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

Conan Needs a Map

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 3 Comments

If you, like me, are a regular listener to the Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast -- especially the Summer S'mores series -- you have no doubt heard Conan joke, um, more than once, about the vast distances and difficulties he has to overcome in order to get from his Westside home to Sona's in … Continue reading Conan Needs a Map

The Legend of the Clandestine Order of Illuminated Gentlepersons

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 4 Comments

A reminder, if needed, that the internet isn't all bad. Two months ago, on the LosAngeles subreddit, user suprunkn0wn asked: "What’s that one spot in L.A. that you missed where it used to be? The new Amoeba is cool, but the most typical L.A. shit is the fact it’s under apartments and that will always … Continue reading The Legend of the Clandestine Order of Illuminated Gentlepersons

Ask Silver Lake — Silver Lake’s Bungalow Courts

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 3 Comments

The following article was written for the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council's "Ask Silver Lake" series -- ‘Ask Silver Lake’ is dedicated to exploring the history and insights of our community. If you have questions or ideas you’d like us to consider, please drop a comment or send them to outreach@silverlakenc.org.' Jose in front of 1420 … Continue reading Ask Silver Lake — Silver Lake’s Bungalow Courts

Ask Silver Lake — The Mattachine Steps and… the Julian Eltinge Steps

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 4 Comments

What follows is my latest "Ask Silver Lake" for the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council's newsletter (with a few different images). If you have any questions about Silver Lake, leave them in the comments and I'll add them to the list. I'll list the current topic list after the post. ASK SILVER LAKE — THE MATTACHINE … Continue reading Ask Silver Lake — The Mattachine Steps and… the Julian Eltinge Steps

California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Mentryville

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 2 Comments

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?

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 3 Comments

NOTE: a version of this piece was written for the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council’s “Ask Silver Lake” column. ‘Ask Silver Lake’ is dedicated to exploring the history and insights of our community. If you have questions or ideas you’d like us to consider, please drop a comment or send them to outreach@silverlakenc.org.‘ 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

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 4 Comments

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

Change in Store — Silver Lake’s 99 Cents Only Store Will Soon Be No More

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 9 Comments

NOTE: a version of this piece was written for the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council's "Ask Silver Lake" column. ‘Ask Silver Lake’ is dedicated to exploring the history and insights of our community. If you have questions or ideas you’d like us to consider, please drop a comment or send them to outreach@silverlakenc.org.' On April 5th, it … Continue reading Change in Store — Silver Lake’s 99 Cents Only Store Will Soon Be No More

Nobody Drives in LA — The Ostrich Farm Railway

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 5 Comments

THE OSTRICH FARM RAILWAY Detail of Map of the City of Los Angeles, 1887, depicting the route of the Ostrich Farm Railway [Note: This essay was written for and originally appeared in the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council newsletter] Today Silver Lake is, by most accounts, moderately well served by mass transit. The website, Walk Score, … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — The Ostrich Farm Railway

Pan-Asian Metropolis — Indian Los Angeles

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 2 Comments

INTRODUCTION Despite its historic and cultural importance, there seems to be surprisingly little out there about Metro Los Angeles’s sizable Indian community. Los Angeles is, after all, known for its unparalleled ethnic diversity — especially of Asian communities — and India is the most populous nation (Asian or otherwise) on Earth. But, for whatever reason, searching … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Indian Los Angeles