Cute and yellow!
I’m a sucker for a classic car that can rock a kiddie car seat!
An "American" in the Vons parking lot
There was a real nice sunset tonight you can see from, well, Sunset Blvd! You probably saw the huge thunderheads over the mountains earlier today. Other areas didn’t fare as well as we did – a flash flood warning in parts of Southern California actually resulted in some crazy storms, including the following video from Lake Elsinore, which was also featured tonight on KTLA. Hard to believe that’s So Cal in August!
Panoramic view of Echo Park, looking north toward Mount Hollywood, December 1911
We recently found some photos in the University of Southern California’s Digital Library of Echo Park in the very beginning of the 20th century.
We’ve posted some of the pictures here for your enjoyment. The photo above was accompanied by a lovely account of the beginnings Echo Park Lake written by Jose Rivera.
Initially, the area we now know as the park was a natural arroyo that filled with water from a spring-fed stream that originated at Baxter Street and flowed down what is now Echo Park Avenue. In 1868 the Los Angeles Canal and Reservoir Co. dammed the arroyo to make a reservoir that aided in powering a woolen mill at what is now 6th and Figueroa (then known as Pearl St.) and was to eventually serve local residents, walnut orchards and vineyards to the south along Alvarado. The immigrants that worked these orchards and vineyards settled here and began to build small homes along Sunset Boulevard, between Echo Park Avenue and Lemoyne Street.
In 1875, the woolen mill closed and the reservoir land (then known as the Montana Tract) was sold off. Eventually, Thomas J. Kelley and Dr. W. Lemoyne Wills purchased the land for a business venture. In 1888, Mr. Kelley and Dr. Wills donated the land to the city for the expressed purpose of creating a public park for the enjoyment of the people of Los Angeles.
The first Superintendent of Parks for the city was an English immigrant named Joseph Tomlinson who was assigned the task of creating the park. One day, while overseeing the work, Mr. Tomlinson thought he heard his workers talking during a break, but he knew they were across the park from him. The park had an echo! He knew what the name of the park would be! The park was dedicated and opened to the public in 1895. The famous bed of lotuses that grow in the lake at the northwest end of the park, the largest stand of lotuses outside Asia, is a mystery yet to be solved. One legend says that evangelical Chinese missionaries planted them for use as food, but no one knows the real story. They appeared some time in 1923 or 1924.
Click below to view more photos.
Baxter Stairs Sunset / Flickr photo via andysternberg
Photographer Mathieu Young did a photo essay last year, embarking on a a 20 mile walkabout across Los Angeles, and photographing the sites and people along the way.
“Fascinated by the social and cultural diversity of Los Angeles, I embarked on a four day, 20 mile journey across the city on foot. Pushing a large strobe light, I walked through L.A.’s neighborhoods, asking to photograph everyone whose path I crossed. It was a remarkable experience to step out of the bubble and engage with the city’s changing landscape as it is reflected in the faces of its denizens.”
Here are a couple of his photos he took in Echo Park, which we found on Good.is:
Click here for the rest of the Mathieu’s photos of Los Angeles. Learn more about Mathieu Young by clicking here.
- Cleanup at the Lake underway this morning
Milo and Willow, owners of Echo Park resident Jennifer, are representing the Lakers today for Game 6 of the NBA Finals.
Jackie and Dolce by Sonia Paulino
Portrait photographer Sonia Paulino recently created a series of photos documenting both the quadru- and the bipedal citizens of Echo Park. The series is entitled “We Come Here All the Time”: Dog Walkers of Echo Park. The series “documents the diversity of a rapidly gentrifying Los Angeles neighborhood by photographing people with their dogs around the local park. The work evolves from recurring themes about companionship, care, and mutual identity.” It’s also fun to see how much owners resemble their dogs.
Cali, Jenny and Bobby
Vanessa and Ewok
Photo via birttanmoore from Tweed
This photo, taken a couple of hours ago in Echo Park, reads “No Phone Zone.” Possibly part of Oprah’s campaign to encourage people to put down their cell phones while driving.
Echo Park Ave and Scott Ave
Photo by Echo Park resident Mike Fisher
The first garage was poured last week and the second framed out for these two Echo Park single family homes, located at 1124 Echo Park Avenue.
You can follow the progress of the project on the developer’s website here.
Related article:
- Nice Project Coming to Echo Park? Curbed LA, February 23, 2010
Echo Park sidewalk Photo via KelsoBong Tweetphoto
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
Twitpic photo via ritzy_p
Could it be the real General Lee at the Vons parking lot in Echo Park? Discuss.