INTRODUCTION The other day, I thought it might be nice to submit a story for the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council newsletter for Black History Month. I figured I'd flesh it out and publish it here -- a story about three culturally and historically significant black residents of the neighborhood. Silver Lake, in its early years, … Continue reading Black Pioneers of Silver Lake
Tag: Mideast Los Angeles
California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Dayton Heights
I was recently contacted by Dave Stoelk from Spectrum News. He originally wanted to do a segment on the Silver Lake Croquet League for his segment, "That's So L.A." After talking for a few minutes, though, he thought it might be fun to instead do a segment about my maps that I make, as Pendersleigh … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Dayton Heights
Greater Streets — Street Vacations: When Streets Get Taken Away
About a month ago, following the introduction of a car-free section of Griffith Park Drive in Griffith Park, I wrote a piece celebrating ten Los Angeles streets that have been reclaimed from automobiles over the past century. After that, I wrote about open streets events, like CicLAvia, that have for 20 years provided tantalizing if … Continue reading Greater Streets — Street Vacations: When Streets Get Taken Away
Take ’em To The Bridge — Visiting the Taylor Yard Bikeway and Pedestrian Bridge
As someone who rides on the Los Angeles River Bicycle Path not infrequently, I've been closely and eagerly tracking the progress of the Taylor Yard Bikeway and Pedestrian Bridge. When I found out that it officially opened on 5 March 14 March, I took the next convenient opportunity (yesterday) to check it out. Approaching the … Continue reading Take ’em To The Bridge — Visiting the Taylor Yard Bikeway and Pedestrian Bridge
Nobody Drives in LA — Silver Lake Stairs – Street View
In the 1920s, Los Angeles boomed. At the beginning of the decade, Los Angeles had a population of 576,673. By the end of the decade, it had more than doubled to 1,238,048. Basically, it went from the size of modern-day Milwaukee to modern-day San Diego in just ten years. Somewhere during that decade, Los Angeles's … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Silver Lake Stairs – Street View
Ghosts of the Silver Lake Reservoir
A few years ago, whilst researching the history of the Silver Lake Reservoir, I was rather surprised to learn that several people had drowned in it early in its history. Where there's water, I suppose, there are drownings -- I'd just never thought about it before -- and when the reservoir began filling in 1907, … Continue reading Ghosts of the Silver Lake Reservoir
Nobody Drives In LA — Sunset4All
I think it was in 2019 that Terence Heuston (LA Bike Dad) approached me to discuss the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition's Sunset4All at one of that street's many coffee shops. He described to me the effort to reconfigure Sunset Boulevard -- one of Los Angeles's most iconic streets -- to make it safer, and … Continue reading Nobody Drives In LA — Sunset4All
No Enclave — Cuban Los Angeles
As of 2018, Latinos comprised an estimated 47.7% of Los Angeles's population. 75% of Latino Angelenos were of Mexican ancestry. Salvadorans comprised about 8% of Latino Angelenos. Guatemaltecos comprised about 5% of the Latino Angeleno population. Los Angeles is, additionally, home to the largest populations of Mexicans, Salvadorans, and Guatemaltecos outside of their respective homelands. I'd … Continue reading No Enclave — Cuban Los Angeles
Art in the Streets — The Happy Foot/Sad Foot (1986-2019)
For more than three decades, the Happy Foot/Sad Food sign has loomed over the intersection of Benton Way and Sunset Boulevard, just west of "the cut," a canyon cut into a sandstone hill for the Ostrich Railway in 1887 Although designed as an advertisement for Sunset Foot Clinic, it became a symbol of the Mideast … Continue reading Art in the Streets — The Happy Foot/Sad Foot (1986-2019)
Homes Fit for Heroes — The Brigham Residence/Tokio Florist
With Homes Fit for Heroes, I normally celebrate multi-family housing. Every so often, however, I find a single-family home worth singing the praises of. Such is the case, I reckon, with the mansion at 2718 Hyperion Avenue which I re-visited for the first time after a roughly decade-long absence. In a way, it's multi-family housing … Continue reading Homes Fit for Heroes — The Brigham Residence/Tokio Florist
Eric Brightwell 