Lake View Ave: Hazard Repaired

Photo: Russell Bates, November 30, 2011.  The serious street hazard on Lake View Ave, reported yesterday, was fixed by midday today. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The sound of jackhammering echoed through the hills this morning, indicating the City took the photos seriously.  Thanks go to CD13's Ryan Carpio for responding quickly to the problem. 

I strongly recommend neighbors call 311 and report these problems as soon as they happen.  If you have an iPhone: use the free CD13 311 app.  My neighbors with iPhones find this to be the most effective way to resolve these types of problems with the City. 

Lake View Ave: It's Needed Repaving For More Than 25 Years *UPDATED

Photos: Diane Edwardson, November 29, 2011.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)  The photo above is the segment north of yesterday's post on Lake View Ave.  It's been patched and repaired many times since 1926, when it was last paved.  It's been on the City's list for repaving for at least 10 years.  

According to yesterday's email from CD13, a geotechnical study is being done because it's a hillside street.  Being a concrete street, it requires additional hoops to jump through, but at some point, it becomes dangerous (see yesterday's post). 

  

Yesterday's street hazard is at the crest of this hill (photo above), in front of the 2 story green house in the right.

The street badly needed repaving at least 25 years ago, when those duplexes on the right were under construction.  How many boom & bust cycles have we had in the past 25 years? 

This is the reverse angle from the previous photo.  Sidewalks are practically non-existent on parts of Lake View Ave.  Homes built prior to curbside recycling have nowhere to put their trashcans but on the sub-standard sidewalk.  There is no sidewalk on the east side of Lake View between the Silver Lake Ave Public Staircase and the storm drain in the photo below.  The west side is tough to navigate, leaving pedestrians cutting in & out of the street.

In 2010, the City repaved the southern part of Lake View between the southern part of Silver Ridge the storm drain (above). 

Note: for those who think we're just whiny newcomers who don't know the City has no money to repair streets...the Lake View Ave community leaders who asked me to draw attention to yesterday's serious hazard have lived here for over 30 years.  I've lived here for 21 years, and hung out at a friend's house on Lake View for 4 years before that. We are realistic about the budget issues, but at very least, the City is obligated to make the street safe. 

*UPDATE: This morning, Lake View Ave neighbors confirm the City was jackhammering the serious street hazard in yesterday's post.  Thank you to CD13's Ryan Carpio for responding quickly to this dangerous situation.

Lake View Ave: Street Needs Urgent Repairs **UPDATED

Photos: Diane Edwardson, November 29, 2011.  While walking this morning, I got a call from a Lake View Ave community leader, asking me to help get the street repaired in front of 2456 Lake View Ave.   (Click on photos to enlarge.)  

A portion of the concrete street was cut out and replaced with the original chunk of concrete.  It shifted and keeps getting worse, despite periodic repairs.  It's an abrupt  3 1/2" deep drop in the concrete, several feet wide.  For quite some time, neighbors have been emailing and calling CD13's Silver Lake deputy Ryan Carpio about the hazard, but he's failed to respond. 

On the upside, it should slow traffic.  This is a dangerous traffic hazard.  People drive way too fast over this steep, blind and curvy hill on Lake View Ave (with inadequate sidewalks).  I dodged speeding cars while shooting photos.

*Years ago, Two other neighbors confirmed, that in August 2009, Carpio inspected the street with Lake View residents and told them the street would be repaved. A portion was repaved in 2010, but the City stopped at the storm drain inlet, several houses south of this location. In the 25 years I've been in the neighborhood, all of Lake View Ave, but particularly this segment, has needed repaving. It was last paved in 1926. 

If nothing else, my size 10 boots say this is a trip & fall lawsuit against the City waiting to happen.  At least the City should put up some safety cones with flashing lights at night. 

Tomorrow: we'll look at an adjacent part of Lake View Ave in dire need of repair.

Lake View Ave historical photo links:

70 Years of Hillside Development

Lake View Ave in 1930

**UPDATE 4:10 PM: I received email from CD13's Ryan Carpio:

I know this street and this has been submitted for resurfacing a long time ago. As you know it takes a while to get this done. ... I re-requested these areas 2x this year, once in April and once again in June, and have been keeping an eye out because someone calls me about it regularly as well.

I mentioned multiple times to neighbors (especially with concrete streets), that these take longer than usual because they're concrete. I've even gone through lengths of mentioning that in some cases, neighbors have stopped resurfacing because they don't want the concrete to go away. I understand the frustration and I'm equally frustrated.

I feel that, although we treat cases with utmost urgency as much as possible, you as well as I understand the length of time it takes for a lot of the projects in the city.

Also, FYI: A geotechnical evaluation is being made (because it's a hillside street), and that process takes a while before resurfacing can be done. Also, this has been submitted for emergency repair with street services. They've responded back that they will be looking at this soon.

