When traveling down Mission Road, just past the USC Health Sciences Campus, is where it’s located.

Upon first blush its small lake with its shooting water fountain is an immediate draw.

Starting from humble beginnings in 1863, the City was at a point where it couldn’t afford to pay for its own services.

The cash strapped city then offered the Los Angeles County Coroner, Dr. John S. Griffin, the city land at a bargain basement price.

Paying just $.50 per acre, Griffin bought 2,000 acres of land, which would later become known as Lincoln Heights.

In 1874, the City bought back a portion of the land for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, but the plan failed. So, in 1881, the City dedicated the land for a park.

It first opened in 1901, and was called East Los Angeles Park, then Eastlake Park, and lastly Lincoln Park, which was named as a suggestion from the neighborhood residents. It quickly became a local attraction when William Selig, built the first zoological park in LA right there.

Selig, an early movie making pioneer, saw the need to for a place to house his studio animals, and in 1911, he built Selig Place, which bordered the north edge of the Park. Selig had big plans for this area–which included the zoo, an amusement park, hotel, restaurants, and theaters.

However, the only amusement that ever arrived was a carousel which opened in 1914, attracting up to 150,000 riders a year at a nickel a ride. Unfortunately, in 1976, only a few months after having been designated with the distinction of being Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #153, the carousel burned down.

Located right across the street from Lincoln Park was the famed Los Angeles Alligator Farm, home to alligators of all sizes, from babies to 50 year old relics. Right next door to the Alligator Farm was an Ostrich Farm, which was billed as the “largest in America.”

By the 1950s, falling attendance cause the Farms to close and the animals were moved to new locations.

Today, Lincoln Park is experiencing a rejuvenation.

The Lincoln Park Skate Park, opened in March, 2011

Enjoy a quick workout or a game of tennis

Bring the kids to enjoy the jungle gyms.

Sit in the shade and play cards,, or bring the family for a BBQ

But during the 80’s, the band, three time Grammy winner, Los Lobos (The Wolves), changed all that. And they did so by staying true to their Latino roots, by combining their blend of Tex-Mex, Rock and Roll, Country, Folk, and Blues influences. And of course, their music was original, hip, and drew a mixed following across all music genres.

Another facet which played an important component of the band’s success, is that they were never flashy, they stayed true to their East Los Angeles roots by continuing to both live and practice there, and up to the present, their unique brand of music still plays homage to their Mexican – Latino culture in their songs.

Even though Los Lobos creativity has never stopped since they first started recording, they’ve shifted their reach through live performances at clubs and via touring, and use the Internet to reach their continued diverse audience.

Through their touring via clubs and playing in concerts alongside bands and performers including Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and the Grateful Dead, their music is as vibrant and diverse as ever. Also, they’ve just released their most recent album in over four years entitled, Tin Can Bust.

Los Lobos recorded soundtracks for both movies and shows including The Sopranos, Desperado, and I’m not There.

The members of the group include David Hidalgo -vocals, guitar, accordion, and fiddle; Louie Pérez – vocals, guitar, and drums; Cesar Rosas -vocals and guitar; Conrad Lozano –vocals and bass, and Steve Berlin on keyboards and horns.

More than three decades have passed since Los Lobos released their debut album, Just Another Band from East L.A. Since then they’ve repeatedly disproven that title—Los Lobos isn’t “just another” anything, but rather a band that has consistently evolved artistically while never losing sight of their humble roots.

Their discography consists of albums and songs that explore a variety of musical genres and dedications to various musicians and bands including Fats Domino and the Grateful Dead.

But during their entire career, they have continued to record Latin based songs that endear them to their community and to their fan base,.

They’re well known for their homage to Ritchie Valens, with their re-recording of the smash hit, La Bamba.

Here’s their performance of one of their breakthrough songs, “Don’t Worry Baby:”

Photos courtesy of The Huffington Post and Amazon.

Inaugurated in 1994, and named in honor of the famous union leader César Chávez, the street starts at the 110 and continues until it intersects and then continues into Brooklyn Heights, Boyle Heights and East Los Angeles, all the way toward Monterey Park.

Within this small street, beats the heart of city filled with a rich and diverse culture. Over the course of about 1.5 miles, starting at 1720 East Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, to the edge of Evergreen Cemetery, I photographed, documented and discovered 15 glorious murals.

These murals tell the story of a neighborhood that has grown and changed over the years.

Next time you want to explore our glorious city and want to celebrate its culture, I recommend taking a public art walk along Cesar E. Chavez Avenue route.

And if you happen to be hungry at the same time, the original King Taco is along the way, as well as many other interesting food and shopping opportunities.

If you’re looking for Tamales, then don’t miss the “LA TAMALE THROWDOWN.”

