Tag Archive for: echo park news

After the wind, the cleanup

In Atwater Village

We might still have no Internet, and there are still thousands of Northeast LA residents without power (including Atwater Village, Los Feliz, Silers Lake, Highland Park, etc.), but the cleanup has begun.

At last night’s Echo Park Improvement Association town hall/holiday potluck, CD1 field deputy Richard P. Reyes told residents (which occupy both CD1 and CD13) that all field deputies had been going around the districts all day yesterday taking note of fallen trees and anything blocking streets, driveways, sidewalks, etc. Apparently there were a LOT of smashed cars and blocked streets. And last night we even had trouble getting home back to Echo Park, running into road closures on Riverside, and fire trucks up on Landa responding to a house fire (resulting in a 15-point turn by myself and four other cars on the narrow, windy road).

As far as we know, 311 is still operating 24 hours a day for non-emergencies. Call 911 for emergencies, and don’t touch any fallen power lines even if it appears the power is out.

Now what to do with all the debris? The LA Times reminds us that while Pasadena will have to deal with all those palm fronds in some other way, Los Angeles neighborhoods are allowed to recycle them in the green bins. If you can, just try to chop them up a little so they fit in the bin.

A couple of more tips from the LA Times blog series on what you can recycle:

  • Palm tree seeds are not recyclable, and should be placed in the trash bin
  • For any palm fronds that are on public sidewalks or streets like in the photo above, dial 311 and hopefully eventually the Bureau of Sanitation/Street Services will collect them
  • Call your field deputy or council district representative if there’s a fallen tree blocking a road, driveway, etc.
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December blows into Echo Park

While the wind storm last night didn’t exactly do any damage to our rental property, we struggled to sleep most of the night, worried the roof was going to blow off, or the windows were going to explode, or something was going to come tearing down Sargent and Scott into the new care.

The “my roof is going to blow off” worrying aside, the incredibly bursts of wind versus crappy rental windows, doors, and overall framework was borderline frightening. And it ain’t over yet – high winds will spur up again early tonight through Friday morning, with 60-80 mpg gusts in the mountains and coastal areas. 40,000 residents are estimated without power in the eastside, Atwater Village, and other neighborhoods in northeast LA, and while we’ve got power at home there’s no Time Warner cable or Internet (how are we going to live?!).

Delilah Bakery's new overhand took a beating

Pictures are popping up all over the social media networks, with businesses and residential homes sustaining quite a bit of damage. Delilah Bakery’s new patio awning took a tumble, but they are still open today. Masa Bakery & Cafe lost its sign last night, thankfully not landing on anyone outside the restaurant after dinnertime (the sign is carefully tucked away behind the restaurant, but don’t think Masa has closed down as it’s still open for business!). Just don’t go to Griffith Park – these crazy Santa Ana’s closed down the park due to fire danger.

Don't let the missing sign confuse you - Masa is still open!

Twitpic via lagueratamalera

Related articles:

Eastside gets windwhipped. The Eastsider LA, December 1, 2011.

High winds give scare to Echo Park residents in 100-year-old home. LA Now, December 1, 2011.

Windburn in Atwater Village: Palm frond-ocalypse. Atwater Village Now, December 1, 2011.

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New Echo Park boutique focusing on female designers

Echo Park isn’t lacking in boutiques and independent stores, but there’s plenty of retail space for all!

New boutique Myrtle is celebrating its grand opening tomorrow, Wednesday, November 30, 2011 after taking over 2213 Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park (once occupied by Bobbie Boutique).

The name Myrtle refers to the store owner’s great-great-grandmother, and great-great-great grandmother, according to the website. The store will feature vintage goodies like bags and clothing from independent female designers (Alexandra Grecco, Kathryn Whyte, Scout and Catalogue, and Kelly Bergin are amongst the many designers).

While the store is opening tomorrow, you can also check it out during the Echo Park Shop Hop on Saturday, December 10 from 5-10:00 pm, where they’ll have cocktails to enjoy and fashion to shop for.

h/t LA Racked for the heads up!

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Tonight: First beer tasting class at Sunset Beer Company

We know this is last minute, but this should be the first of many beer tasting classes at Sunset Beer Company in Echo Park. The “Kinda-Sorta Holiday Beer Class” will feature delicious beers such as the Gouden Carolus Noel, Alesmith Yulesmith, Avec Les Bons Voeux de la Brasserie Dupont, and Port Santa’s Little Helper, among others (all excellent holiday beers). There will also be cheese – yes, cheese!

This inaugural beer tasting class takes place tonight, Tuesday, November 29, 2011 from 7-9:00 pm, and will only cost you $35 per person or $60 per couple. Be sure to sign up now before seats run out!

Also coming soon to Sunset Beer: Beer of the Month clubs, brewery nights, food trucks, and local delivery!

