INTRODUCTION Earlier this week, a reader suggested that I devote a No Enclave to Belizean Los Angeles. I had come across some Belizean businesses here and there when traversing the Westside of South Los Angeles but had no idea just how big the Belizean community of Los Angeles is. In fact, not only is Metro … Continue reading No Enclave — Exploring Belizean Los Angeles
Month: February 2021
Los Angeles’s Neighborhood Councils
In 1999, the City of Los Angeles established DONE (which stands for the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment -- municipal types love an acronym). DONE, in turn, established the neighborhood council system "to promote more citizen participation in government and thus, ideally, make government more responsive to local needs." This year I'm running in the Silver … Continue reading Los Angeles’s Neighborhood Councils
Pan-Asian Metropolis — Robert Kinoshita & His Remarkable Robots
I've been a fan of science-fiction ever since I was a toddler. Well, to be more precise, I was more of a fan of a certain sort of space opera than proper science-fiction. I wasn't exactly reading Stanislaw Lem at that age. Lem has his spaceships but nearly enough shiny robots or laser battles to … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Robert Kinoshita & His Remarkable Robots
No Enclave — Exploring Somali Los Angeles
SOMALI AMERICANS Although the first Somalis in the US arrived as sailors on British vessels in the 19th century, the vast majority of Somali Americans arrived as refugees from the Somali Civil War, which broke out in the late 1980s and resulted in the collapse of the Somali government in 1991. The largest community of … Continue reading No Enclave — Exploring Somali Los Angeles
Nobody Drives in LA — Historic Los Angeles Transit Rail
I know that it's not the case -- but even the most recently transplanted Angeleno should know that Los Angeles was built around railroads. The first steam train appeared in Los Angeles in 1869, nineteen years after the city was incorporated. The first horsecar showed up in 1874. The first trolley began operation in 1885. … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Historic Los Angeles Transit Rail
California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Santa Barbara
INTRODUCTION A year ago -- over a year ago! -- my partner and I visited the town of Santa Barbara. I meant to write about our visit for California Fool's Gold sooner, but 2020 was the year everything went pear-shaped. When the pandemic hit, many suddenly found themselves with more time than they knew what … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Santa Barbara
Eric Brightwell 