All of the action takes place on Friday, November 12^th, at 2:00pm, at Our Lady of Guadalupe Rose Hills Parking Lot, located at 4522 Browne Ave in LA.

Vying for top honors of the best tamale are Alberto Tamales, with their Oaxacan variety; Casa La Golondrina, whose specialty is Chile Rellenos Tamales; Vera’s Tamales, whose love of vegan and veggie tamales is well known and last but not least, Elena’s Tamales, who’ll be bringing their Strawberry/Pineapple Tamales.

Judging for the Best Tamale will take place on Friday at 6:00pm.

And if the tamales are not enough for you, the La Morenita Bakery will be baking fresh Pan Mexicano on site, and the Café in the Heights will be offering coffee samples.

There will be live music for the guests, and the Flying Pigeon, an LA bike shop, will be providing free bike valet service.

On Saturday, a tamale eating contest is planned and if you want to compete just give them a shout-out.

Lastly the admission price for all of this–a can of food that will be used to donate to needy families in the area.

To be able to eat the night away, perhaps skipping breakfast on Friday or Saturday isn’t a bad idea so that you’ll be ready to get your fill of tamales.

Turn any corner and you’ll discover different colors, shapes and some of the most unique designs.

And each and every time it happens–it’s always an unexpected and pleasant surprise.

To find out more of what I’m referring to, head over to MLAPA.org.

One of the most common phrases used to describe Los Angeles is the term “urban sprawl.” However, often unseen by the masses is the character of each particular area comprising this label. Many an author, city planner, urbanist, cultural anthropologist, artist, and others have tried to provide a definition to neatly define the spread out character and physicality of LA, but there really is no one catch-phrase that can properly define our great urban jungle and oasis.

Last week, I was high up in the Mt. Washington hills. Although I was looking for something I didn’t find, in the pursuit of one thing, something else presents itself.

In this case, it was a bridge.

I’m not going to talk about the bridge, except to tell you the location in the hope that you’ll go there yourself.

That way, you’ll be able to see for yourself all of its small details, so you’ll get a chance to check out the to-die for views that only the Eastside provides the ubiquitous parcels of rolling hills that are part of the physicality of this giant swath of the city.

The San Rafael Bridge is located on San Rafael Avenue, just past the Self-Realization Fellowship’s Headquarters. There’s a few sidewalks to keep you safe from the zoom-zoom of upcoming cars, but it’s not really a pedestrian area. Although the area seems like a great place for either a morning jog or walking your dogs.

Apparently when the sidewalk was rebuilt, there were neighborhood schools involved in its construction. There’s small bits of tile, marbles, and personalized messages including hand prints left behind in the cement, forever to be a part of the community.

Take a moment and imagine bringing your own children to this bridge and being able to share this experience with them. Well that wish is indeed a reality. Personally, I think that’s pretty cool.

The designs sweep about half way across the bridge and, because many of them can’t be seen here, I shared but a few shots with you here:

Not only is Los Angeles the “Great Melting Pot” of a city; its ingenuity and creativeness are unparalleled.

Is it any wonder that Southern California and Los Angeles are one of the greatest areas and city’s in the world? Our creativity really has no bounds sans whatever our minds are made up to tackle and accomplish.

While test driving my Chevrolet Cruze on Friday, I stopped to look around and snap some pictures. As my previous post explained how much I genuinely enjoyed and thought that the Chevy Cruze is the perfect sedan to get around town in both style and safety, plus being able to support “Made in the USA.”

The Silver Lake Reservoir, given its namesake in 1906, is in honorarium of the then Water Board Commissioner, Herman Silver. Even though it looks like you’re seeing one body of water, in actuality, it’s two divided by a spillway.

The smaller upper level, named after the famous 1819 novel Ivanhoe, by Sir Walter Scott, surprisingly, doesn’t supply water to the residents of Silver Lake; but instead provides water to 600,000 homes in downtown and South Los Angeles.

Today, the Reservoir looks much different than it did a few years ago. In 2007, the DWP announced that the Silver Lake Reservoir, along with the Elysian Reservoir, were both contaminated with unusually high levels of the cancer-causing chemical bromate, and were “immediately isolated.”

Three months later and over several weeks, both reservoirs were drained and then, in May 2008, refilled, which took several weeks.

Photo courtesy of Take Sunset

Today, the Silver Lake Reservoir is a popular place for joggers, walkers, locals, and tourists. Although it’s fenced in, the 2.2 mile jogging path is a popular spot for exercise aficionados. It’s also a perfect picture place to spend some time to enjoy the great doors that Los Angeles and Southern California are blessed with.

That’s my Cruze on the far left resting in the shade, as I climbed over the concrete so I could get these photos.

