Screenshot from echoparklake.com

Tonight is a meeting of the oversight committee and odor monitoring group of the Echo Park Lake rehabilitation project. All are invited to attend to get updates about the project, and share information on how you think things are going.

Echo Park Lake Rehab Meeting
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 6:30 pm
St. Paul’s Cathedral, located at 840 Echo Park Avenue

Although a zombie apocalypse isn’t why this home is super green – owner Michael Jacob Rochlin told Echo Park Patch he spent $100,000 converting the 1922 bungalow into a “green” home. The property features a tankless water heater, gray water appliances, an organic vegetable garden, drought-tolerant landscaping, rainwater harvesting, ten composters, and a plant nursery. The property is 10,000 square feet total, and in addition to all the delicious fruit trees is a certified farm and wildlife habitat.

I can also see why the current owner, who is an author and historian, wrote three novels and compiled two photographic essays while living there – there’s a gorgeous 225 square foot yurt retreat in the far corner amongst the trees. Though the place is only a 1 bedroom/1 bath at 700 square feet, there’s a studio in addition to the main house, and plenty of porch space to chill. Oh yes, and it’s listed at only $399,900 – which, for safe and quiet Lake Shore, is a good deal.

Enough with the sales pitch, there’s an open house tomorrow, Sunday, January 15, hosted by listing agent Darren Hubert from 1:00 – 5:00 pm. The address is 2006 Lake Shore, and you can view more photos of the place (yurt and all) by clicking here.

From the placeit.org website

SATURDAY, January 14, 2012
10:00 am – 12:30 pm
@ The Echo Country Outpost, 1770 Glendale Blvd. in Echo Park

Echo Park Improvement Association member and activist Josh Post, who organized the recent Glendale Boulevard community cleanup, has put together a great event this weekend that will help further the efforts to get fix up the historic Echo Park corridor for good.

Urban planner James Rojas is leading a workshop on, you guessed it, urban planning! Using props, blocks and salvaged items, workshop goers will create individual 3-D models reflecting how members of the community would like to see Glendale Boulevard used and changed. Ideas will be presented to the group and discussed, and results of the workshop will be shared with local government and organizations.

Rojas was just featured in the LA Times for his work on his project in Long Beach. The event is free, and everyone is welcome to come share ideas for change and have some fun!

RSVP is recommended. Email echopark@patch.com to rsvp or with questions.

Amish journey from homespun to hipster – LA Times
How Refuge salon and Form Academy owner Miriam Jones went from an Omish upbringing to Echo Park.

Capping an era of L.A. oil exploration – LA Times
This week the city started plugging an old oil well just south of Glendale Boulevard and Rockwood Street to make way for a 45-unit apartment complex. Just up the street, where the Echo Park Pool is now, was the first oil well in Los Angeles.

Robert DeLong’s electronic dance music residency, Monday nights at Los Globos – Examiner.com
If only we didn’t have to work on the weekdays! The Examiner.com gives out rave reviews for Echo Park resident Robert DeLong’s Monday night residency at Los Globos: “He is salvaging what is left of everything great about electronic music and creating something fresh and so immediately appealing that you can’t help but start moving to the music as soon as he starts playing.”

Planning board supports Elysian Heights coffee house plan to serve wine and beer – The Eastsider LA
Fix Coffee in Elysian Heights is one step closer to serving beer and wine after an appeal failed to convince the planning board to block the application. The coffee shop will still need to obtain a state beer and wine license from ABC.

LAist got the story on who’s behind the new colorful mural on the wall of Alfredo Market on Glendale Boulevard, between Alvarado and Berkeley. Street artist and Echo Park resident Kophns One (aka Koffinz) painted the mural at the end of December. According to The Site Unseen website, “Kophns is well-known within the LA street scene for his distinct and bold artistic style, dynamic characters and his always engaging art placement.” Hopefully a city-wide mural ordinance being debated won’t interfere with local art like this!

The Site Unseen uploaded this video of the mural process. Enjoy!

Masa's Chicago deep dish (vegan style). Flickr photo via veganbakesale

Masa of Echo Park lures people from all over Los Angeles with its authentic Chicago-style deep dish pizza. In addition to the amazing service and ambiance at Masa (we love you guys!), the kick-ass owners and great food, they offer a hearty selection of vegan options (which includes a vegan deep dish option).

Mohawk Bend mushroom pizza

Pizzas are Mohawk Bend are similar to flatbread-style pizzas – thin crust, light and fluffy crust, and farmer’s market toppings. And, of course, Mohawk Bend is very vegan-friendly. They’ve also been hosting All-You-Can-Eat Pizza on Mondays for just $12, starting at 5:00 pm!

Two Boots Pizza. Flickr photo via thenewmoon42

We’ve never tried anything with marshmallows at Two Boots before, but the Larry Tate is our fave slice from the Echo-adjacent spot. Two Boots is a pretty quick and easy spot if you’re hungry late at night!

