Eye of the Storm?

FROM WHAT LOOKS LIKE Los Feliz Blvd. above the 5, this ABC 7 reporter gives the wet details of last night's on-and-off rain. Being from a land-locked state in the middle of the country - where "winter storm" means you die from 5 minutes of wind-chill exposure - I still get a kick out of the histrionic TV coverage of LA's "heavy showers." (I say that now, of course, but heaven forbid the Griffith Park hillsides start sliding into my neighborhood.)

Missing Motorcycle Mystery Solved

A FLURRY OF CONCERN this weekend about an apparent theft in Atwater Village: According to this Guns N' Roses fan site, the band's tech lost his 1950 custom Triumph in front of Club Tee Gee, just after midnight Saturday. Words like "stolen" and "reward" were bandied about. But within 48 hours, the site reports, "The bike has been found and returned to its owner." Thank goodness. Atwater Village has a proud musical heritage - even with techs! - and no one wants it tarnished by an incident like this.

So Much Neighborhood News, So Little Time

THANKS, EVERYONE, for your kind comments and emails. All is well in Newbieville. In the last month, a lot of travel, most of it out of town. So bear with Mrs. Newbie and I as we catch up to the happenings in Atwater Village. Stay tuned.

Atwater Chatter: Happy Christmas Edition

Icy Broadmoor Lake, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

WE'RE HAPPY TO BE BACK where traffic (not weather) will strand you at the mall and where "storm watches" are issued for half an inch of rain. Here's how people are marking the holidays in and around our little LA neighborhood: Happy Christmas - It's Christmas Eve in Atwater Village, the Santa Ana's are blowing hard and the modest residents of Atwater (all working class and middle class and brilliantly diverse) have gone to no small trouble to deck their halls. [MilesThink] TESCO Fresh and Easy - I'd picked up my car from our Atwater Village mechanic at just before lunchtime Wednesday, so on my way home I stopped by the Glassell Park F&E. Liked the selection even more than Arcadia's. [Chowhound] Bingo Night at Bigfoot Lodge - Bingo, bizarre film projections and beer. [Metromix] Atwater Village Wine Bar - At last, the wine shop/wine bar has been named. Welcome 55 Degrees to the neighborhood. Let's hope she opens soon, as mama is thirsty. [MilesThink] It Caught My Eye: Big River Car - Maybe it has something to do with the proximity to the freeway, otherwise I'm not sure how this stretch of LA River's east bank through Atwater Village became a canvas for car art. [screenwriteralex posting a great photo by wildbell] Fresh Sauerkraut - The best kraut I've found around here is the very good Kruegermann's, made by a German family in Atwater Village and available at various markets around LA. [Chowhound]

Bad for the Earth, Good for the Neighborhood

Surely a Winner, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

TONIGHT AFTER 5:00PM Atwater Village's holiday spirit shall be judged. The annual lighting contest is, as posited here, the less annoying, more organic alternative to the Department of Water and Power's Griffith Park display. My prediction: judges will drive around till they get to this house at Glenfeliz and Glenmanor, then declare their winner.

Winter in Southern California

After the 'Snow' in Burbank, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

THE DISNEY STUDIO tree and some kind of foam-like "snow."

Coyotes in Los Feliz: Not Bold, Got It?

Griffith Park Coyote, originally uploaded by patrick_cates.

HERE'S A CURIOUS retort to a quote from former Gilmore Girl Lauren Graham. In July, Lauren told the LA Times, "I haven't been to Griffith Park since the fire, but it's been scary around here since then. The coyotes are getting really bold." Five months later, the follow-up email to me: "As a resident of Los Feliz, please don't spread crap like 'the coyotes are really bold'.... Nothings new with the wildlife except they are misplaced because of the fires and what does bold mean....really stupid comment. "They are the same as they have always been and will always be, trying to exist and survive in there unique family structures like you and I...what do would you think they would say about people if they had a blog.....would it be truthful and accurate....Perhaps they would tell you this is there home too, that people try to poison, shoot, and harm them....maybe they really should be more bold and fearless ...... I still say she's full of crap." I, for one, am looking forward to the Coyotes of Los Feliz blog!

Neighborhood For Sale: Atwater on Craigslist

IF ALIENS LANDED today and needed to decipher what this Atwater Village area in Los Angeles was all about and, due to some conversion mix-up in their intergalactic wi-fi scanners, only had access to Craigslist, here's just a taste of what they'd learn: Return of the Jedi drinking glasses - $7 TinyLove Gymini baby gym - $10 60-inch big screen TV - $289 Wine store and tasting bar for sale - $275,000* Great starter home for sale - $535,000 Spacious home for sale - $685,000 * Sound familiar? This is the same wine store/bar listed in October for $350,000

A Bit Brighter This Year

Glendale Tree Lit, originally uploaded by Atwater Village Newbie.

Atwater Chatter: All Lit Up Edition

THINGS ARE GETTING lit up all over this extreme southeast corner of the San Fernando Valley: Median Tree Getting Lit - Festivities start tonight, Thursday Dec. 6, 6:30pm. Santa arrives via fire engine at 8:00pm to switch on 2,200 lights on the 80-year-old Redwood in front of 3250 Glendale Blvd. Neighbors' Houses Getting Lit - Judging for Atwater Village's Best Christmas Decoration contest starts Sunday Dec. 16, 5:00. (Let's just give it to the house at Glenfeliz and Glenmanor.) [AV News] Writers Getting Lit - WGA members can find $1 drinks at the Griffin in Atwater Village. [LA Times] Attraction to Magnet Schools - "We live in Atwater Village, our home school is Atwater Elementary which is 74.4% Hispanic (so I guess I hear that is 4 points), but is a single track (sounds like 0 points to me)." [LA Times Magnet Yentas] Dipping Toes into E-commerce - Importante Gifts in Atwater Village requested a much needed update with additional e-commerce capability. [Design Directive]

Victory for Proponents of Giant Empty Parking Lots

fletchersquare101, originally uploaded by Luis Lopez.

THE GIANT, EMPTY PARKING LOT near Fletcher Drive and San Fernando Road will stay giant and empty a while longer. The Home Depot has been chased away, officially, from developing the old Kmart site. This is a huge win for people who think northeast LA has plenty of jobs and that taggers don't have enough unoccupied buildings upon which to practice. And for people who love California Pizza Kitchen. Yay. Home Depot Slinks Away [Franklin Avenue] No Home Depot in Glassell Park [Curbed LA] Home Depot Abandons Plans [AV News]