If you happen to be jogging along and wonder why there are 400,000 black balls in Ivanhoe Reservoir, then you’ve come to the right place; they’re designed to shade the water, thus preventing the chemical reaction that forms bromate, which is triggered by sunlight.

So, the next time you’re in Silver Lake, take a look around or better yet, grab your jogging clothes and head for the path.

On Friday, a few Los Angeles bloggers were invited to meet with General Motors representatives at the Fairmont Hotel & Bungalows in Santa Monica, where we were given both a delicious breakfast and detailed information about Chevrolet’s new dedication to excellence, and the ways in which their new sedan, the Cruze, has been manufactured from top to bottom along with significant performance improvements, to meet the demands and luxury of affordable driving, and due to be released soon.

After listening to the speakers, it seemed hard pressed to not be impressed by how the new Chevrolet team has transformed its once stodgy image from not too long ago, into a top notch car manufacturer.

At the Fairmont, the bloggers were brought up to speed by a very informed group of people–including two Chevrolet engineers– who talked about the many safety enhancements the Cruze provides for its drivers and passengers, including:

• Dual-stage frontal air bags
• Roof rail-mounted head curtain side air bags that help protect the front and outboard rear seating positions
• Seat-mounted side-impact air bags (front and rear)
• Front knee air bags
• Front passenger seat occupant sensing system
• Rollover sensing and protection system
• Collapsible pedal assembly
• StabiliTrak electronic stability control with rollover sensing, traction control and anti-lock brakes
• Three-point safety belts in all five seating positions
• Safety belt retractor pretensioners and lap pretensioners in the driver and front-passenger positions
• Safety belt load limiters (with pretensioners) in the front safety belt retractors
• Child seat latching system in the rear seat.

That’s impressive. Even more impressive is the fact that all of car’s features listed above are standard for every Cruze model–from base to top of the line. During my test drive, I felt very safe and protected knowing that Chevrolet had my back–literally. I felt cocooned in a safety nest.

But that’s only part of the narrative, the safety features of the Cruze are but many of the enjoyable aspects when it comes to driving the car. My 5’10” frame fit very comfortably while driving and its interior is stylish, relaxing, and roomy. Compact this car isn’t.

After the initial morning introduction and information session, I was off to my place of choice. To give it the proper LA test, I thought the narrow roads in the Silver Lake hills would be perfect, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Going from the Westside to Silver Lake, I cruised the 10 Freeway where the driving is a breeze. One reason is because the Cruze is quite quiet on the inside. Once the windows are closed, your choice of music or quiet conversation is about all you hear.

And I can’t say enough about how this “little” car handles. From its various unique features, Chevrolet has managed to change its manufacturing in a short time into making cars that are perfect for the California lifestyle because of their design, improvements, attention to every aspect of the car’s engineering–inside and out–and the Cruze’s affordable price points.

After getting off the 10, I went straight to the Music Box Steps, my first stop on my quick tour of Silver Lake. If you’ve ever driven or biked to the Steps, you know that Descanso Drive is a narrow, bumpy ride. Old trees that line the street are starting to uproot the road. In addition, with the rows of cars parked on the right, the streets become even narrower.

The Cruze handled it all perfectly. The Chevrolet Cruze isn’t only taking on the likes of the Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, and Honda Civic, but they want to “surpass them,” and I’m positive that they will.

As to be expected, there’s a lot of technical and manufacturing standards that I’m not familiar with about the Cruze, but I’m not a car person. So I want to know the things I understand; safety, track record, driveability, comfort, and style. For the technical specs of the Cruze, you can check them out here.

As I parked in the Silverlake Hills, a local gentleman excitedly approached me and began to pepper me with questions about the car; how it handled, was it new, and if I drove it from Michigan. He was excited to hear about the new car and happy to hear Chevrolet was doing so well. From that exchange it’s apparent that many people will be receptive to Chevrolet’s new Cruze into the California market.

I could easily see myself cruising up PCH, driving the freeway down to San Diego, or heading out into the desert in the Cruze, and most importantly, being able to use the new Cruze to cover all of the places Travelin’ Local travels in Southern California.

Along with its 5 music stages, food, entertainment, and tons of fun, the Street Fair will no doubt be a great place to spend a Saturday afternoon.

The Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance sponsors the annual event, which celebrates the diversity of Silver Lake, Echo Park and Los Feliz.

It’s an homage to this area which encompasses a rich ethnographic and lifestyle–with a population that includes such diversity and cultures which include Gen X’s, Gen Y’s, Latinos, Gays, Lesbians, Students, and even a few entertainment moguls.

The highlight of Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance is their special youth program which was “created as a result of the community being pulled apart. People want their communities to be livable again, free of gangs, drugs and violence. The Youth Program has been a success in getting neighborhood youth involved in taking action in the community.”