Pizza Buona. Flickr photo via Daniel Pappas

We have to admit… we’ve never tried Pizza Buona pizzas before – but the sandwiches are awesome! Pizza Buona offers up a traditional Italian pie – have you tried it before? Looks like a lot of cheesy goodness!

Happy National Pizza Week!

The commission in charge of redistricting is holding a series of public hearings where we can share our thoughts and opinions on the redistricting. As Echo Park residents, we should be attending both CD13 and CD1 meetings, which are on Saturday and Monday, respectively:

Council District 1
Saturday, January 7, 2012 at 11:00 am
St. Peter’s Italian Catholic Church
1039 N. Broadway 90012

Council District 13
Monday, January 9, 2012 at 6:30 pm
Los Angeles City College Theatre
855 N. Vermont Avenue 90029

Click here for the full schedule PDF, which includes all council districts and the meeting dates. Public comments can also be submitted ahead of time by downloading this PDF, and email the form to redistricting.lacity@lacity.org

You can also follow the Los Angeles City Council Redistricting Commission on Facebook and Twitter.

h/t Cindy Marie Jenkins for keeping us informed!

We’ll see you tomorrow!

Photo via the LA Stormwater website

This is the second neighborhood cleanup organized by the Echo Park Trash Abatement Program (TAP) in the past couple of months – the last one on December 3 collected more than 60 bags of trash (according to the LA Stormwater Blog).

This weekend, treat yourself to some sunshine, pack your bottled water and work gloves, and join Echo Park neighbors for the first neighborhood cleanup of the year!

Saturday, January 7, 2012 from 8:00 am – 11:00 am
Meet on Sunset by Metro Bus Stop between Echo Park Avenue and Logan
Dress for weather. Bring water as needed.

Monday
The Echo and LA Underground present Monday Night Residency with: Seasons, One Trick Pony, Count Fleet,  Torches @ Echo
Princeton, Lesands, Red Pony Clock @ Bootleg Bar
Sean Carnage Monday Nights: Manhattan Murder Mystery, I.E., Nicole Kidman + Pawko, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and more @ Pehrspace
Motown Mondays @ The Short Strop

Tuesday
Beer and Bingo Tuesday with Olin & The Moon and Maxim Ludwig, Willoughby, Jeff Crosby @ Echo
Bikos, Lovers Drugs, Son Ark @ Bootleg Bar
Ray Argyle of Sunken Ships, Craig Elkins, Davd Shane Smith @ Lot 1 Café

Wednesday
Hepa, Titus with Virginia Reed, Dead Dawn, Kill Kill Kill @ Echo
Dub Club Featuring: Anthony B with His Band @ Echoplex
Hi Fashion, Professor Possessor, Actually, Waterlaso @ Bootleg Bar
Live Jazz every Wednesday night at 7:00 pm @ Downbeat Café

Thursday
Summer Darling, Birds & Batteries, Vice Cooler, The Hunting Accident, Baron Von Luxxury @ Echo
Stonefeather, King Devil, Bad Lamps @ Bootleg Bar

Friday
Backbeat- Northern Soul Dance Night with DJ Mark Morales @ Echo
Echo, Origami & Kxlu Present: Black Flamingo, No, Crooked Cowboy, Batwings Catwings @ Echoplex
Jacuzzi Boys and Hanni El Khatib, Marcus Very Ordinary @ Bootleg Bar
Chuck Dukowski Sextet, Voodoo Merchant, and more @ Lot 1 Café
Kate Earl, Patrick Park, Ema and Her Lady Parts, Tenlons Fort plus special guests @ Pehrspace

Saturday
Bootie La @ Echoplex
Funky Sole @ Echo
Salon Music Night with members of Shadow Shadow Shade, Henry Clay People, Jail Weddings, Square On Square, Just an Animal @ Bootleg Bar
Tenlons Fort, The Wildbunch, Avi Of Avi Buffalo, Will Courtney @ Lot 1 Cafe
Dream Homes, Foot Foot, Pek Pek, Dali’s Rose @ Pehrspace

Sunday
Echo, Grand Ole Echo & Art Fein Present: Elvis Presley Birthday Party @ Echoplex
Part Time Punks presents: David Bowie Nite with guest DJ Jose Maldonado (Sweet & Tender Hooligans) @ Echo
Coyol, Molly Marlette, The Mowgli’s @ Bootleg Bar
Elvis Brunch: Celebrate Elvis Presley’s Birthday With An Elvis-Themed Brunch, Karaoke, Live Music, Games, Special Guests, Bloody Marys, crazy surprises, and more @ Echo Country Outpost

Visit the venue websites for more information on the cost and times of shows. Feel free to add more events in the comment section. All events listed are subject to change at any time, and new events announced for the week after this posting may not be included.

