INTRODUCTION Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography's map of Larchmont Village, available in art prints and on a variety of merchandise This edition of California Fool's Gold is about Larchmont Village. It was nominated by readers who let me know which communities they'd like me to explore in the comment section. Larchmont Village is not, despite what … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Larchmont Village
Author: Eric Brightwell
Eric Brightwell is an essayist, rambler, explorer, cartographer, and guerrilla gardener. He lives in Los Angeles, not because he was born here, but because he chose to... for all of the things for which its famous: its verticality, its mass transit, its diversity, its schools, its liminal spaces, its architecture, its wildlife, its museums, its night markets, its cinemas, its theaters, its enclaves, its restaurants, its bars, its libraries, &c
Swinging Doors — Los Angeles’s Early Houses
Say what you will about Los Angeles but it's unlikely that anyone has ever described it in earnest as a "city that never sleeps." It is not, in other words, Barcelona, New York City, New Orleans, or Las Vegas. There are 24-hour businesses in Los Angeles, of course, mostly restaurants. When I was younger, I … Continue reading Swinging Doors — Los Angeles’s Early Houses
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Whittier
INTRODUCTION For this chapter of California Fool's Gold, I explored the city of Whittier. Whittier is a city in Southeast Los Angeles (County), separated from the San Gabriel Valley to the north by the Puente Hills and sharing a border with Orange County to the southeast. As of the 2020 Census, it had a population … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Whittier
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Los Angeles’s Corner Drugstores & Independent Pharmacies
The corner drug store isn't what it used to be, although I'm not sure when it stopped. Probably quite a few years before I was born... although there are still a few hanging 'round. I'm talking about the drugstores that Norman Rockwell celebrated in his characteristic manner and Edward Hopper naturally managed to make seem … Continue reading Los Angeles’s Corner Drugstores & Independent Pharmacies
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1972 in Music — 50 Years Later
Happy New Year! It's now 2022. That means -- assuming my math is correct -- it's been 50 years since it was 1972. And so, as I do ever year, I've made a playlist of music from that year -- not just my favorite eight tracks or anything like that -- a playlist of ALL … Continue reading 1972 in Music — 50 Years Later
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Swinging Doors — Los Angeles’s Oldest Bars
INTRODUCTION In 2018, I made a map of Los Angeles's oldest restaurants and wrote a bit about them. It proved relatively easy because there was lots already written on the subject. When I started writing about Los Angeles's oldest bars, it proved much more difficult. Not only could I find no serious effort to draw … Continue reading Swinging Doors — Los Angeles’s Oldest Bars
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Mist & Iron — Visiting Paauw, or, Palomar Mountain
INTRODUCTION After Desert Daze, my friend Mike Morgan found himself in a dilemma. Namely, he had more firewood than he knew what to do with and so proposed camping somewhere. I suggested Palomar Mountain because it's struck me as a magical place the few times I've passed over it on the way to and from … Continue reading Mist & Iron — Visiting Paauw, or, Palomar Mountain
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Nobody Drives in LA – North Trail Canyon Road with Mike Morgan [Pilot Episode]
A couple of years ago I had an idea for a Nobody Drives in LA series of some sort -- in addition to the weblog series, that is, which I've been writing for years. My conception was of taking transit, riding bikes, or walking with Angelenos who are car-free -- both of in the vein … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA – North Trail Canyon Road with Mike Morgan [Pilot Episode]
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Ghosts of the Silver Lake Reservoir
A few years ago, whilst researching the history of the Silver Lake Reservoir, I was rather surprised to learn that several people had drowned in it early in its history. Where there's water, I suppose, there are drownings -- I'd just never thought about it before -- and when the reservoir began filling in 1907, … Continue reading Ghosts of the Silver Lake Reservoir
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No Enclave — Puerto Rican Los Angeles
Many -- perhaps most -- Angelenos know that Los Angeles is home to the largest populations of Mexicans, Salvadorans, and Guatemalans outside of their of their respective homelands. I know that I wasn't surprised to learn that the next largest Latino community in Los Angeles is of Honduran Americans. I was surprised, though, to learn … Continue reading No Enclave — Puerto Rican Los Angeles
Eric Brightwell 