Red Car Property: Not A Park, It Just Looks Like One

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 27, 2011.  Thank you for keeping your dog on a leash and picking up after him.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Elysian Valley & Cypress Park: Air Pollution

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 26, 8:31 AM.  The Saturday after Thanksgiving saw no traffic whatsoever on the 5 Freeway, yet there was a thick polluted haze hanging rising over Cypress Park, LA River and Elysian Valley (as seen from Corralitas Drive).  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This polluted haze is typical on bone dry, clear mornings after the Santa Anas have blown out pollution the night before.  The topography of the hills of Glassell Park and Elysian Park magnify the inversion layer that rises with the sun, trapping the pollutants from the Metrolink maintenance yard close to the ground.  The topography also makes it really obvious due to the contrast of the sun rising in the east, highlighting the polluted haze in front of dark hills. 

Saturday was unique because there was even less traffic on the 5 Freeway than on a usual holiday weekend. 

Metrolink trains use diesel engines.  Metrolink services around 30 locomotive engines a day at the yard in Cypress Park, around the clock, often idling for hours at a time.  An idling diesel locomotive engine emits 44 times more diesel particulate matter than an idling big rig truck.

Neighbors in Elysian Valley & Cypress Park are organizing to hold Metrolink accountable for the noise and air pollution they impose on the community. 

Related: Railroads sued over diesel soot at California rail yards.  LA Times October 21, 2011. 

Red Car Property: Answer To Trivia Question

Photo: uncredited, undated.  Red Car Trolleys on the curve at India St as seen from Corralitas Drive.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The grade between the Red Car Trolley tracks and India St was much steeper before they removed countless tons of earth to grade for the 2 & 5 Freeways.

See Thursday's post for photo without annotation.

Red Car Property: Test Your Neighborhood Knowledge

Photo: Uncredited & undated.  Earlier this year, Paul Ayers sent me this shot I'd never seen before.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

If you know the Red Car Property Neighborhood, you'll know exactly what part of the Red Car Property it is, as well as where it was shot from.  Hint: a whole lot of earth was removed to use for grading the 2 & 5 Freeways starting in 1960.  Answer on Saturday.

Red Car Canyon: Muddy, Walkable

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 21, 2011.  While it seems like the rainy season started early, we saw the same weather pattern last year.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Drive: Raccoon Family Foraging Together

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 19, 2011, 10:28 PM.  The raccoon on the left is the same one who posed in Monday's post.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Five or six raccoons were foraging high up in the branches of the huge rubber tree in my yard Saturday. These three are likely this year's offspring still learning where to forage from mom. They kept looking to the largest raccoon for guidance before making their escape. There were two or possibly three more raccoons way up in the tree as I was shooting these photos.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 19, 2011.  Three of the five (or six) raccoons paused on the fence before making their escape to my neighbor's yard.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

This family is most likely responsible for the rather large holes dug under two different parts of the yard in the past week.   Raccoons are omnivorous and carry disease transmissible to dogs and cats.  Read more about living with raccoons and other wildlife on the City's Animal Services website.    

Red Car Canyon: Mudwatch, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 21, 2011.  You can still walk around the vernal pools where the canyon opens to the meadow of the Red Car Property.  The meadow was remarkably dry. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 21, 2011.  While you can still walk around Red Car Canyon Lake, I chose not to do so with a dog wanting to play in the puddles.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

We're keeping track of rainfall totals collected on Corralitas Drive this year:

November 19-20, 2011: 1.1"

Season total since Oct 1, 2011: 4.9"

 



Corralitas Drive: Raccoon Posing

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 19, 10:25 PM.  This raccoon just took to the camera, posing calmly.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Saturday night my dog alerted me to something about 20' up in the rubber tree.  The wind and the weight of the animal had the tree branch moving considerably. When it finally caught the light, I could see it was not a fat-assed cat.  

I grabbed my camera, left the dog inside and I headed out to shoot in the dark. I soon realized there was more than one raccoon in the tree.  There were at least five picking and eating the small fruit in the rubber tree. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 19, 2011.  Of the 5 raccoons in the tree, this was the only one who kept posing and did not try to hide.  Perhaps it was friends with the skunk who struck poses for my camera this summer.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

These are the first raccoon photos I've been able to get.  I usually encounter raccoons late at night, with no camera in my pocket.  Do not let your dogs go after a raccoon as they are capable of killing a dog.  Keep your dogs on a leash.  They also carry diseases transmissible to cats and dogs.  So keep your pets vaccinations up to date.  Never feed wildlife.

