East LA House

Random house shot in East LA

The Heart of the Harbor is Beating

A walk down a familiar street....Avalon Boulevard in Wilmington, each time I walk this street I spot something I did not notice before. Enjoy the walk.

Ticket booth at old Granada Theater now a church 

C & C Liquor with an apartment on top possibly the owners place 

The signage is pretty 1960s 1970s 

Lobo taking a bath! he used to live behind Slanguage but he moved to a different bar

Fonts from the hood

Doorway one

The last pay phone on earth 

They don't even want to advertise here

Graphic Design studio been here since the 70s.....nice doorway too

A peek into Amelia's Dance Club..They even got a disco ball

Engine blocks made into sculptures 

Thank you for hanging in there more city beauty to come


Peace

DJ

TV Cafe is Closing Forever

Well it is official the old TV Cafe will be closing it's doors this Sunday at midnight. The cafe opened its doors in 1987 and maintained a very retro 1950s facade. The exterior had various hand painted signs and a giant hamburger,drink and fries on the roof. The menu had everything from hamburgers to tacos, malted shakes and slices of pie. There were  lots of old fashioned looking booths with tons of frames and memorabilia showing celebs and national events. A variety of old video game machines and ping pong machines adorned the back room.Today's this place could seem a bit cheesy, but as a history lover I enjoy these types of places. I can't say I was a regular, but I been their many times to get a drink or a late night plate. 

TV Cafe in its prime photo courtesy of their Face Book page

I stopped in last night just to say bye and eat some fries.... 

Lone interior, but it was like 2 a.m.

Can't go wrong with French fries sprinkled with pepper

Waffles with buttery love

Not sure why there is a sign for Carnitas Michoacan on their property but I am guessing the owners are either friends or the same owner???

If you want to grab a bite before they shut their doors the last day is Sunday, January 29, 2012 @ midnight. They are also selling everything in the building because it will be torn down. 






Peace,


DJ

Watts Up: A Walk Through The City of Watts

The gardens of many of the families in Watts are filled with fruitful trees, corn stalks sky high and a wonderful array of vegetables and herbs. 
Read the rest after the jump

Scaling the Wall Opening Reception: Friday, March 18, 8 – 11pm

Cella Satellite Galleries presents

Scaling the Wall

“…It’s me yelling to the whole world…I exist. I’m here.” – Wel, from Graffiti Verite


Los Angeles — Cella Satellite Galleries, is pleased to present Scaling the Wall. Curated by Trina Calderón and Miah Jeffra, the exhibition features graffiti and graffiti-influenced works by a diverse group of writers and artists in California.

Scaling the Wall comprises large-scale bombs by four of Southern California’s best female writers, and a white-wall display featuring six artists straddling the worlds of street and gallery institution, through various media.

Inspired by the groundbreaking MOCA street art retrospective, Art in the Streets, opening later this year, Scaling the Wall attempts to act as complement to Art in the Streets’ largely male roster of artists, while also discussing the complex and evolving relationship between street art and the arts institution.

Artists featured are PERL FDS, JERK, OPIA, KUTA ONE HEM BWS, ROOTSYSTM, ogdarthvader, LOVER ONE, C.1, Proto and Alberto Aviles Molina. The bombs, thrown up on bifurcated wood panels, will be auctioned on opening night, then divided at the close of the exhibition. Proceeds will benefit ArtStorm, an aerosol art non-profit organization that provides self-sustaining world-class Urban Art and LifeSkill programs for at-risk youth in Los Angeles. Aerosol paint for the bombs is provided by Montana Store Los Angeles, in Echo Park.

The opening reception will be Friday, March 18, from 8 – 11pm. The evening will feature live painting by Collective Aesthetics. Sound equipment to be provided by Looport and DJ Mixter Ed will spin records for the opening event.

Cella Satellite Galleries is located at 10816 Burbank Boulevard, North Hollywood. Gallery viewings are by appointment. For more information, please contact Shannon Currie Holmes at 213.291.7908 or info@cellagallery.com.

EXHIBITION AND GALLERY EVENTS ARE FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Press Release by Trina Calderon

Swapmeet News Briefs

Here are some current events complied regarding crime in Los Angeles and Mexico along with my random rainy day photos. Please feel free to comment because feedback is much appreciated here at Swapmeet Chronicles. Now let us do the dam thing!

Rain?

The rain has been hitting Los Angeles, however, that makes up for all the drought we had in the past. So enjoy!

The Grim Sleeper

A few years ago the LA Weekly did a series of news stories focusing on a string of murders (mostly women)  that had occurred over a period of 25 years in South Los Angeles. The women  found murdered where mostly Black, and many whom lived the hard life of prostitution. Many of these cases where never reported in the media. The LAPD received much criticism for not ever making the murders public.For many of these victims the cases became cold. Finally after a re-opening of these cases  DNA evidence linked an alleged killer to 10 victims all murdered between 1985 and 2007.  It was not until 2008 that LA Weekly crime reporter  Christine Pelisek started writing and researching the murders and dubbed the killer " Grim Sleeper" because he had taken a 14- year break between murders.  
This story struck me for a couple of reasons. First of all it should the harsh reality of crime that never gets reported especially crime in low-income neighborhoods with the residents being mostly minorities. It almost seemed like most of these women did not matter because of the fact that they were mostly prostitutes and Black. The killer was also very illusive he managed to charm these women and unfortunately they  became vulnerable to him. Here is the original story as read on LA Weekly.

