Author Archives: chimatli

About chimatli

In the fourth-grade, I won second place in the Humphreys Elementary School poetry contest. It's been all downhill from there.

Los Angeles Riots: 17th Anniversary

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Image from Understanding the Riots: Los Angeles Before and After the Rodney King Case, Los Angeles Times.

The events of April 1992 still remain fresh in my mind and it’s during the last few days of April that I pause and reflect on the state of our city. What’s changed? What remains the same? Being a fourth generation Angelena, this city is in my blood and my history is rooted in the streets, the asphalt and palm trees. I am part of this place for better or worse.

Last year’s post.

[audio:https://laeastside.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/12-ode-to-la.mp3]

Los Angeles Times readers share their experiences here.

Best Iced Coffee in the Los Angeles Area

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The proper term for this iced coffee is ca phe sua. I know everyone has their favorite spot for Vietnamese ca phe sua. What makes Mr. Baguette’s iced coffee so amazing is it is made with espresso and not just regular brewed coffee. Brewed coffee often gets watered down in the process of getting iced and loses a lot of body and flavor, not Mr. Baguette’s version. This iced coffee is thick, intense and not too sweet. I can only manage a few sips, otherwise I’m bouncing off the wall and my mouth never shuts up. You have been warned!
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get yer t-shirt!

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Bring a t-shirt and we’ll silkscreen it for free at the Brewery Art Walk (yes, the world has turned on it’s head!) from 11-2pm.

April 18th at The Brewery

The People’s Public Transit Bureau Presents:

Sticks and Stones

at The Brewery
2100 N Main
A-15 (In the Atrium.)

Breathing real life into new media. The People’s Public Transit Bureau and LA Eastside will be having an open discussion on aspects of race, culture and new media.  Opening the weekend of the annual Brewery Spring Art Walk. April 18th and 19th. 11:00am-6:00pm.

Play in the sandbox with People’s Public Transit Bureau and the LA Eastside.

Glassell Park on TV

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Does that look like the LAPD to you? Cast of Southland

Northeast LA on TV! First scene of NBC’s new cop drama* Southland has a gang shoot-out in Glassell Park. This is the kinda promotion that makes homeowners groups and neighborhood councils squirm. It means in some Hollywood writer’s eye, Glassell Park is associated with gun toting cholos and shoot-outs. It’s hard to shake a reputation like that.

Don’t expect a show review here, I don’t think I can stand too much more of Southland. I hated the movie Crash and don’t have enough time to waste on watching a watered down reprise on TV. Besides, I just got in a few new episodes of The Riches from Netflix.

Glassell Park shouldn’t feel too sad though, at least they don’t have a whole show named after their neighborhood that has nothing to do with the place they live. For more on the Lincoln Heights TV show debacle, see here.

*If it’s a drama, why I am I laughing? Like cholos are really gonna do a drive-by in tricked out ranfla!

Bad Neighbors

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The message comes through loud and clear

On the Eastside we’re often told our neighborhoods are never good enough. We need revitalization and improvement. And who is to provide us with this fancy new lifestyle? Certain businesses are mentioned in this renewal mantra: bookstores, art galleries, lofts and commercial development. It all sounds nice in theory but check the photos below to see how this plays out in reality.
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April Fools!

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For the record, all posts on LA Eastside with the date of April 1st were part of our April Fool’s Day celebration. The posts provoked interesting responses from incredulous long-time readers thinking we’d gone crazy to anti-Mexican trolls who don’t have a humorous bone in their bodies to upset folks who felt the critiques hit too close to home. Sorry, if you got fooled but that’s the point, right?
And no need to worry, we still know where the (real) Eastside is!

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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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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