To date, a few of the projects completed by Sunset Junction include:

• twenty-five murals
• After School Sports and Recreation Program
• Sunset Junction Soccer Club
• job training
• planted trees on Sunset Blvd.
• care of the Fountain and help on building the Triangle Park
• painting local business murals
• graffiti paint-out
• neighborhood clean up

All of these programs are made possible and funded by the upcoming annual Street Fair. 100% of the ticket price–$15.00 online and $20.00 at the gate–goes to support the ongoing efforts of the Sunset Junction Neighborhood Alliance.

Children under 12 and and seniors over 65 are granted free admittance. In addition, if you live nearby at one of the local Silver Lake residences, you’ll also be able to attend the Street Fair at no charge.

Here’s a look at last year’s Street Fair:

So, mark your calendars for next weekend, from 11:00am to 11:00pm on Saturday, and 11:00am to 10:00pm on Sunday.

Who says Los Angeles’ neighborhoods aren’t people friendly?

Some of the steps are hidden, others are in plain sight, some have been illegally sequestered by the local homeowners, more than a few are famous in their own artistic, historical, and cultural domain.

Currently, there’s over 200 sets of stairs in and around the Los Angeles area; and there’s no doubt that they’re several that are yet to be discovered.

The City’s most famous stairs are the Music Box Steps, made famous in the 1932 Laurel and Hardy short comedy film. Hauling a piano up a flight of stairs is never easy, but Laurel and Hardy manage to make it harder, and funnier than one could imagine.

At the start of the uphill climb on Vendome Street, there’s a small plaque commemorating both the movie, the Music Box and stairs, and Laurel and Hardy.

At the top of its grand total of 131 steps, you’re able to see many of the sights of the city you probably weren’t able to see before, and of course, your legs will get quite the workout at the same time.

For the homeowners in the houses that border the steps, climbing them is just part of their daily routine. As I was walking down, a woman emerged from her house with two large white dogs in tow, ready for her daily walk.

If you’d like to learn more about the many staircases in Los Angeles, Dan Koeppel’s Big Parade site is a wonderful resource.

And if you’re not on the Eastside, there’s quite a few steps on Westside. In fact, I discovered a great way to get to the beach via a set of steps.

Steps are a great literal, physical, allegorical, architectural, metaphysical, and a way to get from here to there.

To others they’re just a hassle.

In any case, when Travelin’ Local, we’re on top of the local cool spots so that you know when and where to go to find the things to do and places to go to fit into your lifestyle.
]]> http://www.travelinlocal.com/traversing-the-music-box-steps/feed/ 0 http://www.travelinlocal.com/the-monterey-trailer-park-a-place-in-los-angeles-where-time-is-forgotten/ http://www.travelinlocal.com/the-monterey-trailer-park-a-place-in-los-angeles-where-time-is-forgotten/#comments Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:34:58 +0000 Lisa Newton http://www.travelinlocal.com/?p=18523 And where you’re a million miles from the city, but still in the city.

It’s located in Highland Park/Hermon and is the only California trailer park that has historical designated status in the entire nation.

If you didn’t know it was there, you’d probably pass right by it leaving it unseen and untouched. The locals like it that way, By the way, it’s called the Monterey Trailer Park, Los Angeles’ Historical Cultural Landmark #736, located at 6411 Monterey Rd.

On it sits 1.7 acres of indelible, beautiful, and unique Los Angeles history.

It’s origins go back to 1923, when Elmer Drummond, who owned a gas station just down the road, decided to conceive and build an “auto camp,” which allowed drivers to stop for the night, in order to get some rest in one of its 10 original buildings or set up their own camp, and then continue on their respective journeys.

A precursor to today’s motels, auto camps were mainly meant to park automobiles, such as the Model T, which were equipped with a tent, cooking tools, portable chairs, and adventure.

Some automobile owners viewed themselves as pioneers and reveled in their ability to camp on the outskirts of towns, or anywhere along the road. Camping was also inexpensive, and many vacation destinations offered no other type of accommodation. Source: National Parks

As time passed, “campgrounds” and the precursor to “modern” motels, starting springing up, thus negating the value of an auto camp; so the Monterey Auto Camp evolved into the Monterey Trailer Park.

Now, once you step onto the road leading down to the Monterey Park, you’re suddenly surrounded by tall Monterey pines, Cypress pines, and a pair of California redwoods, to name a few. In front of you are about 22 RVs, a few dating back to the 1950s, and a couple of the original buildings used in the auto camp, which have been converted to private residences, remain intact.

Be that as it may, none of the one-of-a-kind residences were given the historical designation. That was given to the Park itself.

