A look inside an Echo Park business-owner’s rad diggs

Apartment Therapy Los Angeles got a look inside the home of an amazing Echo Park cottage for an article published yesterday. The home happens to be owned by Isabelle Dahlin, who just opened the Swedish-style boutique deKor in Echo Park last month, and boyfriend Brandon Boudet of Little Dom’s.

Checking out the photos and the article will make you want to make friends with Isabelle and Brandon:

Mixing an abundance of vintage and Scandinavian furniture with collected artwork, this home was designed for comfort, friends and the ultimate feeling of being “at home.” Isabelle and Brandon love to entertain, and they certainly have the space to do so. With a dining table outdoors, a fireplace, a projector and movie screen- it’s no wonder that guests (and house tour photographers) are in awe of all their space.

The house itself is a tiny cottage with only one bedroom and one bathroom. After purchasing the home, they underwent many renovations and additions to the entire property. They built a multi-level back yard that houses the chicken coop where they get fresh eggs. Brandon has a mid size kitchen with classic features like the old stove, and nice outdoor deck with a barbecue for fresh grilled meals. Isabelle needed a space to do her painting and sculpting, so they built a small studio space right out back. She told us that it is her favorite place in the world.

Great job guys, and feel free to invite us over any time!

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Mohawk Bend to open in Echo Park soon, “very soon”

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You may have noticed yesterday (hopefully you didn’t drive all the way from the West side) that despite reports from various news sources, Mohawk Bend did not open its doors yesterday. But last week we did get a sneak peak at the space, the food, and the ever so delicious booze at a pre-opening party for press and friends.

Owner Tony Yanow has had great success with Tony’s Darts Away in Burbank – with an extensive and really great beer list paired with an equally delicious vegan and non-vegan bar fare. He’s clearly doing something right, because Mohawk Bend is impressive. Plus it really helps that he’s a really nice guy, has an equally awesome family, and has done a great job with the former Ramona Theater after over 20 years of collecting dust.

Spacecraft Group designed the interior of the building (the exterior is protected by historical guidelines), telling the crowd at the pre-opening party that they were inspired by a ’70s bar vibe, hence the vintage neon bar signs decorating the second story of the large main room. Polished concrete floors, exposed brick (the formal dining room is all original), a two-story glass wall, and lacquered panels of wood are features of the recreated space.

Read more

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Echo Park’s Week in Music

For the week of Monday, July 25 through Sunday, July 31

Monday
The Echo, Sesac, and Origami Records present Monday Night Residency: Crystal Antlers, The Fuse!, The Lovely Bad Things, Manhattan Murder Mystery @ Echo
Races (Frenchkiss Records), Guests TBA, Pageants, The Neighborhood @ Bootleg Theater
Slutever, Crystal Antlers @ Origami Vinyl
Tom Tom Magazine Residency Every Monday @ Lot 1 Cafe

Tuesday
Wu Lyf @ Echo
Langhorne Slim, Henry Wolfe, Amanda Jo Williams @ Echoplex
La-Underground Presents: Peter Pants, Slutever, Cool Moms @ Pehrspace
Morgan Murphy, Deon Cole, Adam De La Pena, Morgan Nadler @ Bootleg Theater
Woolen Residency with Incan Abraham & Starving Daughters @ Lot 1 Cafe

Wednesday
Cults, Guards, Writer @ Echo
Dub Club @ Echoplex
Paris Loves La, Victor and Penny, Leftover Cuties @ Bootleg Theater
Live Jazz every Wednesday night at 7:00 pm @ Downbeat Café

Thursday
Spaceland Under The Stars with Geronimo Getty, Judson @ Pershing Square
Pink Dreams Presents Upsilom Acrux, Kill The Capulets, Ghetto Blaster, Grand Elegance @ Echo
Heavy La @ Echoplex
Echo Park Jazz Benefit Show for 826la With Slumgum and La Sirene @ Lot 1 Cafe
Ben Sollee, Thousands, J Irvin Dally @ Bootleg Theater
The Exxtras, The Atomic Sherpas @ Taix Lounge

Friday
Rollo & Grady Present Those Darlins, White Arrows, Motopony @ Echo
Inc. plus special guests, DJ Total Freedom, Nguzunguzu, Sfv Acid and more @ Echoplex
Club Underground @ Echo
Body Parts (Record Release), Touché, Masxs, Geoff Geis @ Pehrspace
Tha Boogie, Dez, Kids and Explosions @ Bootleg Theater
Eleanor Friedberger @ Origami Vinyl
Moris Tepper, Joel Jerome, Lead vocal/guitar of DIOS @ Taix Lounge

