California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Mentryville

INTRODUCTION  The other day I found myself in Santa Clarita with a couple of hours to kill. I Googled "best restaurants in Santa Clarita" -- knowing full well that Google has been a mostly garbage search engine for years -- completely corrupted as it is by paid advertisements and SEO. I'm sure that there are … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Mentryville

Ask Silver Lake — Sunset Junction, What’s Your Function?

NOTE: a version of this piece was written for the Silver Lake Neighborhood Councilโ€™s โ€œAsk Silver Lakeโ€ column. โ€˜Ask Silver Lakeโ€™ is dedicated to exploring the history and insights of our community. If you have questions or ideas youโ€™d like us to consider, please drop a comment or send them to outreach@silverlakenc.org.โ€˜ Like most large neighborhoods, Silver Lake is … Continue reading Ask Silver Lake — Sunset Junction, What’s Your Function?

Pan-Asian Metropolis — Pasadena’s Lost Chinatown

INTRODUCTION Most of my essays about Los Angeles begin similarly. A question is asked, an answer is hard to find or is deemed inadequate, and then I head straight down a rabbit hole. This one began when a friend asked a question that involved Altadena and a street there with a Japanese name. She then … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Pasadena’s Lost Chinatown