I was recently a guest on Tony Pierce’s podcast, Hear in LA (Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube -- or read on the Hear in LA website) . Toward the end of our discussion, Tony proposed Los Angeles becoming its own country. We didn't discuss what sort of state it would be, I don't … Continue reading Hear on LA, the Republic (or Kingdom), of Los Angeles, its Provinces (or Counties), and their Capitals
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
Plaza del Valle & All Valley Everything
A map of Plaza del Valle with rules listed below I was recently a guest on a new podcast, All Valley Everything, hosted by Albert Corado and featuring a rotating cast of co-hosts. For the episode on which I was a guest, the co-host was Veronica Shirley, of Valley Girl Hiking Club. Albert asked me … Continue reading Plaza del Valle & All Valley Everything
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Houses of the Hallows — The Semi-Tropic Spiritualists and the Semi-Tropic Park
INTRODUCTION Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography's official map of Elysian Heights, available reproduced on a wide variety of merchandise and in art prints of various sizes. The other day, the Los Angeles Public Library posted a short clip of me talking about my map of the Elysian Heights neighborhood — crafted from interview footage shot for … Continue reading Houses of the Hallows — The Semi-Tropic Spiritualists and the Semi-Tropic Park
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Nobody Drives in LA — The California Cycleway
INTRODUCTION If, like me, you ride a bicycle in Los Angeles, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard of the fabled California Cycleway — an elevated, wooden bicycle tollway that existed for an all-too-brief moment at the dawn of the 20th Century — before the Age of the Automobile. The California Cycleway is legendary — … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — The California Cycleway
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Ask Silver Lake — What Becomes of a Decommissioned Reservoir?
A reservoir is constructed in Silver Lake. After decades of service, the city determines that the water in it isn’t fit to drink and that reservoir is obsolete. It is decommissioned. The city decides to turn it into a park. Not everyone is happy with this plan. Sound familiar? Perhaps, then, you already know the … Continue reading Ask Silver Lake — What Becomes of a Decommissioned Reservoir?
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An Appearance on LAPL’s “L.A. Untangled”
The Los Angeles Public Library was a show called L.A. Untangled, hosted by Kelly Wallace. If you haven't seen it, you will probably want to check it out. The last episode starred my friend, Victoria Bernal (@LAHistory). The one before that -- the debut -- starred Elizabeth Ito, of whom I am a new but … Continue reading An Appearance on LAPL’s “L.A. Untangled”
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Lime & Les Le Pages
Musician Nini Nobless died on 21 August 2023 from cancer at Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal. She was 74 years old. Her death was confirmed to the CBC through her manager, Yvon Lafrance. Nobless was best known as one-half of the Canadian musical duo, Lime, in which she performed as Denis Le Page with her … Continue reading Lime & Les Le Pages
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The Brightwell Guide to Seasonal Produce in Southern California
INTRODUCTION I grew up on what is what one could possibly describe as a "gentleman's farm." Not that we ever referred to it as such. I'd never heard that term as a kid -- and my mom, who ran show, would've no doubt rejected the title of "gentleman." My mother also might’ve objected to characterizing … Continue reading The Brightwell Guide to Seasonal Produce in Southern California
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Seth & Eric’s Airconditionless Adventure — 9-21 August 1998
INTRODUCTION 13 August 2023 was the 25th anniversary of my first visit to Los Angeles. All those years ago, I wrote entries in a journal. At first, the accounts of the days' adventures had a diaristic air. After a few days on the road, however, I started just jotting down one and two-word notes with … Continue reading Seth & Eric’s Airconditionless Adventure — 9-21 August 1998
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Southland Parks — The Beaches and Public Pools of Los Angeles
Since arriving in Los Angeles in the 1990s, I’ve always been surprised at how just many swimming pools there are — and how infrequently most of them (especially the private ones) are seemingly used... other than as bee graveyards to be occasionally skimmed by some unfortunate charged with dragging a pool rake across their otherwise … Continue reading Southland Parks — The Beaches and Public Pools of Los Angeles
Eric Brightwell 