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.

Dear Gato 103.1

Posted on by
72

Dear Gato 103.1,

Is it true? Are you really gonna play cumbias? Because lots of stations have said they were and ended up in a funky morass of Durangense and Marco Antonio Solis.

There are a few tears for the former station that came before you, perhaps it’s because those folks haven’t really learned to appreciate the beauty and the glory of what’s called (in English) Mexican Regional Music but what we call Norteñas, Rancheras, Banda, Corridos, Cumbias and yes, even Duranguense.

I promise to love you Gatito if you play my two favorite songs on Los Angeles radio at the moment:


Los Picadientes de Caborca – La Cumbia del Río


Banda MS – EL Mechon

Con Mucho Cariño,
chimatli

Links to the real videos (embedding disabled, how dare they?). La Cumbia del Río is one you should especially check out as it shows real Los Angeles residents dancing about their places of employment in a humorous and entertaining way!

Los Pikadientes De Caborca – La Cumbia Del Río

Banda MS – El Mechon

Botanitas: January 13, 2009

Posted on by
3


Carpool lane entrance closed on the eastbound 10 freeway. When did that happen?

Botanitas is an ongoing feature bringing you stories and news from various sources, upcoming events and other bits of ephemera that might be of interest to LA Eastside readers. Suggestions welcome!

Click below for the year’s first edition of Botanitas: info on jobs, health, and other stuff that you may or may not find to be helpful.

Continue reading →

Bad News for El Sereno

Posted on by


Elephant Hill (photo courtesy of www.lancissues.org)

Developer wins, yet again. Does Northeast LA Really need more above-market rate housing on the last of our remaining open spaces? I think not.

From today’s Los Angeles Times:

Developer wins suit against L.A. over El Sereno housing tract project

A judge rejects the City Council’s demand that Monterey Hills Investors, which sought to build 24 homes on a hillside, do a new environmental report. The developer will seek to recoup losses.

By David Zahniser
January 8, 2009

A real estate developer has won its legal battle to build 24 homes on a vacant hillside in the Los Angeles neighborhood of El Sereno — and is now looking to recoup its financial losses from City Hall.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge James C. Chalfant ruled Monday that the City Council had no authority to order Monterey Hills Investors LLC to perform a new environmental impact report on its proposed subdivision of single-family homes.

Opponents of the project received legal help from the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental group that said the 15.7-acre site should be preserved. The city’s environmental review found that grading would ultimately affect 85% of the site and result in an “irreversible environmental change to the topography,” according to court documents

Read more here.

Save Elephant Hills blog

The Blob That Ate Lincoln Heights!

Posted on by
17

Oh no, Downtown is on a hungry rampage and moving east! It first started with The Brewery and then The San Antonio Winery and now has consumed every hipsters’ favorite place to shop, The Saint Vincent de Paul Thrift Store in Lincoln Heights!

An article in today’s Los Angeles Times features the downtown loft of a “recycled living” bohemian realtor and his fashion designer girlfriend. This couple is really cool cause they are into old stuff that was previously used! Wow! Read what I mean:

In the spirit of adaptive reuse, nearly all the furnishings inside the loft hail from flea markets or thrift shops or are alley finds.

Uh, huh. And where might one of these chic thrift stores be?

Heller stops by downtown’s St. Vincent de Paul thrift shop at least twice a week.

Downtown? How did that happen? According to the Saint Vincent de Paul website, the store is located:

Just north of downtown Los Angeles … in Lincoln Heights, is one of the largest, well-stocked thrift stores in all of Southern California The St. Vincent de Paul Thrift Store which according to Los Angeles Magazine is the “Best Thrift Store in Los Angeles.”

So it’s happened again…Downtown, in it’s appetite to swallow anything that might be “cool” has now gobbled up an even bigger chunk of Lincoln Heights. What will follow?

A Donkey Christmas

Posted on by
4

Recipe for an excellent Christmas video:

1. Start with the best Christmas song ever, El Burrito de Belen – a festive cumbia tune sung by a chorus of kids backed by nalga-shaking rhythmic accompaniment.

2. Give a group of Peruvians in the Andes access to a video camera and editing software.

3. Dress one of the Peruvians in a donkey suit and futbol gear.

4. Add one fed-up burrito.

5. Voila! You got the above video, bizarre and silly, my kinda Christmas entertainment.

It’s so donkey! 😉

IMIX Bookstore

Posted on by
10

So let’s say despite all the good critiques of avoiding a consumer driven holiday season, you decide you still want to buy some gifts for a few folks. If you’re like me, you avoid anything that has the word “mall” or “Americana” in it. Or perhaps like me, the millions of holiday craft fairs around town have let you down – what to do? One place I always like to pay a visit to around this holiday time (and other times throughout the year too!) is Imix Books (pronounced EE-MEESH) in Eagle Rock. Proprietor Elisa Garcia-Rodriguez is a true bookseller by trade having worked in fabled bookstores like Midnight Special before branching out on her own to start Imix.  She has worked tirelessly to create a beautiful community bookstore featuring the latest in Chicano/Latino titles, radical literature, cool handmade jewelry, artist produced tees, author readings, a special collection of children’s books and local artist shows in the store’s gallery.  This cozy bookstore, nestled in between the ever changing trendy boutiques on Eagle Rock Blvd, has been able to hold out despite the fluctuating economy and the domination of Amazon (which has caused many an independent bookstore to close). Unlike many other businesses, Elisa has always been supportive of other independent enterprises, bookstores, artists and groups and has many a grateful friend in the community. Bookstores like hers are a rare treat in this day and age, stop in for a visit!