Saturday
Rock N’ Roll Camp for Girls Los Angeles: Camper Showcase 2011 @ Echoplex
Lord Huron, DJ Boom Bip @ The Getty Museum
Echo, Iheartcomix, Media Contender present: Check Yo’ Ponytail 2 with Metronomy, Nite Jewel, Sisu @ Echoplex
Funky Sole @ Echo
Dntel, The One Am Radio, Geotic @ Echoplex
Seasons (Video Release), Spirit Vine, Saint Sea Hat, The Neighborhood @ Pehrspace
The Black Ryder (Mexican Summer), Eddie Berman @ Bootleg Theater
When I Was 12 @ Origami Vinyl

Sunday
Part Time Punks with Craft Spells, Seapony, Grave Babies, Young Prisms @ Echo
Bear Hands, Lesands @ Bootleg Theater
Les Blanks @ Origami Vinyl

Visit the venue websites for more information on the cost and times of shows. This list may not represent all the musical events happening in Echo Park this week – feel free to add more events in the comment section. All events listed are subject to change at any time. New events announced for the week after this posting may not be included.

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Rumor mill: More talk of Fresh & Easy in Echo Park

Yelp photo by Ed A.

The sudden closure of the Save-A-Lot store at the end of last March has prompted a ton of speculation of what should replace the grocery store. Trader Joe’s vs. Fresh & Easy vs. Petco vs. my favorite, a locally-owned farm-to-table type of place.The debate has even given birth to a Facebook page called “Bring Trader Joe’s to Echo Park.”

While we haven’t had any official confirmation of what store is going into the space, located next to the Walgreens at Sunset Blvd. and Logan, the pro-Trader Joe’s Facebook page admin was told by a Walgreens employee that Fresh & Easy is, in fact moving in:

I have gone in and spoken to different employees there [Walgreens] for several months and gotten updates. I just called and they said that Fresh and Easy did in fact get the space and they are going to try to open sometime in December. So it’s cool that there is going to be a market we can all shop at in Echo Park but it would be a little sweeter if there wasn’t some controversy around how they treat their employees.

We’ve contacted Fresh & Easy to confirm this possibility, for now we’re filing this as rumor until we know for sure!

UPDATE:

We asked the Fresh & Easy Facebook page about coming to Echo Park, and here’s what hey had to say: “We add ‘coming soon’ Clapples on our “where we are” map on our website when locations are officially planned and announced. We then announce grand opening dates a few weeks before that event when we’re finally ready to open the doors on a location. As for a location in Echo Park, I don’t show anything on any official lists of ‘coming soon’ locations. But we do love the area and, as with lots of locations, hope to be there someday!”

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Green Beacon to host first eco-conscious supper club tonight

Tonight, Echo Park’s Green Beacon Foundation in Elysian Heights is hosting the first of many sustainable supper club events called “Food For Thought.” The Foundation is teaming up with Large Marge Sustainables Catering and City Sip LA for the exclusive event (only 16 seats!) where 100% of the proceeds are donated to food related charities. Tonight’s proceeds go to Medicines Global.

Of course, both the food and the drink will be all organic, farm-fresh and sustainable (the wine, they describe, is “viticultural-conscious”). You’ll get a tour of the Green Beacon space prior to the multi-course meal and wine pairings served by City Sip owner Nicole Daddio.The menu for tonight is as follows (h/t LAist):

  • Chilled Straus yogurt Persian cucumber soup with Kanon Organic Vodka served in martini glasses
    Sweet melon carpaccio with mint, jalapeño, lime juice, sea salt and Verni’s California extra virgin olive oil
  • Garlic-hardwood-roasted pork from Jimenez Farms, white beans in cumin-mint-cilantro chutney, grilled peaches and zucchini on house baked corn tortilla
  • Vegetarian/Vegan option: Marinated-grilled portobellos, white beans in cumin-mint-cilantro chutney, grilled peaches and zucchini on house baked corn tortilla
  • Coconut rice pudding with grilled caramelized mango, pistachios and citronge

The cost is $65 per person. Click here for directions on how to purchase tickets (if it’s not too late…!) and for where to go and when.

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Video: Winehouse in Echo Park

LAist brings this 2007 video to our attention after the news of Amy Winehouse’s death. According to the article, the video titled “Tears Dry on Their Own” was shot in Hollywood as well as partly in Echo Park, so we’re posting it as well because, of course, Echo Park rules. Enjoy the video (see if you can spot our ‘hood anywhere, it’s brief) and enjoy your life being healthy and happy and appreciating the ones you love!

