,

10 things you may not know about Echo Park

  1. Bird lovers have identified over 70 species of birds at Echo Park Lake.
  2. The only Chinese food place in Echo Park, Chinatown Express, has finally reopened after a fire in the mini-mall last year.
  3. In the Northeast Division (north of Sunset Blvd), there were four homicides in 2010 compared to 38 in 2001.
  4. Mitchell Frank is our Chamber of Commerce President – and a busy man! He owns The Echo and Echoplex, along with El Prado. He is looking for a new space after parting ways with the owners of Spaceland in Silver Lake.
  5. A lot of people do not consider Echo Park technically part of “the eastside.”
  6. The Jensen’s Recreation building sign has been unlit for about five years (but we are working on it!).
  7. Echo Park Lake is famous for the lotus flowers, but it’s been at least two years since they’ve sprouted (hey, some newbs out there don’t know about it).
  8. Don’t tell anyone: I’ve heard rumors of super-secret underground/after hours/speakeasy activities – one I would love to join if I wasn’t always in bed by 10.
  9. They filmed scenes of Gilligan’s Island in Echo Park at the Lake.
  10. Echo Park has a long history of activism, and parts of it even nicknamed “Red Hill” for the high concentration of political activists living there.
/338 Comments/by

EPIA Holiday Potluck on Thursday!

Instead of a regular town hall meeting tomorrow, the Echo Park Improvement Association will hold its holiday potluck! It’s a great chance to meet people in your community, have some delicious food (the last one we went to was soooo good!) and mingle. We will be making chocolate chip cookies stuffed with Rolo’s, so make sure you come try some of those.

/2 Comments/by

Sign up for the LA Scavenger Hunt

‘Tis the season for giving! Help out the Union Rescue Mission and the LA Food Bank this weekend – the FYF Fest is sponsoring the annual LA Scavenger Hunt to help beneft those organizations.

The Scavenger Hunt is an all day event that covers the greater Los Angeles area. It’s only $10 to be a part of, and you will help gather the goods needed for the benefitting charities. There are also prizes involved, including a grand prize of $2,500 flight credit to Barcelona, Dodgers tickets, record shopping with Keith Morris, and more.

In past years the event has had over 1,000 participants bringing together over $10,000 worth of material goods for the mission. This year they expect 5,000 participants – but don’t let that keep you from signing up!

Sign up in advance at Origami Vinyl here in Echo Park, Headline Records, Family Bookstore, Fingerprints and Vacation Vinyl. You can also sign up online through ticketweb.com or the day of between 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm at the Stadium.

For more info visit www.lascavengerhunt.com

LA Scavenger Hunt
December 4, 2010 at 2:00 pm
Meet in the Dodger Stadium parking lot 1000 Elysian Park Ave.

/2 Comments/by
,

Echo Park Holiday Parade theme, grand marshal announced

The Echo Park Community Parade committee announced today the theme, grand marshal, and parade ambassadors.

The theme for Saturday, December 11 is “Echo Park: We are the World.” Parade-goers can view the event all the way from Elysian Park Avenue to Park Avenue (near Alvarado) along Sunset Blvd. from 10:00 am – 1:00 pm.

Reverend David K. Farley of the Echo Park United Methodist Church will serve as this year’s Grand Marshal. Parade Ambassadors are Peter L. Lassen (who we just adore!), Walter and Sumiko Elmer, Dr. Fredy Perez, and Sallie W. Neubauer.

The Echo Park Community Parade Kickoff is this Friday, December 3 from 5:00 – 6:30 pm at the EcHho Park Farmers’ Market. Clifford Street School, Gabriella Charter School, along with salsa band On Time Quintet, will provide entertainment, and winners of the Echo Park Community Parade Art Contest will be recognized.

The parade takes place on Saturday, December 11, 2010 starting at 10:00 am, rain or shine!

/86 Comments/by

“Blood is the New Black” pop up shop

We went to check out the new pop-up shop in Echo Park after reading about it on The Eastsider LA. Blood is the New Black Market is primarily an online store that opened its 175 square foot shop temporarily for the holiday shopping season. Located across the street from the Echo on Sunset Blvd, the store is open until 11:00 pm for those late-night crowds headed to or leaving shows.

The market opened just before Thanksgiving on November 23, and will remain open through December 30. There are some super cute items in the store: printed tees by Blood is the New Black, toiletries, jewelry, clothing, and other small gift items. “After the success we had with our Summer Fling Truck, the mobile pop-up boutique,” says Mitra Khayyam (founder/curator of Blood is the New Black) in a press release, “I figured we should try our luck at a fixed location for the Holidays as another way for our customers to avoid malls and big chain stores.”

The store tries to keep prices affordable, and according to the press release there is no item of %50 (which is a bit confusing as there were some Izzy Wolf kids gear for $100). But for the most part, the small store is worth checking out!

