Corralitas Drive: Spring Sprung Early

Photo: Corralitas Neighbor, March 19, 2016.  In case you missed it, the Vernal Equinox occurred last night at 9:30 PDT. 

Historic Viaduct Footings: Coyote Sighting

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, January 10, 2016.  You'll have to look closely for the coyote.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

The coyote might be a little 2-dimensional and possibly cardboard.  At least the coyote art appears to be a less permanent addition to City of Los Angeles Historic Cultural Landmark #770 than some of the other "art."

Red Car Property: Angel of Adelbert

Stuff you missed this year...

Photo: Diane Edwardson, February 15, 2015.  A statue was left behind by squatters when they were removed from a house on Adelbert. (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Last February, a fence went up on the property line, around a house that had previously been occupied by squatters. Neighbors were surprised by the extent of the encroachment on the Red Car Property.  The Adelbert house was bought by flippers and the squatters moved to a nearby house and adjacent lot on Riverside Drive.  

The Riverside Drive house was similarly was bank owned and since sold to a house flipper.  The squatters continue returning to a lot on Riverside Drive adjacent lot the Red Car Property.  CD13, LAPD, City Attorney, Dept of Building & Safety and LA Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) have been working to move the squatters into actual supportive housing rather than homemade sheds on a dangerous slope, and clean up conditions that drew squatters to the site.

Stuff You Missed This Year is our annual wrap up of interesting photos and things we just didn't have a chance to run, because everything seems to always happen at the same time.

Riverside & Fletcher: Sightseeing

Photo: Diane Edwardson, November 13, 2015.  There's a fairly recent addition of communist style statue on the Riverside Drive side of the Menlo Property retaining wall, just north of Fletcher on Riverside Drive.  (Click on photos to enlarge)

The Menlo Property was approved for 120 market rate condo units between Fletcher and the River Glen Apartments in 2010.  Grading is expected to take 212 working days.

Viaduct Footings: Rest In Pieces, Patina Man

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, November 20, 2015.  I don't think Patina Man will be returning from the dead this time.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)  

Patina Man seemed to have a life of his own, standing watch over the Historic Landmark Pacific Electric Viaduct Footings.  

Patina Man was so named due to his pasty complexion reflecting all the green on the property, creating a patina effect in the early morning light. My midday, the patina effect was gone (left photo below).

Patina Man was often found "face down" in the dirt by midday.  By dawn the next day, he'd be up again.  After all, he did photograph better in the early morning light.  Rest in pieces, Patina Man.

 
Photos: Gary Vlahakis, left, November 9, 2015; right, November 10, 2015.

Historic Viaduct Footings: Pensive Patina Man

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer: November 15, 2015.  Sadly, last weekend was likely Patina Man's last, as he watched over the historic landmark viaduct footings.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Red Car Property: Patina Man

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, November 9, 2015.  Patina Man seems to have a life of his own at the north end of the Red Car Property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)  

Note: Early rain helped the protected native California Black Walnut Trees, which are usually starting to drop their leaves by now.

Red Car Viaduct Footings: Dawn Of Patina Man

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, November 9, 2015.  Atop the historic landmark viaduct footings, Patina Man stood guard over the trail on the Red Car Property. 

Patina Man spent a few years behind a house on Adelbert.

Red Car Property: Park Bench Americana

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, October 20, 2015.  Looks like the "park bench" was recently upgraded with some "art," including a half bicycle wheel and battered American flag that flew behind the Red Car Property-adjacent squatter house* on Adelbert on a mannequin for a few years.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

* The squatters were cleared from the Adelbert house in February 2015.  Squatters have since taken up residence on another Red Car Adjacent lot just southeast of this location on Riverside Drive.

Historic Viaduct Footings: Dawn

Photo: Jonathan Vandiveer, September 25, 2015.  Historic Landmark #770 has seen better days, but if you're blinded by the rising sun you might not notice the layers of day-glo paint and graffiti vandalism.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

LA River: 2nd Annual Boat Race, Saturday, August 8, 2015

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 30, 2014.  Head on down to the LA River and watch Saturday's 2nd Annual LA River Boat Race.  (Click on photos of last year's event to enlarge.)

Saturday August 8, 2015
12-6 PM
Starting Line: Clearwater St at LA River

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 30, 2014.  The LA River Mudpeople we by far the highlight for many on the shore in Elysian Valley.  They do give good photo op.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 30, 2014.  Stand-up paddle board (SUP) will return again this year.  No word if they've managed to attract Laird Hamilton yet.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 30, 2015.  The LA River through Elysian Valley is a great place for kids to explore.  

If you're heading to the river from the Red Car Property neighborhood, we recommend walking or biking there.  Show respect for our neighbors.  Elysian Valley is primarily a residential neighborhood with limited parking.  Special events can easily overwhelm the narrow streets. If you are taking your bike to the river, we remind you to slow down and share the path with pedestrians.

Click here for all our Elysian Valley posts. 