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Stock up on melons at the Echo Park Farmers’ Market today!

Stop by the Echo Park Farmers’ Market today and welcome a couple of new farms to the ‘hood: Maggie’s Farm and Weiser Family Farms. From the Farmers’ Market email we received this week:

In the heat of summer, nothing quite satisfies like a salad. Maggie’s Farm is well known for being one of the first farms to bring European-style salad mixes and fresh herbs to California. We can’t wait to enjoy their ‘stellar mix’ this weekend.

Paired with a baguette from La Boulangerie, you won’t need to leave Echo Park to enjoy a taste of Europe this summer! But you will need to finish up the meal with something sweet. Weiser Family Farms are especially known for their colorful array of heirloom potatoes and carrots. At this time of year, we are most excited for their unusual variety of heirloom melons! Read more about their melons and start tantalizing your taste-buds here.

Speaking of those heirloom melons, it looks like the Weiser Family Farms are expected to bring us a couple of new ones this week, The Ogen and Baby Canary. I’ve never had an Ogen (aka Israeli Cantelope) but I’m a Baby Canary fan!

There will also be story time at 4:00pm with Edendale Branch librarian Langdon Faust.

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And… we’re back!

After a week-long vacation in the very humid east coast, we’re back in Echo Park and appreciating our wonderful neighborhood (and the weather) more and more. Inspired by fellow graphic designer and Echo Park resident Heather Parlato’s recent post of her favorite shots of Echo Park Lake, we went through our archives and chose our favorite photos of Echo Park for you to enjoy!

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Lotus Festival schedule for today, Saturday

No lotus flowers in the lake this year, but they are for sale to take home!

We headed down to Echo Park Lake early to get ahold of the Lotus Festival schedule, which is available to anyone at the information booth in the middle of the festival booths. After the jump: Saturday’s schedule and parking tips. You can read about the history of the Lotus Festival by clicking here.

Opening ceremony started at noon, but here’s the rest of the schedule (Sunday’s schedule will be available tomorrow):

2:00 pm: The Muay Thai School
Thai Boxing Demo

2:30 pm: Na Kapa Ku Hual Halau Kula Nui ‘O Kaleponi
Hawaiian and Polynesian music and dance

3:00 pm: Pacific Asian Club
Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiian and Filipino Dances

3:30 pm: Wat Thai Temple of Los Angeles
Thai Rabam Dravat dance Mon style Read more

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Montana Cans celebrating one year anniversary

Take a break from the festivities at Echo Park Lake on Saturday, July 9, and stop by Montana Cans just up Sunset Boulevard for their one-year anniversary celebration!

From 12:00 noon to 10:00 pm at the store there will be a lot of sales going on, special give-aways for customers, and in-store appearances/signings (these guys know some cool people, so it will be worth checking out!).

PLUS our favorite part – our good friends Whqles are playing a show at 8:00 pm. And they rule. Seriously.

Montana Store LA is located at 1528 1/2 Sunset Boulevard.

See you there!

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Car wash Saturday to benefit Echo Park family

Unfortunately this story is a sad one, but Echo Park neighbors are coming together out of love tomorrow to raise money for resident Rebecca Zamarripa, who lost her battle with cancer on July 1, just three days before her 39th birthday. Fellow Echo Parkian Becca Dorman wrote about her beloved neighbor in an Echo Park Patch article last week before Zamarripa passed away, calling on the neighborhood to help support the family on Saturday, July 9 at an all-day car wash.

The car wash is still on to help support the family and her children with the financial burden for her treatment. If you’re like me and have been neglecting your car for quite some time now, this is the perfect excuse and the perfect place to spend your dollars. They’ll also be selling an assortment of delicious homemade baked goods.

The car wash starts at 8:00 a.m. at El Centro del Pueblo, located at 1157 Lemoyne St. We haven’t confirmed if there is a suggested minimum donation or not, but there’s certainly no maximum! If you can’t make it tomorrow, there will be another car was at Elysian Heights Elementary School on Saturday, July 16, 2011.

You can also drop off some bills in the many donation jars around Echo Park, including Allston Yacht Club.

Checks can be made out to Ronald C. Tafoya and sent care of El Centro del Pueblo, 1157 Lemoyne St., Los Angeles, CA 90026.

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The Warehouse patio hosting brunch on the weekends

Tomorrow (Saturday, July 9) marks the first of weekend “Brunch Jams” at The Warehouse. Feeling the need for some more brunching variety in Echo Park, owner Justin Warwick was inspired to team up with a food truck to host the morning fiestas from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm on Saturdays and Sundays on the vintage store patio in Echo Park.