What is most surprising about this story is that the owner of Monterey Park isn’t the person who sought its historical status. In fact, he opposed it.

Another long term resident, a travel trailer historian of sorts, who wanted to purchase the Monterey Trailer Park, failed to secure whatever blessings he needed to achieve his dream. So if he couldn’t own it, he wanted to make sure that everybody could, so he moved to have the park designated as a historic landmark–thus tying the hands of the owner from making any significant changes to the property.

With the support of the Los Angeles Conservancy and the Highland Park Heritage Trust, Monterey Trailer Park gained a unique place in Los Angeles history in April of 2002.

After visiting there and researching the Park, I can understand the decision. Los Angeles is sometimes joked about because our “history” is so new, but on the other hand, it’s also quite unique and the definition of “historic” becomes only one of situational relevancy and loses its meaning. In other words our history here in Los Angeles, is just as old to us as the other parts of of the nation that may have colonial roots.

After all, when Travelin’ Local, our iconic and Southern California archetypes are borne of a fierce independence!

Elysian Park is already a great place to hike, bike, and enjoy the outdoors, but it’s about to get even better.

On Tuesday, August 17th, from 4-5:00pm at 1800 Riverside Drive, the Elysian Park – Riverside Park Outdoor Development – Phase I groundbreaking ceremony takes place.

Its expected completition date is March, 2011. The first five acres of the 18-acre planned Elysian Park expansion purchase will feature:

1. A permeable paver parking lot with 2 stalls on asphalt paving to meet ADA compliance.
2. New water and electricity utility services and connections.
3. 2 multipurpose game courts, an open lawn area, picnic areas and children’s play area.
4. Phase I trail system with nature interpretive area and outdoor classroom.
5. Maintenance access road connecting lower and mid levels of the park.

At an estimated cost of $1,425,000, kids and especially adults will be able to enjoy this city’a brand new outdoor facility.

One problem that’s the subject of much lore, is that living in such a large city that is so spread out, is not getting the opportunity to visit other parts of the city and learn about them.

I hear stories of Westsiders who never get to the Eastside, and visa versa. Southlanders don’t go to the Valley, and Valley people don’t go to Pasadena.

It’s really a shame that we aren’t able to try make a more sustained effort to travel to other neighborhoods; but this dilemma is not without reason–traffic, our busy schedules and responsibilities, and and just plain old time, are all limiting factors.

However, today, I discovered a wonderful video over at Lorange Blog. I’m new follower of Lorange’s musings, but I’m really looking forward to reading more and more about what she’s posting:

The East Side of Los Angeles on a Sunny Day from clark vogeler on Vimeo.

It makes one think very serous about always moving because every area in our vast city has a different tale to tell.

Yesterday, while heading to The Big Parade LA 2010 Prologue, I found my perfect opportunity. Just after passing through the first tunnel, Exit 25 – Solano Avenue approaches. From there, on a small neighborhood street one can almost touch the tunnels.

Built in 1931, the first three tunnels were built as a bypass for a section of North Broadway. It wasn’t until the Arroyo Seco Parkway (the Pasadena Freeway) was completed in 1940 that the tunnels became part of the California Interstate freeway system.

When the tunnels were initially built, they bisected many neighborhoods, especially Chinatown and Elysian Park. As a result, children now walk underneath the freeway, in order to get to school.

At Solano Avenue–the neighborhood students–many times accompanied by their parents–walk past the Solano Canyon Community Garden, go down the steps, and enter the tunnel which leads them to their school.

Not the most picturesque or friendliest of walks– but with Mom’s hand, it feels safe.

It’s amazing to know the roads we travel, both literally and figuratively, but also in how they affect and determine our relationship to our environment in this giant city and which directions we head in.

A stone’s throw from Angelino Heights is Echo Park. With its beautiful walking paths, a lake that plays a constant part in LA’s history, and a beautiful and scenic spot for a picnic, and other important and unique elements, Echo Park is a wonderful and interesting must-see locale and community.

This newest E-book from Travelin’ Local features both of these areas. Within this 2+ miles walk, you’ll see a new side of Los Angeles you might not have even known existed. And if you might have known about it, you might be surprised to learn about the history behind these two areas, which is featured on every page of the Angelino Heights and Echo Park Walking Tour.

This E-book features almost 60 “pages”, like the ones pictured above, packed with history, pictures, maps, and trivia. It’s fun, interesting, expertly-researched, and useful. In short, it’s a perfect addition to any library, especially for those that love Los Angeles, and want to constantly learn more about it and to visit all of its hidden gems.

