Walking Tour with Doug on Feb 27

On Thursday, February 27, we (MJG, Mark, Lynn, Amanda & PD) met our kind host D.W. Jacobs at the Antigua Bakery, where Ave 57 runs into Figueroa. Doug’s proposed walk: ”We can circle down to Avenue 50, then over to Monte Vista, where most of the churches are located, then all the way up to the LAPL Arroyo Seco branch, then back down Fig to Las Cazuelas for pupusas!” 

 

Some of the places and people we encountered:

We went to the Highland Park Ebell Club and found the door unlocked.

Doug, who has spent plenty of time in that building for events and performances, inquired with whoever was present and we were granted permission to go in and look at the main space. There is a spacious, main room with an elevated stage and proscenium on one side. There’s a smaller meeting room, a low step up from the main floor, separate but open on to the main room, opposite the stage. Doug says that for events like the Lummis Days Fundraiser Gala, they set up bar and buffet-style food in the smaller space and there are tables & chairs on the main floor.

 

We continued away from Figueroa toward the Arroyo Seco Parkway aka Pasadena Freeway aka the 110. Figueroa Street is all businesses, maybe some upstairs apartments are there, but just steps from Fig the streets are densely residential. We passed many sweet houses with blooming yards. At Ave 57 & Benner St. there’s a residence with a big yard and a driveway fence that I’ve seen open often on weekends, with signs up for produce and succulents for sale(?)—and since then I’ve learned that the place is owned by an artist named Stormie, who is connected to Teatro Arroyo and many other HP circles.

 A bit farther down and across the street we visited La Tierra de la Calebra, an art park. [I can’t find my notes so some names* are guesses.] As we checked out the variety of spaces in the park, we met Elliot sitting at a picnic table. He is an information point for the park, its activities, etc. If we want to talk to someone about hosting a story circle there, we should maybe ask the people in the house next door, or maybe connect via Instagram. Elliot was waiting for J. Woods and she arrived as we were leaving so we talked with her a little. She is a designer who helped create this park space. She seemed a little fabulous and when I find the business card she gave me I hope to learn more about her dynamic creative influence on Los Angeles. We also met Mike* who volunteers his landscaping clean-up skills and time, and lives across the street.

Walking back up toward Figeuroa Doug introduced us to Charlie Fisher, who literally wrote a book about Highland Park. He’s an historian. And a collector of vintage cars. There were several in his driveway and in front of his house. He was on his porch talking with a guy about how he might repair some body damage on one of his cars.

We went left through the parking lot just before Fig, and ended up in the alley outside the community garden fence, behind the Highland Theater. No sign of Oscar Duardo, someone we want to talk with, but he wasn’t around this day. 

Then up Ave 56 to Fig and continued on southwest, crossed to other side of the road at Ave 52. Paused at a somewhat mysterious little building belonging to the Builders of the Abytum. They have a weekly service. We should go sometime. 

 

We pass the new (oddly high-end) retail spaces turn right onto Ave 50. We talk about the Savoy apartment building there, across the street from Chico’s restaurant. It’s a series of bungalow apartments around a big older square building that was originally part of Occidental College before Oxy moved to its current location. Very interesting spot. And next door to that is Avenue 50 Studio. It’s after closing time but the door is open and founder/director Kathy Gallegos is still there. She comes out to talk with us. She introduces us to Christine* who is cleaning the gallery. It is her mother’s job but her mom is home sick today. Christine is a young artist (17? 19?). She talks a little about growing up in the neighborhood, a little about the gang situation. Highland Park and Cypress Park have gang associations that might be avoided by expressing NELA pride, rather than Highland Park pride. She designed a mural on Monte Verde that says Welcome to Northeast Los Angeles.

We walk up to turn right onto Monte Verde and walk a few blocks. We are thinking about visiting some of the churches there, but it is getting late for some of us. So we head over to Las Cazuelas and sit in a booth to enjoy pupusas before thanking Doug for his time, perspectives and introductions and heading home.