Over 70 bird species have been counted at Echo Park Lake over the years – the last Christmas Bird Count saw 41 species (winter is usually a popular month for the migrating birds at the lake).

Meet at the Boathouse at 8:00 am for the two-hour count. Bring $5 to participate (make checks payable to the National Audubon Society)

For more information contact  judycalifornia@yahoo.com, or call (323) 663-6767.

A lot has happened for Echo Park in 2011… Our personal lives got a bit busier – I got married and had a grand celebration, and have been spending all my free time this year involved in many civic activities. We’re still living in the same spot, for about 6.5 years now, doing laundry across the street from Masa, but we’re hitting up some new watering holes. And that’s the big news for our community – Echo Park became a destination for our libation of choice (if there’s no tequila): Beer! Redefining Echo Park as a beer destination are two new establishments, Mohawk Bend and Sunset Beer Company, along with a slew of new beer/wine permits at existing locations. Xoia and Fix Coffee are the most recent ones, and about to join in on the fun are Red Hill and Cookbook’s new restaurant on the eastern end.

Land-use issues defined a lot of our time spent on civic activities, including the proposed 74-unit complex at the former Echo Park Community Gardens, 7-11 vying for a spot on Glendale Boulevard, and lots of community cleanups. Next year there will be a lot of new places to dine at (Cookbook, Red Hill, a new pizza place, and probably more), and hopefully we’ll get some more food trucks coming through.

And in case you missed it all, here’s a few things to get you updated – our top three posts of 2011 (based on how many times you all visited).

Top posts of 2011:

What they found at the bottom of Echo Park Lake

We got the scoop on what (and how many) they officially found at the bottom of the lake after the lake draining and some dredging. So if you were taking bets, they found 20 trash cans, one toilet, and two guns (and no dead bodies, guys).

A modern Echo Park Lake draining in pictures

As much as we want our lake back, the two year rehabilitation project (which started in August 2011) started off with a slew of images from many Echo Park residents. We’ve even got our own webcam of the lake progress, courtesy of a couple of nearby residents and their camera. Unfortunately the article sparked some debate, for a reason we’re not sure about, the comments sparked debate about the whole eastside vs. not eastside, which we won’t touch with a ten foot pole.

Maria the Goose takes up new residency away from Echo Park Lake

The infamous Maria the Goose was moved away from the lake in March 2011 to her new pad at the Los Angeles Zoo. The impending Echo Park Lake rehab project was, at that time, scheduled for that spring (it didn’t end up starting until August). Her bestie, Dominic Elhrer, was on the zoo guest list and was allowed to visit. But of course, once she got to the zoo, the veterinarians discovered she was a HE – and aptly renamed the goose Mario. We’re still partial to Maria…

Resolutions for 2012

Last year we made some promises of “Echo Parkian” things to do in 2011. We still haven’t read the Madonnas of Echo Park, but we’ve been reading a lot more after joining a book club. We haven’t climbed all the stairs year either, but got really close during the pre-wedding intense workouts I was doing. We have been doing a lot more farmers’ market shopping, have supported local businesses, and even wrote a lot of articles. We did the most amazing thing ever as an Angeleno and saw the lunar eclipse and sunrise at Griffith Park – that’s going to be hard to top!

For 2012… well, we got a new camera this year, so we will be taking a LOT more photos of Echo Park to document its place in the digital history books. We hope to write more articles on the sister blog, Atwater Village Now. We’d still love to have some more writers contribute to the website, so if you’re looking for an excuse to get out there in Echo Park and write about something or someone, do it! There’s no better way to get to know your community better!

A lot of people keep asking about advertising on Echo Park Now, and I’ll just say it’s not looking like that’s going to happen any time soon, but you’ll be the first to know if we do!

And finally, we’d like to wish everyone a wonderful new year. May 2012 be the best year yet!

Happy New Year!

That’s right – we’re talkin’ Portlandia. They’re coming to Echo Park on January 17, 2012 and well, let’s face it – you could re-name the show EchoParklandia and it’d basically be the same show. I have to say, I’m a fan!

The event at The Echo is one of six city tours (dubbed Portlandia: The Tour), and features co-creators Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein. They’ll be performing live music, talking about the show, and playing clips from the show’s second season, which premieres on January 6, 2012. Here’s a little sneak peak of what you can expect (from the show’s website):

Flickr photo via patrick_cates

Turn your Christmas tree into compost and mulch!

You can still enjoy your Christmas tree for a few more days until the next trash collection day, during which the Bureau of Sanitation will collect all those curbside trees (just make sure to place it by your cans on collection day). If your tree is small enough, you can also place it in your green bin for collection. Multi-unit residential houses can also place the trees curbside for collection.

Of course, make sure to remove all your ornaments!

Fire stations and Parks and Rec will also collect your trees, but only on Sunday, January 8, 2012 from 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. The closest station near Echo Park to drop off your Christmas tree is Griffith Park in the LA Zoo parking lot.