2 Freeway & Rosebud Ave: A Popular Location

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 19, 2011.  The Rosebud Ave overpass of the 2 Freeway serves as background for several photo shoots every week.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Red Car Property: Stormwatch

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 4, 2011.  Dark clouds over Corralitas Drive, as seen from the India Street entrance to the Red Car Property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Elysian Valley: Saturday Nov 19, Marsh Street Sk8 Park Celebrates 4th Anniversary

Photo: Diane Edwardson, December 8, 2002.  There was a time when kids had to make due riding skateboards on the uneven asphalt bike path on the LA River.  Of course, those kids are in college now.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Marsh Street Sk8 Park celebrates its 4th anniversary and fundraiser with music, food and skateboarding, presented by Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (LANLT), City Councilmember Eric Garcetti and the Landskate Crew.

Marsh Sk8 Park

Saturday November 18, 2011

10AM - 2 PM

2945 Marsh Street

Elysian Valley 

info: Hillary Larson, LANLT (213) 572-0188

NOTE: All skateboarders are required to have a completed Skate Park Waiver.  All Skaters under 18 must have it signed by a parent or legal guardian NO EXCEPTIONS!  Waivers can be found at www.lanlt.org.

Roselin Place: Trees Take The Edge Off Oceans Of Concrete

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 13, 2011.  Last Sunday was a spectacular day for photos from atop Roselin Place.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Since this is one of those hidden views most people in the Red Car Property Neighborhood never see, I'll point out the landmarks.  In the lower right corner is the sign for Rick's Hamburgers and the bright blue Chevron Station at the corner of Riverside & Fletcher.  The dense trees in the lower left corner are on Adelbert and the Red Car Property.  Between the trees and the Chevron Station is Riverside Drive.

The 5 Freeway is adjacent to the concrete walls of LA River.  The arched bridge crossing the river is the Hyperion Bridge.  Atwater is across the river and the big open hillside is Griffith Park.  

LA River: Fletcher Bridge

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 13, 2011.  It looks like the Fletcher Bridge is being reinforced, as the bridge footings are encased with rebar.  (Shot from atop from Roselin Place.)  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Riverside Drive: Paramount Pest Control, 1960

Photo: A. Futterer, Holyland Exhibition, 1960.  The Paramount Pest Control building was one of the few to survive the eminent domain action to clear a path for the 5 Freeway.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Read more about  the Paramount Pest Control building on Riverside Drive at Allesandro on The Eastsider.



Roselin Place: Historic Red Car Trolleys Took Brand Blvd To Glendale

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 13, 2011.  Sunday was one of those crystal clear days where you could see the terminus for the historic Pacific Electric Red Car Trolley  Glendale Line at the end of Brand Blvd. (View from the top of Roselin Place).  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Red Car Property: Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 5, 2011.  Wild times at the Adelbert All-Weather Lounge or perhaps someone got tired of squishy upholstery.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

We're keeping track of rainfall totals on Corralitas Drive this year:

November 12, 2011: 0.1"

Season total since October 1, 2011: 3.8"

Red Car Property: Wonder Why The Property Owner Posted Tow-Away Signs?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 13, 2011, 9:51 AM.  No fewer than 56 cars were parked on the Red Car Property for an event at Rose Scharlin Co-op Preschool this morning.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

A few neighbors were notified via email after 9 PM last night.  I didn't check my email until after I walked this morning.  Don't wear out your welcome in the neighborhood. 

Red Car Canyon: Big Patch Of Mushrooms

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 8, 2011.  Rain has mushrooms sprouting in Red Car Canyon.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

I have no idea what kind of mushrooms they are, but they routinely grow in the same spot every year.  Learn more about California mushrooms on: MykoWeb.

Disclaimer: The Corralitas Red Car Property Blog prefers to quote reliable sources, such as Calflora and California Poison Control, on the issue of toxicity. We often get email suggesting some plants are edible. If you are eating your way through the Red Car Property, we DO NOT recommend you eat any plant you find in the Red Car Property neighborhood without first doing your own research.

Since we seem to be in for a wet winter, check out the variety of fungus in the Red Car Neighborhood.  Send us your neighborhood fungus photos, along with the date and description of where you found the fungi: redcarproperty@gmail.com.

Red Car Canyon: Not A Park

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 6, 2011.  The Red Car Property is not a park, it just looks like one.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Drive: Purple Mountains Of The San Gabriels

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 11, 2011.  Another spectacular cloud day over Glassell Park and the San Gabriel Mountains.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)



Red Car Property: Rain Helps Arundo Return Quickly To "Lot C"

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 5, 2011.  Arundo is highly invasive, combustible, non-native and very hard to remove without a backhoe.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Read more about Arundo on California Invasive Plant Council's website.

Corralitas Drive: Hawk Learning To Soar

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 6, 2011. Red Tailed Hawk on Corralitas Drive.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Sunday, I observed two Red Tailed Hawks engaging in the same behavior I observed the day before, near the historic viaduct footings.  One would circle the tree calling, landing in the tree, then taking off calling, circling coaxing the other to follow, soaring above the 2 Freeway, near the log cabins on Corralitas Drive.  Again, the second bird was unsteady and dangling its feet, unlike the first bird. 