Here’s the scoop: Grab some brunch from the food truck (especially useful on those hangover mornings), stir up a Bloody Mary or Mimosa, and enjoy the serenades of a live Beetles jazz trio. Yep, it all starts tomorrow!

And lastly, your sneak peak of The Jade Chef menu:

SWEET MORNINGS

  • The Classroom Cakes: (2) blueberry pancakes, organic maple syrup, sweet cream butter
  • Hot Red Velvet Cakes: (2) cream cheese drizzle, sweet cream butter, fresh seasonal berries
  • Yogurt sweetened with agave (add $2.00 fresh fruit)
  • Toast and artisanal jam choice breads, Laura Ann’s Jam of the day, sweet cream butter
  • French Quarter Beignets: (3) dusted with confectioners sugar (add cup of hot coffee or tea for $2.00)

FI”EGG”STA

  • Breakfast Burrito -scrambled eggs, monterey cheese, black beans, potatoes, salsa (add $2.00 bacon or veggies)
  • Breakfast Quesadilla – scrambled eggs, monterey cheese, salsa, sour cream, (add $2.00 bacon or veggies)

WHICH WAY DO I EGG? omelet-scramble-fried

  • Three eggs served with toasted artisan bread ad country potatoes (add $2.00 for artisanal jam)
  • Sammy bacon, fried egg, cheese, choice bread
  • The Warehouse: peppers, basil, tomato, onions, cheddar cheese, Jade pesto

Sounds great! We’re already in the mood for a tasty Bloody Mary!

The Warehouse is located at 1197 W Sunset Boulevard. Check out their Facebook page for event details and updates.

UPDATE:

The Warehouse announced Friday night that brunch has been canceled this weekend due to permitting issues.

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Echo Park Pool the stage for underwater music video

An NPR blog post published yesterday calls attention to this cool music video complete with some stylish underwater shots. The location for those shots? Our very own Echo Park Pool!

The video is for the Los Angeles-based group Warpaint. Director Ted Newsome told NPR, “We all agreed that the surface world would be void of color and unstable and underwater would be vibrant, dreamy and fluid. A few days later, we shot for three days straight, and the video was in the can…. The dreamy water world was obviously the hardest part of the video, and there’s a behind-the-scenes video to prove it.”

Newsome, by the way, is one of the founders of 2HeadedHorse, which has a building on Glendale Boulevard in Echo Park. Hopefully the behind-the-scenes video from him will come out soon!

Check out the video below!

 

 

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New to the ‘hood: deKor’s Swedish stylings

Echo Park resident Isabelle Dahlin opened up her new store, deKor, at the end of June just next door to the new restaurant Mohawk Bend on Sunset Boulevard. Promising a variety of candles, pottery, furniture, art, pillows and miscellaneous items, the theme is an eclectic array of Swedish stylings that will make you want to redecorate.

On her blog, Isabelle writes: “Ever since I was a child, I have always felt that your living environment greatly impacts how you feel about your life and how you treat those around you. This space is a reflection of my Scandinavian roots, my travels and my beautiful life in Los Angeles.”

Isabelle told us that not only does she live in Echo Park, but she’s in LOVE with Echo Park. “I wanted my store here because I love the people that live here and deKor is a very eclectic place so I think it fits with this amazing neighborhood,” she said in an email.

Prices range from $20 for the little stuff, and up to $4,000 for the larger furniture items (hey, it’s art!). Her favorite piece in the store? Reclaimed swings designed by deKor that can decorate your home on the inside or the outside.

By the way, LOVE those potted succulents outside the store!

Store Hours are Tuesday to Sunday from 11:00 am – 8:00 pm.

Owner: Isabelle Dahlin
Phone: 213.375.7627
www.dekorla.com

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Video: How the Echo Park Time Bank works

Multimedia Journalist and Los Angeles resident Emily Frost sent us this video she shot recently documenting the Echo Park Time Bank.

Having heard about such projects on the East Coast, she discovered the Echo Park Time Bank and decided to start filming. Emily told us, “It’s a great organization – I loved hanging out with them while shooting.”

Check out Emily’s video below!

If you’re interested in time banking, check out the organization’s website.

The next time banking workshop is a Beekeeping class on Saturday, July 16, 2011 from 11:00 am – 12:00 pm. Learn from Echo Park Time Bank member Leonardo Chalupawicz about how to maintain a colony of your own! The workshop takes place at the Micheltorena School Community Garden, 1511 Micheltorena St. Contact info@echoparktimebank.com for questions.

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