There’s a small room at LAPD headquarters where the public isn’t allowed, where the door is quickly shut to the hall, where arguments erupt and frustrations fester. It’s off-limits to most other detectives, no press allowed. Lest anyone forget, a memo on the wall says so.

The six men inside call themselves the “800 Task Force” even though they no longer occupy Room 800, having moved to a lower floor of Parker Center to make room for a sex-crimes team. Their new room is cramped, the desks piled with mounds of paperwork. What is striking about their space is its main wall, heavily papered with photographs of dead young women.

                              Most of the bodies were found in the same vicinity around South Los Angeles.


July 2010 an arrest was finally made. 
 Lonnie David Franklin Jr was arrested at his home in South LA near Western Ave were most of the murdered bodies were found. The alleged killer was discovered through DNA evidence retrieved from his 28-year-old son. His son had recently gotten arrested and his DNA matched. All new inmates are now required to swab for DNA samples. The DNA was familial to that of Franklin's DNA and the victim's.






                                        

 Lonnie David Franklin Jr house in South LA were the arrest was made. 

Courtroom photo of now 58-year-old Franklin

This week in an even more shocking revelation the  LAPD released over 100 photographs and videos of women found in Franklin's home most of the even posing nude. Police hoped that somebody would recognize some of these women which could be potential victims. 

Up until now the LAPD has received hundreds of calls from people giving tips on some of women. LAPD identifies 21 of 160 women in Grim Sleeper suspects photos. 

For a full list of the 160 check out lapd.org  Warning some of the pictures are creepy because some of the women look like they are dead. 

No justice in Mexico! 

Marisela Escobedo Ortiz, was killed  in Juarez recently by a masked man in revenge for wanting justice for her daughter. Rubi Frayre Escobedo was found murdered and dismembered in 2008. Her boyfriend Sergio Barraza, was the prime suspect. Barraza was arrested and later released because lack of evidence even though he confessed to the murder and told authorities where the body was to be found. Now how ridicules and corrupt can that be?? It is a shame that the criminal justice system in Mexico has to be so dirty. To add insult to injury the boyfriend joined the "Zetas" cartel right after his release. Talk about harsh. Read the rest of the story here


 30,000  have been killed in Mexico since 2008. 


Most inmates die on death row of suicide and other natural causes as opposed to being executed. 


John Levae Post was found dead in his cell in San Quinton's death row this week. The causes were unknown. It can take years for an inmate to come up for execution and the majority die before their date.   The last inmate to be executed in California's death row was Clarence Ray Allen and before him  was the infamous Crip co-founder Stanley Tookie Williams. 

From LA Times...Since capital punishment was reinstated in California, 52 condemned inmates have died from natural causes; 18 have committed suicide; 13 were executed in California; one was executed in Missouri; five have died from other causes; and one cause of death is unknown, corrections officials said.As of Dec. 21, 2010, there were 717 offenders on California’s death row, authorities said.

                                                                Clarence Rey Allen

  

                                                            Stanley Tookie Williams

Random Van brought back memories...

Asta la proxima.

DJ

Sources: 

The Daily Beast

LA Weekly 

KTLA.com 

The Faces of Skid Row Opening Reception at Crewest Saturday, October 2, 2010

Photo from Salon.com


I always appreciate a good art exhibition that captures a real message about true life and  issues we face in society. This Saturday  Crewest Gallery the presents the " Faces of Skid Row." Living in Los Angeles everybody knows where skid row is located and the history behind it; however, sometimes we forget that many of the people who live on skid row are humans too with difficult life challenges. Weather it is an addiction to drugs a mental disorder or just  a lost soul they can not be forgotten as members of our society. I have volunteered many times at the Union Rescue Mission and seen the need some people go through on a daily basis. From older men to women and children the reality of it is not pretty. The show will feature photographers, artists of many medias. I commend Crewest because it has not forgotten about their neighbors since Crewest is located in the vicinity of skid row. Here is more details vis their website...

All donations will be going to the Midnight mission!

With live spoken word performance by Mike the Poet and beats by DJ Phyz Ed   

About the Exhibit:  

Faces of Skid Row is an exhibition and fundraiser to bring awareness and focus   

on the homeless living in the Skid Row area   

of Downtown Los Angeles. Graffiti artists, photographers, illustrators, sculptors, street artists and fine artists have all come together as one. Bringing you an exhibition full of sincerity, hope, reality, and essence.  Addressing core issues revealed through eye-catching, heartfelt art.    

   

Exhibiting Artists:  

Bob Motown, Branded, Dash, Dave Kawano, Dytch, Else, Enik, Eriberto Oriol, Estevan Oriol, Euth, Ezra, Graham Walzer, Gregg Stone, James Gillette, Juan Balandran, Lalo Alcaraz, Man One, Michael Pizarro, Mike Street, Oscar Magallanes, Philip Lumbang, Preston Craig, Shing Yin Khor, Sims, Smear, Thomas the Messenger, Two Rabbits, Mas, Ruthie Pie  

Featured Artist:  Mason Brown  

Curated by:  Luna George  

Additionally, a donation jar will be located inside Crewest all month long and 10% of all art sales for the month of October will be donated to The Midnight Mission.    

When: Opening Reception Saturday, October 2, 2010 and show runs until October 31, 2010


Time: 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. 


Where: Crewest Gallery 
110 Winston St. Los Angeles, Ca 90013


Check their website for more details on the show and related events 
Crewest Gallery

Photos: Re-cap on Sunday's Picnic

It was a hot Sunday perfect weather for some carne asada and a cold brew!
Check out the photos from the Picnic....

Special Thanks to Strictly Family & Millennium Car Club for organizing the event.