Sunset Beer Holiday Beer Class
Tuesday, November 29, 2011 from 7-9:00 pm
RSVP to info@sunsetbeerco.com or (213) 481-233
Sunset Beer Co. is located at 1498 Sunset Boulevard, #3

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What they found at the bottom of Echo Park Lake

Photo from Above The Lake blog

We’re a few months into the Echo Park Lake rehab project, but besides the torn up sidewalks and construction vehicles, you wouldn’t really be able to tell the lake had been drained after the recent heavy rains. In addition to a few photos by Angelino Heights resident Steve (who took the above photo and posted it on his blog, Above The Lake), we have the official list from the city of what (and how many) was found in the lake after the draining. We’re not really surprised they found a couple of guns, but a telephone booth?! Check out the list below:

Park Trash Cans – 20
Construction cones – 36
Shopping Carts – 7
Portable Stereos/Boombox – 3
Pay Telephone – 1
Skateboard – 6
Parking Enforcement Boot – 1
Toilet – 1
Glass bottles – Hundreds
Model Boat – 2
Frisbee – 20
Weapons (guns) – 2
Office Chair – 6
Miscellaneous toys, Trash, Debris – Hundreds

Of course you can’t count every single thing, and once they start dredging the lake, they’ll probably find more items in the muck.

Check out more photos of the Echo Park Lake rehab project on our Flickr set.

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Thanksgiving in Echo Park brings sounds of… fireworks?

July 4th, 2011 fireworks

Thanksgiving dinner with the family last night was accompanied by an unusual noise this time of year – loud popping sounds coming from somewhere nearby in Echo Park. I immediately concluded the sounds were fireworks, not having the heart to tell my family it maybe, perhaps, could have been gunshots (I’m apparently not so good and telling the difference right away).

We figured it wasn’t the latter, but resident Jeanne did some digging of her own, and apparently the dinner-time fireworks we heard weren’t the only ones. Jeanne emailed us the official word this morning:

Bizarrely, per northeast division desk sargent: some adolescent thought it would be entertaining to light fireworks in the wee hours of the morning in the 1300 block of sunset.

So for once, the large explosive noises were not gunfire-that-sounded-like-fireworks, but actually fireworks.

A relief i guess for it not to be shooting…

Here, here!

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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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7-Eleven still vying for Echo Park strip mall

We’ve been following a story for quite some time now about a proposed 7-11 for the vacant storefront on the corner of Glendale Boulevard and Berkeley Avenue. The chain has been eyeing the space since the start of this year, having also applied for a license for the sale of beer and wine for the new store.

The possibility of the new 7-11 has raised many concern amongst residents. In addition to its close proximity to other existing convenience stores (just across the street is an AM/PM), a 7-11 already existing in Echo Park, and the sale of beer and wine (always a controversy), the space itself is a challenge. There are few parking spaces available, and the intersection is a disaster – with traffic consistently backed up on Berkeley as it is, a high-traffic store could contribute to the current traffic headaches of nearby residents.

Despite some pretty vocal opposition by residents, the Greater Elysian Echo Park Neighborhood Council (GEPENC) approved the 7-11 in late October (with conditions), but only serves as an advisory position to the city’s planning department. A recent zoning hearing with the city was postponed, but will be rescheduled likely for February of 2012.

The representatives of 7-11 seem optimistic and pretty open to neighborhood concerns – at last night’s neighborhood issues committee meeting of the Echo Park Improvement Association, representatives spoke about working with the current landlord on signage and lighting issues, and are in the process of developing design concepts that meet our concerns, amongst other issues. They’ve also limited the hours of beer and wine sales, along with banning the sale of single bottles and cans (also a condition recommended by GEPENC). Additionally, they’ll be cleaning up the parking lot, hoping to remove the unsightly brick wall, repainting/repaving the parking lot, and improving signage.

Which brings to mind: Also unfolding are the issues with the lot as a whole. This year the little flower/bike/tobacco kiosk was dismantled, the salon disappeared, and it looks like La Pizza Loca and the flower shop are vacating (no word on if it’s by choice) by the end of this month. The fate of the Tacos Mexico restaurant is also uncertain – and even the 7-11 reps admitted at last night’s meeting the strip mall is about 60% vacant. We’re a little worried that these places are being squeezed out because 7-11 is planning on making improvements (that little flower shop is amazing), and any new applicants will likely be paying much higher rents.

We’ll be keeping an eye out for that next zoning meeting with the city in early 2012. Otherwise, our crystal ball says 7-11 will likely be a new neighbor on Glendale Boulevard.

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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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Echo Park group holding meeting in response to Temple Street accident

Photo via KTLA

You may remember a traffic accident on September 27, 2011 at around 8:00 am in Echo Park, that left three girls ages five, ten and six injured. According to The Eastsider LA at that time, the accident was cause because the driver was blinded by the sun.