Blood is the New Black is located at 1825 Sunset Blvd. Hours are Thursdays through Sundays from 3:00-11:00 pm.

Keep an eye out for their December 7 holiday cocktail party.

/687 Comments/by

Echo Park Animal Alliance Fundraiser: Pet photos with Santa!

Bring your precious pets and well-behaved humans down for some fun, shopping and entertainment for the Echo Park Animal Alliance’s annual fundraiser.

Saturday and Sunday, December 4-5
1:00 p to 5:00 pm.
Echo Park Pottery, located at 1850 Echo Park Ave.

Glossy prints in festive cards $10 each or three for $25.00. Dog Cookie stockings, filled with home baked cookies, $10.00. Also, pick up some pottery from Echo Park Pottery!

All proceeds go to the Echo Park Animal Alliance! Click here to download the full flyer.

In the meantime, check out our little friend Frankie who really needs a home!

/730 Comments/by

Echo Park’s Week in Music

For the week of Monday, November 29 through Sunday, December 5

Monday
Monday Night Residency: The Black Apples with Jail Weddings, My Pet Saddle, Dante vs. Zombies @ Echo

Tuesday
Kitten, A House for Lions @ Echo

Wednesday
Odd Future (Ofwgkta) @ Echo
Dub Club Presents The Abyssinians @ Echoplex

Thursday
Einsturzende Neubauten – An Intimate Multi-Disciplinary Experience @ Echoplex
Everest, He’s My Brother, She’s My Sister @ Echo
Jeremiah and The Red Eyes @ Taix Lounge

Friday
Atlas Sound @ Echo
Club Underground @ Echo
Echo, KCRW and The Do Over present Aloe Blacc and The Grand Scheme @ Echoplex
Fences, Jenny O, Ragged Glory: Songs Of Neil Young @ Bootleg Theater
Liz Pappademas and friends @ Pehrspace

Saturday
Bootie LA Holiday Party @ Echoplex
Funky Sole @ Echo
Foot Foot, Little Teeth, Slumber Beast, Moses Campbell @ Pehrspace
Jamie Holiday, The Vampyre Bunnies @ Pehrspace

Sunday
Marchfouth Marching Band @ Echoplex
Part Time Punks with Devon Williams, The Mantles, Catwalk @ Echo
Mississippi Man, Rumspringa, The Howls, Dahga Bloom @ Bootleg Theater

For more information on weekly musical events like club nights, see our community resource pages.Visit the venue website 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.

/1 Comment/by

New vintage store takes over the Millenium thrift store



Tucked in an old brick building across the street from the AM/PM is newly established vintage store “TИSEN”, a Danish word that essentially translates into “rocker.” The blue neon sign that decorates the front of the store is eye-catching and one I like (it surprisingly doesn’t clash with neighboring old-school signs for Lolita Hair Salon and Han’s Repair next door).

$20,000 19th century Chinese bed

For 15 years, 2118 Berkeley Avenue was occupied by Millenium Thrift Shop, a treasure trove of antique items you had to dig through, or bring in a lamp for an inexpensive repair. We found new owner Jason in the shop gearing up for the store’s opening. Immediately upon entering the store are cute women’s clothes, shoes and, my favorite, sparkly things (jewelry!). There are furniture items, children’s clothes, and some great-looking antique items. In the back of the store, Jason is putting together a vinyl records room to keep the boys occupied while their girlfriends rummage for clothes.

Prices range from the $1.00 record bin to $15 clothes to a $20,000 hand-carved rosewood Chinese bed – probably the coolest thing in the store because it is so out of my reach. Jason’s wife Cindy is the one behind all the clothing finds, and I have to say her selections are great for the neighborhood.

Jason and Cindy are Echo Park residents, and actually own Silver Lake restaurant Local. We look forward to seeing Jason and Cindy around the ‘hood!

TИSEN’s grand opening is the weekend of December 4th – you can also get 25% off if you mention this article!

TИSEN is located at 2118 Berkeley Avenue.

/60 Comments/by

Photo: Echo Park Lake rainbows

Yesterday was a gorgeous day in Echo Park, so we took advantage of the clear skies and headed to Echo Park Lake. It was so windy (and a little chilly) that the lake’s iconic fountains were blown sideways, giving us a little rainbow along with it.

/24 Comments/by
,

Holiday parking in Los Angeles tips

Holiday parking regulations get a little relaxed on days like today (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, tomorrow 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:

/63 Comments/by

Large crowds at the Echo for Gobble Gobble Give!

This is the first year we’ve been able to make it down to The Echo to check out Gobble Gobble Give, but it’s the 12th year Echo Park residents and volunteers from all around have kicked in food and clothing for this special event.

