LH Micro Loft Fails to Catch Interest

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An enterprising citizen of Lincoln Heights gave Micro Loft living a go recently on a busy intersection of N. Broadway, but locals mostly ignored the concept, as can be seen in the photo above. With a small area for the Tupperware kitchen, a lightpost headboard, and some “facilities”, this attempt at urban space reclamation was short lived, all signs of this experiment had vanished a few days later when I went back to this corner. Even though the rent was appropriately priced, the constant flow of pedestrians thru the bedroom and the excessive banging on the crosswalk button above the pillow made for terrible sleeping conditions, even though the views were spectacular.

Click ahead for a pic of the garage!

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The cityhood train marches on

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One hurdle on East L.A.’s path to incorporation was cleared on Friday. The County registrar certified the signatures on the cityhood petition, all 11,000-plus. What’s next? The fiscal study on the feasibility of cityhood, which should be complete by September 2009, according to the timeline in the official cityhood website. An initial study conducted in 2007 showed the possible City of East Los Angeles would be economically feasible.

If the new study finds East Los Angeles to be economically feasible, a cityhood vote would be held in 2010 and the city would be incorporated in 2011. If anything, the Gold Line will work in East L.A.’s favor.

My favorite part of this drive for cityhood is explained in this statement by Oscar Gonzales, the President of the East Los Angeles Residents Association:

Gonzales says the 140,000 residents are represented by a county supervisor whose district covers 2 million people.

State Senator Gloria Romero currently supports this process and Supervisor Gloria Molina has stayed quiet. I wonder when she’ll speak or abstain. Very interesting…

I know we got urban planners/awesome people who read this blog. Please, give your insight into East Los.

Image above taken from Cityhood for East L.A.’s Flickr. To learn more, visit their official website.

Bad News for El Sereno

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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

Rosca De Reyes

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There’s a plastic baby in my rosca !!!! 

One of my favorite things about having a rich cultural Mexican heritage is celebrating traditions and eating some of the best food in the world, like the rosca de reyes. I’m my house my mom tried to instill the history and tradition that came along with the rosca, but I never really paid attention because I was too busy trying to find the plastic baby before anyone else. I always knew as the bread with the baby inside and if you get the baby that means that you have to host the rosca party next year. When someone did get it, everyone would start laughing and poking fun at the person, but more than anything, I remembered that the rosca was one of the few times my family came together like a “real” family. Great food always brought us together. Course you can’t have rosca without champurado(mexican hot chocolate). Mmm….

Green hills again

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Pasadena Ave. - Lincoln Heights

Pasadena Ave. - Lincoln Heights

On a walk home from the Heritage Square Gold Line station I noticed once again that green is back in the NorthEastside.  Coming down through Highland Park on the line I could see the green all over the hills.  The frankly sparse amount of rain we’ve received has let all those empty hills, lots, and cracks in the street come to life.  Even with all the environmental degradation life still persists.  As my dad once said, “One day the Earth will finally shake us off like a bad case of fleas.” I’m no complete misanthrope, but in the end that doesn’t sound too bad for me.  Toda va, todo vuelve.

Gana la verde

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I posted this on my blog and even though I usually tend to reframe from bringing up that whole “I don’t have papers” issue on here, I figured what the hell. Enjoy 😀

              With the new year here, I always look back to the past and thank God everyday that even though I’m not where I want to be yet, at least I’m not where I use to be. Thinking back that far I remembered something that at the time didn’t seem like a big deal to me, but looking back on it now, I still can’t believe it.
Back in 2004 there was a show called “Gana la Verde,” a fear factor inspired show that pitted contestants in physical challenges all so the winner can have an opportunity win a green card. This show captivated its audience as soon as it hit the air. The show was offering people a chance to become legal residents, what every undocumented resident dreams of for their families.Click here to hear an NPR report on the show     Click here for a clip of the show

Victims of La Crisis: College Students

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~ My desk at school ~

For the longest time I was watching the ramifications of La Crisis from the outside and not feeling it directly, but now that the new year has started, La Crisis smacked me upside the head and took my money. I have a “job” and since the new year started, things are dead out in the streets. No one is spending money anymore, it’s always like this after the holidays, but this year things are the worse state they’ve been for as long as I can remember. I’m thankful in a way that growing up “under privilaged” I have the skills to survive anything that can come my way. Hell I’m curretnyl crashing at my friends house and living the “startving artist” life style. But lately, the ramifications of me not having money means that I’m questioning my ability to continue going to school. At ELAC I pay $20 a unit, which I’m extremelty greatful for, but with the way things are the College is in talks of raising tuition prices to $30 by fall. At the sametime Universities are also cuting back in the number of students they’re accepting as La Crisis continues. I was struggling as it was and now things are getting to the point that education may have to take a back seat to just making ends meat. If I’m feeling it at the community college level, my friend on the other hand is in the same boat as I am but she’s at Cal State Long Beach, I’ll be joining her soon 😀 When we hang out now we don’t catch up, we talk about how damn broke we are and how maybe going back to Mexico isn’t such a bad idea anymore.     

My Favorite Burrito: Al and Bea’s Chile Relleno

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The sign says it all, “Specializing in Burritos.” Al & Bea’s here been here in Boyle Heights for more than 40 years and just like anything else in life, it gets better with time. My first time going to Al & Bea’s was a few years ago when a friend asked me if I’ve ever been there. “No I haven’t” I said and we were on our way there in no time. Coming from the taco truck lifestyle I was expecting the more traditional burrito de carne asada and the cliche menu that accompanies it. I get to the window and don’t even bother to look at the menu because I’m used to ordering the same thing give or take. I ask for carne asada and the guy taking my order says they don’t have carne asada. In my bewilderment, my friend stepped in and ordered for me, an Al & Bea’s special. I dove in and thought to myself, “this burrito is good, but I wouldn’t call it Mexican food,” even though the guys preparing the food are Mexican or look it. Since that faithful day, I have been going back and fourth to Al & Bea’s trying out the menu and learning to appreciate it for the great food it has, Mexican or not. 

Enter the burrito de Chile Relleno(bell pepper stuffed with cheese and fried). I’ve had most of the menu already so when I decided to go for the Chile Relleno, I was kinda hesitant. The last time I went out on a limb like that I tried their potato burrito, which turned out to be a burrito full of french fries. I threw caution to the wind and went for it. For those of you who hadn’t had the pleasure of spoiling your taste buds with the burrito, it consist of a Chile Relleno wrapped in a tortilla and smothered in beans. It was good !!!!! So good that’s the only thing I’ve ordered the last few times I’ve been there, aside of taquitos with guacamole goes well with it too. Chingado now I’m hungry.  Â