Brilliant, fun, special–many adjectives can be used to describe Travelin’ Local’s E-books. We’ll let you come up with your own, so you can share it with others, and hopefully us, also. You’ll get something that’s timeless that nobody else has ever done in quite the way that we’ve done–it combines technology, history, photographs, culture, irrelevance, a walking tour, an architectural and neighborhood design guide, and packs a wallop of other information that you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

It doesn’t get any better as an addition for your library and as a virtual and real tour guide that will last you a lifetime. For only $3.95 it makes for a perfect choice for you and as gifts for all your friends and family.

To make your purchase via Paypal or any major credit card, hit the link below:

However, along the way, it can easily be argued that we’re also a publication about Urbanism—past and present. As we exhaustively chronicle the vast urban landscape of Los Angeles we cover the various areas of the city and reflect upon their varied histories.

Our recent series of Boyle Heights has uncovered many treasured gems–taking you from the Breed Street Shul, to Hollenbeck Park, to the Malabar Branch of Los Angeles’ Public Library system.

For the rest of the article, please pop over to MLAPA.org

Los Angeles, a relative new city when compared to the founding of the nation on the East Coast, occupies an array of a rich, multi-layered historical and cultural past that’s reflective of our diversity.

This Sears building located in Boyle Heights is one of only nine Sears, Roebuck and Co mail order distribution centers built between 1910 and 1929, in the United States. The Boyle Heights Sears building is a massive nine stories, and has a basement and a large parking lot, covering a total of approximately 11 acres.

I remember ordering items from Sears and anxiously awaiting their arrival. For many, buying from the Sears catalog occurred for daily and holiday needs. At one time, Sears was the largest retailer in the country.

This particular Sears building was built in an astonishingly short period of time—it was completed in only six months; using materials mostly from Los Angeles County.

From 1927 to 1991, the building was operated both as a mail order distribution center serving the Western United States and as a retail store operating on the ground floor. The sprawling mail order distribution center was a marvel of modern technology when it opened, with employees filling orders by roller skating around the enormous facility, picking up items and dropping them onto corkscrew slides for distribution by truck or rail. The building was one of the largest in Los Angeles, and it attracted more than 100,000 visitors in its first month of operation, not including shoppers at the ground floor retail store. Source: Wikipedia

In 1991, Sears announced the closing of all its mail order operations leaving only its retail stores in operation. This essentially forced the Boyle Heights Sears building to close. After several unsuccessful redevelopment attempts the building remains largely empty.

Several blocks from the Sears building, sits the famous Breed Street Shul, at 247 North Breed Street. It’s another icon from a different era of our city’s history. From 1910 to 1930, the Los Angeles Jewish population grew from a just a few hundred, to over 10,000. Naturally this created the need for a local Synagogue or “Shul,” as the word is a colloquialism from Eastern Europe as a euphemism used to describe a Jewish Temple.

An Orthodox Jewish synagogue, also known as the Congregation Talmud Torah of Los Angeles, the Breed Street Shul originally opened in 1923. The synagogue became the center of the Jewish community, and was soon surrounded by butcher shops, eateries, delis, and bakeries.

In 1945, Rabbi Osher Zilberstein of Breed Street Shul opened the city’s first Jewish parochial elementary school. When Israel was established as an independent nation in 1948, the Breed Street Shul was the site of a solemn ceremony in which the new flag of Israel was flown for the first time in Los Angeles. Source: Wikipedia

After World War II, most of the Jewish population of Boyle Heights moved to other parts of the city, but the Shul remained.

Although the main building was vacated in the mid-1980s (earthquake reinforcements were needed for the building’s retrofitting), they still held services in a much smaller building located on the property until the late 1990′s. As many older buildings usually do, the Breed Street Shul also fell into disrepair; so afterward the Breed Street Shul became the property of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California in 2000. Since then, there’s been an ongoing effort to repair the synagogue and turn it into a county museum, and an educational and cultural center.

Although today’s Boyle Heights’ demographics are mostly Latino, the idea of reviving the Breed Street Shul is welcomed by all. Upon the 2003 ceremony celebrating the rejuvenation, a son, Jaime Jr., of a former Boyle Heights’ resident, Jaime Rodriguez said:

This isn’t just for the Jewish community or the Latino community, but it’s something for all of Boyle Heights. Source: LA Times

Although its remodel is stalled, Travelin’ Local echoes Jaime Jr.’s thoughts and hopes that its redevelopment continues.

Most of the Boyle Heights community, like all other areas of town, are proud of their neighborhood’s rich cultural heritage, history, and ethnography.

This story demonstrates that our city, and its history, contain significant Los Angeles gems to be treasured and kept alive. Along with the Sears Building and Breed Street Shul, Boyle Heights is an integral part of Los Angeles’ great mosaic of a city with thousands of unique stories to be told.