The lines were long – cars and pedestrians streamed all the way down past the Sunset bridge over Glendale Blvd. But the wait (about 45 minutes to an hour) was worth it as pedestrians and cars loaded up on pre-prepared Thanksgiving meals and free clothing. It looks like everyone did a great job!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

/by

Shop Local at Echo Park shops this Holiday Weekend

Flickr photo via Odessea

Happy Thanksgiving! Check out these Echo Park sales/events in honor of the holiday shopping season.

Tavin Boutique: 1543 Echo Park
10% off everything, November 25-27 (Friday-Saturday). Click here for the flyer.

Echo Park Time Travel Mart: 1714 West Sunset Boulevard
On Black Friday, get a free copy of Dave Eggers’ The Wild Things with any purchase of $25 or more (the deal also applies if you spend $25 or more at 826la.org on Cyber Monday).

Feeding Birds: 1825 Echo Park Ave.
Sales, snacks and more. November 27-28 from 10:00 am – 4:00 pm. Click here for the flyer.

Echo Park Independent Coop: 1712 W Sunset Blvd,
Holiday Sample Sale: Men’s and women’s clothing and accessories. All EPIC Sale merchandise an additional 30% off. Saturday, November 27 from 12:00 noon – 6:00 pm. Click here for the flyer.

Raven & Lilly/Ballards Artwork Framing: 1568 West Sunset Blvd.
10% discount on all merchandise and framing. Thursday, December 2 from 11:00 am – 11:00 pm. Click here for the flyer.

Gentlemen’s Breakfast: 1101 Mohawk St.
Black Friday Sale: It’ll be 15% off all inventory, including vintage eyeglasses, sunglasses, cuff links, watches, neckties and ascots.

Мишка Echo Park: 1547 Echo Park Ave.
The first 50 customers at Мишка Echo Park will receive a free exclusive Black Friday T-shirt. Friday November 26th, 12:00 midnight – 7:00 pm.

Please let us know in the comments field below if we are missing anything!

/428 Comments/by

LA Weekly missing out on Echo Park restaurants


A couple of weeks ago, LA Weekly published Jonathan Gold’s annual “99 Essential L.A. Restaurants” – a list of our city’s must-visit restaurants, taco trucks, and even sidewalk eateries. But we noticed a chunk of those little Google map “dots” missing from the map – Echo Park!

An “essential restaurant,” the author writes, “is one that reflects Los Angeles in a startling and unusual way, that uses fresh local ingredients in a fashion that respects the land in which they were grown, that showcases cooking echoing both foreign-trained chefs’ region of origin and the hypercharged mosaic of the L.A. dining scene.” I’m not sure we have many famous chefs to brag about, but we get it. Even if Echo Park remains that little neighborhood where the Short Stop is, we still have some culinary delights I don’t think should be left out.

Masa: Chicago deep dip pizza with a vegan option, paired with one or two (definitely two) of Masa’s own Honey Blonde Ale. I am personally obsessed with the Chicken Caesar Salad and love the service there. They also use fresh, local ingredients.

Allston Yacht Club: Fried feta and fried calamari, along with a spicy jalapeno-infused margarita. Great atmosphere, great happy hour, great service!

The Park Restaurant: Love the brunch, but the dinner specials come into my email inbox and it’s all over. They have really stepped up their game in the kitchen since opening a couple of years ago. Last weekend’s special included a toasted Bartlett pear, candied walnuts, gorgonzola custard, frisee and spinach salad, along with a pan-roasted seabass entree (with lemon and dill-cured seabass relish). Yum!

Elf Cafe: It’s a simple as this: The best vegetarian fare around!

But I guess it’s okay Jonathan – we are Twitter buddies and you included plenty of Eastside delights for us to throw you a bone – like Bigmista’s Barbecue at the Atwater Village Farmers’ Market location, which is also a favorite for Echo Parkians during our Friday Farmers’ Market. And we dig the shout-out to Highland Park’s Good Girl Dinette. But since the publication gave us so many wonderful titles for the publication’s “Best of LA 2010” list, we thought we’d at least get one restaurant in there!

Click here for the Google map of Jonathan’s 99 essential restaurants, and click here for the full LA Weekly article.

/2 Comments/by

Getting chilly outside… it’s heater time

Flickr photo via mattdans

It’s getting pretty chilly outside lately (about 45 degrees this morning in Echo Park!), and a lot of us are turning on our heaters for the first time this winter. Be careful – heating fires are the second leading cause of all residential building fires, behind cooking fires.

This weekend in Echo Park, our friend Jesús Sanchez of The Eastsider LA had an unfortunate and personal experience when his duplex, which he rents out, was damaged when a fire broke out near a floor furnace. “I have covered numerous fires as the publisher and author of The Eastsider but never one involving my own property,” writes Jesús. Thankfully, nobody was hurt, but the duplex was damaged.

Firefighters also told him that it was also the second furnace fire of that night in Echo Park. And now that Thanksgiving is approaching, make sure you check the batteries in your smoke alarms and double check those directions for that deep-fried turkey.

/1 Comment/by