IMIX Bookstore
5052 Eagle Rock Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90041
(323) 257-2512
Continue reading →

Botanitas: last minute update

Posted on by
2

A Virgen de Guadalupe admirer all the way from Switzerland! La Placita Olvera

Oops! Forgot to include these…

Virgen de Guadalupe Feast Day

The word on the streets is the flower market has sold out of all their red roses and if you’re Mexican, you know why. Today is the day Mexicans and Catholics all over the world venerate the one religious figure that can outshine Jesus: La Virgen de Guadalupe. December 12th has always held special memories for me because it is my great-grandmother’s birthday, a woman who long after her death is still remembered to this day at a local Eastside church. She was the founder of the parish Guadalupanas club and celebration feria. As a child,  I was always dazzled by the mountains of buñuelos she made in her tiny Eastside kitchen for the yearly carnival/feria. They were so numerous, the piles seemed to reach the ceiling.

While many churches have their individual ceremonies, the biggest celebrations in Los Angeles take place at La Placita Olvera Virgen de Guadalupe shrine. A throng of worshipers crowd the streets around La Virgen’s tiled mural and the flowers and offerings spread out from the altar into the streets. I’m not sure what time the ceremonies start or perhaps they’ve already passed. I’ve spent a few hours looking for details on this important Los Angeles tradition. There’s nothing I could find in the Los Angeles Times but I did find this article from the San Fernando Valley Sun: Celebrating la Virgen de Guadalupe.

Lincoln Heights Christmas Parade

This Sunday, December 14 on North Broadway 11am-1pm. Check it out! (thanks, Julio!)

From the Lincoln Heights Neighborhood Council:

Residents of Lincoln Heights take pride in their annual Christmas Parade, which will be held this year on December 14, from 11am to 1pm. Participants will line up at the Department of Motor Vehicles, proceed North on Lincoln Park Avenue, turn West on North Broadway to Avenue 24. At the end, there will be a celebration for the whole community in the parking lot behind the Bank of America with Santa, snow, Christmas gifts, music and food for all. Thousands of spectators are expected to crowd along the Parade route. For over two hours they will be treated to a seemingly endless line of colorful drill teams, dance groups, bands, classic cars, dignitaries and large and small floats. The Miss Taiwan entry will grace an antique fire truck from Fire Station #1.

Please read the comments below for more holiday activities on the Eastside–>>

Botanitas: December 11, 2008

Posted on by
4

Botanitas is an ongoing feature bringing you stories and news from various sources, upcoming events and other bits of ephemera that might be of interest to LA Eastside readers. Suggestions welcome!

Click below for announcements on historic department stores, East LA mangers, peregrinos, unappreciated California cities, music my dad made and a gathering of people who might have some good ideas.

Continue reading →

Highland Park Holiday Parade

Posted on by
1


Creepy clown dance from last year

64th Annual Northeast Los Angeles HOLIDAY PARADE
featuring local schools, churches, community organizations,
elected officials and more…
Grand Marshals
Monica Garcia and Yolie Flores Aguilar, LAUSD
Ambassador of Peace “NORKY the pen-eagle”

Sunday, December 7th, 1 pm
Route: Figueroa St. south from Ave. 60 to Sycamore Grove Park
Highland Park, CA 90042.

Winterfest follows at Sycamore Grove Park
3pm to 5pm featuring music by students from Ramona Hall.
Entry Winners announced. Carnival also offers fun rides!

For more information call (323) 256-3151
http://www.holidayparadeinnortheastla.com

Birds Fall From Sky

Posted on by
23

Spotted Sunday on Ave 50 near El Paso, Highland Park

Just the day before, I heard This American Life’s show on supernatural fowl. I was surprised to hear that others have had similar strange bird experiences.

I’ll never forget the time I was walking with some friends and came upon three dying doves laying on the ground. One dove was still able to move and was walking around the almost dead doves nervously and making cooing sounds. I turned to my friend and said “So this is what it sounds like when doves cry.”

While I was taking these photos, a family stopped to check out the creepy scene. They found a plastic bag in their van and gently picked the pigeons up off the street and placed them in the bag. It was quite touching. How or why the birds died is a mystery.