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Welcome to October 2! Today marks International Day of Non-Violence (honoring Gandhi’s birthday in 1869) and World Smile Day (to promote kindness).
If you’re a pessimistic curmudgeon, you best spend the rest of the day in bed.
Now, on to today’s offerings.
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Photo by Carl Schumacher for The Eastsider
📷 Eastside Scene
Highland Park—A large crowd spilled into the street during a Thursday vigil for the Franklin High student who died on campus the day before. Thanks to Carl Schumacher for the photo.
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📢 NewsMan stabbed
Echo Park—Police closed off streets Thursday night as they investigated the stabbing of a man on Alvarado Street. The Eastsider
Community grieves following student’s death
Highland Park—A vigil attracted a large and somber crowd to the entrance of Franklin High Thursday afternoon, one day after a student fell from a fourth-floor walkway to his death. The Eastsider
L.A. speed camera rollout begins; fines of up $500 come next
East Hollywood—After months of delays, workers began installing the first of more than 100 speed cameras across the city Thursday, including at more than a dozen Eastside locations. The Eastsider
One dead in 60 Freeway crash
Boyle Heights—A person was killed during a single-vehicle crash this morning on the 60 Freeway in Boyle Heights, authorities said. The Eastsider
👍👎 Eastsider Reader PollLAST WEEK WE ASKED: When do you start decorating for Halloween?
And readers responded:
Some of your comments:
“For some folks, Halloween is celebrated year-round. Good on them!”“I love all of the amazing displays in our neighborhood, and anytime after Labor Day is just fine with me. I can’t get into the black and orange until October, but don’t hold back on my account!”“I won’t yuck the yum of people getting excited about Spooky Season, but when rapacious mega corporations pump disposable seasonal schlock into stores, I wish more people would celebrate with natural/biodegradable, upcycled and reusable décor.”“I think the decorations are tacky and useless.”“I love Halloween, so I don’t mind an early one. Los Angeles comes to life during this time of year.”👍👎NEW QUESTION: L.A.’s speed-camera rollout is getting underway, with fines of up to $500 to follow. What do you think? 📸
Results will be published in next Friday’s Eastsider Newsletter.
🏙️ Real Estate Roundup
Here’s your rundown of Eastside real estate news
Eagle Rock
Kadre Architects transformed a residential property into the company’s office space. Archinect
Echo Park
The plans to replace Club Bahia with affordable housing have been fleshed out further, according to a new Planning Department document. In addition to 237 apartments, the proposed six-story complex at 1120-1166 W. Sunset Blvd. is to have 1,007 square feet of retail space and more than 140 parking spaces.
⭐ All Signs Point to a Charming Spanish Duplex in Echo Park. In the heart of Echo Park, this charming Spanish duplex sits on a dream corner lot, stepped up from the street and gated for privacy amid mature landscaping and hedging. Tracy Do (Sponsored)
Elysian Valley
Church Edit, a film editing company whose clients include Coca-Cola, Megan Thee Stallion, and The Sims, shows off its new headquarters next to the Los Angeles River. The converted industrial site still has its CMU block walls, exposed beams, and structural grid. Design Milk
Silver Lake
Three partly constructed houses that have stood unfinished for years went on the auction block Wednesday, but ultimately ended up back with Arixa Enhanced Income Fund, the lender that put them up for sale. The property at Glendale Boulevard and Rowena Avenue sold to Arixa for $3.4 million. Arixa lent $4.2 million to the owner, Everelle Development, in 2024, and the loan went into default with $3.5 million still owing. Planning and construction of three houses at 2800-2804 Glendale Blvd. has been ongoing — on and off — since 2017, and the site has attracted clutter and vandalism.
Affordable housing is planned for the address of the Silverlake Independent Jewish Community Center at 1110 N. Bates Ave. But no permit requests have emerged to demolish any structures currently at the site. The complex is to have 95 apartments and a manager’s unit, along with a 19,500-square-foot community center, a 16,000-square-foot preschool, and shared parking.
High & Low: Home Sales
Los Feliz—A four-bedroom Modernist Streamline home on Ambrose Avenue sold this week for $2.9 million. Redfin
East Hollywood—A two-bedroom, 1,105-square-foot condo on Westmoreland Avenue near Madison West Park sold last week for $540,000. Redfin
High & Low: Rentals
Silver Lake—A one-bedroom residence along Silver Lake Boulevard between the reservoirs and the commercial strip is available for rent at $3,600. Redfin
East Hollywood—A 442-square-foot one-bedroom apartment on New Hampshire Avenue near Sunset Boulevard is available for rent at $1,465 a month. Redfin
Eastside Open HousesJust Listed: 743 N Manhattan Place in Melrose HillMore House. More Outdoors. More to Love in Mt. WashingtonTwo-Level Echo Park Condo with Sweeping Lake Views | $750KA Charming Echo Park Duplex on a Dream Corner Lot
See our complete open house listings here.
>>> Holding an open house? Get it in front of the neighborhood! Add your listing to our weekly roundup. Learn more
SPONSORED BY EASTSIDER ADVERTISING PARTNERSYour Eastside House Hunt Begins Here
The process of buying or selling a home is filled with challenges, large and small—and we’re not just talking about coming up with a down payment. Here are some real estate professionals who can help you navigate the process this spring or at any time of the year. Good luck with the house hunt!
