INTRODUCTION The other day, I explored Elysian Park, because it was leading in the California Fool’s Gold neighborhood poll. When I created that poll, I hadn’t yet created Southland Parks. While Elysian Park is sometimes described as a neighborhood (e.g. the Los Angeles Times’ Mapping Los Angeles and Wikipedia) and there are a few homes … Continue reading Southland Parks — Visiting Elysian Park
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No Enclave — Exploring Salvadoran Los Angeles
Metro Los Angeles is home to the largest population of Salvadorans outside of El Salvador, the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. Salvadorans comprise the second largest Latino population in Metro Los Angeles as well as the second largest foreign-born population. For this week of National Hispanic Heritage Month, they are … Continue reading No Enclave — Exploring Salvadoran Los Angeles
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Those Useless Trees — The Valley Oak
A couple of days ago my friend Mike and I decided to go for a hike in Malibu Creek State Park. Having celebrated a friend’s birthday the previous night into the following morning, a good moderately strenuous ramble seemed like just the thing. We were both awed by the park’s stunning vistas as well as … Continue reading Those Useless Trees — The Valley Oak
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No Enclave — Guatemalan Los Angeles
INTRODUCTION Metro Los Angeles is home to an estimated 273,000* Guatemalans (or “Guatemaltecos”), making it the largest such community outside Guatemala. On the other hand, comprising just 4.6% of the region’s 5,979,000 Latinos they’re largely overshadowed by the much larger populations of Salvadorans and Mexicans. They are the focus of this No Enclave, undertaken in … Continue reading No Enclave — Guatemalan Los Angeles
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There It Is, Revitalize It — Visiting Peanut Lake
A few days ago I was wrapping up a semi-regular housesitting gig in El Sereno. Regular readers will know that that particular gig also involves taking care of a dog named Dooley, who during my stays accompanies me on explorations around the Eastside, Northeast Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Valley. On the last day … Continue reading There It Is, Revitalize It — Visiting Peanut Lake
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Wilshire Vista
INTRODUCTION I finally visited and explored Wilshire Vista. I say “finally” because, at the time of writing, it’s the most voted-for neighborhood ever and has been for a little while now. OK, it’s only received nineteen votes — but even with about 800 total votes cast, there are so many Southern California communities that nineteen … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Wilshire Vista
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Pan-Asian Metropolis — Orange County’s Lost Chinatowns
INTRODUCTION TO ASIAN ORANGE COUNTY Today, Orange County is widely recognized for its prominent Asian-American population. There are significant numbers of of Vietnamese, Koreans, Taiwanese, Filipinos, Indians, Japanese, Cambodians, Chinese, Pakistanis, Thais, Indonesians, and Laotians living there, as well as many smaller groups. Metro Los Angeles (which includes Los Angeles and Orange counties) is in fact home … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Orange County’s Lost Chinatowns
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No Enclave — Emerging and Unofficial Ethnic Enclaves of Los Angeles
The Los Angeles metropolitan area is widely recognized for its diversity, something which is reflected in its many ethnic enclaves. Those ethnic enclaves include ones that have been officially recognized, as well as ones that have only been colloquially recognized, and they've risen and fallen on waves of immigration and assimilation. The earliest of Los … Continue reading No Enclave — Emerging and Unofficial Ethnic Enclaves of Los Angeles
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Santa Cruz Island
A few weeks ago, I visited Santa Cruz Island for the first time and spent a few days exploring and camping with some good folks from Maptime LA. I’ve only visited one of the Channel Islands previously, Santa Catalina Island, which I first visited with Una on my birthday and then again with Maptime LA. … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Santa Cruz Island
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Greater Streets — Los Angeles Squares, or When is a Square Not a Square?
If you ever walk, bicycle, or take public transit in Los Angeles, you’ve no doubt noticed those nearly ubiquitous tan or beige-colored signs with brown lettering, a City of Los Angeles seal, and text designating an intersection or section of road a “square.” If you’re a motorist, you may’ very well have missed them, because … Continue reading Greater Streets — Los Angeles Squares, or When is a Square Not a Square?
Eric Brightwell 