer opportunities on the LA Works website.

Did we miss anything? Please let us know in the comments below and we’ll be sure to add the information!

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Pilates & Arts grand opening celebration Saturday

If you haven’t checked out the new pilates studio on Echo Park Avenue, Pilates & Arts, now is your chance!

Join Echo Park resident and owner Tannis Kobrinsky, along with friends on Saturday, November 12 for a grand opening celebration. She’ll be hosting Pilates demos, a chance to “meet he machines,” Tarot readings, and an art exhibit with live music. Refreshments will be served and prizes give out!

The art show will feature “The Falling” group show, with live music by Little Red Lung and others.

Please RSVP to tannis@pilatesandarts.com or (323) 913-9460

Pilates & Arts Grand Opening
Saturday, November 12 · 4:00pm – 8:00pm
1844 Echo Park Avenue
Website, or check the Facebook page for detailed hours on classes, and costs.

Related links:

  • Time to get fit: Echo Park Avenue gets new Pilates studio. Echo Park Now, October 11, 2011.
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Dear Echo Park Now: Enough with the construction noise!

Fellow Echo Parkian Adrian is having some problems with the Durbin Project construction lately – the condo project once known as “smurf village” at Chicken Corner on Echo Park Avenue and Delta (right by Chango). The blue treated wood that stood as the skeleton for a project that stopped dead in 2009 is now gone since D.R. Horton bought the property and started construction just recently.

Unfortunately for Adrian and his family, the new construction isn’t exactly a 100% a welcome addition to the neighborhood. Construction starts at 6:00 am despite city noise ordinances that require quiet hours for construction through 7:00 am. To make matters worse, Adrian has called the LAPD non-emergency line to complain, with promises to send officers left unfulfilled.

We’ve recommended to Adrian to call 311, or continue to call the LAPD non-emergency line (1-877-275-5273) and file a noise complaint if possible – and Adrian would like to invite all of his neighbors to do the same. “My family,” he told us in an email, “can’t be the only one in the area missing some much needed sleep.”

We also recommend contacting Council District 13, Eric Garcetti’s office, particularly because they should have direct contact with the developers and the project as a whole.

And, just for good measure, it doesn’t hurt making a complaint to the project manager on duty during those wee hours – who cares if you’re still in those PJs?

UPDATE:

The Eastsider LA just reported the new, new name for the project will be “36 on Echo” (this is third name, third owner), and that the Senior Vice President of D.R. Horton said he’ll be looking into noise complaints.

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Echo Park in the News

At the bottom of Echo Park Lake with KPCC

KPCC joins Eric Garcetti to explore the bottom of the now-drained Echo Park Lake (well, before the rainy weekend we had). “We’ve polluted this lake, it’s lost its character,” Garcetti told them, “It’s time to bring it back to something that’s healthy for the next hundred years.”

Listen to the radio segment (there’s a funny moment where Senior Adviser of Garcetti’s office Mitch O’Farrell loses a shoe in the lake’s muck), and watch the video at on the KPCC website.

Fed up Echo park resident starts the popular “Bank Transfer Day”

When Bank of America announced it would start charging $5 per month debit card fees, 27-year-old Echo Park resident Kristen Christian took it to the social media streets. Bank of America has since retracted the planned fees, but after tens of thousands of people pledged to transfer their banks by Saturday, November 5. Kristen has been all over the media, making television appearances and talking about her cause. If you’re still interested in a credit union, Echo Park Time Bank recommends the California Credit Union near Echo Park.

Read about it on the LA Times and Echo Park Patch.

More hidden stairways

We’ve huffed and puffed our way up these stairs before, but the views are worth it! The Eastsider LA posted a video today of the Loma Vista stairway between Echo Park and Silver Lake. Hopefully the rain will hold off long enough this week for you to check it out!

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Along Glendale Blvd.: A thriving world of art you’d never know existed

Shandu One sculpts amongst his favorite graffiti pieces in La Fonderie

This weekend, the community along with the Echo Park Improvement Association (which I am a member of) will start a major cleanup of Glendale Boulevard, an almost blighted entryway to our beautiful Echo Park neighborhood. Throughout the planning process, we’ve been slowly discovering these amazing businesses located along the thoroughfare that you would honestly never know existed. Forget the recycling centers, empty lots, and graffiti-covered buildings. Here we are lucky to have places like La Fonderie located in Keystone Studios, an exciting world of LA’s best artists inside a huge brick building on Glendale Boulevard.

You probably recognize the building on Glendale Boulevard by the big graffiti/mural by JR (now infamous in Echo Park). But I got the idea for this article from friend, real estate agent, and EPIA chairperson Darren Hubert. He and Josh Post – the Echo Park resident who started and organized the Glendale Boulevard cleanup – visited as many businesses as possible one day, hoping to encourage everyone to contribute to the day of cleanup. Granted, I had read about the art space in a The Eastsider LA article when it first opened in June of 2009, but I really had no idea what was really going on these days.

Read more

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Mohawk Bend now serving up weekend lunch and beer flights

Weekend lunch hours in Echo Park are a great time to explore the neighborhood – it’s usually too early to witness the walk of shame by those non-Echo Parkian visitors from other corners of LA, so it’s usually nice and quiet. And, gosh darnett, The Park closes at 2:00pm! But for a couple of weeks now, Mohawk Bend has adopted new hours, helping absorb any weekend lunch crowds and making it easier to grab a little early afternoon brewsky (or a Bloody Mary! AYC used to be the only place with these spicy morning treats).

In addition to the new weekend hours, the doors now open at noon, they now offer pre-set tasting flights every evening from 5:00 – 7:00 pm. For $9 you get four 4 oz. California craft beers to try. The menu during lunch will stay the same, so I suggest trying out a Dork Burger, Fish ‘n Chips, and the calamari. Now I’m hungry!

New hours are:

Monday through Thursday, 5:00 pm – 11:30 pm
Friday,  5:00 pm – 1:30 am
Saturday, 12:00 noon – 1:30 am
Sunday, 12 noon – 11:30 pm

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Photo: A rooftop view of Echo Park

Photo by Arturo Rivera

This awesome photo was emailed to us by Arturo Rivera, taken from a rooftop in Echo Park. Nice view from up there!

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Your Saturday guide to Echo Park festivities

Lots of cool stuff going on today – grand opening parties and other festivities all around Echo Park. Here’s the calendar breakdown in case you missed something:

Día de los Muertos celebration

Holiday altars and vendors along with the Echo Park Mariachi Festival. From 4:00 – 6:00 pm at El Centro Del Pueblo.

The Warehouse Anniversary Party

Starts at 7:00 pm. Live music, beverages, and Delilah’s Bakery cupcakes.

Villainy General Store Grand Opening

Music and refreshments from 7:00 – 10:00 pm.

Sunset Beer Company Grand Opening Party

Music and beer from 6:00 – 10:00 pm

Weekend Music

Origami Vinyl, The Echo, Bootleg, Lot 1 and Taix have some great music tonight and tomorrow.

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

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