Monthly Archives: April 2009

El Chavo’s True Identity Revealed

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Every month or so a group of LA blogueros get together to talk shit, have some beers and share a meal. The meetings are fun, but they’re always missing El Chavo. I figured he didn’t attend because he was too busy sampling his favorite breakfast dish around town to stop by and set anyone who tried calling Echo Park and Silver Lake the Eastside straight. Yeah, sometimes there’s a clueless person who shows up to the gatherings.

This time around, he actually confirmed that he’d be attending. I was curious. What would El Chavo look and sound like? Unlike other blogueros, he’s never showed a picture of himself. Would he look like a veterano or would he have a heavy East LA accent? Would he be a pelón, long-haired Chicano or somewhere in between?

I soon found out and was very surprised.
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True Love

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Member way back in February when I was auctioned off for $45 to a mystery buyer at Self Help ? Well after our date we hit it off like no ones business. I would have posted something afterward but she didn’t want our relationship to go public because she gets enough attention as it is. So who’s This Mystery lady ? Follow the jump to find out !!!! Continue reading →

Saving Los Angeles from Becoming a First World City

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Many of America’s cities are in the crapper thanks to years of policy that’s favored suburbanites and their wasteful consumption habits. And LA has suffered the glut of gentrifying jerks looking for a lifestyle instead of a place to live. Buildings turned into condos, markets turned into  fancy t-shirt shops, restaurants with one word names. It’s like some invasion by rich asshole foreigners, quickly turning Los Angeles into a First World City, instead of an American city.  But this trend is reversible and the opportunity to clean up this city, and get rid of all the cleaned-up-ness, is achievable.

What’s the difference between a First World City and an American City? Let me show you the signs.

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My first days living in the barrio

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Sunday:
Finally moved into my new place in an area called Boyle Heights. My writer friend that I met at writing/acting camp in Wisconsin hooked me up with her friends to get this small room in the back of these really nice people’s house. I’m like 15 min. from Hollywood, they say. The helicopter is hovering above. I heard a car zoom through the alley behind me and I’ve heard maybe gun shots. I don’t know about this, but it feels real.

Monday:
Woke up thinking for a quick second I was back home when I heard a rooster. Walked outside and saw my neighbor pushing a shopping cart with a big pot full of these things called tamaless (sp?). They didn’t have those in Taco Bell or Dell Taco back home. She said she sells them every weekday morning on the corner for a $1 each along with this really soupy cream of wheat, with lots of cinnamon, drink called chaumpoorrahdo (sp?). They were both very good, but the chili in the tamaless was too hot for me.
Later my friend April picked me up to go meet some agents and managers who might be interested in representing me. We didn’t get done til the late afternoon. So tired. My eyes hurt, I think its the smog.
She took me to her place in Echo Park. She said that she heard there were a lot of Mexicans living here before but they moved out to nicer places. A lot of cool edgy alt artists moved in because of the cheap rents. We ate vegan sandwiches on her porch. I like Echo Park.
Back at my lil place was quiet tonight.

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Hot on the Street: Huaraches

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Authentic huaraches from Mexico

Spotted on the streets of Silver Lake, the hottest trend in fashion today, the humble huarache. Long used on the Eastside as fly swatters, rear end spankers and regular old house slippers, the huarache has been promoted to high fashion due to it’s green pedigree. You see, huaraches re-use the treads of old tires for soles. That means decreased rubber production and all the nasty toxic uglies that go with it. Wearers also report the added benefit of healthier feet as the open weave design allows the foot to breathe. Also, as the sandals are worn, the leather conforms to the foot shape creating a stylish silhouette.
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El Tepeyac to Test New Vegan Menu

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I’d heard from a few people that Manuel was considering changing up the menu at El Tepeyac, adding some healthier options and smaller portions, due in no small part to some health issues with some employees and the growing trend of vegetarianism on the Eastside. But apparently, a daughter of one of the cooks recently turned vegan and had an influence on Manuel, cuz he’s actually gone to an all vegan menu! At least for the time being, as he’s waiting to see what the reaction will be from long time fans of the place. “I think they might not be too happy, but it’s good for them” Manuel said. I sure hope it catches on, we can use some healthier Mexican-American food over here.  I made sure to get there to try out some of the new items. Click ahead to see the tasty new menu!

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Hands Across The River…

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There was a time when it seemed that some Westside Angelenos perceived life east of the river to be something like this…..

Apparently, there’s been some change of heart by our neighbors to the West. I received today the following email care of L.A. Eastside and I thought it would be worthy of sharing with our readers:
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Shepard Fairey Still Climbing Over

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In a stroke of genius, international graphic artist (from South Carolina), Shepard Fairey invents a new genre of art.  He coins the term “ChikanNOh” to describe this new artwork that draws from Mesoamerican myths and iconography, which he said, popped into his head when he was eating a maize round cake filled with meat, lettuce, cheese and tomatoes (in Hollywood).  In this new body of work Fairey attempts to unravel and support a fictitious place he calls Awshlawn (pronounced azLAN), where he will mentally dwell to contemplate this–his latest artistic break through.  Some of his ideas are to create art that turns away from the Eurocentric, because Europe is obviously overdone.  It is rumored that Art Forum Magazine will dedicate an unheard-of feature spread of 40 pages to extol this latest, ambitious and important work by the up and still climbing over us Fairey.  Pictured above, Fairey marks his newly opened art studio, which he says will be the birthplace of his latest ChikanNOh artwork venture.

By Wynona Richfield

Hello Eastside

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The best of the Eastside. My new fav places!

Hello and howdy to all my new friends at Los Angeles Eastside. I’m a new writer here,  just moved to L.A. (to the Eastside, of course) from my hometown of Tucson, Arizona. I’m hoping, I suppose like many, to break into the entertainment industry (more on that later) but for now, I figured it would be a good idea to give a brief introduction about myself and what I hope to contribute to this site.

Before moving to Los Angeles, I heard a lot of buzz about the Eastside and how it was the happening place to be. Bars, bands and fun nightlife are definitely my kind of thing and isn’t that why people move to a big city anyways? I want to share my experiences of the Eastside through the eyes of a newcomer. For instance, I love the band Little Joy (c’mon who didn’t listen to The Strokes album 20 times in a row?) and now I’ll finally be able to visit this Eastside institution. Save a case of PBR for me Eastsiders!

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