Taco Crawl's Final Stop: Fletcher Drive

Stuffed but Still Game, originally uploaded by faustfatale.

PREPARE TO GET hungry, no matter what time of day, when you read Eric Stone's account of his taco-truck adventure earlier this month. His seventh, and unplanned, stop: the off-the-hook taco stand on Fletcher Drive in what he calls Silver Lake, but is known in these parts as Atwater Village. "...Along the way we had to pass my favorite taco cart in Christa and my neighborhood (Silverlake) - the al pastor wheel at Fletcher and Larga, across from the U-Haul. It wasn't in us to simply drive by. So we finished off the night there, with excellent al pastor and what might be my favorite salsa roja in town - a bit thinner than most, but with a good, solid bite and a nice tickle of vinegar."

Voice of the Neighborhood: Alex Cohen

ON HER PROFILE for National Public Radio, Day to Day reporter Alex Cohen admits to being a resident of a particular sliver of northeast Los Angeles: She lives in the LA neighborhood of Atwater Village with her husband Rich and their two dogs Buddy and Bosco. What was perhaps her bravest local report came from the "All You Can Eat" seats at Dodger Stadium.

Too Warm to Sleep with the Windows Closed

BUT TOO NOISY to sleep with them open. What was going on at 4:00 this morning? A ghetto bird circled the neighborhood about 30 times. It looked like the helicopter spotlight was shining near the Glendale-Hyperion bridge.

Rejoice, Breeders, Babies 'R' Us Opening Soon

SAVE YOURSELF the haul to Van Nuys, stroller pushers, because Babies "R" Us is opening soon between Toys "R" Us and Costco in Atwater Village. It's a good thing, too, because I think I saw an empty parking space there a few weekends ago.

And, Isn't the LA River Depressing Enough As Is?

SOME QUESTIONS FOR those responsible for this week's island clear-cutting in the LA River, right here in Atwater Village, arguably the greenest, friendliest portion of what is primarily a concrete storm drain. How will LA River clear-cutting affect wildlife and wildlife migration? How will clear-cutting impact the ecosystem with neighboring Griffith Park? What will it do to the local microclimate? Will Atwater Village feel hotter when there's nothing to filter sunlight reflection off the concrete and water? Why couldn't the same resources be spent on just cleaning up the trash? Will the river dwellers need more sunscreen? Neighbors are talking about it on the Atwater Village Neighborhood Council forum.

The Mayberry of Los Angeles?

ON HIS TWO-MILE bicycle commute between the Metrolink train station in Glendale and John Marshall High School in Los Feliz, this teacher sees a classic sitcom in the storefronts of Atwater Village: Each workday, I disembark from the Metrolink train in Glendale wearing a yellow visibility vest and carrying my Trek road bike. Soon, I'm pedaling south through downtown Atwater Village. The little stretch of businesses there could be Andy Griffith's town -- if Mayberry boasted a yoga studio, a giant store selling birds and an ATM offering transactions in Hmong.

It's Back: Atwater Village Homemade Cookie Contest

And the Winner Is..., originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

MRS. NEWBIE MUST respectfully decline to re-enter her 2007 double award-winning pink lady cookies in this year's homemade cookie contest. Partially out of fairness to the other competitors. But mostly because the rules say, "Prior winning recipes will not be accepted." Too bad for me. Atwater Village Homemade Cookie Contest and Atwater Village Street Festival Sunday, June 8, 3100 Block of Glendale Blvd. To Enter: Bring your entry with the recipe no later than 11:30am to the Street Festival. Bring 12 cookies on a disposable container. Only homemade cookies made from scratch are eligible. (Not acceptable: cookies from mixes or prepared dough.) The recipe for your cookies is required. All types of baked cookies are eligible (bar, brownie, drop, molded, rolled, cut out, or refrigerator). Prizes: Awarded at 1:30pm Categories: Best Classic, Best Taste, Best Decorated, Best Youth Entry (age 13 and under) Not to overly intimidate, but last year the pink lady cookie won Best Tasting and Best Decorated. Get baking!

Atwater Village Mentioned on The Daily Show

THE MAY 6 EPISODE of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart had a funny piece about the very real Pollie Awards, the "Oscars of political consulting," taking place at the very fictitious Atwater Village Convention Center. (Hear the announcer say it around the 2:10 mark in this video.) In truth, the Pollies were held in Santa Monica. Was the made-up AVCC a mistake? Or some kind of inside joke? No matter, this Newbie appreciated it.

One Year Ago Today, Griffith Park Burned

8:52pm, May 8, 2007, along Los Feliz Blvd., over the Los Angeles River

All Clear! LAPD Releases Glenfeliz Elementary Area

FROM OUR neighborhood forum, the unconfirmed word: "... I live on Hollypark Place and heard from a neighbor that a black bag or package was found lying against a house and when someone called the bomb squad showed up. After about an hour they packed up and left so I'm guessing all it was was a bag or box left on the ground... I get the impression the police were concerned but not overly concerned and figured they would do everything by the book and get some real world practice. It was surreal seeing kids playing in front of me and a guy in a full on Kevlar suit to the right."

No Word on LAPD Lockdown of Atwater Village

Glenfeliz Blvd. - Closed, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

DRIVERS WERE DETOURED off Los Feliz Blvd. this morning into central Atwater Village, as the Los Angeles Police Department had taped off the 4-lane artery at Edenhurst Ave. They also cut off access at Glenfeliz Blvd. and Hollypark Place adjacent to Glenfeliz Elementary School. Never mind the traffic mess, as express bus routes were jammed through narrow residential streets, and Glendale Blvd. took the brunt of drivers seeking I-5. All we want to know is, what the heck was LAPD doing? And why the bomb squad truck in front of an elementary school?