Click here for more information and additional locations for drop-off.

Flickr photo via sirimiri

Each year we put together a little guide for Echo Parkians to take advantage of local places to celebrate. There are some usual spots, and some new places to go, so if you’re going to head out Saturday evening make sure to support the local economy. And remember, if you do venture outside of Echo Park, the City of LA is providing free metro transportation on New Year’s Eve from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am, so don’t you dare drive under the influence!

Here are your dining options for earlier in the evening, and local spots for the new year countdown:

Taix

It’s a bit of a local tradition to have a little New Years Even dinner at Taix restaurant. In addition to serving their normal menu, News Years specials will be served from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm with a reservation. Specials include Crab Cakes, Roasted Veal Rack, Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass and other appetizers and desserts. Taix has a full bar, so be sure to enjoy some bubbly with their specials. Call (213) 484-1265 for reservations.

The Park Restaurant

The New Years Eve dinner special is six courses for $60, and includes scallops, oysters, lobster, duck and lamb for the omnivores. Tasty artichoke, Butternut Squash, Mushroom, and Gruyere courses for the veggies. And of course, The Park always has a great wine and beer selection, so we’re sure they’ll have some bubbly for you to enjoy! Seatings are between 6:00 pm and 9:00 pm, be sure to call for reservations! (213) 482-9209

Mohawk Bend

This will be the first New Year’s Eve celebration for the new bar/restaurant on Sunset Boulevard, and there’s a great dinner menu planned. $65 gets you Mohawk’s omnivore and vegan-friendly menu, along with specialty items like Roasted Porcini Mushrooms with potato gnocchi and in-house ricotta; Lobster Orecchiette Gratin with sea urchin and chive; and Lamb Chops with herbed polenta and tomato pine-nut gremolata. You can also add white (3g/$55; 6g/$100) or black truffles (6g/$35) to any dish.

By-the-glass and by-the-bottle bubbly will be available, as well as a beer toast in keepsake glasses at the countdown.

Reservations are required, and seatings are between 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm. The 10:00 pm slot will guarantee your seat until 1:00 am. Email nye2012@mohawk.la for reservations!

City Sip

We’ve spent a New Year’s Eve here before, and it was an amazing place for a chill way to celebrate.

They’ve got a pretty good deal for New Year’s Eve: for $50 a person you get bottomless bubbly, a plate of artisan cheese and charcuterie, and a panini dessert.

Allston Yacht Club

The short version of the menu: Lobster and fish terrine, warm olive oil poached beets, grilled beef tenderloin, wild mushroom fricasse, dessert, and wine pairings. Seatings are at 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm. Call 213.481.0454 for reservations.

The Echo/Echoplex

The annual Bootie LA New Year’s Even 2012 at the Echoplex  from 9:00 pm to 2:00 am. DJ Paul V., DJ Shyboy, DJ Faroff are the resident DJs spinning the mashups, with a midnight countdown and performance by resident dance crew R.A.I.D. (Random Acts of Irreverent Dance). Tickets are $20 in advance, $30 at door.

Funky Sole New Year’s Eve with Breakestra, Music Man Miles, and Clifton AKA Soft Touch. Starts at 10:00 pm at the Echo. Tickets are $15 until midnight (champagne and a toast for the countdown), $10 after.

Club Bahia

They’ve been hosting New Year’s Eve celebrations for over 30 years, and at a great deal – party all night for only $25. Click here for more info.

Masa

Masa will be hosting its annual Masa Fancy Pants Pajama Party on New Years Eve. PJs aren’t required, but are encouraged! They’ll be watching the ball drop in New York at 9:00 pm, along with a toast to ring in the new year.

Did we miss anything? Share the info in the comments section below!

Tuesday
Violent Vickie, Hanin Elias (Atari Teenage Riot), Miata @ Pehrspace

Wednesday
The Growlers, Tomorrows Tulips, The Abigails @ Echo
Dub Club @ Echoplex
2nd Annual Holiday Pehrgeant and Open Bar Mitzvah @ Pehrspace
Monte Mar December Wednesdays with Spencer Livingston @ Lot 1 Cafe
Live Jazz every Wednesday night at 7:00 pm @ Downbeat Café
Upground, Lilo, Fernanda Ulibarri @ Bootleg Bar

Thursday
We Did It Fest With Shlohmo, Jonwayne, Groundislava, Rl Grime, Juj, D33j, Melonious Drunk, hosted by Zeroh @ Echoplex
The Growlers, Dante vs. Zombies, Thee Rain Cats @ Echo
Franklin Bruno @ Origami Vinyl
Programmed2thrash, The Obsidian Fortress, Rabble/Rabble @ Lot 1 Cafe
Yo Mammas House – Holiday Edition Pt. 2 @ The Short Stop
Snuffaluffagus, Korey Dane, Joey Dosik, Maston @ Bootleg Bar

