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.

Putting the Rock Back in Eagle Rock

EXCEPT FOR THE HORCHATA STAND, this outdoor concert could have been in Anytown, USA. But this was in the New York Times-beloved northeast Los Angeles (NELA), the first of a summer series at Eagle Rock Recreation Center.

LA city councilmember Jose Huizar dragged some children (probably his own) on stage to boast about the five-month old NYT coverage and give out platitudes to Chamber of Commerce people. (Lemongrass somehow didn't win Longest Wait for a New Restaurant.)

As you can see, fun was had by groupies of all ages. See all 21 photos of the event in my Eagle Rocks set on Flickr.

Calling All Videographers to Glassell Park!

EVEN IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, some neighborhoods could use a little more sunshine. Watch this six-minute video to find out how the Glassell Park Neighborhood Council tried to keep a May 15 meeting in the dark - possibly in violation of state law. Scariest quote, both grammatically and in high-falutin' un-American guilty-till-proven-innocent style, from GPNC Chair "Bradley" at the 5:00 mark: "My concern is that if you really had a concern with regard to legalities, as a respect, you would just cut it off automatically until you find out for sure what you can or can't do. But you haven't even done it. You have just continued to tape." As will everyone else, sir, June 5, 7:00pm, and June 19, 7:00pm, at the Glassell Park Community Center, 3750 Verdugo Road. Glassell Park Neighborhood Council 5/15/2007 [youtube.com] New GPNC Board Grossly Violates California State Law [friendsofatwatervillage.org] Naddering GPNC Naybobs Ignore Brown Act [mayorsam.blogspot.com] Glassell Park Neighborhood Council [gparknc.com] P.S. – Perhaps a camera or two at our own Atwater Village Neighborhood Council meetings might prevent the next Atwatergate election scandal.

East Coast Finds LA's East Side

THE NEW YORK TIMES continues to discover the Los Angeles we live in east of Hollywood. Last month the paper profiled our fellow neighborhoods in Northeast Los Angeles, or NELA. New Yorkers, it seems, are learning that some California homes are priced under $600,000 and have views of Mount Washington - "which could be mistaken for Tuscany." This Sunday our neighbors in Los Feliz Village, "below the sylvan hills" of Griffith Park Observatory, are fit to print with an overview of their pedestrian friendliness. The lesson here? New Yorkers aren't the only ones who walk a block for calamata olives! Just in the nick of time, too, as more Los Feliz residents look to further restrict neighborhood parking. Surfacing: Los Feliz, Los Angeles [New York Times] Northeast Los Angeles: Set for a Close-Up [New York Times]