Nobody Drives in LA — Silver Lake Walks

~ Eric Brightwell ~ Leave a comment

I'm leading a series of walks in Silver Lake called... "Silver Lake Walks." The idea came from the Silver Lake Branch Library's Friends of the Silver Lake Library and the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council's Outreach Committee. I've created six walks that touch upon architecture, civil rights, film history, and more. Each of these walks is … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Silver Lake Walks

Ask Silver Lake — Silver Lake’s Historic Film Studios

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 9 Comments

The following was first published by the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council as part of it's "Ask Silver Lake" column. "Ask Silver Lake" is dedicated to exploring the history of our community. If you have questions or ideas you'd like us to consider, please send them to outreach@silverlakenc.org. Selig Polyscope in Edendale, 1910 We've received a … Continue reading Ask Silver Lake — Silver Lake’s Historic Film Studios

The Mystery of Princess Leda Amun-Ra, Hollywood’s Legendary Acid Witch

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 3 Comments

Screenshot of Princess Leda Amun-Ra in The American Dreamer In August of this year, Thomas Lee, son of photographer Bud Lee, contacted me with an intriguing mystery about a colorful Angeleno. He’d come across my post, Los Angeles Gothic, and wondered whether I’d ever heard of anything about Princess Leda Amun-Ra and her colorful cohorts. … Continue reading The Mystery of Princess Leda Amun-Ra, Hollywood’s Legendary Acid Witch

Ask Silver Lake — Music Box Steps Day and Silver Lake’s Stair Stars of the Silver Screen

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 3 Comments

Thanks, in large part, to its proximity to many early film studios – Silver Lake has been home to numerous film stars since at least the 1910s. Not all of those stars were human. There was, for example, Tom Mix’s horse, Old Blue, who is rumored to be buried underneath the parking lot in front … Continue reading Ask Silver Lake — Music Box Steps Day and Silver Lake’s Stair Stars of the Silver Screen

Nobody Drives in LA — A Car Free Los Angeles Podcast

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 1 Comment

The podcast is finally here! The only podcast about the pressures, perils, and yes, pleasures of car-free and car-lite living in pathologically car-brained Los Angeles. Co-hosts Kyle Rebar and Eric Brightwell chat with guests about their transit journeys and where they are now. I'll post new episodes here with links as we publish them. Follow … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — A Car Free Los Angeles Podcast

No Enclave – Catalan Los Angeles

~ Eric Brightwell ~ Leave a comment

11 September is the national day of Catalonia, or “La Diada.” Catalonia (Catalan: Catalunya) is a stateless Mediterranean nation split between Spain, where it is an autonomous community, and France, where the borders of  its Roussillon region correspond  roughly with those of the department of Pyrénées-Orientales. Its capital and most populous city, Barcelona, is the … Continue reading No Enclave – Catalan Los Angeles

Ask Silver Lake — LAFD Station No. 56

~ Eric Brightwell ~ 1 Comment

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.’ For the sake of full disclosure, this month's … Continue reading Ask Silver Lake — LAFD Station No. 56

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 ~ 2 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