Friday
Matthew Sweet Performing “Girlfriend” – 20 Year Anniversary @ Echoplex
The Growlers, Allah-Las, Trmrs @ Echo
Weyou, Nate Wood Band, TBA @ Pehrspace
Mack Marquard & The Slim Pickins’ play Rebecca Balin’s Residency @ Lot 1 Cafe
Mini Mansions, Deap Vally, Harriet @ Bootleg Bar

Saturday
Bootie LA NYE 2012 @ Echoplex
Funky Sole NYE with Breakestra @ Echo
Italians do it Better Dance Party: Glass Candy, Chromatics, Desire, and DJ set from Goddollars @ Los Globos

Sunday
Nothing on the calendar yet, we’ll all be recovering from New Years.

Visit the venue websites for more information on the cost and times of shows. Feel free to add more events in the comment section. All events listed are subject to change at any time, and new events announced for the week after this posting may not be included.

There will be a checkpoint on Friday, December 23, 2011 on the west end of Echo Park at Sunset Boulevard and Coronado Street (which is unusual as they usually set up at Sunset and Portia… perhaps trying to catch all those Mohawk Bend goers from the west?). The checkpoint will start at 8:00 pm and last until 2:00 am.

Click here for more information about the checkpoints over the holidays.

Christmas in Echo Park. Flickr photo via Alex de Corboba

With all the sewer construction going on in Griffith Park right now, the traditional holiday lights put on by the LADWP were canceled this year. But there are a few options in the Los Angeles area still worth checking out!

Train Rides and Santa at Travel Town Museum

Take a Holiday Train Ride and visit with Santa Claus himself at the Travel Town Museum in Griffith Park, where they’ve got the train route decorated with all sorts of holiday lights. The train rides go through December 23, leaving around 5:00 pm each night until 8:00 pm.

Tickets are $7.00 per person (infants 18 months and under are free) – which you should probably purchase ahead of time online. While you can purchase them at the Travel Town ticket booth, things might get a little crowded!

Digital photographs with Santa are available for $5.00 each. Kids will also get a candy cane!

Click here for more info.

Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena

So you’ll have to get on a freeway to get there, but it’ll delight the kids to see a real pretty Christmas Tree Lane. A bonus: It goes through January 1! Click here for more info and for directions.

For other holiday lights and events around Los Angeles and as far as Orange County, check out this Santa Clarita web page.

Where will the desire for twinkling holiday lights take you this year?

With an approval by the neighborhood council, and the corporation’s willingness to work with neighborhood organizations means our magic ball predicts 7-11 will get the space. We’ll see what happens with the vote by the city after the start of the new year.

Also on the agenda are the developers from the Morton Village project, which has been left uncompleted for quite some time now.

Echo Park Improvement Association Neighborhood Issues Committee meeting
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Williams Hall, Barlow Hospital, 2000 Stadium Way
Agenda

One more chance to get those unique and local gifts from Echo Park Pottery – Sunday, December 18 will be the last open house and sale before the holiday!

The Echo Park Animal Alliance will also be having one more day of Pet Photos with Santa, where prints are $10 each or three for $25, and you can get a bag of home baked dog biscuits for just $10. Zyana Aromatherapy products will also be for sale. Proceeds benefit the wonderful Echo Park Animal Alliance!

Take advantage from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm on Sunday. Echo Park Pottery is located at 1850 Echo Park Avenue.

Today, Curbed LA features Echo Park versus North Hollywood in round one. Here’s how Curbed LA describes our little neighborhood:

“What is this, 2006?” you’re surely asking. Yeah, yeah, Echo Park already happened (even the LA Times discovered it late last year), but all those hipster move-ins were just prelude to the bigger and badder gentrification now underway. This year, a tiny 1881 bungalow went for $695,000, a hipster flip went for $739,000, and Heyday Partners’ Dick+Jane townhouses both sold almost immediately for asking or close to it. The Smurf Village/Durbin and the small lot subdivision Morton Village both got reanimated this year, as did the Metropolitan Water District apartments on a neglected side of the neighborhood. EP’s namesake lake was drained for a rehab this year and even snooty Conde Nast Traveler wanted in on the neighborhood action.

So far, Echo Park has the lead at 65%. Click here to vote!

Along with my own letter, contributions to the yellow “Love Letters” box are published online at echoparkloveletters.blogspot.com. There’s already nearly 20 love letters published since the November beginning, with love letters ranging from deep poems to personally addressed letters and general love letters, like “What I love is happiness and peacefulness, as well as dirty sexy stuff!” Some of the first set of published letters are transcribed on the back of Lot 1 Cafe beer coasters.

Still no word on who’s behind the art piece and why, but we’re very fascinated with the different types of letters being published on the website that we’re keeping a close eye!

P.S. Click here to read our love letter to Echo Park from last September.

