Hello Wednesday!
Here's the latest from TheEastsiderLA.com.
Today is Adopt a Shelter Pet Day. If you need somewhere to start, check out our Eastsider Pets of the Week feature.
Now on to today's news.
—Robert Fulton
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Photo by Ramin Kohanteb
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📷 Eastside Scene
El Sereno: A Red-Crowned Amazon parrot takes a break on a Chinaberry tree. Are these birds squawking up your neighborhood? Thanks to Ramin Kohanteb for sharing the photo.
Go here to share your neighborhood photos or reply to this newsletter with your photo and details about the image. You can also tag your Instagram photos with #theeastsiderla.
📢 Eastside News
Bus rider sexually assaulted
East Hollywood: Police Tuesday released video footage in an effort to identify and capture a man suspected of sexually assaulting a woman aboard a Metro bus earlier this month. The Eastsider
This chart shows the year-over-year comparison in areas with more than 100 reports
Created with Datawrapper
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BOYLE HEIGHTS & EAST HOLLYWOOD
Homeless encampments drop here, spike there
By Jon Regardie
Last month, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority announced preliminary results from the latest homeless count: They project a 5%-10% drop in the number of unsheltered individuals in the county.
That finding might spur nods of approval from residents of Echo Park and Silver Lake, where reports of tent encampments are down in the first quarter of 2025. At the same time, inhabitants of Boyle Heights and East Hollywood might guffaw at the findings.
From Jan. 1-March 31, there were 2,617 homeless encampment reports placed to the MyLA311 system in the 17 communities The Eastsider covers. According to an analysis using data from the nonprofit newsroom Crosstown, that represents a 12.6% increase from the same period in 2024.
Neighborhood totals and trends vary greatly. Eight communities recorded an increase, including a 92% spike in El Sereno. Eight others registered a decline (Lincoln Heights was unchanged).
Some hotspots during the first quarter of this year:
- East Hollywood: The blocks around Vermont and Oakwood avenues, near a 101 Freeway entrance, were the site of at least 86 MyLA311 reports.
- Boyle Heights: A stretch from the 100 to 300 blocks of South Mission Road propelled more than 90 reports.
MyLA311 complaints do not necessarily reflect the full state of homelessness; a small encampment in a populous area could drive more reports than a larger cluster of tents elsewhere. The opening of a homeless shelter, such as a Tiny Homes Village in Eagle Rock, could lead to a clearing of nearby tents. A clean-up operation, like one at Fountain and Alexandria avenues in East Hollywood, might prompt more nearby calls, with residents hoping that making noise leads to additional action.
Jon Regardie is a veteran Los Angeles reporter, editor and columnist. @JonRegardie
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The former Bridewell Armory at the corner of Salonica and Bridewell streets.
Image by Google Maps
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HIGHLAND PARK
New youth center planned
By Barry Lank
A new Highland Park Youth Arts Center next to a former National Guard Armory is moving into the pre-development phase.
The City Council earlier this month formally approved a $1 million federal grant that was initially secured in 2022. The grant will be used for pre-development and design work for the center, which is expected to cost $16.4 million.
The 5,000-square-foot facility will be built in the 6700 block of E. Salonica Street, said Mary Nemick, spokesperson for the Bureau of Engineering. While earlier plans called for reusing the armory after upgrades, the city now plans to construct the center as a separate building, Nemick said.
The former Bridewell Armory, which opened in 1950, is eligible for state and national historic registers, according to Historic Places L.A
Currently used as storage by the Department of Recreation and Parks, the armory near the York Boulevard bridge and the Arroyo Seco Parkway will receive only exterior improvements—such as paint, stucco, and water damage repairs—under the current budget, Nemick said.
“But we are designing the project as though it is on a local or national register,” she added.
It's too soon to say when construction will begin, Nemick said. But the grant requires the facility to be completed by fiscal year 2029/2030, according to a project report.
📋 Eastsider Poll
What should happen to the Zoo's Asian elephants?
The Los Angeles Zoo recently announced plans to relocate two Asian elephants to a preserve in Oklahoma. City councilman Bob Blumenfield has asked the Zoo to explore additional options such as sanctuaries. What do you think should happen to the elephants?
We'll share the results in next Friday's newsletter.
🗒️ Notebook
County strike closures
East Los Angeles: The strike by 55,000 county workers is expected to lead to a second and final day of closures of county facilities in unincorporated East L.A. today, Wednesday, April 30. The facilities expected to be closed include the East L.A. Health Center; the Anthony Quinn, City Terrace, East LA, El Camino libraries; and numerous park closures. Go here for an updated list of closures.
Council considers $6,000 in grants
Highland Park: The neighborhood council on Thursday will consider as much as $6,000 in grants for community food and kitchen related items. Parents, Educators, Teachers, and Students in Action are requesting up to $4,000 to buy food for vulnerable youth and families. The other request is for up to $2,000 for the Los Angeles Garden Council to install a tile floor in the kitchen at the local community garden. The current floor is bare dirt. Other items on Thursday’s agenda include a discussion of pedestrian safety improvements at York Boulevard and Avenue 53. Agenda
New Aimee Semple McPherson biography
Echo Park: A new biography is out about Aimee Semple McPherson, the star 1920s evangelist who preached the gospel from the Angelus Temple across from Echo Park Lake, the L.A. Times reports. Claire Hoffman’s “Sister, Sinner” is out now, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
🗓️ Things to Do
By Jennifer Rodriguez
⭐ Featured Event
Advancing Healthcare Symposium: A distinguished panel of Adventist Health Glendale physician specialists in Cardiology, Pulmonology, Gastroenterology, and Radiology will discuss the future of Interventional Medicine. Tuesday, April 29. Learn More
Thursday, May 1
East Hollywood: Enjoy some comedy at The Pack Theater with Best Medicine. Proceeds for the stand-up comedy show will benefit the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice (CCIJ).
Glassell Park: Reserve a spot to learn The Language of Love: Decoding Romantic Connections presented by Ararat Alumni and Dr. Violet Mesrkhani. ❤️
Friday, May 2
Boyle Heights: See WORMROT (From Asia) perform their only L.A. Show @ 1st St Pool & Billiards.
Montecito Heights: Experience Halloween in Spring and enjoy a Victorian home tour and a flick at Heritage Square Museum for Street Food Cinema's Boo-ze Bites & Frights: Half-O-Ween. Watch The Craft in an eerie and fitting setting on May 2, followed by Final Destination on May 3. 🍿🎬
👋 That's it!
Thanks for reading.
— Robert Fulton
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