As William Mulholland was central to bringing water to the Southland and the development of the twenty four-mile long Mulholland Drive–which is an east-west transport from the Westside mountains to the beaches– the Hollenbeck’s were a family dynasty that was the founding family that were the driving force behind the development of the Hollenbeck Park and many parts of Boyle Heights including:

• Hollenbeck Park
• Hollenbeck Middle School
• Hollenbeck Community Police Station
• Hollenbeck Youth Center
• Hollenbeck Palms

When researching this article on Hollenbeck Park, the information about the name behind the park was sparse and lacking.

After hitting a dead-end, I decided to phone the Hollenbeck Palms, and a very friendly woman answered my question; who were the Hollenbecks? She informed me that John and Elizabeth Hollenbeck were the husband and wife behind the well known name.

In 1846, John Hollenbeck, left his home in Illinois to seek his fortune in the California gold fields. However, upon his sailing vessel from New Orleans to Aspinwall, now Colon, in Panama, the steamer upon which he had booked passage broke down, and he contracted a fever while waiting for repairs.

He was too ill to continue traveling and sold his remaining ticket for California. On the ship ride there, he fell sick in Nicaragua, and was unable to continue his trip. So, he sold his ticket and started a new life in Central America.

Once he was well again, Hollenbeck took various jobs, from an engineer on a steamboat to establishing a general store to cutting wood to fuel numerous steamboats.

Slowly but surely, Hollenbeck built up his wealth until in 1853, he purchased the Nicaragua Hotel at Castillo Rapids.

At the time of the purchase, the hotel was managed by Elizabeth Hatsfeldt, who had recently immigrated to Nicaragua from New Orleans. In January 1854, John married Elizabeth, and thus began the story behind the legend:

After two decades of wealth, Central American politics, and the Civil War, John Hollenbeck–who was experiencing health problems– and his wife, visited and later moved to Los Angeles.

Arriving in LA in 1876, the Hollenbeck’s started to purchase land, and over the course of the next several years, they spent over $100,000 to purchase 6,700 acres, much of it in Boyle Heights, but also in the San Gabriel Valley.

In 1878 Hollenbeck became a stockholder in the Commercial Bank of Los Angeles, and was elected its president. In 1881, he and other investors organized and established the First National Bank. In 1880, Hollenbeck, with former California Governor John G. Downey, horticulturalist Ozro W. Childs and other associates, persuaded the State of California to purchase 160 acres in Los Angeles to foster agriculture in the southland. The property, then known as Agriculture Park, is now known as Exposition Park, home to the Los Angeles Coliseum and the Los Angeles County Museums.    Source: Wikipedia

In 1885, John Hollenbeck died, leaving most of his wealth to his wife, Elizabeth. She was a philanthropist and like most philanthropists’ believed that helping others is life’s highest calling.

To put her ethos into action, she built the first licensed retirement home in the State of California—Hollenbeck Home, which is currently known as Hollenbeck Palms.

Now that Travelin’ Local has informed you about the story behind the story about the Hollenbeck’s, let’s explore the fantastic park named in their honor.

Located at corner of Saint Louis and Fourth Streets in Boyle Heights, Hollenbeck Park is actually a lake surrounded by a park.

Established in 1892, with 21 acres of land donated by Elizabeth Hollenbeck and the former LA mayor, William Workman, Hollenbeck Park is a playground, a jogging path, a picnic ground, and much more. Hollenbeck Park is a great place for a family outing, packing a picnic, and spending a Sunday afternoon at the Park.

One of the coolest features of this park is its outdoor gym. I wish more of Los Angeles parks had these outdoor workout areas. As most exercise aficionados will inform you, getting a good workout while being outside enjoying the fresh air, the sounds of nature, and burning calories simply can’t be beat as part of living here, in paradise.

So the next time that you’re Travelin’ Local on a warm spring weekend, be sure to visit the striking Hollenbeck Park.

Previously considered the area for “new” Los Angeles residents, Boyle Heights has a long and rich history.

The Los Angeles neighborhood is named after Andrew A. Boyle, an Irish immigrant who built his first home in the area that came to bear his name.

Back in the day, Boyle Heights, was an ethnic and cultural melting pot, comprised of a diverse group of people including Jewish Americans, Japanese Americans, Mexican Americans, as well as Russian and Yugoslav immigrants.

Throughout the past century, people moved to Boyle Heights in search of new opportunities. Some came after being driven out of their countries of origin by wars, persecution, and adverse economic circumstances. All of these people, old and new residents alike, impacted the neighborhood they shared as they created homes and communities supporting their diverse talents, interests, and needs. Source: Wikipedia

During the 1940s, most of the non-Latino population left for other parts of the city, including the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys, Mid-Wilshire, the Westside, never to look back. One of Los Angeles’s culinary familiar sights, Canter’s Deli, was originally located in Boyle Heights, before it followed its customer base and moved to Mid-Wilshire in the 1940s.