This bulldog breed was found in Echo Park today – there is a collar but no tag. Anyone missing a “huge” cute-faced bulldog?

Library staff member Johathan Pitre told the LA Times that he wanted to coordinate the event after learning that Jack Passion, two-time world beard champion, had recently moved to Silver Lake. Jack will be on hand at the event to talk about his new book, The Facial Hair Handbook, and Joel Stein will be the celebrity judge. Johathan hopes to introduce people to the fairly new Silver Lake library with the event.

And we’re predicting this event will be a popular one! Categories for entries include: Hipster, Santa Claus, Most Scholarly, Most Outrageous, and Go Big or Go Home. Prizes will be given to winners placing 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. Registration is free, email silver@lapl.org for more details or to register.

Sponsors include the Friends of the Silver Lake Library, Silver Lake Wine, Cha Cha Lounge, Rockaway Records, Red Lion Tavern, Relapse Records and Mane ‘n Tail shampoo. The Cha Cha will also be selling commemorative pint glasses to help raise funds for the library.

If you miss the competition, be sure to follow the many great events going on at the Silver Lake Library, including Sustainable Silver Lake’s monthly series Sustainable Saturdays.

See you at the competition!

The First Annual Beard and Mustache Competition
Tuesday, December 20 at 6:00 pm
Silver Lake Library located at 2411 Glendale Blvd.
Registration deadline: Monday, December 19 at 5:00 pm
Email silver@lapl.org for more details or to register

From December 1 through December 7 there were five violent crimes and 10 property crimes, averaging 3.4 crimes per 10,00-00 people (which is higher than surrounding neighborhoods like Silver Lake and Chinatown).

The report also indicates that the property crime reports were about average. However, we’ve heard before that there can be an increase in thefts from vehicles around the Christmas holiday – you should never leave your iPod and other valuables in the car, but it’s also risky leaving any clothing and other seemingly non-valuable items.

Stay safe out there! Consider subscribing to Select Patrol, which is not only a great deterrent for crime but a fantastic resource for the Echo Park community.

This Christmas, we’re really excited to start a new family tradition by chucking the whole turkey idea, replacing the traditional holiday meal with some really great, local tamales. Of course, there are a lot of great places to get tamales in Los Angeles. Celaya Bakery in Echo Park and Mama’s Hot Tamales Cafe are probably the most well-known in the immediate area, but we’re adding “White-Girl Tamale Maker” La Guera Tamales to the mix as a healthy and sustainable source for a new really tasty new family tradition.

The owner, chef, and self-proclaimed “white-girl tamale maker” is a sweet, soft-spoken but passionate Echo Park resident named Deborah. Her tamales are hand-tied, the salsas made from scratch, and none of her products have any lard, trans-fats or gluten, and are made of local, organic ingredients whenever possible. To Deborah, the corn is the most important organic ingredient – it is non-GMO, organic/pesticide-free, and really delicious. She describes the masa as being a little coarser than store-bought masa (which is highly processed), but it is definitely lighter and fluffier – it doesn’t leave that “brick” in your tummy feeling that over-processed tamale ingredients can do.

I thought I liked tamales before, but let’s face it – I’m not a traditional tamale type of eater. I don’t eat red meat or pork, and frankly I’m not a lot of meat at all these days; I grew up in a health food store, eat tofu, and probably might be labeled as a some kind of hippie/hipster. But I also know good healthy food – so we tried the Blue Corn Jalapeño tamale, and LOVED it.

Blue Corn Jalapeno tamale

The jalapeños in the Blue Corn tamale I ate are from Tutti Frutti Farms, which you can find at the Atwater Village Farmers’ Market. I topped it with sour cream and her homemade salsa (which also uses ingredients from the local farmers’ markets), adding another layer of flavor that just makes my mouth water. One Yelp! reviewer sums it up nicely for us: ” Oh my god oh my god oh my god oh my freakin god these things are delicious.”

Although Deborah’s professional background is mainly in business rather than cooking, she learned the secrets of making tamales from a tamaleros family from Veracruz, Mexico. She also worked in Mama’s Hot Tamale Café through their business training program. The company tagline, “merging tradition with nutrition,” might help you more traditional tamale eaters digest her concept. It’s really important to her that the tamales are artisanal, not produced by a big factory.

It wasn't hard to finish the whole tamale....

For the carnivore, you have the choice of Organic free-range chicken or family farmed pork. There’s the Blue Corn Jalapeno and cheese for the vegetarians. The vegans (which are very excited about her tamales) have Spinach and Shiitake Mushroom Sesame Kale, Blue Corn Jalapeno and Dayia, and “Sasquash” (baked yam and butternut squash masa with sweet red bean filling). She also has vegan dessert tamales with fillings like FigNana, Ginger Pear, and Strawberry, that also make really great breakfast options.