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Photos courtesy LA Animal Services for The Eastsider
Meet Bunny and Westley: Eastsider Pets of the Week
Bunny is a 1-year-old female weighing 54 lbs. Bunny is a little shy when you first meet her, but once she warms up, she’s a gentle and sweet girl who is learning her commands and is very treat motivated!
Westley is a 4-year-old male weighing 51 lbs. Westley is a playful dude who knows his sit command, is affectionate, is engaged with his handler, and has done well in playgroups with other dogs.
Both are available to adopt from the North Central Animal Center in Lincoln Heights.
The six LA Animal Services Centers are open Tuesday through Friday from 8am to 5pm and Saturday and Sunday, from 11am to 5pm. Centers are closed Mondays and City-observed holidays. For more information about LA Animal Services, visit: laanimalservices.com
Pets of the Week is Sponsored by Rosie Bunny Bean
Rosie Bunny Bean is proud to partner with LA Animal Services and The Eastsider to get shelter dogs adopted and into good homes. We are offering a one time discount to anyone who adopts this week’s Eastsider featured pets. Bring your adoption papers and your new friend to our store to receive your discount.
Resembling ancient ruins, the Sylvan Amphitheater in Eagle Rock’s Yosemite Park, was constructed in 1931. Back then, there were cushioned tops for the stone seating.
Photo by Eastsider Staffer Brenda Rees
EAGLE ROCKFree concert returns music to amphitheater
The 1931 Sylvan Amphitheater in Eagle Rock’s Yosemite Park has hosted parades, concerts and even a pillow fight. Now it is ready for a new chapter.
On Oct. 10, from 4 to 8 p.m., the bucolic hillside will hold the free outdoor concert Sylvan Sounds. Scheduled to perform are Jeff Parker and Jeremiah Chiu (as the Jeff Parker Expansion Duo), along with other to-be-announced artists. Scottie McNiece will DJ before and after the performances, which are being curated by Brian Akio Martinez and Noah Klein. Martinez programmed the Eagle Rock Music Festival from 2000 to 2015.
Concert-goers are encouraged to bring blankets and picnics to enjoy the music, which Michael MacDonald, president of The Eagle Rock Association (TERA), describes as ambient jazz. TERA is an event sponsor.
“It’s a wonderful space that needs more activity,” said MacDonald, who envisions the amphitheater holding “Shakespeare in the Park” theater productions, a music series, dance and art programs, and family-friendly events.
The amphitheater was a New Deal-era emergency employment bond project that also included the creation of a bathhouse for the nearby pool. Construction was speedy; in October 1931, only six months after the funds were approved, the amphitheater was ready for a Halloween event. Children and adults enjoyed ghost stories, dancing, a treasure hunt, a pillow fight and an evening bonfire.
For decades it hosted summer theater programs, recitals and high school graduations. However, starting in the 1970s, drug abuse, burglaries and harassment plagued Yosemite Park. In the following years, the mostly unused amphitheater saw more vandalism and destruction.
In 2004, the Center for the Arts, Eagle Rock programmed an arts festival at the amphitheater.
The time is ripe for a comeback, said MacDonald. “We have this in our backyard, and I’m excited to see how this event can open the doors for a revival,” he said.
Mt. Washington author Amanda Mortlock
Photo provided by Amanda Mortlock
MOUNT WASHINGTONTV writer cat-apults into ‘romantasy’ novel
The cat is out of the bag for Mt. Washington writer Amanda Mortlock. That is not just a cute phrase: Her new book Strange Bedfellows involves an aloof college student who can transform into a feline.
A television writer for the CBS series “Tracker,” Mortlock had been kicking around the idea for her first novel for a decade. The 2023 Hollywood writers’ strike gave her an opportunity to focus.
“I’ve always loved paranormal fantasies,” she said, describing her desire to create a “romantasy” novel that didn’t rely on overused tropes. She aimed for imperfect characters with a tongue-in-cheek sensibility to bring a twist to the genre.
“It began with a sort of funny question: Why are our pets doing the seemingly crazy things they do?”
With the book under her belt, Mortlock is working on a sequel and has more novel ideas on deck.
As for her personal pet alliance, “I am both a cat person and dog person,” she said firmly.
— Brenda Rees
🧭 The Guides🗓️ Eastside Weekend
By Jennifer Rodriguez
⭐ Blessing of the Animals at Echo Park Lake. All creatures great and small are invited to a Blessing of the Animals at Echo Park Lake on Saturday, Oct. 3, at 4 p.m. Pets will receive a blessing and St. Francis medal. Saturday, Oct. 3. Details (Sponsored)
⭐ Blessing of the Animals at St. Mary of the Angels. A free outdoor blessing of animals following Sunday mass, honoring St. Francis of Assisi. Please bring your beloved pets, (suitably restrained of course), to the front courtyard. Sunday, Oct. 4 Details (Sponsored)
Saturday, October 3
Boyle Heights—Hang with creatives at Las Fotos Project’s Night to Network. 🤝📸
Sunday, October 4
Eagle Rock—Pair your writing skills with spooky season by attending the Horror Writing with Sandy Grossman workshop at the Eagle Rock Center for the Arts. ✍️🧟👻🧛
👋 That’s it!
Thanks for reading.
—Brenda Rees
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