Unfortunately, the Japanese were interned, during World War II, and after the war they too did not return to Boyle Heights.

Currently, Boyle Heights’ population is over 97% Hispanic. In fact, Cesar E. Chavez Avenue, which is one of the main arterial streets in Boyle Heights, was called Brooklyn Avenue not too long ago.

Just driving down Cesar Chavez Ave. east of the I-5, puts you into another world, time, and place. The stores and neighborhood have a look and feel that’s part small town USA, and part Mexico—its comprised of many “Mom and Pop stores”– also known as Tiendas– neighborhood mini-markets, and tamales and tortillas are just about everywhere you turn. In fact, Boyle Heights is the birthplace of the famous King Taco.

My next time here, I’ll definitely chronicle the stores, eateries, and restaurants, but a large part of the reason behind my visit to this culturally-rich neighborhood, was documenting their thriving and large amount of buildings that are on the list of Los Angeles’ Historic-Cultural Monuments on the East and Northeast Sides.

As Travelin’ Local is very much about finding out and learning about all of our different city’s neighborhoods and interesting things about them, Boyle Heights proved to be no exception.

And according to plan, I wasn’t disappointed.

Today’s my focus is on two buildings which have one major building material in common—the use of brick in both their construction and facades.

I’m originally an East Coast transplant, where they’re quite frequently use the brick colonial design of home architecture, so I often miss seeing brick buildings here, because there’s not an overabundance of them locally, and if there are, typically they’re used in a different style that I’m used to seeing.

But the Malabar Branch, of the Los Angeles Public Library System, pictured above, was designed by architect William Lee Woollett, who also designed the inside of the Million Dollar Theatre., Built in 1927, the Malabar Branch actually “opened” in 1914, with a grand total of 900 books, as a book depository inside the Brooklyn Heights Methodist Church.

My second stop today was at 1030 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue. It may be the last Victorian/Queen Anne home made of brick remaining in Los Angeles.

Although this family home has seen its better days, you probably wouldn’t notice, or know that it’s part of the rich cultural and historical legacy of Los Angeles. When Travelin’ Local, we like to stop and smell the roses every day, to see what’s around us, to make sure we don’t overlook the special things that usually surround us, and which we usually take for granted in our daily hustle and bustle.

Every one of Los Angeles’ large quantity of unique neighborhoods has a unique character, history, tradition, landmark, and people with a story to tell; but when all is said and done—each one is a patchwork of a whole; and while we’re all proud of our own enclaves, this is what makes Los Angeles a fascinating amalgam of cultural and ethnic, hip and old, young and new, and rich and poor areas–all twisting and turning into a beautiful mosaic we call Los Angeles.

Its décor is thematically Mexican–with its colorful pictures on the wall, to hand-made napkin-holders on each table. It’s a family oriented establishment, as exemplified by the family sitting at the table next to us, who were busy trying to keep their two young boys from continually wondering away. I had dinner with my girlfriend here, after a long day of shooting murals in East Los Angeles for my Mapping Los Angeles Public Art project.

We started the meal with wonderful homemade chips and salsa, and my mouth was watering with joy. Their food is authentic Mexican cuisine, so be prepared to shed your “Taco Bell” mentality. More seriously, though, the restaurant, although small, is large in its menu and choices. I ordered Pollo en Chile Chipotle, and my girlfriend chose Tampiquena, which included a salad, rice, and beans.

Next up was a freshly made garden salad with light lemon dressing. It was pure and simple yet in that, it was satisfying to know that perfection is always in the small things in life.

The Tampiquena was moist, tender, and delicious, and with its delicately fried onions and Spanish rice, I thought that the cook was not only well versed in cooking good food, but food that’s otherwise known as “comfort food.” In that fact, I was both pleased and satiated because it was so good. The refried beans were firm yet moist, and tasted exactly what one would expect.

My girlfriend’s Pollo en Chile Chipotle, was cooked well with marinated chicken, and served with rice and beans. Added with the perfect aroma of spicy salsa, together its mixture proved to be an extremely tasty amalgamation of flavors and ingredients. Each meal is served with a choice of freshly made corn or flour tortillas, which, when used to eat the chicken, melts in one’s mouth.

The service here is great; a kind and smiling waitress took our order, was timely in bringing us each part of it, and came back several times to make sure we had everything we needed.

Although one can always find fault at a restaurant for whatever reasons, at this establishment, having an authentic Mexican dinner for 2 with tip, for under $20, is a hidden treasure. While I’d like to keep it a private secret; for Travelin’ Local’s readers, it’s named El Huarchito, and it’s located at 3010 North Broadway, in East Los Angeles, CA.