Keep in mind that La Guera Tamales are not the cheap, frozen food aisle type of meals – although some might cringe at the $5 each price tag, it’s actually a pretty cheap meal as they will fill you up! A half dozen gets you a slight discount at $29, and a dozen for $58.

Where you’ll win at price-wise is the free delivery: Deborah personally delivers tamale orders for free to local Los Angeles locations. This works out for customers mainly because as she’s delivering to a regularly scheduled customer, she’ll let you know on her email list if she’s going to be in your neighborhood – that way she can deliver (for free) an order as small as two tamales.

Holidays are a busy time of year – but Deborah still delivers on Christmas Day. She just started offering nationwide shipping for those customers outside of LA who are craving La Guera Tamales (make sure to order by December 18). For local delivery, place your order with La Guera as soon as possible! Placing an order is easy online, but you can also find Deborah hanging out with her friend, The Flan King, at the Echo Park Farmers’ Market every Friday.

Go to gttamales.com to order and for more info!

Despite the 4:00 am wake-up call, I managed to grab some coffee and a few layers of clothing before heading off to Griffith Park to witness a complete lunar eclipse from the Observatory. It was, of course, PACKED with people, so parking was pretty crowded and I ended up lugging my tripod, camera, and all the other necessities about a mile up the windy road before arriving at the Observatory lawn. News crews, Angelenos, and tourists crowded the area, but I some how managed to find an okay spot to test out my new Nikon DSLR.

Somehow, I managed to catch a few decent shots – although I am by no means a professional photographer (in fact, I’m hoping to sign up for a class next spring). Although it was frustrating I couldn’t get a great shot of the shape of the actual moon as it was eclipsing (the clouds diffused the light and I didn’t have much of a lens for it), I had to try and not condemn the point-and-shoot photographers for using their flash when taking photos of the moon (yep), thus interrupting my own images.

The crowd and flash photography aside, this was one of the coolest things ever. By around 6:00 am, you’d seen everything the eclipse had to offer, so it was time to move to the other side of the Griffith Observatory to snag a good spot on the balcony for nighttime Los Angeles skyline photos, and to watch the sun rise. I am happy to report that I now officially feel like a true Angeleno. And if you haven’t done sunrise at the Observatory yet, better put that on your LA bucket list because it is a required activity.

Click here to check out the full Flickr set (including shots from the sunrise) from our early morning adventure!

There were over 60 entries in this year’s parade, themed “‘Tis the Season.” In addition to local schools, drill teams, cheer squads, and elected officials, there were a few Echo Park businesses and organizations participating in the parade lineup. Amongst those were The Echo Park Time Bank, Edendale Library Friends Society (ELFS), The Warehouse and The Classroom, Mi Alma, 826LA, and others. Maryanne Hayashi of the Central City Action Committee was accompanied by three generations of her family – her daughter, grand-daughter, and her two-year-old great grand-daughter!

Community members that have greatly contributed to our Echo park were give special recognition as ambassadors. Mitch O’Farrell from Eric Garcetti’s Office was honored as the Grand Marshal. Parade Ambassadors included Holly Calhoun of the Echo Park Farmers’ Market, the Echo Park Improvement Association, Masa of Echo Park Bakery & Café, and Albert Torres of Recreation & Parks.

And, as parade committee members told me today, everyone was a winner! All entries received a trophy for participating. It would have been hard to pick any winners, all the entries were fabulous!

Check out our photos below:

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

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]]> http://www.echoparknow.com/2011/12/12/echo-park-community-parade-in-photos/feed/ 4 http://www.echoparknow.com/2011/12/12/echo-park-community-parade-in-photos/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/echoparknow/~3/u8eLLNvSB5o/ http://www.echoparknow.com/2011/12/09/sustainable-supper-club-holiday-meal-on-sunday/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:06:06 +0000 Kelly http://www.echoparknow.com/?p=10812 The Green Beacon Foundation is hosting a very special Food For Thought holiday dinner on Sunday to raise money for SEE-LA’s Veggie Voucher Program. The Food For Thought is a sustainable supper club, part of the non-profit organization’s fundraising activities, which includes a monthly dinner series in a “pop-up” style. This dinner (as with many [...]]]> The Green Beacon Foundation is hosting a very special Food For Thought holiday dinner on Sunday to raise money for SEE-LA’s Veggie Voucher Program.

The Food For Thought is a sustainable supper club, part of the non-profit organization’s fundraising activities, which includes a monthly dinner series in a “pop-up” style. This dinner (as with many others), is located at a beautiful private property in Elysian Heights, and the entire meal is made up of sustainable, local ingredients. City Sip LA has partnered with the Food For Thought dinners and will be providing the wine pairings. The guest chef for Sunday’s meal is Gloria Feliz of Reservior Restaurant in Silver Lake.

