This wall is always changing. The drab, creme-white is always there but the placas ever-changing. Now, that flux is (temporarily) gone.
blank wall
9
Category Archives: Eastside
Psst, it was once a theater
North Broadway, Lincoln Heights
There is much history to be found on the sidewalks of the Eastside. From old bits of used gum to inscriptions from lovers to plaques inlaid decades ago.
Continue reading
A.R.T.E.S.
The planning and development for an Art’s District in Boyle Heights is underway. Artist are uniting and getting the ball rolling on making sure this opportunity doesn’t get shelved and tossed to the side. The projects origins can be traced back to local council member Jose Huizar approaching a teacher at UCLA.  From there, 12 urban planning students surveyed Boyle Heights and presented their findings to Huizar a while back. Alfredo Huante and Carolina Martinez are two of the students and were at tonight’s meeting explaining what the current situation is and who their meeting with Huizar went. The students finished their commitment and got their credit. They explained that they no longer have a stake in the survey and said that projects like this usually go ignored because there is no one to pick up where they left off. That’s where A.R.T.E.S. comes in. With so much ground work already started, the students are passing everything on to them as they are getting organized and creating an infrastructure to make sure that the district meets the needs of the community and artist.
Body in repose, LA Eastside
Bridge over LA River Date: 02-17-55
Photographer: R. Rittenhouse
A dead body from the book “The Scene Of A Crime†LAPD photo archives.
Under the North Broadway Bridge in Lincoln Hts, the old “Black Railroad Bridge†in the background and Elysian Park. Around this same time, 1955, as a 10 year old playing at the Downey Playground one night, I witnessed some guy get stabbed and thrown over this same bridge onto the railroad tracks (not as far a fall as the body in the picture took) by gangsters from East Side Clover.
Also this picture reminds me that as kids we used to climb under the bridges of the LA River to catch young pigeons for our coops. The LA River was our playground as kids, catching pigeons, toads, sliding down the mossy sides of the riverbank, talking to the hobo’s waiting on the tracks for the train to Seattle or San Francisco.
Around 1955 or 1956 the early horror film “Them†about giant ants colonizing in the storm drains of the LA was shot right where this body is lying.
This area definitely isn’t the East Side claimed by denizens of Silver Lake or Los Feliz.
My first days living in the barrio
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.
El Tepeyac to Test New Vegan Menu
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!
Hands Across The River…
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:
Continue reading
Shepard Fairey Still Climbing Over
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
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!
If you build it, they will come and maybe get hurt
Continuing their campaign to raise pedestrian awareness, Metro is going to have ambassadors all week at different spots in East Los dishing out information about rail safety. I would have posted this earlier, but I got caught up with “things.” For more information about all the other stuff happening with the gold line extension, you can go to metro’s web site for the Eastside extension. Â They also have this interesting map called “Eastside Flavors.” It’s kinda outdated because they still have the Homegirl Cafe listed and they’ve been gone since they relocated to Chinatown. They mention all the local spots near by around every station so it’s an ok map I guess. The gold line is almost here and the anticipation is KILLING me. Â Â Â
Botanitas: March 30, 2009
It’s just like a mini-mall! Oh wait, it is a mini-mall, The Lincoln Mini-Mall. The super nice Lebanese guy who ran the quality clothes (i.e. Levi’s) booth is gone. Perhaps, La Crisis took a toll on his business. I remember him wistfully telling me how Lebanon was once like Europe and how sad he was to leave his country after the war. He and his little shop will be missed.
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!
Keep reading for quotes from the grumpy Lupe’s 12 Kinds of Burritos lady, Eastside oral history, mariachi Shakespeare, gangstas with GQ style and Eastside flavored holidays.
Continue reading
Ramblin’ On My Mind: I’m A Man. But, You Can’t Call Me That.
I always like the story that the term “man” as a slang gesture of affection or recognition came into vogue through jazz musicians of the 1940’s. That Gillespie, Parker and Miles used the term to destroy the humiliating use of “boy” is a powerful demonstration. We’ll just make up our own shit. Better, let’s call ourselves what we are.
I read this comment from El Chavo and it jarred a few memories:
BTW, I hate that fake bonding shit: I get some people in my work environment calling me ‘bro’ or even ‘brother,’ like I know them or something. It makes me want to punch them.