Late last month, Florence Nightingale Middle School Student Jackson Huang sent a letter to Councilman Ed Reyes, requesting that bike lanes called for in Cypress Park through the city's five-year Bicycle Plan be implemented as soon as possible.  Councilmember Ed Reyes responded to Huang's letter about a week later, urging Huang to be patient as he waited for the lanes to be installed in Lincoln Heights. The lanes Huang wrote about would be located on Cypress Avenue and Avenue 28, both of which are actually located in Cypress Park. That was the first of what local cycling activists consider to …

Hidden between an art studio and an auto-body shop on between Avenues 50 and 51 rests one of Highland Park's oldest historical monuments. Lush, green trees line the walkway to the entrance of the former Occidental College Hall of Arts and Letters at 121 Avenue 50, casting a palette that's both distinctly native to Southern California and evocative of bucolic east coast campuses. Nearly a century after Occidental moved from Highland Park to Eagle Rock, the merger these two aesthetics still represents what the Arroyo strives to be at its best, native and newcomer living in peaceful harmony. …

As editor of Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch, I field questions about potential restaurant opening dates more than any other type of inquiry.  And when it comes to planned restaurants in the neighborhood, none has raised more curiosity than Garvanza's. Set to be located on Avenue 64, just south of Repton Avenue,  Garvanza's has been teasing customers with its empty store front and coming soon signs for quite some time. It appears, however, that the wait (and all the questions) may soon be coming to an end. According to the Garvanza Improvement Association, the restaurant has scheduled an…

Last week, Chef James Graham reported on his own blog that he had received all the permits necessary to begin selling food and alcohol at his rustic French restaurant Ba on York Boulevard.  Patch's story prompted user Kevin to leave the following comment: "I wonder what York blvd will be like in 10 years? If you bought property here after the bubble you will make a nice return. A French restaurant on York. Who would've thought?" York certainly is changing, as has been noted both here and in publications like the Los Angeles Times.  Here's a quick rundown of some major changes on York in the …

It's a tie. With a total of 155 tallies counted, Maximiliano and Folliero's Pizza and Italian Food were knotted at the top with 67 votes apiece. So, does this mean that Highland Park's pizzerias are so excellent that it's impossible to choose a clear winner? Or was this a case of the vote being split among a pair of solid, but not quite spectacular candidates? Maximiliano and Folliero's both clearly have their devoted fans. "I visited Maximiliano for their brunch last week and they had this epic breakfast pizza with egg, bacon, potatoes, and sausage that was freaking amazing," said user Jimmy…

The Los Angeles Times is the latest publication to weigh in on the gentrification of York Boulevard. The piece--"York Boulevard, Highland Park: A hub of hip, really"--insists that despite the the looming presence of "auto-garages and marijuana dispensaries," York Boulevard has become a haven for the culturally avant garde. The piece notes that The York and Cafe De Leche have served as anchors for a revitalization effort spurred by artists, restaurateurs, vintage clothing merchants and designers. From York Boulevard, Highland Park: A hub of hip, really Anyone who heard reports of Highland Park…

HPK, the latest eatery to establish itself on York Boulevard's emerging restaurant row, will hold its grand opening at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 29. Chef Huntley See has been fine tuning HPK's menu for the last two weeks, serving cocktails and contemporary tapas to a slow trickle of curious customers. See is planning a big bash to celebrate HPK's grand opening on Wednesday, including live music, a DJ and of course, food and drink. Patch stopped by HPK last week to sample the fare; click through our photo gallery to see more and read brief reviews of the fare.

You won't need to do much searching to find captivating art on Second Saturday, so Patch is adding a wrinkle to your gallery night wanderings--a scavenger hunt. We've hidden a Patch business card in one of Highland Park's art galleries, and we'll hand out Patch water bottles to the first three readers who can prove they've found it by adding a photo. Here's one hint--the card is located in one of the galleries featured in David O'Roscoe's Second Saturday preview. Happy Hunting! Attached you'll find a map that will help guide you through all the galleries in Northeast L.A. with exhibitions …

Is Highland Park the new Echo Park? L.A. Weekly music writer Kai Flanders seems to think so, but Echo Park residents aren't convinced. No offense to our neighbors to the west, home to some of the finest folks I've met in Los Angeles, but I'm not buying it either. In a piece published on Friday, Feb. 3, Flanders--armed with evidence culled from overhead barroom chatter--proclaimed that, with its low rents and flourishing arts scene, Highland Park is Los Angeles' latest "up and coming" neighborhood. In the piece, Flanders quotes a friend--"writer/street artist/zine-founder" Renko Mac--who notes…

Update: Have you voted for Highland Park-Mount Washington's person of the year yet? The deadline is set for 2 p.m. on Friday, January 6. Pick the person you believe deserves the distinction and post their comments section. We'll tally the votes over the weekend and reveal the winner on Monday.   Update: We've got a close race for Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch's "Person of the Year." Rather than rush the vote, we'll keep the polls open until Friday, January 6. As we've previously reported, after the votes are counted we'll feature the winner with a story on Patch. Update: Last night, a …