100% of the proceeds go to SEE-LA’s Veggie Voucher Program, which helps low-income shoppers of the Echo Park Farmers’ Market afford a health diet, as well as helping a local California farmer bring fresh local food to Echo Park.

The four-course menu includes: Tuna tartare on a wonton crisp with a spicy aoli and avocado crema, cauliflower soup, braised oxtails (veggie option available), and Nutella Creme Brulee. Click here for the full menu description.

‘Tis The Season sustainable supper club
Sunday, December 11, 2011 at 7:00 pm
Elysian Heights (exact location provided upon ticket purchase)
Tickets: $68 (RSVP required)
Click here to purchase tickets! Spaces fill up fast.

]]> http://www.echoparknow.com/2011/12/09/sustainable-supper-club-holiday-meal-on-sunday/feed/ 1 http://www.echoparknow.com/2011/12/09/sustainable-supper-club-holiday-meal-on-sunday/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/echoparknow/~3/z9zphuq2ZU8/ http://www.echoparknow.com/2011/12/09/echo-country-outposts-holiday-hoopla-on-saturday/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 21:36:48 +0000 Kelly http://www.echoparknow.com/?p=10815 Once you’ve thoroughly enjoyed your time at the Echo Park Community Parade, and supported some businesses for Echo Park Shop Hop tomorrow, be sure to stop by the Echo Country Outpost’s new location on Glendale Boulevard for its annual Holiday Hoopla! The holiday party promises food, drink, music, games, and “psychic comfort” (bet you’re wondering [...]]]> Once you’ve thoroughly enjoyed your time at the Echo Park Community Parade, and supported some businesses for Echo Park Shop Hop tomorrow, be sure to stop by the Echo Country Outpost’s new location on Glendale Boulevard for its annual Holiday Hoopla!

The holiday party promises food, drink, music, games, and “psychic comfort” (bet you’re wondering what that means).

Here’s the lineup for the party:

Jenny Luna And The Moondogs (6:00 pm)
Matt Van Winkle Band (7:00 pm)
Olentangy John (8:00 pm)
Matt Taylor & His Laurels (9:00 pm)
Ghiant (10:00 pm)
Tommy Santee Klaws (11:00 pm)
Rt N’ The 44$ (12:00 midnight)

A Very Outpost Holiday Hoopla
Saturday, December 10, 2011 at 3:00 pm
$10 donation, all ages
Echo Country Outpost is located at 1770 Glendale Boulevard

There are ton of Echo Park neighborhood holiday parties over the weekend, be sure to check it all out!

]]> http://www.echoparknow.com/2011/12/09/echo-country-outposts-holiday-hoopla-on-saturday/feed/ 0 http://www.echoparknow.com/2011/12/09/echo-country-outposts-holiday-hoopla-on-saturday/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/echoparknow/~3/CZ5TMqs_sxI/ http://www.echoparknow.com/2011/12/08/anti-litter-banners-return-to-echo-park/#comments Fri, 09 Dec 2011 04:11:13 +0000 Kelly http://www.echoparknow.com/?p=10808 While you’re enjoying this weekend’s Echo Park Community Parade, you may notice some new-ish signs donning the light poles around Echo Park. Lotus flower-themed anti-litter banners have returned to the community, reminding you to “Love Echo Park Lake, Don’t Litter.” The signs will be around for about 60 days, and are the same ones that [...]]]>

Photo via the LA Stormwater website

While you’re enjoying this weekend’s Echo Park Community Parade, you may notice some new-ish signs donning the light poles around Echo Park. Lotus flower-themed anti-litter banners have returned to the community, reminding you to “Love Echo Park Lake, Don’t Litter.” The signs will be around for about 60 days, and are the same ones that were installed back in 2009.

A beautification grant from Council District 13 Eric Garcetti’s office has given grassroots organization Echo Park Trash Abatement Program (TAP), led by Ida Talalla, the tools to keep beautification of the neighborhood on the forefront. TAP just recently unveiled the neighborhood’s first solar trash compactor (Big Belly) this Fall. And last Saturday morning, TAP organized a community cleanup of Sunset Boulevard, an effort which received a matching grant from Garcetti’s office for the banners.

The Eastsider LA asked the question in late October when the banner proposal came up in the City Council: Is it too late for Echo Park Lake? For one thing, the lake is in the middle of a $65-80 million renovation project that literally unearthed a plethora of muck-covered goodies. But one thing that Echo Park TAP will always remind us is that trash on Sunset Boulevard, on Echo Park Avenue, or even up on Glendale Boulevard ends up in the lake, drained or not. Keeping the neighborhood clean is one positive step toward keep Los Angeles watersheds clean!

And it helps – according to the LA Stormwater Blog, TAP and Los Angeles’ Conservation Corps’ Clean and Green collected more than 60 bags of trash last Saturday. Let’s hope the signs help deter some littering so that the next TAP cleanup (on January 7, 2012) volunteers don’t have to work so hard.

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