UPDATE: August 9, 2015.  See what you missed this year: The Eastsider

Red Car Property: Squatter Americana

Photo: Diane Edwardson, April 21, 2015.  In February, when the squatters were evicted from a house on Adelbert, they left some art on the Red Car Property.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

The installation has been there for over a year.  There was a time when art like this didn't raise eyebrows in Silver Lake.    

The California Black Walnut Tree behind the art looks pretty healthy.  

Pacific Electric Viaduct Footings: Is This Any Way To Treat A Historic Landmark?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, June 10, 2015.  Colorful "art" is still vandalism.  At least other unsanctioned artistic alterations of City of Los Angeles Historic Landmark #770 were not permanent. (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

Corralitas Drive: Ghost Of Christmas Past

Photo: Diane Edwardson, 2008.  The Glory of Patina Boy was a Corralitas Drive holiday tradition for nearly 20 years.   

Elysian Valley: Frogtown Artwalk, Sat. Sept 13, 2014, 4 - 10 PM, Parking, Shuttles, Pedi-cabs, Transit Map!

There's no excuse to drive blindly around the Elysian Valley neighborhood for this Saturday's Frogtown Artwalk.  Park in one of the satellite parking areas or better yet walk or bike to Elysian Valley.  Thousands of people attend the annual event.  The Red Car Neighborhood (northwest of the 2 & 5 Freeway intersection) is close enough to bike or walk to the event.

All the info: Frogtown Arts

LA River: The Mud People Upstage Race, Last Weekend To Kayak Through Elysian Valley Until 2015

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 30, 2014.  The Mud People dipped their feet in the LA River while the 1st Annual LA River Boat Race paddled by.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August, 30, 2014.  You would have thought Laird Hamilton was on the stand-up paddleboard the way the photographers flocked to the photo op while the Mud People worked on their mud.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 30, 2014.  Yes there are rapids on the LA River.  This guy wiped out right after he passed me. 

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 30, 2014.  Some kayakers were more entertained by The Mud People than others.  It did create a unique photo op.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, August 30, 2014.  September 1st is the last day the LA River Recreation Zone is open for boating in Elysian Valley until next summer.  So get out there!

Pacific Electric Viaduct Footings: Is This Any Way To Treat A Historic Landmark?

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 25, 2014.  Not only are the over- 100-year old concrete landmark viaduct footings painted with brightly hued pastel colors, the vandal artist included mixed media.  (Click on photos to enlarge.)

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 25, 2014.  Considering we've had multiple rainstorms since the paper was glued to the viaduct footings, you have to wonder what kind of glue he used.  It makes cleaning the footings an even more complex task.  Neighbors are asking what can we do about the "art," as it is vandalism of a historic landmark.  It is not temporary.  The porous nature of the ancient concrete means you can't pressure wash nor sandblast the footings.  

In past discussion with a representative of Central City Action Committee (a non-profit that does graffiti removal in the area), we learned this takes a specialized product for removal of paint, which can become costly.  A grant would  need to be applied for, as it does not fall within their normal budget.  That was based on earlier discussions for graffiti on site which was nowhere near as extensive in coverage as this vandalism.  And of course, everything is complicated by the location on the steep slope on private property.

Photo: Diane Edwardson, May 25, 2014.  Those top 3 footings have been painted over several times by what appears to be the same artist.  The paint seems to have been applied by airbrush or power sprayer. This was not done with a spray can. Perhaps the artist thinks he's doing a service to the community by painting over the graffiti that reappeared there, but it just adds more layers of paint for removal.

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, February 24, 2014.  The same 3 footings from the previous photo are on the top left of this photo.  How many layers of paint, glue & paper now have to be removed because of this artist's vision?  

Perhaps the artist should think bigger - like the Hollywood Sign.  That will be well received for sure.

Links:
There was an understated elegance to the viaduct footings.

Silver Lake's Stonehenge 

Fletcher Viaduct 1904 

Historic Landmarks: Why Not Paint The Historic Pumphouse In Bright Colors Too?

Photo: Red Car Property Neighbor, March 10, 2014.  Just because the Red Car Viaduct Footings aren't pristine like the historic DWP pumphouse across Fletcher, doesn't make them less of a historic cultural landmark.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

Because of the viaduct footings' historic landmark status, it now becomes an expensive project to restore the footings.  Not all of the footings the artist chose to paint were tagged with graffiti. 

Allesandro St & Oak Glen: Coyote

Photo: Esteban Gonzalez, March 2, 2014, around 2 AM.  Look closely & you'll see the coyote on the right, near the first car.

Historic Viaduct Footings: Is This Any Way To Treat A Historic Landmark?

Photo: Gary Vlahakis, February 24, 2014. Los Angeles Cultural Historic Landmark #770 has been vandalized repeatedly in the past 2 weeks by a guerrilla artist.  The paint is thick and completely envelopes each footing.  (Click on photo to enlarge.) 

The Pacific Electric Red Car Viaduct Footings are concrete blocks in the hillside on the corner of Riverside & Fletcher.  They once supported one of the longest viaducts (viaducts go over land, bridges go over water) in the Pacific Electric Red Car Trolley System.

See: Guerrilla art overstaying its welcome, damaging landmark

See: Silver Lake's Stonehenge