Nobody Drives in LA — Los Angeles’s Open Streets

For decades since the introduction of the automobile to Los Angeles, the trend was to accommodate them more and more. Sidewalks were shaved away to all for more cars. Beautiful historic buildings were leveled and replace with surface parking lots. Interstate freeways were allowed not just to connect states but to slice through working class … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Los Angeles’s Open Streets

Pan-Asian Metropolis — Q&A with filmmaker Elizabeth Ai about her latest project, NEW WAVE

If you're American and you recognize names like "Bad Boys Blue," "C.C. Catch," "Sandra," or "Modern Talking," there's a good chance that you, or someone close to you, is Vietnamese. For the uninitiated non-Viet Americans, those are the names of three German (and one German-Dutch) pop bands whose songs have been compiled, covered, and claimed … Continue reading Pan-Asian Metropolis — Q&A with filmmaker Elizabeth Ai about her latest project, NEW WAVE

Nobody Drives in LA — Reimagining Garden Grove

With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, rideshares, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car-dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. ***** On October 12, Garden Grove will host Re:Imagine Garden Grove - A Downtown Open Streets Event, and for a few hours a few blocks of that city's streets … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Reimagining Garden Grove

California Fool’s Gold — Visiting Little Saigon

VISITING LITTLE SAIGON -- HAPPY ASIAN-PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH Southern California is home to several ethnic enclaves and since the region's largest and fastest-growing racial minority are Asian, perhaps it's not surprising that most of the recognized neighborhoods are specific to various Asian populations. In Los Angeles County there's Cambodia Town, Chinatown, Filipinotown, Koreatown, Little … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Visiting Little Saigon

California Fool’s Gold — A North Orange County Primer

SHE HAD ORANGE RIBBONS IN HER HAIR -- NORTH ORANGE COUNTY It comes as something of a dismaying surprise to me how casually many seemingly intelligent Angelenos freely dismiss Orange County. Iv'e grown used to (if still somewhat surprised by) the out-dated chauvinistic attitude of New Yorkers and San Franciscans. But while those widely and … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — A North Orange County Primer

California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Garden Grove, The City of Youth and Ambition

This Southern CA-area episode is about Garden Grove, which I journeyed to with Garden Grove native Tita Ortega. Pendersleigh & Sons' Official Map of Orange County Garden Grove is is located in North Orange County. In fact, it was whilst living in Garden Grove in 1888 thatR.Q. Wickham launched the political movement that would lead … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Garden Grove, The City of Youth and Ambition