Red Car Property: After 10 Years, Property Owner Asserting Rights

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 8, 2011.  After 10 years of neglect, the Red Car Property owner is threatening to tow cars parked on the property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 8, 2011.  New tow-away signs appeared on Lot C this week, like this one at India St. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Of course it doesn't help that Google Maps completely misidentifies the Red Car Property as Silver Lake Court.

View Larger Map

Click here for all our "Lot C" posts.

Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract: Dinosaurs Found

Photo: Lou McClean, 2005.  Apatosaurus fossil found in this location: story in The Eastsider.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

See also: Allosaurus found at the historic Paul Landacre Cabin: Darius twin's photostream Flickr.

Red Car Property: Hawkwatch

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 5, 2011.  Two Red Tailed Hawks were calling to each other near Adelbert on Saturday.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 5, 2011.  The first hawk joined the second near the top of a Eucalyptus.  The larger of the two took off, circling the smaller hawk, calling as if coaxing it to join in.  Soon, both rode the updrafts, soaring over the intersection of Riverside & Fletcher, above the historic viaduct footings. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 5, 2011.  I've been seeing this behavior, up & down the Red Car Property, above the 2 Freeway and over the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract quite a bit lately.  One of the hawks seems really unsteady while soaring, dangling it's feet in an unaerodynamic way.  I'm guessing it's a young hawk still getting the hang of soaring from the parent.

Keep your cameras handy and send us your Red Car Neighborhood hawk photos: redcarproperty@gmail.com.   

 

Loma Vista Public Staircase: Documented

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 14, 2011.  Too intimidated to tackle the longest public staircase in Los Angeles? See what you're missing on The Eastsider.  

Red Car Canyon Creek: Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 6, 2011.  Red Car Canyon Creek began flowing out of the canyon, toward Corralitas, with only 0.2" rain yesterday morning.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

We're keeping track of rainfall totals collected on Corralitas Drive...

November 6, 2011: 0.3"

Season total since Oct 1, 2011: 3.7"

Red Car Canyon Lake: Mudwatch

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 6, 2011, 10:12AM.  It only took 0.2" of rain this morning to revive the vernal pool in Red Car Canyon.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 6, 2011.  You can still walk around Red Car Canyon Lake.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Riverside Drive & Los Feliz Blvd: Monday, November 7, 2011 Emergency Road Repairs

City Councilmember Tom LaBonge announced the following in his weekly newsletter:

Major Emergency Road-Work on Los Feliz Boulevard

Crews will begin a major road project at the intersection of Los Feliz Boulevard and Riverside Drive on Monday November 7th to perform emergency roadway stabilization. Tunnelling in the area for the River Supply Conduit Project has resulted in the ground sinking underneath the major intersection around a newly-installed water pipe. Crews will drill hundreds of holes in the pavement and inject grouting to shore-up the ground around the pipe. Work begins on the park-side on Crystal Springs Drive, but will eventually move out onto Los Feliz Boulevard until the sinkage has been mitigated. The work is expected to continue in the area through December 21st.



Red Car Property: Mudwatch, Rainfall Totals

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 4, 2011.  Entrance to the Red Car Property at India St  between showers yesterday.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

We're keeping track of rainfall totals collected on Corralitas Drive...

November 4, 2011: 0.2"

Season total since Oct 1, 2011: 3.4"

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 5, 2011.  It doesn't take much rain for  Lake Red Car, the vernal pool near Rose Scharlin Co-op Nursery School, to reappear.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Corralitas Drive: Dramatic Morning

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 4, 2011, 11:12 AM.  There was a dark cloud hanging over the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract (hillside to the right) this morning, literally.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Holyland Exhibition: Always More Questions

Photo: A.F. Futterer, Holyland Exhibition, 1924.  The Holyland Exhibition, at the corner of Allesandro Way and Lake View Ave, is one of our oldest neighbors.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

I haven't had the time recently for a more in depth post on the Holyland Exhibition.  I recommend reading a post in an interesting blog, Always More Questions.

The Holyland Bible Knowledge Society Inc, is a non-profit, interdenominational organization.  Make a reservation to tour their collection of Middle Eastern artifacts and learn about Futterer's Eye-O-Graphic Bible System: (323) 664-3162.  

Years ago, the Holyland Exhibition generously shared many of their historic Red Car Neighborhood photos with us.  Click here for all our Holyland Exhibition photos and posts. 



Corralitas Public Staircase: Red Tailed Hawk In The Mist

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 1, 2011.  Can you see the Red Tailed Hawk in the Eucalyptus Tree?  Shot from the Corralitas Public Staircase facing the Semi Tropic Spiritualists' Tract.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)