If you’ve ever driven down this area – Temple Street and Laveta Terrace – you’ll know that 1) people drive that road like it’s a freeway, and 2) that sun can, indeed, be a problem, depending on the time of day. Well folks, time to slow it down!

Since this is not the first pedestrian accident along that stretch of Temple, improving pedestrian and traffic safety has been a priority for many community members, and especially the Patton Allianza Coalition, which has in the past asked for improved safety on that same stretch. Thankfully in this case, the girls who were injured were okay (according to Echo Park Patch).

Which is why you should join the Coalition and other neighbors for a Community Safety Meeting on Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 6:30 pm, at the Betty Plasencia Elementary School. Help neighborhood organizations and city representatives identify problem spots and work through how to solve them, making our neighborhood and its corridors a safer place. Perhaps the LAPD will monitor speeding with a motorcycle cop to help slow things down?

Community Safety Meeting
Betty Plasencia Elementary School at 1321 Cortez Street
Wednesday, October 19, 2011 at 6:30 pm

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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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Sunset Beer Grand Opening Party tonight!

Sunset Beer is hosting its grand opening party today just a month after it opened, the beer bottle shop and bar celebrating with, what else? Beer! They’ve recently added Golden Road Brewing Hefeweizen and the Golden Road Point the Way IPA (which I’ve had and it’s tasty!). There will certainly be some other beer-related shenanigans and some elbow rubbing with the staff and owners, so check it out!

Sunset Beer Grand Opening Party
Saturday, October 15 from 6-10:00 pm
Music by Mr. Cocoon
Sunset Beer Co. is located at 1498 Sunset Boulevard, #3

Also be sure to walk across the street to Villainy for its grand opening today!

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Echo Park/Elysian Park house fire this evening

A house fire broke out early this evening up near Douglas Street and Montana Street, north of Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park.

There was a huge response to the densely populated neighborhood by the LAFD. Over 74 firefighters responded along with two water dropping helicopters, according to the LAFD Twitter.

As of 6:15 pm, the fire is under control. The official address/area is 1400 block of North Elysian Park Drive, cause unknown but apparently there was heavy fire in the basement and attic. When we took these photos, you could hear the scary popping sounds as the fire grew.

Echo Park and Elysian Park smells heavily of smoke, so close your windows and stay inside if you can!

UPDATE:

The home is owned by actress Ann Robinson, who is known well for her role in the ’50s movie War of the Worlds. Nearby neighbors rushed to their homes to keep an eye on pets and close windows, including restaurant owner Rhonda of Masa (it was laundry night, so we got to say hi at our favorite Echo Park hub tonight). Thankfully, nobody was harmed.

And the popping noises we all heard? Actual ammunition! Check out our video below:

The LA Fire Department posted some more information about the blaze on the morning of Thursday, October 13. Of note, 165 firefighters ended up responding. The owner was evaluated on scene but was not injured nor taken to the hospital. The house is also not a total loss, but they estimated a loss of $300,000 (includes $50,000 in contents, which included movie memorabilia as mentioned on last night’s news).

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Echo Park beauty salon volunteers makeovers for job-seekers in need

Beauty Box in Echo Park is a great example of the giving spirit of our local businesses. Since 2006, just a few months after opening the store (its original location is where Rock Paper Scissors is now), owners and sisters Vanessa Arce-Mendez and Lydia Guido were inspired to give back to their Los Angeles community by doing what they do best: Beauty!

After the makeover, with Erica (at right). Photo courtesy of Beauty Box

After chatting with a client who was working at Homegirl Industries, they all came up with the idea to donate their time to young teenagers and women who needed a little pick-me-up, inside and outside.

Homegirl Industries, a part of Homeboy Industries, provides at-risk and gang-involved youth with a chance to “contribute” to their communities by getting jobs, experience, and education. Beauty Box gives the girls makeovers, an opportunity for Lydia and Vanessa to help give them a day where they would “just feel good!”

Since Homegirl Industries helps with job placement, Vanessa and Lydia started with volunteering their hair and makeup services once a month to two women from the organization to help them prepare for job interviews. As the shop grew, and they moved to its current location across the street on Sunset Boulevard, they were able to add one more volunteer service with each additional staff member that was hired.

Vanessa wanted to give back, especially to women in Los Angeles, because she was a teen mom. While she had lots of family support, Vanessa knew a lot of girls her age, in her same circumstance, who didn’t have the same support. “I thought, one day when I can,” she said, “I will help other people as soon as I could do it.”

Beauty Box just recently decided to switch things up a bit, and is now going to start volunteering with a client who helps women develop interview skills and get appropriate clothes for job interviews. In addition to volunteering their services for hair, the women will leave with a goodie bag to help them maintain the new look.

Keep up the great work!

Beauty Box Salon & Nails
1498 W Sunset Blvd.
213-250-1515

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