Merry Christmas, Highland Park-Mount Washington! If you have some holiday photos to share, you can add them to this story by clicking the "add photo" button below. Whether you celebrate the holiday or not, I hope you're enjoy the day with family and friends. That's what I'm doing, about 3,000 miles away from the Arroyo. I'll be taking a vacation from Monday, Dec. 26 through Monday, Jan.  2. Taking my place will be longtime contributor Andrea Quezada. Patch turned 1-year-old on Dec. 16, and Andrea has been with us from the very beginning, tracking down breaking news, covering Whiz Kids in our …

Do you have a neighbor who inspires you? How about someone who works selflessly for the benefit for those of us in the Arroyo? They might be Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch's person of the year? We're looking for your nominations for locals who have worked to to make a real positive change in the neighborhood. They could be a teacher, a volunteer a business owner; anyone you think is making our neighborhood a better place to live. Give us your nominations in the comments section below or at david.fonseca@patch.com. Include why you think they should get our honor. You might also mention …

I spent the Friday afternoon following Wednesday's once in a life time windstorm inside Antigua Bread on North Figueroa Street. Partly I was drawn there like a technologically dependent moth to a flowing electrical current. Also, though, I just wanted to be around some people. Spending the previous 30 hours in a dimly lit and unheated apartment breeds a desire for human interaction that no measure of TweetDeck can satisfy. Millennials, such as myself, often mourn over the loss of community via social media's atomization and sterilization of interpersonal interaction. No less than two minutes …

As you celebrate the Thanksgiving Day holiday this year, consider the the following. The next time you do so, the 2012 presidential election campaign will have just ended.So for those inclined to campaign at the Thanksgiving table, 2011 is it. But is that a good idea? Stories of political arguments ruining holiday gatherings are the stuff of many family legends. Whether you are host or guest, do you favor or dread political conversation over Thanksgiving Dinner? Let us know by voting in our poll and sharing your experiences and your advice here.

Want to share your art with the world? Highland Park's Avenue 50 Studio and LA-Artist are teaming up to allow artists of all skill levels across the county to do just that. From LA-Artist.com Avenue 50 Studio has partnered with LA-Artist.com to invite creative individuals and groups from LA County to submit ArtCards for an exhibition opening December 10th, 2011. To celebrate this partnership one lucky artist will be selected to have his/her ArtCard reproduced onto a collectible print that will be sold exclusively at the show. If you or your group would like to participate please visit http://…

As debate over the proposal by local artists Zack Christensen, Robert Sipchen and Antonio Villaraigosoa Jr. to create a mural along the bulkhead on Mount Washington Drive continues, some of our readers have asked Patch to present samples of the trio's work. Click here to see Patch's most recent story on the Mount Washington Mural Saga. While we've posted photos of the work numerous times on Patch, we agreed that it couldn't hurt to collect them all in one place for the community's perusal. Above, you'll find not only photos of work presented by the artists during numerous community meetings, …

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) paints a bucolic picture of life on the Arroyo Seco Parkway: "Dedicated on December 30, 1940, and built in three major stages, the 8.2-mile Parkway was conceived in the parkway tradition, with gentle curves and lush landscaping - envisioned both as a scenic pleasure road and a vital traffic artery linking the growing cities of Pasadena and Los Angeles." Sounds lovely, doesn’t it? But those of us who rely on the Parkway on a daily basis know that traveling along it can be harrowing experience. The three-lane highway, which winds its way …

One week ago, Left Coasters had a hearty laugh at their East Coast counterparts, who reacted to a 5.9 magnitude earthquake with less than what we considered suitable aplomb. Angelenos, in particular, couldn't help but revel in the panic experienced in New York and Washington D.C. at the hands of an earthquake that wouldn't even stop traffic on the 101. Two days later, President Barack Obama declared a State of Emergency in North Carolina as our East Coast friends braced themselves for Hurricane Irene. Reports from East Coast Patches reported that Irene's heavy winds and rains knocked out …

"The magnitude of dumping and accumulated trash along Marmion Way north of Museum Drive to Monte Vista is appalling." An item on the Arroyo Seco Neighborhrood Council Agenda, penned by member, Ann Walnum, begins with that sentence. Dumping along Marmion Way has been a problem for years, Walnum explained, and appears to be caused many culprits. During a recent cleanup event in Cypress Park, Walnum said she asked to be assigned to "the worst area possible." She ended walking along the long stretch of Mount Washington Road, where she discovered couches, piles of discarded trash, human waste and …

Highland Park-Mount Washington Patch was recently allowed to tour the historic Southwest Museum in Mount Washington. What followed was a three part series that looked into the museum's historic collection and site as well as its financial future. During the calm between contentious city council meetings and anticipated law-suits, these stories may serve as useful primers for local residents eager to catch up on the ongoing issue. Below are links to each of the stories. Inside the Southwest Museum Part 1: The Collection Inside the Southwest Museum Part 2: The Building Inside the Southwest …